During an intense tour of the campus, Her Majesty Queen Maxima and European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Maria Gabriel, met with several scientists and innovations from TU Delft today. During the discussions, the focus was on improving the path that scientific innovations must take in order to be used in society.
artificial cell
The visit began at the College of Applied Sciences, where Professor Marlene Daughterrum took the group on a tour of the laboratories of the Department of Biological Sciences. Scientists from the so-called European Synthetic Cell Initiative spoke of their research into the smallest building blocks of cells. They are investigating exactly how these building blocks are assembled, with the ambition to be able to make the first working artificial cell themselves.
experimental garden
The group then toured The Green Village, an audition arena on the TU Delft campus, led by director Marjan Kreijns. In this ground test, innovations to make the built environment more sustainable are put to the test. Since homes are already inhabited, new technologies in energy transition and climate adaptation can be instantly modified to meet residents’ needs.
innovation ecosystem
This was followed by a round table discussion on science and innovation. Innovation at TU Delft is achieved within the ecological innovation system around the university, which consists of companies, research institutions and field laboratories. Entrepreneurs at Delft share their experiences with entrepreneurship; Delft scholars have spoken about the relationship between their research and its pathway into society. University Magnificus President Tim van der Hagen concludes: “It is good to see that examples from Delft practice help in this way to increase the impact of science at the European level.”
Quantum computer
The visit concluded with a tour by Professor Levin Vandersiben of QuTech, the Delft Research Institute where scientists work to develop scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a secure quantum Internet. These new technologies are promising and have dire consequences for the digital society in the future. In the lab, the group spoke to scientists and founders of Delft startups who are already working on the latest quantum technologies.
more information
Demi van Rueten, TU Delft Press Officer, 015 27 81588, [email protected]
