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SME hightech call 2024

To stay at the international top, it is essential for SMEs to keep innovating. Holland High Tech encourages SME entrepreneurs in the high-tech systems and materials sector to participate(r) in Research & Development in high-tech, materials, the urgent transitions and the development of key technologies. To further stimulate the involvement of SMEs in research and innovation projects, the SME High Tech call 2024 was created.

With this new call, Holland High Tech allows SMEs to determine the research direction. As an entrepreneur, you determine which industrial research supports your company’s wishes and needs for research and innovation. This takes the form of industrial research activities carried out jointly by an SME (or a consortium of SMEs) in collaboration with a research organisation. The SME itself receives a subsidy. Holland High Tech can offer support in finding suitable cooperation partners to form consortia between an SME and a research organisation.

The call focuses on the following innovation domains:

  • Optical systems and integrated photonics
  • Mechatronics and Opto mechatronics
  • Smart Industry
  • Quantum technologies
  • Energy materials
  • Systems engineering
  • Imaging technologies
  • Semiconductor technologies

Project proposals can be submitted from 16 December 2024 (12.00h) to 19 December 2024 (12.00h). The deadline for submitting a detailed project plan is no later than 27 February 2025.

More information about this call, the conditions, and the submission can be found on the website of Holland High Tech.  ,

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Science meets industry and talent. Collaborative insights: Looking back at the International MicroNanoConference 2024

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Throwback to the Regional Event in Wageningen

Last Tuesday, we hosted a regional event in Wageningen to explore the relationship between nanotechnology and food/life sciences. It is fascinating to see the importance of nanotechnology as an enabler. 

Professor Karin Schroën, an expert in Food Process Engineering, delivered a captivating lecture on micro- and nanotechnology for food production. Her talk delved into the fascinating world of microfluidics and its role in promoting healthier food.

Following Professor Schroën’s presentation, Luc Scheres, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Surfix, took the stage. His minilecture, titled “The Future of Diagnostics: Surfix’s Photonic Diagnostic Platform,” provided insights into cutting-edge diagnostic technologies and also showed the successful evolution of a startup nanotech company since its inception.

To conclude the afternoon, Arjan Tibbe from IMEC-OnePlanet shared his expertise on Sensing and Sensors. Attendees also had the opportunity to explore the OnePlanet Lab during a guided tour, and we ended the afternoon with bites and drinks.

We reflect on a successful event in Wageningen and extend our gratitude to everyone who participated. Mark your calendars for the next regional gathering on June 26, 2024, in Delft. Stay tuned for further details!

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Recap iMNC22

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National growth fund projects approved

On Thursday 14 April, the Dutch government announced the projects approved for the National Growth Fund in 2022. In addition, NanoLabNL has been approved for the second tranche of the QuantumDeltaNL Dutch Growth Fund for maintaining and developing the Dutch national infrastructure in nanotechnology.

Of the projects awarded funding, NXTGEN HIGHTECH and PhotonDelta in particular make use of the many advantages offered by nanotechnology. NXTGEN HIGHTECH received €450 million and PhotonDelta €471 million. In addition to QuantumDeltaNL, these projects will benefit from the existing cleanroom infrastructure of NanoLabNL.

NXTGEN HIGH TECH

The NXTGEN HIGHTECH programme focuses on the development of a new generation of high-tech equipment. This programme will make an important contribution to the competitiveness, earning capacity and employment of the Netherlands. It will help address some of the larger societal challenges ahead (Health, Energy, Sustainability, etc.).

PhotonDelta

PhotonDelta is an international ecosystem of organisations in integrated photonics. PhotonDelta aims to develop photonic technology to address societal challenges such as sustainability, create a new European industry and open the door to a huge range of new applications, including quantum computing. Capital from the Dutch National Growth Fund and other organisations will be used to set up start-ups, scale up production, create new applications for photonic chips and develop infrastructure and talent.

Additional funds to maintain ecosystem

On the same day, additional funds in QuantumDeltaNL will be available for Nano4Society and MinacNed to deploy nanotechnology within the ecosystem to develop solutions for major societal transitions and create societal impact. The activities will contribute to MinacNed’s goal of strengthening the economy based on microsystems and nanotechnology.

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MinacNed presents: Micro Nano Sympsosia

In 2021 and 2022, MinacNed will host pre-events leading up to the international MicroNanoConference 2022. The symposia are live events in The Netherlands, offering an interesting program with speakers from industry and science, with an opportunity for networking.

The Nano4Society themes will be taken from the international MicroNanoConference. The MinacNed team aims to organize both (deep) tech events and also more high over themes like IP, HR and symposia on collaboration.

Micro Nano Symposium: From Science to Market: Biomedical Production Technology

On November 23, a Micro Nano Symposium will be organised around the 2021 Groeifonds application. The consortium of partners from science and industry responsible for the Growth Fund application (Groeifonds 2021) will celebrate the submission of their application, specifically the focus theme Biomedical Production Technology under the NXTGen High Tech program.

From Science to Market: Biomedical Production Technology
Biomedical production technology fails to keep pace with innovations in the biomedical domain. The (academic) knowledge in the Netherlands is at a very high level in the field of Lab-on-Chip, Organ-on-Chip, Artificial Organs and Cell production technology, but is not (properly) converted into products. The main reason for this is that a multidisciplinary chain is required of suppliers of high-quality specific components in both the technological and biological field. Although the required parties are present in the Netherlands, their production equipment and processes are not yet compatible with each other. These major challenges cannot be solved by a few parties, but a large collaboration is needed to be able to design and functionally qualify products from the existing developed building blocks (e.g., sensors, chips, biomaterials) in order to subsequently achieve upscaling and the growing (world) market.

MinacNed, hDMT, MESA+ and Nano4Society organize a pre-event of the international MicroNano Conference 2022 to address this topic and will present steps that are currently being taken to establish an ecosystem with a unique and first-of-its-kind production chain in the Netherlands.

We look forward to seeing you here. Registration is open, you will find the program and invited speakers on the event page. Read more and register today!

The event is  a live event in Enschede, at location The Gallery.

Partners in event: MinacNed, Nano4Society, hDMT and MESA+ Twente University

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New funding instruments available from NWO

Aging, type 2 diabetes, shortage of healthcare personnel; our society is facing major challenges that require more knowledge and groundbreaking innovations. This offers opportunities for scientists, companies and public parties. NWO is responding to this by investing more than €100 million annually through various subsidy instruments in research in which public and private parties work together.

The role of SME’s

In order to achieve social and economic impact, the participation of SMEs is necessary and is therefore an important partner in research in all instruments. By sharing knowledge and collaborating on innovations, research results can be translated into solutions for society. For research that is financed within the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC), NWO applies incentives to involve SME’s more. NWO has opened 2 new instruments. om het MKB beter te betrekken.

About the instruments from NWO

  1. In ‘Question for Partners’, a public and/or private partner develops a research program in partnership with NWO around a specific knowledge and/or development question. The partner is a co-funder (min. €1.5 million in cash) in the program and NWO will double this amount. This instrument is therefore particularly suitable for (a combination of) public and/or private parties that want to initiate a thematic research program of a considerable size.
  2. In ‘Question for Consortia’ a consortium of knowledge institutes, public and private parties contribute to a research proprosal to find answer to a self-chosen knowledge or development question.

The financial NWO contribution to these instruments is available for fundamental and practice-oriented research, carried out by scientists in collaboration with companies. The degree of co-financing by private parties for these instruments is set at 50%, and at least 30% of the total size of the partnership.

More information about these and other research programmes can be found here www.nwo.nl/kic.

Source: HollandBio news

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QuiX delivers its processor to Germany!

QuiX Quantum, the worldwide market leader in quantum photonic processors, has delivered a 12-mode quantum photonic processor to Germany, for a collaboration with researchers from Paderborn University.  This photonic processor is the most powerful in the world.

Quantum photonic processors are the central component of photonic quantum computers, holding great promises in performing certain computations faster than current supercomputers. Machine learning, chemistry and finance are believed to be revolutionized by such quantum technology.

QuiX Quantum lead engineer Caterina Taballione says: “This collaboration confirms the continuing interest in our products from the major players in the international quantum photonics landscape. Paderborn University is at the forefront of integrated optics, and we look forward to the results of this collaboration.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the announcement of a sale to Qontrol, a British quantum technologies startup, and a sale to Quandela, the leading French quantum technologies firm. Prof Christine Silberhorn, head of the Integrated Quantum Optics group and spokeswoman of the Institute for Photonic Quantum Systems (PhoQS), says: “We have chosen QuiX because of the high quality, turnkey linear optical circuit as used for demonstrating quantum advantage in boson sampling experiments, that only QuiX can deliver.”

QUIX | Forward.one – Vrijdag 22 januari 2021 | © Verkijk

Germany has recently published its ‘Roadmap Quantencomputing’, which sketches the required steps on the way towards a working quantum computer. As a result, the German government announced a 2 billion Euro funding initiative for the development of quantum technologies in general and quantum computers in particular.

The success that QuiX Quantum’ products are having highlights the dominant position of photonics in the quantum computing landscape in the Netherlands, being the only able to provide turn-key quantum solutions.

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Over 11 million React-EU funds awarded to Kennispark companies and Twente Medtech cluster

Several MedTech initiatives from Twente have been awarded REACT-EU funding. The millions in subsidies will give the relevant companies and researchers in Twente an enormous boost, demonstrate the potential of MedTech in the region and strengthen Kennispark Twente as a MedTech hotspot.

Green light for MedTech Factory

In the MedTech Factory, start-up and fast-growing companies in medical technology will soon have access to high-quality and affordable microbiology labs. They can rent flexible space at the MedTech Factory until they are large enough to have their own building. The concept can be realised by initiators Novel-T and Kennispark Twente with the 3.1 million EFRO subsidy and the contribution already allocated from the RegioDeal via TwenteBoard.

Together with its regional partners, Novel-T recently presented its ambition to give the MedTech cluster in Twente a solid boost in the coming years. In September 2020, Jaap Beernink (CEO of Novel-T) and Eddy van Hijum (member of the Provincial Executive of Overijssel) presented an investment agenda on behalf of the regional cluster to State Secretary Mona Keijzer. On this agenda, affordable lab facilities were high on the priority list.

Anne-Wil Lucas, Area Director of Kennispark: “This grant is fantastic news for the region and Kennispark Twente. Without these subsidies, such facilities would never get off the ground, while they are essential for the continued growth of companies. This will ensure that we can retain Twente’s MedTech companies and attract companies from outside Twente.”

Consortia of knowledge institutes and Twente MedTech companies

In addition to the MedTech Factory, the other REACT-EU awards include various consortia of Twente MedTech companies and the University of Twente. These are collaborations that aim to use medical technology to contribute to an improved and affordable healthcare sector. These projects demonstrate the innovative capacity and power of cooperation within the regional cluster.

Innovations for the treatment of dementia and improved detection of breast cancer

For example, over 1.5 million euros was awarded to the ‘reMIND’ initiative, in which Demcon, Micronit and Locsens are consortium partners. Within reMIND, the parties bring together four different technologies to better treat dementia.

A second consortium, consisting of PA Imaging, Hemabo and the University of Twente in collaboration with Radboud UMC, will receive up to EUR 2.6 million for bringing photo-acoustic mammography to the patient.

A third example is the consortium formed around LioniX International, which includes Bronkhorst High-Tech, SurfiX, Qurin Diagnostics and PHIX. Together they are working on the SensorChip aimed at developing various types of gas, liquid and biosensors. They will receive over EUR 2.5 million for this project.

Finally, the Enschede-based company ILT Fineworks is involved in the industrialisation of the ELENA Heart Technology, for which a maximum of 1.7 million euros has been granted.

Jaap Beernink, CEO of Novel-T: “The award of these REACT-EU grants for both specific innovation projects and for strengthening the facilities in the ecosystem are of great importance for the development of the rapidly growing MedTech cluster in Twente. Innovative growth companies are the driving force behind this. For the region, the impact of these companies is particularly large, both from a social and economic perspective.”

About MedTechTwente

MedTech Twente is the innovation hub where medical technology is accelerating. For the past 15 years, the business community and healthcare institutions have been working closely together with researchers from the knowledge institutions to develop innovations for tomorrow’s healthcare. Innovations are developed, validated and implemented in close cooperation between parties, facilitated and accelerated by supporting organisations such as Novel-T, OostNL, VitaalTwente, HIP, WTC and HealthValley. It is therefore not without reason that successful MedTech companies such as Demcon, Medspray, Micronit, Lipocoat and IAMFluidics were founded and have grown in Twente.

About REACT-EU

The European Union is working with its recovery programme EU Next Generation on a fast, green, digital and resilient recovery of the regional economy. Under the name REACT-EU, 47.5 million euros – of which 5.9 million euros government co-financing – has been made available for the East Netherlands in 2021. This amount will be awarded to projects that have successfully submitted an application by 1 April. These projects must be completed by the end of 2023 so that the regional economy can recover as quickly as possible. The extra money has therefore been made available through the existing EFRO programme OP East 2014-2020. In OP Oost, the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel work together to stimulate smart, sustainable and future-oriented projects at companies in the East Netherlands.

Source news: Kennispark Twente

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New technology centre to accelerate digital innovation with the power of light

New Photonic Integration Technology Center (PITC) to advance innovations for global technological and societal challenges with revolutionary chip technology.

On 2 June 2021, the integrated photonics industry accelerator PhotonDelta, research institute TNO, Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente will sign a cooperation agreement for the new Photonic Integration Technology Center (PITC) in the Netherlands. This centre will speed up the commercialisation of Integrated Photonics for applications such as autonomous mobility, healthcare, data & communications. The signing will be part of an online launch event which is open to everyone who has registered through https://pitc.nl/launch/
Integrated Photonics represents a revolutionary technology that allows the development of chips that can sense, capture and process huge amounts of data using light instead of electricity. By using light we can create new types of devices and systems, complementary to those that use electronics. Photonic integrated circuits pave the way for devices and systems that are cheaper, faster, lighter, more robust and reliable while using less energy. This opens new perspectives for developing purposeful digital solutions.

Bridging the gap between research and application

The new PITC is an independent R&D and innovation centre that brings photonic technologies to industrial maturity, builds partnerships, strengthens the photonics ecosystem, and links it to a global customer base.

Accelerating commercial adoption of integrated photonics

Customers get access to technology and know-how at an early stage while sharing the costs and risk of new technology development. The jointly developed innovations will be extensively tested for reliability and stability, facilitating the route to production.

Integrated photonics is a key enabling technology with a wide spectrum of applications allowing to respond promptly and efficiently to societal challenges of today and tomorrow.” says Carlos Lee, General Director of European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), “The Photonic Integration Technology Center brings the integrated photonics to a level that it can be easily adopted by industry. This great ambition makes the PITC a perfect fit to the EPIC ecosystem.”
PITC offering

Specific PITC tasks will be:

  1. Developing technology in shared innovation programs
  2. Ensuring a smooth path to manufacturing ans commercialisation
  3. Providing access to high-tech infrastructure and facilities
  4. Supporting talent development for skilled professionals that build tomorrow’s high-tech ecosystem in the Netherlands.

PITC is a cooperation between PhotonDelta, TNO, University of Twente and Eindhoven University of Technology, and is enabled by Brainport Development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate, regional growth accelerators BOM and OostNL and the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Overijssel and Gelderland. PITC is located on the premises of Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Original press release PITC

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