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Eindhoven University of Technology places a high value on innovation. The university board has expressed the ambition of becoming a key player in the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in the region, exploiting the unique human resources and knowledge on TU/e campus. The university also realizes that, in order to accommodate the development of students as engineers for the future, the university has to innovate. An entrepreneurial attitude and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams are core competences engineers for the future will need to possess.

TU/e is one of the most successful universities in the world in bridging the gap between knowledge and business. It tops the list of universities that have co-authored papers with the world’s most innovative organizations. It also hosts prize-winning student teams and facilitates the launch of many startups and spinoffs. TU/e is the place “Where innovation starts”, with students and researchers working every day on bringing their ideas to life.

However, what is still missing is a community and a central place where students and researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds can meet and collaborate. Where they can create innovations that address real-world challenges, together with the network of companies and institutes in the region and beyond. A place where you can launch your idea, where you can meet other bright minds, and where the university can show what they’ve got.

Addressing those needs, TU/e innovation Space provides students and researchers a community platform and physical space to work on multidisciplinary projects. Via hands-on multidisciplinary education, inspired by student teams and entrepreneurs, it enables more students to acquire the necessary skills engineers for the future need to possess. Skills that are demanded by future employers.

To provide the envisioned education, TU/e innovation Space has three commitments. First, it should inspire staff and students and attract prospective students, by organizing events, lectures and workshops. Second, it should support students in multidisciplinary engineering projects in creating prototypes together with staff and companies. Third, it should support the realization of these prototypes into products and services for society, creating new businesses and valorising research at the university.

TU/e innovation Space will offer access to technical facilities to create multidisciplinary designed innovative prototypes and solutions. It provides a community platform and offers a maker space, meeting space and exhibition space. Students are given a great opportunity to develop themselves into engineers for the future. In addition, TU/e scientific staff will be able to increase the visibility of their work, valorize their research, and facilitate part of their education in TU/e innovation Space. Industry will have the opportunity to scout for new talent and secure useful insights for their business. Finally, all stakeholders become part of a network of potential partners to ally with for joint business purposes.

In the spring of 2018, TU/e innovation Space will make its official start in the Matrix building on TU/e campus. In the meantime, the concept will be tested and crucial assumptions for the design of TU/e innovation Space will be assessed at several locations on campus.