Kick off meeting Groningen Engineering Center 25 October 2016, Academy Building

On October 25 the Groningen Engineering Center (GEC) is hosting its Kick-Off meeting in the Academy Building. A festive meeting, says Dr. Stefania Costache, Scientific coordinator, Engineering Centre.

Costache: ‘GEC contributes to the University of Groningen’s profiling as a technical university. The goal of the Engineering Centre is to showcase the uniqueness of engineering research at the University of Groningen, which bridges fundamental sciences and applications in a comprehensive environment and is deeply embedded in the economic ecosystem of North Netherlands.’

Projects related to themes of great social impact

The Centre is a collaborative platform for engineering research and education at the University of Groningen, which brings together disciplines such as mechanical engi-neering, applied physics, applied mathematics, computer science engineering, artificial intelligence, bio- and chemical engineering, radiation technology and supply chain management.

Costache: ‘Engineering researchers at the Centre collaborate on projects related to themes of great social impact, including Energy/Sustainable Engineering, Smart Industries,  Advanced Materials, Advanced Radiation Technology, Data Science and Systems Complexity, Human Wellbeing and Biomedical Materials, Molecular Life and Health.’

Making energy systems smart

Exemplary for the multidisciplinary, socially relevant research under the patronage of GEC is the project developed by Prof. Dr. Ir. Jacquelien Scherpen ( ENTEG ) and Prof. Dr. Linda STEG (Environmental Psychology) called: Acceptable and sustainable integration of energy systems. The project involves integrated research at both Systems and Control Engineering and Environmental Psychology and was awarded funding from the NWO and industrial partners. The aim of the project is to find ways of producing an efficient, reliable, sustainnable and socially acceptable integrated energy system.

Costache: ‘The project focuses on integrating macro (energy plants) and micro (house-holds generating their own energy) approaches, and explores ways of using new control mechanisms to achieve the optimum combination in the infrastructure for gas, electricity and heat. However, in order to be effective, the acceptability of this new technology for users should be studied, and eventually be incorporated in the optimization. Simple examples are that one person thinks economically, while others do not mind to pay a bit more as long as the environmental impact is less. This is an exciting combination of technological developments (making our energy systems smart) impacting society, and taking into account societal impact in the engineering developments.’

The Kick-Off meeting will be followed by the Inaugural lecture of Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Post, “Over navigatie in de toekomst van Smart Industry”. Jan Post is Head Strategic Partnerships Philips Personal Care and Owner of the HTSM Smart Industry roadmap.

More information

• Programme Kick-off meeting Engineering Centre
• Registration is now open, please click here
• For more information, please contact Dr. Stefania Costache,
• Website Groningen Engineering Center