On a sunny Thursday afternoon, accompanied by employees, relatives, music and foods, DIFFER celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the institute at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) campus. In May 2015, DIFFER moved from Nieuwegein to Eindhoven. A decade of leading research and collaboration in Eindhoven followed. Time to celebrate, and to look back and forward.
Freshly started as vice president at the Dutch Research Council (NWO), Anka Mulder had the honor to kick-off the festive gathering on 15 May. “I can image the step from the Rijnhuizen castle in Nieuwegein to the TU/e campus in Eindhoven was a major one”, she states. However, it has turned out to be a good one. “Science is not having an easy time. At the same time, people expect a lot from the scientific community. For DIFFER, being located at the TU/e campus means access to talents of the TU/e and Fontys. It also means access to other disciplines, with much faster breakthroughs as a result.”
Patrick Groothuis, vice president of the Executive Board at the Eindhoven University of Technology, appoints the happy faces he sees in the room. “As TU/e we’re very proud to have research institute DIFFER as part of our ecosystem. In the past ten years, a lot has happened. Even more will happen in the coming ten years, given the societal challenges we are facing.” Groothuis mentions examples like net congestion, the affordability of energy and sustainability. “All reason for DIFFER and TU/e to work together for our society. We strengthen each other, each from different perspectives. We look forward to -at least- another ten years of collaboration.”
Richard van de Sanden reflects on the Rijnhuizen period with a bit of nostalgia, like a lot of the staff did in the beginning. Building DIFFER and moving to it, was one of the highlights for DIFFER’s former director: “The castle in Rijnhuizen was a very nice facility, but it wasn’t a campus. Look at the 250 people working at DIFFER now, that requires a nice and modern building on a campus like this.” Marco de Baar, DIFFER’s current director: “Rijnhuizen was a fantastic place for Dutch physicists. However, the energy transition requires more. Think, for example, of robotics and high end controlling technology. In Eindhoven we can make these connections easily. Let’s rock this together, I’ll be there!”
Author: Rianne van Hoek
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