research teams use HTSM money to solve societal challenges

Utrecht - November 7, 2019 - Patient-friendly screening of breast cancer and blockchain for a sustainable construction sector. They are two of the five projects that today received 25,000 euros from Holland High Tech. With the money, the research teams start high-tech cooperation projects that fit in with the roadmaps of the top sector HTSM and contribute to the missions from the new top sector policy.
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​The award ceremony took place today during the NWO innovation festival TEKNOWLOGY in Amersfoort. In addition to the two projects mentioned, three teams were also awarded prizes for work on a sensor that can be used to detect animal diseases earlier, on crime scene investigations with a chip and on optical monitoring for better control of food and water quality.

Seed money for solving social challenges

Holland High Tech supports the new top sector policy and wants to actively involve science. The TKI (Top Consortium Knowledge & Innovation) HTSM has therefore issued an open call in which scientists can win a research sum of € 25,000 as 'germ money'. That is the starting money to develop a public-private R&D program that fits in with one of the top sector HTSM <https://www.hollandhightech.nl/technologies> and the social missions <https: //www.topsectors. com / missions for the future> of the top sector policy. In addition, it is important that at least one entrepreneur takes part in the partnership.

A committee with industrial, academic and departmental representatives has carefully considered the entries. Criteria were the quality of both the project plan and the consortium, the originality of the solution and the potential impact of the plan. The committee has arrived at a selection of five winning projects.

Selection of awarded research proposals
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Climate & Circular Economy theme - "Blockchain for a sustainable construction sector". Partners: Dr.ing. Jan Veuger (Saxion University of Applied Sciences);
ir. Robert  Hehakaya, Msc, MBA (Viggen Group); ing. Antony Chang (2local).

​The partners of the 'Blockchain for a sustainable construction sector' project are investigating whether blockchain can develop a safe and reliable building passport. A building passport in which the various chain partners in the construction sector can share information with each other, ensures that less material is wasted and that more sustainable building is possible.

​Security theme - 'Place crime investigation on a chip: Single cell analysis using microfluidic systems'. Partners: Jaap C. Knotter (Saxion University of Applied Sciences / Police Academy); Brigitte Bruijns (Micronit Microtechnologies).

The Advanced Forensic Technology lectorate of Saxion / Police College and the micro technology company Micronit are spending the germ money on developing a system that will resolve current cases and cold cases in criminal investigations more quickly. They apply existing microbiological techniques such as single cell amplification to eliminate the problems of mixing profiles and too little DNA. And by using a lab-on-a-chip system, the process becomes less labor-intensive and the chance of contamination is minimal.

​Theme Health and Care - 'Early Warning Scan: early detection of breast cancer using 3D scanning and artificial intelligence'. Partners: Daan Kolkman (Jheronimus Academy for Data Science); Tom Sanders (XYZ Imaging), Yvonne van Riet (Catharina Cancer Institute), Paul Evans (business advisor).

The Early Warning Scan team wants to work on a safe, contact-free and radiation-free method to screen women of all ages for breast cancer. The method uses 3D scanning technology and interprets the data thus obtained with the help of artificial intelligence.

Holland High Tech
Holland High Tech wants to join forces of companies, knowledge institutions and governments to make a crucial contribution to solving social challenges and to keep the Netherlands economically at the world top. Holland High Tech organizes the programming of joint research between companies, knowledge institutions and governments and access to knowledge and markets abroad.