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Retrospective

On Wednesday 11 March 2026, TU Eindhoven hosted the Annual Conference, a day entirely dedicated to cooperation, innovation and the future of Europe. Visitors from all over the country were warmly welcomed at the networking plaza, where an energetic atmosphere prevailed early on and initial discussions about the conference theme Blueprint for a Stronger Europe ensued.

Once everyone had found their seats, chair Celina van den Bank opened the programme, followed by a powerful opening speech by 'power women' Silvia Lenaerts (Rector Magnificus TU/e) and Diana van den Heuvel (president KIVI).

In his keynote, Jeroen Dijsselbloem convincingly showed why economic growth, innovation and European cooperation are crucial to preserve our welfare state, citing the Brainport region as an example of successful technological development. He stressed that Europe has plenty of talent, but that it must above all get better at scaling up and collaborating beyond national borders. Afterwards, Lightyear founder Lex Hoefsloot told an impressive, honest and personal story about entrepreneurship, innovation and perseverance, from a daring student car to a company that dared to structurally raise the bar ten times higher. His message to engineers and startups: think big, be patient, and dare to realise ambitions that others consider impossible.

After a short break, visitors spread out over the various theme sessions: Defence, Digitalisation, Energy and Mobility. Lively discussions ensued in each room. From European defence technology to responsible AI, from battery independence to future-proof mobility-all were engaged in thought, discussion and questions.

The workshops and excursions were also popular. The cleanroom tours were a great success and during the Blueprint Builders workshop engineers worked their ideas into concrete business concepts. On the campus audio tour, visitors discovered TU/e's hidden technological pearls in between.

During lunch, there was an opportunity to talk further with speakers, exhibitors and other visitors in a relaxed atmosphere. New contacts were made and existing collaborations deepened.

In the afternoon, the second round of sessions started, in which people again actively participated. Some rooms used propositions for which visitors physically took positions, which created dynamics and surprising insights. The day continued with substantive contributions on drones, digital sovereignty, hydrogen and embodied AI. The sessions at TU/e student teams SOLID and SOLAR were particularly appreciated thanks to their inspiring take on sustainable technology.

At the end of the afternoon, Celina van den Bank closed the conference and invited everyone to have a drink at the networking square. While enjoying a drink, people were busy discussing the sessions, the opportunities for Europe and the role of engineers in this.

Some of the speakers' presentations can be found at the bottom of this page, as soon as the other speakers give their permission, the other presentations will also be shared. This way, you can also read back the sessions you missed.

Retrospective sequel

The Day of the Engineer had another festive sequel. At the end of the afternoon, visitors streamed into TU Eindhoven once again for the presentation of the twelfth Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs. Celina van den Bank opened the evening, after which Meike Nauta (winner 2025) told what the prize has brought her and called on engineers to make their voices heard more strongly, and Nick Hol (Brainport Development, Co-Founder BOOST) explained how engineers as 'ecosystem engineers' can play a pioneering role in a time of social and geopolitical challenges.

After dinner, the excitement mounted further: Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrix, Princess Mabel and Countess Zaria arrived to attend the festive ceremony, making for a special moment in the packed hall.

The highlight of the evening dawned when Princess Mabel, together with Diana van den Heuvel, announced the winner: Martijn Otten, named Engineer of the Year 2026. The jury praised his authenticity, his broad technical expertise and his tireless commitment to social impact. His work on Aquadrones, robotics systems and production lines in Ukraine, among others, as well as his Engineers for Impact initiative, made him a deserved winner. Fellow finalists Kirsten Steinbusch and Martine Stam were also thanked for their valuable contributions, with Martine also receiving the audience award.

The KIVI Engineering Student Team Award was also presented this evening. Project MARCH from TU Delft won both the jury prize and the audience award. The team was praised for their multidisciplinary approach, close cooperation with patients and their impressive exoskeleton that gets people with spinal cord injury moving again. By working completely open-source, the team also contributes to international knowledge sharing and acceleration of innovation in this field. Besides Project MARCH, EduQuation and Formula Student Team Delft were also nominated.

The official awards were followed by festive drinks, during which the princesses visited the winners' showcases. While enjoying a snack and drink, they talked about the engineering profession, the future of innovation and the inspiring stories of the finalists. By eight, the royal guests left and a special and festive day came to an end - full of encounters, recognition and new inspiration.

KIVI congratulates all winners and looks forward to the next edition of the Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs!

Scroll through the slides below for impression images

Presentation of Prince Friso Engineer Award

During the presentation of the Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs there are two prizes to be awarded, the jury prize and the public prize. A professional jury considers the candidates' entries and jointly chooses the Engineer of the Year. The public prize is chosen by the public and determined by the number of votes collected between 1 February and 9 March.

In addition to the Prins Friso Engineer Award, the KIVI Engineering Student Team Award will also be presented. This award also consists of a jury and a public award.

Media/ Press

Also watch this video from RoyalTV with fun live footage of the princesses.

For press photos and questions, please contact communicatie@kivi.nl

Presentations Annual Conference

Were you unable to attend all the sessions or do you like to watch a presentation again? We have collected them for you below!

Session 1

Session 2

Nominate 2027

Do you already know who you want to nominate for the Prince Friso Engineer Prize of 2027? Or for the Engineering Student Team Awards of 2027?

Then leave your e-mail address below. We will then send you a one-off message around September when the nomination lists open!