During this keynote, Rob van Kampen, De Haagse Hogeschool, will take us through the college's vision to contribute to a healthy and sustainable world. He will show how The Hague University of Applied Sciences continually connects education, research and the outside world.

Rob will present inspiring examples of research projects and graduation assignments in which students, together with strategic external partners, have developed innovative solutions that directly contribute to the living environment. The focus will be on the strategic role of The Hague University of Applied Sciences as a partner in area development around the university.

Sjoukje Heimovaara, chair of Wageningen University & Research's board of directors, will discuss the role of engineers in producing healthy food within planetary boundaries.

Lectures

• Nutrition
  The Farm of the Future: Natural through Technology - Els Uijterlinde (Knowledge and Innovation, Erve Mentink).
  The farm of the future combines natural processes with innovative technology. At Erve Mentink, drones are already used for seeding, weed management and forage evaluation of grass. And herb-rich pastures ensure healthier dairy with a lower climate footprint. The behaviour of cows and calves is monitored with sensors and 3 times a day cows get a new piece of pasture. Working more naturally reduces pesticides, fertilisers and medicines. This does require smart solutions, as modern farmers no longer have the manpower for intensive manual work. Find out in this presentation what design issues farmers of the future have and how technology contributes to sustainable agriculture.
  
• Care
  Operating room of the future: artificial intelligence and robotic surgery- Beerend Gerats
  (Meander UMC)
  Robotic surgery has now been part of clinical practice for over 20 years. However, recent developments, including the introduction of surgical robots from multiple providers, mark a new phase in which the use of robots in the operating theatre will increase. At the same time, innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) are making their appearance, with the potential to radically change surgical care. This presentation explores how these technological advances are affecting the operating room and offers a perspective on the future role of AI and robotics in surgical practice.
  
• Living Environment
  Inspiration session with (former) students, led by associate lector Energy in Transitions, Baldiri Salcedo Rahola (De Haagse Hogeschool)
  Under the guidance of Associate lector Baldiri Salcedo, Energy in Transitions, (former) students, Britta Hollebeek, Thomas Krcevinac & Tyra Polderman present their research projects. In collaboration with strategic external partners, they have developed innovative solutions that directly contribute to a sustainable living environment.
• Britta Hollebeek - Urban Heat: Façade design inspired by nature. How can a facade panel help to cool a building? Britta designed an innovative facade panel for De Haagse Hogeschool, inspired by biomimicry. This concept blocks sunlight and cools the facade faster in the evening. Her research provides valuable insights for further material development and structural testing.
• Thomas Krcevinac - Earth, Wind & Fire in education. How do we familiarise students and teachers with the Earth, Wind & Fire concept? Thomas developed a learning bundle for architecture students to apply this sustainable design principle in projects. His research led to successful implementation in educational modules and will be shared via Klimapedia and TU Delft.
• Tyra Polderman - The Hague University of Applied Sciences Paris Proof & gas-free. What combinations of optimisations are needed to make The Hague University of Applied Sciences energy-efficient and gas-free? Tyra built a detailed simulation model of the 80,000m² main building and tested various scenarios with VABI Elements. Her research shows that simple interventions alone are not enough to achieve the ambitious sustainability goals. Her model will be used for future research and further sustainability improvement of our sites.

• Circular
  The engineer's turn for a circular economy - Richard Koops & Marieke Koomen (Sweco Netherlands)
  This session will look at how we can help engineers transition to a circular economy. We will learn how professionals contribute to a more sustainable world by applying four key strategies from the National Circular Economy Programme. In doing so, we look at current best practices and what remains to be done to achieve the ambitions. Using examples from Sweco, we explore with participants what circular working means and what we need to make this change.

• Mobility
  Portable ultrasound: pain in view during movement- Victor Donker (Usono)
  How can we better understand unexplained pain in muscles and tendons? The Usono ProbeFix Dynamic offers an innovative solution: a portable ultrasound system that transforms medical imaging. This technology makes it possible to scan muscles and tendons in action during dynamic movements, which can optimise rehabilitation and recovery.
  
  Victor Donker of Usono will show how doctors and researchers can use the Usono ProbeFix Dynamic to take ultrasound measurements during intense movements, such as running or cycling. This opens up new possibilities for training, recovery and rehabilitation, and provides scientific insights previously unattainable. Thanks to its user-friendly design and portability, ultrasound is now more accessible to medical professionals, athletes and researchers.

Lectures

• Food
  The naturalness of water - Doekle Yntema (Wetsus)
  This session will present a picture of the world behind the concept of water. While water is taken for granted by many people, there is a complex world behind this phenomenon regarding drinking water supply, the emerging scarcity of drinking water, the use of water, the rise of pollution and whatnot. Water is involved in everything, but the real impact is often not seen because of this obviousness, until it is no longer there.
  
• Healthcare
  AI enables preventive care - Jildau Bouwman (TNO)
  The future of healthcare is digital, patient-centric and focused on prevention. Digital solutions can ensure better patient outcomes, empower individuals to take control of their own health and relieve the healthcare system. (Generative) Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently experienced significant developments, leading to growing interest in its applications within healthcare. Although the current implementation of AI in the Dutch healthcare system is limited, we have recently shown that there is significant potential , especially in the areas of administrative automation, diagnosis and treatment planning. However, challenges such as dependence on large technology companies, ethical and privacy considerations and operational implementation hurdles may stand in the way of GAI's full potential being realised. Risks range from technical inaccuracies (hallucinations) to ethical and privacy concerns. The future development of GAI offers opportunities for Dutch healthcare to improve/maintain care accessibility, affordability, and quality. At the same time, it is important to safeguard Dutch values in the use of GAI and argues for investment in local AI innovations to reduce dependence on foreign parties. This session will discuss the risks and opportunities of (Gen) AI.
  
• Living Environment
  Bridging Minds and Machines: AI-Powered Deliberation for Wicked Problems in the Built Environment - Tong Wang & Tian Xia ( AiBLE lab TU Delft)
  In the built environment, addressing complex societal challenges such as the energy transition and circular strategies requires more than just technological advancements-it demands multi-actor collaborations through deliberation. In this presentation, we explore how AI can enhance deliberation processes by supporting transparent, trustworthy, and value-driven interactions among diverse stakeholders. We propose a socio-technical approach where AI acts as a facilitator in multi-actor settings, enabling informed discussions, detecting subjective biases, and offering explainable insights with examples. By integrating human feedback into AI-driven frameworks, we aim to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and human-centred decision-making through deliberation for lasting and effective solutions.
  (Note: This lecture is in English).

• Circular
  Engineering and software engineering during the 9 phases of Raw Materials - Joost Huigen (Milieu Service Nederland)
  This workshop provides an opportunity to make a structured exploration of the nine phases of raw materials. A journey that starts at the origin of products and evolves into a new product. The focus will be on bringing together technical expertise and harnessing the full potential of AI and engineering to explore this future.
  
  The trajectory of circular raw materials includes nine phases, with a central role for engineering and software engineering. It starts with Procurement of sustainable raw materials, followed by encouraging sustainable consumer behaviour and waste separation at source with automated systems. Then waste streams are optimised through volume reduction, efficient transport and processing in a Circular Hub, where sorting and preparation take place. In the processing phase, waste is converted into raw materials, which are reused in new products.
  
• Mobility
  A healthy and liveable city - what can we do now? -Erik Jongenotter (Witteveen+Bos)
  Rules, space and history offer opportunities and constraints for a healthier mobility system. Three examples from unruly practice offer an insight. If we want it, a lot of gains are possible. What do you think about this as a (future) engineer, but also as a road user and resident?

Extra:

• Workshop Visual Thinking: Discover the power of drawing - Wouter Kets (TUDelft/UTwente)
  Do you remember how, as a child, you started drawing full of enthusiasm, long before you learned to read or write? Unfortunately, that joy in drawing often disappears halfway through primary school. We become convinced that we are 'not good at it', it is less encouraged, and other things take priority. A shame, because drawing is not only fun, it is also a powerful way to communicate your thoughts visually and quickly.
  
  In the Visual Thinking workshop, you will rediscover the pleasure and usefulness of drawing. It doesn't matter if you are experienced or think you "can't draw". With simple exercises and techniques, you will learn how to achieve practical, visual results in a short time. You can immediately apply this in your daily work, during meetings, or just for your own pleasure.
  
  Whether you want to enhance presentations, simplify complex ideas, or just get creative, this workshop will help you get started.

Given major societal challenges such as climate change, limited resources and labour shortages, sustainable solutions are essential to ensure the well-being and survival of life on our planet. Unmanned robotic systems - including air, ground and underwater robots - play a crucial role in promoting sustainability in various application areas. By collaborating with humans at various levels, these robots will become indispensable buddies for improving efficiency, effectiveness and safety.

In this keynote, Abeje discusses some of the latest developments in unmanned robotic systems with concrete societal impact, including a small firefighting drone, a robodog for inspection of underground pipelines, a 'flying hand' for maintenance of wind turbines and an eco-friendly weeding robot. He also discusses the technological and non-technological challenges involved in fully integrating these advanced robots into existing work processes and outlines possible solutions to address these challenges and maximise their benefits.