During the festive presentation of the twelfth Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs at Eindhoven University of Technology, Martijn Otten was named Engineer of the Year 2026. The award was presented in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrix, Princess Mabel, and Countess Zaria.
Prince Friso Engineer Prize
Martijn Otten received the award from Princess Mabel and KIVI president Diana van den Heuvel. The jury praised him for his authenticity and his exceptional commitment to the engineering profession. His career and social commitment fit seamlessly with the criterion "Engineer your Career - Improve our Society". With his commitment, he is a natural ambassador for the profession and a rightful winner of this prestigious award.
In addition, the jury emphasises how Martijn links technical excellence with entrepreneurship and social responsibility. His work on projects such as Aquadrones for high-risk missions, advanced production lines in Ukraine and robotic systems shows his broad technical depth. The jury also appreciates his future-oriented initiative Engineers for Impact, with which he wants to connect experts to social issues and enthuse young people about engineering.
With Martijn Otten as the new Engineer of the Year, he succeeds Meike Nauta, who received the award last year.
Fellow finalists Kirsten Steinbusch and Martine Stam were each thanked in turn for their engineering skills and contributions to sustainable and social solutions.
In addition to the jury prize, the public prize was awarded. This went to Martine Stam, who collected the most votes among the public voters.
KIVI Engineering Student Team Award
On the same evening, the KIVI Engineering Student Team Award was also presented. The winner is Project MARCH, a non-profit and open-source Dream Team from TU Delft.
The jury praised Project MARCH for its impressive multidisciplinary collaboration and the professional level at which the team operates. The direct involvement of patients and rehabilitation experts creates tangible impact, while the open-source approach accelerates international progress in the field. The team demonstrates how student technology can contribute to improved mobility and quality of life.
Each year, a new group of multidisciplinary students forms a team with one common ambition: to give people with spinal cord injury the chance to get back on their feet and walk independently.
Each year, Project MARCH develops a new prototype of an advanced exoskeleton: a motorised, wearable robot that enables natural movement for people with full or partial paralysis. By combining technical innovation with medical insights, the team delivers solutions that are not only functional, but also contribute to inclusion and quality of life. As the project operates completely open-source, designs and knowledge can be freely shared with the wider scientific and social community.
Besides Project MARCH, EduQuation and Formula Student Team Delft were also nominated for the award. The winner of the public award within this category also went to Project MARCH.
KIVI congratulates all winners and encourages them to further strengthen their exemplary role and ambassadorship within the engineering community.
