Healthcare in the Northern region of the Netherlands is put under pressure due to an aging and dejuvenation population and shrinkage areas. This affects the education of future nurses: there is a shortage of internship supervisors and internships. This complicates the influx of new and well-equipped nurses. To tackle this problem, digital simulation education is used. This involves students practicing realistic [nursing] situations and experiencing what it is like to have a particular condition, such as dementia. Both students and teachers, as well as practitioners experience added value for professional development, and this is accompanied by tremendous enthusiasm.

In the Netherlands, approximately 1 million children (0-25 years) have a chronic disease. Above and beyond the ever-present challenges of growing up with an illness, these children have 40% chance to develop psychological problems, including depression, anxiety and loneliness. Throughout their life, this translates into decreased well-being and reduced social participation and generates additional costs for society. Early prevention of psychological problems is thus key to break this vicious cycle. Therefore, eHealth applications are promising. However, scientific knowledge is missing and validated tools are not yet available for this group and involved health care professionals. Our mission is to make scientifically validated eHealth tools that allow personalized and trans-diagnostic prevention of psychological problems widely available for this highly vulnerable group of chronically ill children and future adults, through an accessible, user-friendly, safe, and sustainable platform. To succeed in this mission, we present an iterative learning cycle approach in two four-year phases during which we gather the insights, and develop, evaluate, and implement the much needed eHealth tools: I. Development: Distil and validate the theoretical and game-design factors that make eHealth effective for chronically ill children. II. Evaluation: Evaluate trans-diagnostic and personalized eHealth tools for chronically ill children, using and developing state-of-the-art methods. III. Implementation: Study and remove the barriers that currently hinder implementation and uptake, and threaten availability of eHealth applications for chronically ill children. Our eHealth junior consortium includes (applied) researchers, pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, patient organizations, knowledge centers, game designers, industrial designers, insurance companies, and business professionals. We will collaborate with the end-users (children, families, and professionals) in order to achieve both international scientific breakthroughs and optimal clinical and societal impact. Knowledge utilization is a crucial part of our project.

The Smart European Shipbuilding project (SEUS) aims to create a framework for European shipyards by architecting and developing an integrated platform for a combined solution incorporating CAE, CAD, CAM, and PDM software and testing it at shipyards. The new platform solution will be built with the best EU shipbuilding expertise provided by academic and industrial consortium participants. It will develop novel practices for human-centric knowledge management, data-driven AI design elements, intelligent technology, and Industry 5.0 concept for shipbuilding. The consortium partners represent state-of-the-art development in three main areas: computational tools development, industrially applied research, and the end-users of the new technology – shipyards. The ambition is to achieve up to a 30% time-saving in engineering and up to 20% time-saving in assembly and construction at European shipyards. The elimination of gaps in digital information flows and the optimisation of work processes present the area for time and cost optimisation, providing significant economic impacts on shipbuilding. Identified impacts include development of computational platform solution, facilitation of digital transformation of shipbuilding, traceability and integration of early design impact the design process, competitive advantage for EU shipbuilders through time savings in design and production stages, expansion of shipyard’s exposure to ship’s life cycle: for retrofit, revitalisation, use of data from operation and maintenance, human-centric shipbuilding knowledge management, and EU workforce skills and expertise development. Each work package contributes to the main goal – the development of the new computational toolset, taking into account the target user groups’ needs, new research in industry and technology, integration and interoperability aspects of the platform, the novel human-centric approach, and the needed support processes for project management and dissemination.

This project explores the knowledge and network needed to build an innovative pilot allowing to close the plastic loop within a hospitality facility by combining a 3D printing process with social inclusiveness. This will mean generating key technical and legal knowledge as well as a network of strategic experts and stakeholders to be involved in an innovative pilot setting a 3D printing process in a hospitality facility and establishing an active involvement of the local community.

Het RAAK project Olieloze Zeeën heeft een heleboel technische informatie opgeleverd over bestrjjdingstechnieken en het gedrag van olie op het wateroppervlak. De verzamelde informatie en de resultaten van de diverse onderzoeken uit dit Raak project zijn opgenomen in een “Oil Spill Response Manual” en via internet (www.spillresponse.nl) openbaar gemaakt. Met deze informatie is het MKB, de overheid en de NGO’s zeer tevreden. Wat helaas nog ontbreekt is een overzicht van alle partijen die op een of andere manier met olievervuiling te maken hebben. Nationaal, regionaal en internationaal houden vele overheden, industrieën en onderzoekspartijen zich hiermee bezig. Het ontbreekt echter aan een goed overzicht van deze partijen; wat is hun rol, bij wie kan ik terecht voor onderzoek, wie doet de wet en regelgeving, wie handhaaft etc. Behalve partijen die zich bezig houden met de preventie (o.a. wet- en regelgeving en handhaving) zijn er ook vele partijen die zich bezig houden met de preparatie (trainingen, maken rampenplannen etc.) en de bestrijding. De bedoeling van dit project is om hier duidelijkheid in te verschaffen wie zich waarmee bezig houdt en wat hun rol en verantwoordelijkheden zijn. En verder hoe de lijnen lopen nationaal, regionaal en internationaal. Deze informatie is voor vele partijen belangrijk. Veel staat wel op internet maar het is niet overzichtelijk waar je deze informatie kunt vinden. Vele tientallen partijen spelen een rol in preventie, preparatie , bestrijding en evaluatie van olievervuiling. Na dit onderzoek kunnen de partijen makkelijker met elkaar in contact komen en is er meer duidelijkheid over de verschillende rollen van alle betrokken partijen, dit kan onder andere voordelen opleveren bij een eventuele volgende olievervuiling. Verder zijn de resultaten van dit onderzoek belangrijk voor een breed publiek, zowel het MKB, de overheid, onderzoekspartijen maar ook voor het onderwijs. Maritieme en Petrochemie & Offshore studenten zullen hier mee te maken krijgen in hun vakgebied.