Holst Centre’s formula: driving competitiveness from the labs
The research institution strives to bring innovation to the market fostering interdisciplinarity and partnerships.
Published on June 27, 2025
From left to right: Irene Rompa, Ton van mol, and Jesse Robbers - © Bram Saeys - Holst Centre
Mauro swapped Sardinia for Eindhoven and has been an IO+ editor for 3 years. As a GREEN+ expert, he covers the energy transition with data-driven stories.
In times when Europe grapples with economic stagnation, betting on innovation is one of the solutions proposed to enhance the competitiveness of the Old Continent. The Holst Centre Innovation Day, hosted on June 25 at Eindhoven’s Evoluon, strengthened the case.
The High Tech Campus Eindhoven-based Holst Centre is a research institute operating at the crossroads of flexible electronics and wireless technology. It is a partnership between the Belgian microelectronics research institute, imec, and the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO. 19 years ago, the 2 organizations came together to start this journey, creating a hub active in various domains, including energy, healthcare, and photonics. The institute has more than 50 industrial partners and has spun out 13 companies.
Crosspollination and the Dutch edge
In its annual Innovation Day, the institute gathered its network for a day of discussions around its activities and how they can contribute to driving economic competitiveness. Crosspollination between disciplines is, by nature, one of the organization's distinctive features. “Quantum, for instance, is not a standalone technology, but needs integration with photonics. Crossovers between technologies are essential. We shouldn’t reinvent new technologies, but rather think of how to apply working innovations from other domains,” underlines Jesse Robbers.
Alongside Ton van Mol he is one of managing directors of the Holst Centre. Van Mol was involved in setting up the institute, while Robbers is a newcomer who has just stepped into this role after serving as one of Quantum Delta NL's directors and working for the telecom company KPN. the duo presented an overview of the institute's activities.
Asked by the event moderator, Irene Rompa, about where the significant opportunities for the Netherlands lie, Van Mol pointed to the emergence of integrated photonics. This field focuses on creating small, chip-based optical circuits capable of transmitting, processing, and detecting light. “Producing these new chips requires new technology, and I believe that, given our expertise in building chip-manufacturing machines, we have a role to play in this space.”
Driving competitiveness from research to market
Bringing innovation from the lab to markets was the topic of one of the day’s panel discussions. Every innovator needs a stable, reliable backer. To this extent, venture programs, such as TNO Ventures and imec.expand are indispensable. Yet, it is not only about providing money but also support and a network throughout the journey.
Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board of the European Innovation Council (EIC), and Yvonne Greeuw, Investment Manager at Invest-NL, underlined the importance of patient capital. As the EU investment arm, the EIC is working to stimulate co-investments. Scheffer: “We are willing to stay in companies for 10, 15, or 20 years. As a public entity, it is a positive message to private investors who want to join in and fund impactful companies.”
The ever-present challenge of scaling up was also brought to the table. To Kevin Brundish, CEO of LionVolt, one of the institute's spin-offs, the main challenge for his company is ‘escaping the lab’. “Moving into a large production is the key step for us, and it is not a straightforward step. As a deeptech company, we need to enter markets, deliver our products to customers, and that cannot be done in labs.”
A moment of the discussion - © IO+
Rising researchers
As a showcase of Holst Centre’s work, three of its scientists presented their research projects. Frennie Bens introduced his work on developing a brain-on-chip technology, which could eventually lead to a better understanding of brain cells’ functioning, a key step in understanding the impact of drugs, for instance.
Nicolò Rossetti discussed the work being conducted at the centre on implantable solutions for neurostimulation. Scientists are exploring the use of electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves. This technology would allow targeted therapy of diseases such as epilepsy and depression, creating more adaptable care solutions and minimizing side effects.
Wenjing Tian delved into her group work on photo-integrated circuits. Specifically, she discussed efforts to miniaturize the components of a chip, including lasers, modulators, and detectors. Due to their smaller size, they can be utilized in a wide range of applications, including medical diagnostics and space technology.
Wisdom
The American professor Henry Chesbrough, father of the open innovation model, also took to the Evoluon stage to greet the audience, sporting a custom PSV shirt. Chesbrough’s model has been inspirational in laying down the groundwork for the creation of the Brainport region ecosystem. Collaboration and knowledge flow within and between companies, critical tenets of his research, have become the status quo.
Asked about ecosystem building, he pointed out what he defined as “an ecosystem failure in progress”. “The United States is funding semiconductor manufacturing revival through tens of billions in subsidies, but we have lost the ecosystem perspective. We are not funding workforce development, university research, and driving away foreign nationals. Here in Europe, you may be facing many challenges in the valley of death, but at least you have a robust, healthy flow of new knowledge, technologies, and experiments.”
The mayor of Eindhoven, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, also talked to the audience, reflecting on the figure of Gilles Holst, the scientist after whom the lab is named, and recited his ten rules for innovation. “In essence, Holst believed innovation flourishes best in rebellious environments, filled with young, clever people who are given the freedom to collaborate across disciplines. Working along these lines is how impactful innovations are created.”