IO+ week: a welcome lesson in future thinking
Our weekly overview offers an overview of the most interesting stories around key innovations every Sunday.
Published on January 12, 2025
As editor-in-chief, Aafke is ultimately responsible for the content of our platform, but she also likes to get into the pen herself. She is also responsible for the content of our events. She likes nothing better than explaining complicated things in an accessible way and is fond of telling the story of the people behind the technology.
What a week ... Zuckerberg announced that Meta is ending its collaboration with fact-checkers in the United States. He says Meta's fact-checkers, which include journalists from major international news agencies, are “politically biased.” Zuckerberg: “We have reached the point where there are simply too many mistakes and too much censorship. The fact checkers have done more harm than good to the trust.”
More on this next week... Furthermore, Amsterdam stopped using smart traffic lights because of privacy issues (as if people take traffic lights seriously here), and Dutch startups are shining at CES, the world's leading tech fair. Elcke listed 3 of them for you. At the same show, Eindhoven-based LiveDrop announced a strategic partnership with Intel.
Future thinking: how do you do it?
Research shows that Dutch people often negatively look at the future. In the series 'Future Thinking,' Corine Spaans searched for answers. She participated in the Nationale Toekomstcursus (National Future Course) and studied the necessary skills for future thinking. The main question: how can you look to the future with a positive outlook? Her quest resulted in a very welcome lesson in future thinking. The three episodes in a row:
- Future thinkers: 'We are all a bit of a director of the future'
- Understanding the future begins with knowing yourself
- Future thinking is: changing in the reality of now
Calling all startups that got funded in 2024!
Next Tuesday, we will join forces with the Dutch Startup Association for the second time. From 17.00, all startups that received investment money last year and the investors who made it possible will be welcome at the host LUMO Labs (Eindhoven).
While enjoying a (0.0) beer, find out exactly how Startup Land did in 2024 as Lucien Burm and Johan Schaap present the annual figures. Then, you can share good intentions with your fellow startup entrepreneurs or (potential) investors. Nice right? Attention! Registration is mandatory, and no show = no go. Register here:
Here’s what else caught our eye:
- Must read of the week: Vincent Groenhuis' (UT) MRI-guided robot increases precision in breast biopsy
- 2025 is the year of quantum: 'Working hard on European quantum secure network'
- Onward Medical launches system to restore hand strength in chronic spinal cord injury
- Philips sells chip division to Dutch investors
- Netherlands takes important step in development of molten salt nuclear reactor
- Jam-packed Philips Museum embraces winners of the eighth Gerard & Anton High Tech Peak Awards
- Investment of the month: CarbonX is ready to play its part in Europe’s battery industry
- Tough times for Dutch recycling sector: new facility canceled again
Have a great week!
Aafke Eppinga - editor-in-chief at IO+