The week of IO+: Clever minds
Every Sunday, our weekly review offers an overview of the most interesting stories around important innovations.
Published on May 18, 2025
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As editor-in-chief, Aafke oversees all content and events but loves writing herself. She makes complex topics accessible and tells the stories behind technology.
Trump is cutting education severely. Many American academics are considering leaving the U.S. because of financial and administrative turbulence. Europe wants to attract as many of these academics as possible: Von der Leyen announced last week the creation of a separate fund. The European Commission is allocating €500 million to bring international researchers to Europe.
Universities seek top researchers in physics and engineering
But: what are Dutch universities looking for? With maps, graphs, and figures, Mauro found out in the latest episode of Behind the Figures.
Von der Leyen's new fund is at odds with the education cuts many European countries are making. France, for example, cut €1.5 billion from education last year. The Dutch government has also proposed cuts of €1 billion. Interesting fact: In 2023, 48.2% of academic staff at Dutch universities came from other countries. Many contradictions here, let's say…
This professor unleashed the power of iron powder as a fuel
The story Elcke wrote about TU/e professor Philip de Goey proves that education cuts directly impact a country's innovative capacity. He stood at the cradle of the development of iron powder.
This powder is a kind of sustainable battery. It can store energy from renewable sources such as the sun and wind. When the powder is burned, the energy is released as heat. What remains is an empty but reusable “battery” in the form of rust.
What began as an experiment some 15 years ago has become one of the energy transition promises. Thanks to De Goey's research, several parties in the Netherlands are working on applying iron powder as fuel. The scientist is at the helm of a brand new energy campus with a starring role for “his” iron powder.
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Brain-inspired chips moving out of the lab and into your business
A new wave of computing based on the human brain is coming. Technology rapidly evolves into a viable tool for low-energy, real-time data processing, which presents business opportunities.
As companies worldwide grapple with automation, sustainability, and real-time data demands, neuromorphic systems could offer an innovative, lean alternative to today's cloud-heavy AI architectures. And these smart brain chips might be a solution to that struggle. How about that? You can read about it here, OR come to our new3 event in the fall: Watt Matters in AI.
And there was this:
- Must read of the week: The transition to green chemistry: 'Circularity is a team sport'
- The Netherlands as an autarky: what's on our plate?
- Swiss startup chooses Rotterdam for green aviation fuel plant
- Optics11 bags €17 million to safeguard Europe's infrastructure
- Explained in 1 minute: ultra-secure quantum internet
- Dutch tech protected: four interventions last year
- Why seagrass could transform future food production
- Groningen pledges to invest €60 million in an AI factory
Don't want to miss a thing? An overview of all our articles can be found here. Happy Sunday!
Aafke Eppinga, editor-in-chief at IO+