Samenwerking met Defensie

Ministry of Defense intensifies partnership with Brightlands

25 March 2021

The Ministry of Defense has expanded its partnership agreement with the Brightlands Campuses and renewed it for another year. In addition to projects that have already begun, this year will also see the launch of projects and innovations in the fields of smart materials, nutrition, smart services and health. “And some of these projects are very promising,” says Major André Wijnveld of the Ministry of Defense innovation center, FRONT.

Brightlands has four campuses that are working on groundbreaking innovations. Projects and research are now underway in various areas, in cooperation with startups, science and business. The Ministry is primarily interested in the Brightlands innovations and applied research in smart materials, 3D printing, metabolism, future food, smart services and blockchain.

Four campuses

“This was why we decided to set up partnerships with the four campuses at the same time,” André Wijnveld explains. “The Ministry is an organization with around 62,000 employees, so we handle everything ourselves in principle: purchasing, sales, maintenance, HR, insurance, ICT, catering, logistics and healthcare. We even have our own hospitals and nursing homes. Innovation is important in all of these areas and we work with partners to achieve this; these are preferably parties that work on a non-profit basis, but above all, are interested in innovation. Brightlands fits the bill with four campuses, each of which has its own area of specialization. It’s the crossovers and ease of cooperation that are so important to us.”

Samenwerking met Defensie

Innovating together

The alliance began in 2019, and is proving lucrative for various defense units. The Smart Services Campus in Heerlen will work with the Defence Support Command (DOSCO) to set up a Techruption program pilot to explore the potential for blockchain technology in the paperwork involved in complex military operations. “We deploy a lot of equipment on foreign missions,” explains the DOSCO project leader. “Monitoring is essential. This is why we are going to study whether we can build an efficient system with blockchain that we can use to record and monitor all of the transactions and movements.”

Superlight

There is also plenty of interest and potential in other areas too. In cooperation with the FRONT innovation center and the army and navy, various studies are being conducted at Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen on the use and development of superlight yet durable materials. This will offer unique opportunities for all parties, says Menno Smeelen, project manager and Defense contact person at Brightlands. “One recent example is the 3D printer that can print using magnesium and composites. The printer was developed and purchased with the help of the Province of Limburg and the Ministry of Defense and is the only one of its kind worldwide as far as we know.” The first experiment in which usable parts for a bicycle, the Limburg Bike, are printed using this machine, has been a success. Smeelen: “The next project involves the printing and development of extremely strong yet featherlight components for military equipment, for example. The Ministry of Defense sees several possibilities for these printed materials.”

Samenwerking met Defensie | Menno Smeelen
Menno Smeelen

Renewal

The Ministry of Defense pays a fixed annual fee to Brightlands to be part of the ecosystem, and also provides partial financing for projects. Major André Wijnveld is pleased that the partnership has been renewed. “We have been working together on concrete projects for over two years now and are very impressed with the concept and the ecosystem. Researchers, students at every level, entrepreneurs, startups and corporates all work together here. The lines of communication to politicians and government bodies such as the province are short. Everything revolves around innovation here. People have plenty of room to pioneer, and think outside of the box. I know just about all of the campuses and innovation centers in the Netherlands, but Brightlands is unique. They’re the perfect partner for us to work with on innovation, and also because the follow-up steps are possible here. It’s easy to make the transition from the lab to pilot plants at the campus and this region also has a strong manufacturing industry. The ultimate goal is for the research projects to lead to spin-offs and jobs. This is visible in the Limburg Defense Industry Platform that was set up last year.”

André Wijnveld | Defensie
Majoor André Wijnveld

Future

“We had wanted to start this year with projects at the campuses in Maastricht and Venlo that focus on metabolism and concentrated nutrition,” says Menno Smeelen. “Corona has slowed things down and delayed them, but we expect to be able to start things up again soon.” This won’t be a problem according Major André Wijnveld. “I can name dozens of projects we want to get started on. At the Ministry of Defense, we look for the best food for our people during missions, the best equipment and protection from the heat and cold and the best medical care. We are working on ICT, data use and smart services projects, and the campuses have knowledge and expertise on these themes at their disposal. We naturally have to make choices, but take it from me, we will have great news to report very soon.”

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