Visiting performances, lectures and exhibitions, but also playing games and building robots, the Dutch Technology Week (DTW) in Eindhoven is full of fun and educational activities for a wide audience. Strijp-S and Strijp-T are important locations when it comes to innovation and creativity.
“Make, create and innovate, that’s how the companies that establish themselves at Strijp-T are selected,” says Daan Heijsters, co-organiser of the DTW activities at Strijp-T. This can also be seen during the DTW. The Innovation Powerhouse and Additive Industries open their doors to the public. “In the hall of the Innovation Powerhouse, all companies based in our district can exhibit their work. There is also an exhibition of students from the Eindhoven University of Technology,” says Heijsters. There are activities for children as well, such as the interactive screens of CTOUCH on which they can play games.
Read (much) more about Dutch Technology Week here
It is the first time that there will be a big event at Strijp-T during DTW. Heijsters: “Last year there was an open day at Additive Industries as well, but now we have a much bigger approach.” In addition to enthusing the public, the events at Strijp-T also have the function of connecting the established companies. “All companies are still fairly new at Strijp-T. It would be nice if they got to know each other a little better,” explains Heijsters. “When companies can do better for each other, they are more likely to work together. That, in turn, creates a better climate for innovation.”
“The festival should be fun and accessible”
In addition to Strijp-T’s goal of introducing companies to each other, DTW’s general goal is to make people enthusiastic about technical professions. This is one of the reasons Sioux organises a tech festival. At the two-day event, visitors can use an exoskeleton, drive high-tech bumper cars, virtually bake cookies and escape from an advanced escape room. “The core of the festival is always the robot contest”, says Mark Hoevenaars, director of strategy and marketing at Sioux. “Sioux Mechatronics organizes an annual competition for students. They build this robot during the year and present it at the festival.” In addition, there are various activities for the general public. “The festival should be fun and accessible.”
Man and machine
According to Hoevenaars, the relationship between man and machine is central to this edition of the tech festival. This is precisely the subject of the performance Noir, performed by Nineties productions in collaboration with the Parktheater. The performance is about the influence of technological developments on society and humanity. “It gives a picture of society in the future if all technological developments would continue,” explains Iselle Claassens, who is a programmer at the Parktheater. “The performance consists of separate sketches. One of them is about a woman who finds out, after a number of years, that her boyfriend is a robot.” The performance can be seen at MU at Strijp-S. Claassens hopes that during the DTW people will watch the performance that normally don’t go to the theatre. “It offers a different view of technology, with a funny twist.”
In addition to the general events, there are also activities for the real techies in and around Eindhoven. Quiz Night XL has been organised for years in the Klokgebouw by the creative event team Number 42. “It is an evening in which the knowledge of those present is tested by means of high-profile questions about science and technology”, explains Edwin Verbruggen of Number 42. The questions are about the latest gadgets but also about chemical formulas. “This year, we were sold out very quickly,” says Verbruggen. 1400 participants divided over 280 teams are competing with each other. “There are also 50 teams on the waiting list,” he says. “That’s never happened before.”
The DTW is meant to introduce everyone to the possibilities and effects of technology. The event will be opened on the 20th of May and until the 25th of May, there will be various events and activities throughout the country. Here you can find the complete program.