According to Philips heavyweight Henk van Houten, the alliance is one of the largest the company has entered into with a knowledge institution, globally. He adds that the partnership perfectly fits the transition Philips has been going through over the past years. “We were once a company that made lamps and consumer electronics, but now we focus on medical equipment, and complete lighting solutions in which LEDs play an important part. The lamps have their own IP address so they can be controlled digitally. They’re all part of a single integrated network.” He says lighting and wireless sensors are becoming more and more important in healthcare as well.

With the help of mathematical analyses, data collected with these new techniques will improve the efficiency of many things in the future. Van Houten mentions street lighting, but also certain hospital processes. “Here at Philips, we believe we’ll grow to be a competitive player in the field of big data crunching, too.”

Executive Board Chairman Mengelers feels the developments and focus of Philips suit those of TU/e very well. “And it’s our task to train highly-skilled engineers, so it’s great they learn about this type of research during their studies. After all, they could be working at Philips in the future.”

Some 28 million euro is involved with the partnership, most of which is paid for by Philips and TU/e. The Máxima Medical Center, Catharina Hospital, and the Kempenhaege Expertise Center -also joining the alliance- pay a smaller part. In total, approximately two hundred researchers, professors, PhD students, and students will be working together closely.