From Philips medical equipment to ASML machines: successful Dutch high-tech products rarely originate within a single discipline. They are the result of collaboration between engineering, software, design, production, and management. Systems engineering is one of the secrets behind why the Netherlands excels at building advanced systems, according to Wouter Leibbrandt, program council member at Holland High Tech for the Systems Engineering innovation domain.
This article is part of a series we're producing in collaboration with IO+. It introduces you to all the innovation domains at Holland High Tech. In this installment: the Systems Engineering innovation domain.
Dutch industry excels in the development of complex systems. Companies such as ASML, Thales, and Canon Production Printing work daily on machines in which countless technologies must work together seamlessly. The field that makes this possible is called systems engineering. There are countless complex scientific definitions. But simply put, it is an interdisciplinary approach to developing and managing complex systems. It is not only about design and realization, but also about use and decommissioning. In medical equipment, printers, or industrial machines, systems are constantly being adapted and improved. That is why it is important to always look at the entire system and its lifespan.
The 1960s and 1970s
Systems engineering originated in the 1960s and 1970s at Philips and several other high-tech companies. "An informal, flexible way of working together emerged, cutting across hierarchies. In the past, large systems were often the work of a single systems architect who led a team. But when devices became more digital and complex, that approach no longer worked,“ explains Leibbrandt. Think of the first MRI scanners, the Philips compact disc player, and advanced radar and communication systems from that era. It is a skill in itself to gain and maintain an overview in such complexity. That skill is systems engineering. ”Thanks to systems engineering, we were able to manage that complexity in the Netherlands."
Large and small players
Nowadays, system integration is everywhere. “In the past, we mainly focused on a few large market leaders,” says Leibbrandt. "But system complexity now plays a role in many more sectors. For example, in SMEs. Think of smaller companies in the food industry, such as Lely, which makes robots, or MOBA, which develops egg sorting machines. The need for systems thinking is also growing rapidly in the energy sector. The Netherlands faces major challenges in energy supply, such as grid congestion." The government, grid operators such as Liander and TenneT, and research institutions such as TNO must therefore work together to find solutions.
A strong ecosystem in the Netherlands
Dutch culture is one of the reasons why we are good at systems thinking and systems integration, according to Leibbrandt. “The Dutch are stubborn and attach little importance to hierarchy. This means we are quick to switch to other parties when necessary. This direct cooperation is also reflected in how we tackle complex systems — and it has brought us many benefits.”
However, Dutch success cannot be explained by one factor alone. Parties such as Holland High Tech also play an important role. This top sector connects the business community, knowledge institutions, and governments, and ensures that technology and research are used in a targeted manner. By supporting projects that require transdisciplinary work, Holland High Tech helps companies and researchers to develop complex systems. As a member of the program council at Holland High Tech, Wouter Leibbrandt has an important mission: “Quantum, hydrogen; I want to ensure that disciplines and projects remain continuously connected.”
Holland High Tech runs the Systems Engineering for High-Tech Systems program, for example, with TNO, academic partners, and industrial companies such as Thermo Fischer Scientific, ASML, and Thales. They develop digital tools that help engineers design, test, and integrate complex high-tech equipment.
Not to mention: Holland High Tech is a driving force behind the NXTGEN High Tech program. This is a Dutch innovation initiative that started in May 2023 and will invest around €1 billion through the National Growth Fund until 2030. System thinking is also central to this initiative.
The program brings together more than 330 partners from industry, knowledge institutions, and government to accelerate the development of the next generation of high-tech equipment.
Collaboration across national borders
This is sorely needed. With geopolitical tensions on the rise, Europe is forced to strengthen its position in the high-tech sector. System engineers from different countries are therefore seeking to collaborate with each other. One example is the Archimedes Initiative, in which research centers collaborate to share knowledge and technology. This creates connections between different application domains: DLR (Germany) focuses on automotive and maritime mobility, TNO-ESI (Netherlands) on high-tech equipment, SERC (U.S.) on defense, and TECoSA (Sweden) on automotive, trucks, and aviation.
“Only when we connect knowledge and disciplines across Europe can our continent excel in high-tech,” concludes Leibbrandt.
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