As of this month, the West Brabant region has a new facility that focuses on accelerating innovations in the materials and energy transition. MNEXT, a collaborative initiative of Avans University of Applied Sciences and HZ University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with vocational training institute Curio, is opening a brand new research lab on the Steenakker industrial estate in Breda. The festive opening will take place on 11 September, and will be attended by mayor Paul Depla.
The new lab has an open character and offers space for simultaneous research into the materials and energy transition, together with local and regional partners. Ralph Simons, director of MNEXT (formerly CoE BBE), is enthusiastic about the possibilities: “The facilities of the MNEXT lectorates are currently still spread across North Brabant and Zeeland. As is now happening in Zeeland in the new JRCZ, the new lab space on the Steenakker industrial estate in Breda must develop into an inspiring place in the coming years that is fully dedicated to practice-oriented research.”
The development of the lab will take place in phases. The first part of the lab will be put into use from September, while other parts require more preparation time. In the long term, various labs will function alongside each other, such as a chemical lab, analytical lab, mycelium lab, energy lab, hydrogen lab and a biobased energy lab. These labs will bring together Brabant researchers, lecturer-researchers and students from MNEXT, thereby promoting the exchange of ideas and knowledge-intensive collaboration.
Collaboration with regional partners
“And we are adding a very important component to that,” says Ralph Simons. “We are going to work together with regional partners in practice, even more than we do now. Discussions are ongoing with companies such as BioscienZ and VARTA, and with educational and knowledge institutions such as CURIO and Vito. Everyone who is passionate about the materials and energy transition is very welcome. It is special to mention in this context that we plan to experiment with as many businesses as possible located on the industrial estate to see how they can function as a local electricity hub. These experiments are already being done on a very small scale or in computer simulations, but they can be carried out here on a larger scale.”
Movement towards a knowledge institution
For Avans University of Applied Sciences, the new lab symbolises the transition from educational institution to knowledge institution. At present, the Centres of Expertise mainly use labs that were originally set up solely for education. This poses challenges in terms of capacity and planning. In the new lab, research will have more room for its own activities, which will strengthen the aforementioned collaboration with the professional field.
Source and photo: MNEXT
