On Jan 8, 2015 we openend officially our new High Tech Systems Center (HTSC) at Eindhoven University of Technology. It was a successful event, with almost 300 participants from industry, government and academia. We launched our video, which shows in a compact way our ambition, and the departments which co-operate in the center:
Symposium. The kick-off event was a enthousiastic event with keynotes from Tariq Samad (Honeywell), Guustaaf Savenije (VDL-ETG) and Luc de Witte (Maastricht University), motivating the audience to apply the systems’ approach to create customer value and stressing the relevance of systems engineering and multi-disciplinaire research. Our Rector Hans van Duijn, and Chairman of the Board Jan Mengelers explained the embedding within the university and the role for society and industry. Katja Pahnke (Managing Director of HTSC) and myself (Scientific Director) explained the mission and vision of our new center, and the contents of the kick-start with 44 industry co-funded PhD research positions. Our goal is to have a center with over 200 PhD and PDEng students and postdocs, so this is just the start! 
Mission & vision Our mission is:
- To understand, teach and innovate system synthesis and design of complex equipment, instruments, robotic and manufacturing systems and systems-of-systems. We employ in-depth understanding of the classical engineering fields, together with model based systems engineering to conceive, predict and verify cutting-edge system functionalities and architecture;
- To realize leadership in advanced multidisciplinary research in the field of complex system. The fundamental research challenge that we address is how to master ‘Cyber Physical Systems’ for future-generation mechatronic and manufacturing systems, which are extremely accurate or fast, but also affordable as examples;
- To be the primary driver and network center of the Dutch mechatronics ecosystem, in which we actively support and initiate cooperation between OEMs, SMEs and knowledge institutes.
In delivering on these ambitions we will:
- Increase the synergies between key academic strengths and hence better match academic capabilities to industrial needs (of OEMs and SMEs), thereby strengthening their innovation capabilities.
- Build a robust understanding of industrial needs and expectations, and effectively carry out basic multidisciplinary research at an excellent scientific level.
- Define a long-term roadmap by creating influential new concepts for future systems (‘man-on-the-moon’ projects), for example pico-accurate point-of-interest sensor technology or virtual machines.
- Provide a unique training ground for graduate students in the area of complex multidisciplinary system design and engineering by setting up a new honors program for top students, and start a new PDEng program on High Tech Systems Engineering.
- Build a strong network with other knowledge institutes and industry to address critical challenges.
Steinbuch 