On Jan. 8, the Principia Prize was awarded at the University of Twente. Ten student teams from study association Newton competed against a challenging case of SRON. SRON is a member of the Innovatiecluster Drachten (ICD). Thus, the connection between Twente and the northern high-tech region was again clearly visible.
From the ninth floor of the Horst building of the University of Twente the Netherlands was shrouded in white winter landscape. It is precisely this view of the earth that is at the heart of SRON's work. The institute designs and builds instruments for Earth observation. These instruments rotate along with satellites that measure, watch and analyze above our country and the rest of the world. In this way, they contribute to knowledge about climate, atmosphere and living environment.
The challenge: extremely cold and extremely strong
Together with alumni association Principia, a one-day competition was again organized for master's students of mechanical engineering. Participation is popular. Not only because of the technical challenge, but also because the winning team receives €3,000. Especially for students, this is an attractive amount.
The assignment was explained by Martin Eggens and Gert de Lange from SRON. The problem: Space instruments must operate at temperatures close to absolute zero, i.e., milliKelvins. Therefore, minimal heat transfer is required between the cold instrument and the warmer housing. As a result, the instrument appears to be suspended by ultra-thin wires, so to speak. At the same time, this construction must be able to withstand extreme rocket launches of up to 60g. Failure is not an option, because then the mission fails and millions of euros and years of work are lost. In short: extremely cold and extremely strong.
Creativity and energy
The student teams showed a lot of creativity. Team names such as Chassis Boys, Dead Lock, Space Camels and ‘If you laugh you go faster’ immediately brought energy to the competition. During the afternoon break, there was room for introductions to the ICD and SRON. Students were invited to explore career opportunities and internships in the northern high-tech region. This is how ICD connects talent with innovative companies in the three northern provinces of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.
Presenting before the jury
Starting at 3 p.m., the teams presented their solutions to the jury. This consisted of representatives from SRON, Principia and the University of Twente. They were judged on originality, research method, feasibility, calculations and of course the presentation.
And the winners are...
Around 6 p.m. there was white smoke in the finals: the team ‘66 is very smart’ was declared the winner. With a clever three-point thermal release solution, they won over the judges. The team members - Veralin Staring, Roan Spits, Niels Zandberg and Lars de Haan - accepted the check for €3,000. Congratulations to the winners and all participants.
Why this is important for the region
The Principia Prize showcases how students, science and high-tech companies are working together on real issues in aerospace and precision technology. And that is precisely where ICD's strength lies. Companies in our region work daily on systems for space, sensor technology, robotics and medical devices, among others. That is why the link with universities such as Twente is of great value.
In short: a successful day. With smart solutions, lots of talent and a strong connection between Twente and the Northern Netherlands. Exactly what Innovatiecluster Drachten stands for.
