Meike van den Eijnden, studied biomedical engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology and started at TNO in 2023. ‘The idea of improving healthcare with technological innovation appeals to me. Though after graduating, I wasn’t convinced of pursuing a specialist career. From healthcare to sustainability, it all fascinates me. TNO feels like 20 different companies combined; the knowledge and experts you can find here are impressive.’
She originally started as a data scientist in the domain of medical wearables, and then switched to Defence, a completely different domain. ‘I discovered that I am a generalist who gains a lot of energy from variety and strategic thinking. This will help me in the future to make conscious choices throughout my career.’
Endless possibilities
‘At TNO, I was surprised by the innovative culture, the connection to important societal issues, the growing diversity including many young professionals, and the vast amount of expertise. A lot is possible if you are proactive. I approached many people to learn more about their department or role, to see what suited me.’
Tobias Mooy studied Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Groningen, specialising in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. He started his career at TNO in the Fasttrack Team, which helps startups, scale-ups and innovative companies to grow and increase their impact by accelerating innovation. ‘I connect companies with experts in the organization to tackle all sorts of issues, from recycling furniture plastic to creating a salt battery.’
Entrepreneurial
Tobias has an entrepreneurial character: between his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he started his own business with a friend. A delivery service for cold drinks in Leiden and Utrecht. For Tobias, TNO perfectly aligns with his entrepreneurial side. ‘Besides helping companies grow by accelerating innovation within their startup, scale-up or company, many spin-offs also emerge from TNO. These are companies that originate from innovations developed at TNO, that are now ready for the market.’ Tobias does not rule out working at another unit or for a spin-off in the future.
Make a difference
‘What really impresses me is that everyone here has a strong sense of responsibility and motivation to truly make a difference in their field. From sustainability to medical innovation, you can view innovation from many perspectives here. I cannot think of another company where that would be possible.’
4TU career special
This article appeared in the 4TU Career Special, a shared publication by the news editors of Cursor TU Eindhoven (Technische Universiteit Eindhoven University of Technology), TU Delta (TU Delft University of Technology), Resource Wageningen UR (Wageningen University & Research) and U-Today (University of Twente).
The magazine came into being in collaboration with industry, and is explicitly aimed towards students who are either in the final phase of their studies, or have just graduated.
