<p>At the end of March, the European Robotics Forum (ERF) took place in Stuttgart -&nbsp;hosted by EDIH AICS and managed by FZI. A powerful platform where East Netherlands shared knowledge, forged new partnerships, and gained visibility at the European level.</p><p>Innovation, collaboration, and regional excellence took center stage — and it paid off.</p><h2>Key outcomes for East Netherlands</h2><ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li style="tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">International positioning of EDIH Boost Robotics as a center of expertise: Well-attended workshops on “How can European regions stimulate innovation in robotics?” and “European innovation structures and networks” positioned East Netherlands as a leading region in scaling robotics through innovation hubs.</li><li style="tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">New European collaboration opportunities, including with regions from Denmark, Germany, and Spain. These connections pave the way for joint proposals under Horizon Europe and the I3 program.</li><li style="tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Saxion University of Applied Sciences received international attention through demonstrations of:<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li style="tab-stops:list 72.0pt;">The world’s smallest firefighting drone</li><li style="tab-stops:list 72.0pt;">Modular SARAX robots for safety, inspection, and maintenance</li><li style="tab-stops:list 72.0pt;">A four-legged robotic dog for underground pipeline inspections</li><li style="tab-stops:list 72.0pt;">Advanced automation and collaborative robotic systems</li></ul></li></ul><p>The result: concrete interest from international partners for collaboration and knowledge exchange.</p><h2>Influence in expert discussions</h2><p style="line-height:normal;">Saxion experts contributed to sessions on human-robot interaction, standardization, sustainability, and cross-robot system collaboration — helping to shape the European robotics agenda and reinforcing East Netherlands’ reputation. It was a powerful cross-border collaboration with key partners including Oddense Robotics (Denmark), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), and DIH4CAT (Spain).</p><p style="line-height:normal;">Technology met humanity during the ERDF Charity Run, supporting the Element-i Education Foundation and promoting equal access to STEM and robotics education for children from all backgrounds.</p><h2>Robotics Innovation</h2><p style="line-height:normal;">In short: ERF 2025 delivered valuable networks, international visibility, and strengthened East Netherlands' position as a vibrant hub for robotics innovation in Europe. East Netherlands was represented by: Ingrid Meijer (Oost NL), Iddo Bante (University of Twente / EDIH Boost Robotics East Netherlands) and Abeje Mesha (Saxion University of Applied Sciences).</p>

East Netherlands strengthens European position in robotics at ERF 2025