A look back at 4TU.Energy Community Day 2025

4TU.Energy Community Day 2025: A Day of Connection, Collaboration & Community

Amersfoort, 3 April 2025 – On a bright and sunny spring day, over 70 researchers, innovators, and experts gathered at the Eenhoorn Meeting Centre in Amersfoort for the annual 4TU.Energy Community Day 2025. The event brought together participants from the four Dutch technical universities, as well as representatives from the University of Groningen, Sharif University, DIFFER, and BigCircle Ventures.

A Shared Challenge: Energy & Materials Transition

This year’s theme, “Energy & Materials Transition – One and the Same Problem?”, explored the deep interconnection between energy systems and material challenges. The day began with a vibrant poster session, where 25 research posters offered insights into cutting-edge topics such as: Computational design of structural materials; Heat storage solutions for industry; Materials for photovoltaic (PV) systems; CO₂ phase transitions and more.

In the afternoon, these posters became the centre of an interactive poster market, where presenters answered questions and exchanged ideas with attendees.

Opening Remarks: Connecting for Collaboration

The event was officially opened by Prof. Dr. David Smeulders, Scientific Director of 4TU.Energy and Professor of Energy Technology at TU/e. He introduced the mission and flagship activities of 4TU.Energy, emphasizing the initiative’s core purpose:

“Connecting researchers to inspire collaboration and spark new ideas.”

Keynotes: Expert Perspectives on Energy Materials

Two keynote speakers provided fresh insights into the technical and sustainability challenges of energy materials:

Prof. Dr. Moniek Tromp (University of Groningen / Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials) explored the challenges and opportunities in developing rechargeable and sustainable batteries, highlighting the potential of iron-based batteries. She closed her talk with a strong message: “Everything we do, we have to think about recycling from the beginning.”

Dr. Carlos Felipe Blanco (TNO / Leiden University) shared strategic approaches to life cycle assessment and decision-making in the field of critical energy materials. His session offered a comprehensive perspective—ranging from macro scenarios to micro-level indicators.

Funding Opportunities focussing on Collaborations

In the early afternoon, recipients of 4TU.Energy Funding presented their ongoing projects. These brief presentations demonstrated how the funding has not only supported collaborative rapid research idea development but also laid the groundwork for future consortia and impactful collaborations.

Interactive Talk: Tackling Critical Raw Materials

Dr. Benjamin Sprecher (TU Delft) followed with an interactive presentation on critical raw materials in the energy transition. He addressed the growing material demands in both Dutch and global energy systems and emphasized the urgency of organizing robust, circular supply chains. Dr. Sprecher also introduced four key mitigation strategies:
Recycle → Repair → Reduce → Rethink, stressing: “It works when all are working well together.”

Pitch Your Research: Fast, Focused, and Fun

One of the most engaging parts of the day was the “Pitch Your Research” session. Twenty participants had two minutes each to introduce themselves and their research using visual aids. This fast-paced session gave the audience a concise overview of current projects and created space for new connections and follow-ups.

Afternoon Breakouts: Deep-Dive Matching Sessions

The final segment featured two parallel interactive matching sessions:

“Technical Challenges and Solutions for Energy Materials”, chaired by Dr. Akbar Asadi Tashvigh (WUR / 4TU.Energy Young Board), included group discussions on improving durability, identifying breakthrough materials, and enhancing collaboration between academia and industry.

“Manufacturing Challenges and Geopolitical Dependencies”, led by Prof. Dr. Harry Bitter (WUR / 4TU.Energy Management Team) and Dr. Mark Boneschanscher (Managing Director EIRES / 4TU.Energy Advisory Board), tackled provocative questions about multidisciplinary cooperation, research motivation, and cross-disciplinary understanding.

Celebrating Excellence

The day closed by recognizing two outstanding contributors, based on public votes:

🏆 Best Pitch Award: Sergio Enrique Cruz Lopez, PhD candidate at University of Twente

🏅 Best Poster Award: Zeynep Uykun, PhD candidate at University of Twente

Congratulations to both winners for their inspiring contributions!

Looking Ahead

The 4TU.Energy Community Day 2025 was a powerful reminder of the value of connection, collaboration, and community—especially for early-career researchers building their networks and shaping the future of energy and materials research.

We look forward to seeing you again at next year’s Community Day!

Pictures and movie made by Floris Krelage.

The movie based on photos: 

You can find downloadable files here: