TechMed Centre as calling card of health care UT

Immediately upon entering, it is already striking: the openness of the building, combined with the huge staircase in the middle of the entrance hall. There we meet Sebastiaan Waanders and Rob Nengerman, who proudly tell us about the TechMed Center of the University of Twente (UT). Because that is where we have arrived.

The industrial look is striking with open ceilings and unobstructed views of pipes, gutters and other installation components.

Waanders is Head of Techmed Infra and in that capacity responsible for all shared facilities at the TechMed Center. Nengerman has Project Manager Construction at the University of Twente on his business card. The former briefly explains what Techmed Infra is: "We manage all shared educational and research facilities for Health at UT. Sometimes this involves groups of small laboratories, but occasionally we also merge facilities in a large building. The TechMed Center is the main example of that. We make sure the end user can teach, do research and run tests."

Immediately upon entering, you notice it: the openness of the building, combined with the huge staircase in the middle of the entrance hall.

Although the building is marked TechMed Centre in large letters, the building is officially called Technohal. "TechMed Centre, as a research institute, is the user of the building," Nengerman said. The idea of an amalgamation of many facilities focusing on health care as a research area arose around 2010. Preliminary construction activities began five years ago; the actual renovation of the Techno Hall began in October 2017.

It is a public building, which symbolizes the many glass works as well.

Health care increasingly important

The building was built in the 1970s as a laboratory for the chemical process technology research groups at the Technical University of Twente. Large-scale chemical test setups were still made at UT at the time, but not anymore. The art academy AKI was also in the building for several years, but moved again. Since then, the building had no function. Waanders: "We are still a technical university, but in the last 10, 15 years healthcare has become increasingly important. Increasing interest in and for studies in Biomedical Engineering, Health Sciences and Technical Medicine caused the research portfolio to increase from 10% to a generous 40% now. As a university, we look very specifically for areas where we can apply technology relevant to society, such as nanotechnology for energy systems. Healthcare is one of the big topics that we feel as a university we need to put a lot of effort into."

"But," Waanders continues, "it was all scattered around campus: a pick in one building and some in another. And there was a business card missing."

Sebastiaan Waanders, Head of Techmed Infra and Rob Nengerman, Construction Project Manager at the University of Twente.

Successful open innovation concepts

That such a business card can be very important in the success of studies, other open innovation concepts such as the Designlab, the Nanolab and the High Tech Factory on the Enschede University's sprawling and green campus already prove. And because medical technology is not only a substantive spearhead of the university itself, but also of the innovation region of the Eastern Netherlands, it became increasingly necessary to have an open facility for education, research and innovation. "So the characteristic building stood empty. We already demolished it to shell, renovated and made it more sustainable," Nengerman says. "As it is now, it fits the new function very well. It's an open building."

One of the showpieces of the TechMed Center is the simulation center, a kind of mini-hospital.

Statement from UT

"We fully realize as UT that what we do is done with public money. So the openness is also a statement. Anyone can use it. We do 200 to 300 tours a year, from internal UT groups to the Rotary and neighborhood businesses. It is a public building, which symbolizes the many glass works as well. UT should be in the middle of society; as a university, we have long since ceased to be that ivory tower. We have become a meeting place. For the region, but also European. The EU works with digital innovation hubs to distribute funds for research. We are one of the regional hubs, which distribute funds on certain topics. UT does that for robotics and healthcare. We hold conferences here and we cooperate with professional associations for vascular surgeons and orthopedists."

Simulation center as showpiece

One of the showpieces of the TechMed Center is the simulation center, a kind of mini-hospital. "Including OR and MRI facilities, where operations can be simulated or new medical devices tested," Nengerman and Waanders say. The entire building is highly sustainable, according to the construction manager. "We installed new facades and use solar panels, LED lighting and district heating. It is not climate neutral, but it is very sustainable. A climate-neutral MRI scanner is also almost impossible." Waanders: "We worked with parties that have a lot of experience with healthcare facilities. Dura Vermeer, HOMIJ, BAM, Siemens, Skyptron and of course Ropa Systems for the walls. While we don't treat patients, we do research. There are simulation centers, but not on this scale. We built an entire senior apartment, including kitchen, living room and bedroom. With a control room above it, to observe students during assignments. That can also be done in the operating room we made."

"It used to be that if you were a student you came to a hospital after 9 p.m. once for hands-on training, here you can do that basically all the time. That's unique in Europe and maybe even in the world. We offer a safe environment where people can practice as well as make mistakes. If you do something wrong on the simulator, you can reset it. In practice, however, people still practice a lot on patients; I think it's a much nicer idea if that happens on a simulator. We know that people learn best from their mistakes. And you don't want to do that on patients."    

Text | Johan Koning Image | Laurens Kuipers