Centre of expertise
High tech systems and materials
The Centre of Expertise High Tech Systems and Materials (CoE HTSM) is the strategic innovation partner for the professional field in the Brainport region. We develop knowledge in key enabling technologies such as robotics, systems engineering, energy systems and sensor technology, and apply it to solve real-world challenges in manufacturing, the energy transition and healthcare.
We do this together with companies, government bodies, knowledge institutions and students, so that research, education and practice strengthen one another.
Do you have a concrete innovation question, or are you looking for a partner for research or funding? HTSM brings together the right knowledge, people and networks, and ensures results also feed back into education. Get in touch and we will explore together what HTSM can mean for your organisation. htsm@fontys.nl
We focus our knowledge on three themes where technology can make a real difference.
Societal themes
Major societal challenges call for collaboration. HTSM works on three themes where technological innovation can make a difference. Always together with companies, government and knowledge institutions. Always aimed at applications that genuinely work in practice.
Our three themes are:
Green factory Making manufacturing more sustainable
Circularity and sustainability as drivers of innovation. Together with manufacturers we work on strengthening and greening production processes: smarter production, longer use of machinery and new business models. Always practice-oriented, always directly applicable.
Collaborating in a strong network
We do not tackle these challenges on our own. COE HTSM connects companies, research groups, students and knowledge partners both inside and outside Fontys. We work with high-tech companies, healthcare organisations, government bodies, other universities of applied sciences, vocational schools, universities and knowledge institutions such as TNO on practice-oriented innovation in Brainport, Tilburg and Noord-Limburg. With us, collaboration grows into programmatic, long-term relationships. Not stand-alone projects, but structural connections that keep linking knowledge and talent.
Companies that work with HTSM accelerate their innovation process and gain direct access to current knowledge as well as young talent.
View our network and the research groups involved
Research projects
The results of that collaboration are visible in our projects. Within HTSM we work on practice-oriented research projects that connect directly to questions from the field. Together with companies, research groups, students and knowledge partners, we develop and test new technologies, business models and applications within our societal themes.
From short exploratory studies to multi-year funded projects: our projects show how innovation takes concrete shape. They are the building blocks of our programmatic approach and demonstrate what collaboration can deliver in both practice and education.
To the 2025 annual review To all Fontys research projectsContact
Do you have an innovation question, or would you like to collaborate on practice-oriented research? We connect you with the right knowledge, people and partners. htsm@fontys.nl