ITF 2018: Impressions

I just left #ITFBelgium, imec's global industry conference in Antwerp. It was an incredibly exciting day with talks by top-notch representatives from industry, universities and imec sharing first-hand insights on their R&D roadmaps & perspectives.

Last year, I discovered the neuromorphic chip. This year, I learned about a chip as a basis to grow mini-organs. It's my new favorite invention! The innovation, expertise and talent at the conference were mind-blowing - *understatement*. They raise the bar every single year and highlight Belgium as an innovative powerhouse to be reckoned with. It made me proud to be there.

I am grateful for our longstanding partnership with imec (they are an Atelier Founding Partner) and for inviting me as a speaker. I shared insights into the challenges and opportunities of both the 'American dream' and the ‘European promise’ and ended my talk with the following message: “What I believe Belgians/Europeans could learn from Americans is for each of us to take a much more active role in our individual and collective destiny. Starting with ourselves, from the inside out, instead of waiting or expecting an authority or the system to fix or change things for us (from an outside in perspective). Pursuing and creating opportunities instead of receiving them or waiting to receive them.” Do you agree? Curious to hear your thoughts, too!

PS: The next imec Technology Forum (ITF) is taking place in San Francisco on July 9 and will focus on perspectives in next-generation semiconductor and system scaling to power your tech innovations. More info here: https://www.imectechnologyforum.com/itf2018usa