Inauguration of Marco de Vos at the Hanze University

© Astron

On February 19th, ASTRON Managing Director (and former Head of the R&D lab) Dr Marco de Vos has been invested as parttime professor of Computer Science and Sensor Systems at the Hanze Institute of Technology (HIT) in Assen. To mark the the occasion, he delivered a highly inspiring inaugurational lecture on his plans for the research to be be carried out on sensor technology and ICT at the Hanze University(*).

With the help of some illuminating examples he emphasized the importance of understanding how and what we measure with our sensors. Only then can the next step be taken towards knowledge and control. Marco stressed that we are on the brink of the next ICE-age, where ICE stands for Information, Communication and Energy.

In his speech, the Dean of the Faculty characterized Marco as a person with "tons of enthusiasm", an observation that will be easily recognized by many of us in radioastronomy. Congratulations, Marco, and we wish you tons of satisfaction and success!

The institute takes its name from the important Hanze trading network, which extended over a large part of NW Europe in the late Middle Ages. It was one of the roots of the wealth and power of the subsequent Dutch Republic (1579-1795).