About BDE
The BDE group is situated in the faculty of Engineering Technology of Hasselt University and is part of the Sensors and healthcare materials research cluster at the Institute of Materials Research (imo-imomec) and actively collaborates with other groups within the Advanced diagnostics groups and the other departments within the institute.
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Introduction to BDE
The Biomedical Device Engineering (BDE) expertise group, headed by prof. dr. ir. Ronald Thoelen, started in 2013 and it’s first focus was the development of sensing applications situated in the various health(care) domains. The range of applications of its research focus broadened in the past years adding other domains such as food and feed or environmental safety where its sensor technology could be of added value. These activities are strongly embedded in the Institute for Materials Research (imo-imomec) of Hasselt University, facilitating interaction with materials and device engineers and providing access to state-of-the-art equipment. We conduct both fundamental and more applied research and have a strong focus on Ph.D. training. The group also has a longstanding tradition in joint scientific R&D within European, national and regional projects, and servicing for industry and research centers.
The Institute for Materials Research (imo-imomec)
The Institute for Materials Research (imo), based at the Hasselt University campus in Diepenbeek, has built a vast expertise in the field of materials science since its foundation in 1990. In 2001, a strategic alliance was established with imec, based in Leuven. Imec founded imomec, an associated laboratory within the premises of imo. As such, imo-imomec is a joint research institute where fundamental research, strategic basic research, and application-oriented research is conducted. In 2015, UHasselt/imo-imomec joined EnergyVille in Genk to carry out its energy-related research.
About 160 FTE's are employed at imo-imomec, of which about 80 students are preparing their Ph.D. The team is strongly multidisciplinary: chemists, physicists, and engineers are working together to develop the material systems of tomorrow. Anno 2022, imo-imomec can rely on more than 5000 m2 of state-of-the-art lab infrastructure, divided over four different locations.
The core competence of imo-imomec is the development and characterization of new material systems with potential use in sustainability and health. In the domain of sustainability, imo-imomec focuses on energy conversion, energy storage, and sustainable materials. In the domain of health, the focus of the research programs relates to the development of advanced technologies for sensing via dedicated analytical techniques and systems for sensing based on quantum technologies.
Hasselt University
Hasselt University (UHasselt; located in the northeast part of Belgium) is a young and dynamic center of expertise for teaching, research, and service provision. UHasselt regards an active contribution to a sustainable and innovative region as its social responsibility. It aspires to be a hub in this innovation web. Hasselt University, therefore, attaches great importance to cooperation with other centers of expertise, companies, government agencies, and organizations in Limburg and beyond.
As one of the drivers of regional innovation, Hasselt University focuses specifically on:
● educating students so that they become highly-skilled, employable professionals;
● conducting applied and fundamental research in specific fields and encouraging practical applications from that research;
● spreading its knowledge and expertise through collaboration with industry and other external partners;
● developing foreign partnerships.
Contact
prof. dr. Ronald Thoelen
Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium