SME-cluster DevLab enters into open innovation partnership with Holst Centre
Posted on Apr 04, 2011
Within the scope of the Holst Centre OpenSME initiative, we signed a collaboration agreement with DevLab, a Dutch research platform for – and initiated by - SMEs. The partnership will investigate the potential of DevLab’s expertise on wireless network protocols and our own expertise on ultra-low-power electronics.
DevLab was initiated in 2005 by 12 technological SMEs. Its objective is to stimulate the flow of knowledge between universities and the SME members in order to create mid and long term national and international business opportunities. In close cooperation with universities, with a network of professors and lectors, research projects are carried out by employees of the member SMEs, PhD students, and graduating students . Within this concept DevLab is also partner in larger consortia, together with industry, universities and other research institutes.
At the core of DevLab’s activities lies MyriaNed, a wireless self-organizing networking concept. MyriaNed runs a "gossip" protocol, which spreads rumors (messages) in a network of nodes. There is no central authority, so there is no problem if some nodes fail their function. The messages will propagate through the network along the working nodes. Nodes may join and leave the network dynamically. The MyriaNed concept results in a network with a totally different behavior compared to the well known networks, which leads to a new approach for many applications.
The collaboration with Holst Centre research groups will enable the further improvement of the DevLab MyriaNed platform, by adding autonomy to the nodes with a focus on ultra-low power wireless technology and energy harvesting. For Holst Centre, the DevLab expertise on networking protocols adds valuable insights to the existing activities on wireless autonomous sensor technologies.
“Not only from a technical point of view DevLab and Holst Centre are complementary, DevLab has formed an open innovation platform for SMEs that aligns well with the drivers of Holst Centre OpenSME. Combining our eco-systems will bring many opportunities for all parties involved.” says Margot Nijkamp, Director SME Partnerships at Holst Centre.
The partnership agreement with Holst Centre OpenSME was signed during the DevLab café, a regular meeting of DevLab’s members, this time hosted by Holst Centre.
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