TU/e Honors ASML Pioneer and Building Materials Authority as Honorary Doctorates
Next Thursday, during the Research Day at TU/e, Martin van den Brink (ASML) and Karen Scrivener (EPFL) will receive honorary doctorates for their scientific contributions to their fields. This is an annual tradition to honor people outside of the university for their major scientific input and pioneering work.
ASML owes its technological successes primarily to the visionary leadership of Van den Brink, who joined the company in 1984. Van den Brink – until recently, the former CTO and former president of ASML – is a leader in systems engineering with an inspiring style that demands the very best from himself and his employees.
He made a crucial contribution to the production of the latest generation of (EUV) semiconductor manufacturing machines when almost no one believed that it could succeed. His work and vision continue to have a profound influence on the entire manner in which ASML innovates and will continue to be the guiding force with which the chip machine manufacturer maintains its lead over the competition.
As a professor and the head of the Laboratory of Construction Materials at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Karen Scrivener is one of the most prominent and influential researchers in the field of cement and concrete with more than 300 scientific publications.
Her most important contributions are an understanding of the microstructure, hydration mechanisms and durability of cementitious materials and, in particular, the invention of LC3 technology (limestone calcined clay cement) that enables a reduction of the CO2 intensity of cement by up to 40 percent. This technology is now being deployed by companies in over 50 countries.
Importance of pioneering work
Rector Lenaerts looks forward to the appointment of these inspiring figureheads. She emphasizes the importance of pioneering work, praising the combination of technical knowledge, vision, perseverance and a touch of rebelliousness.
Lenaerts: “Those who really innovate are often those who swim against the current and continue when no one else believes anymore. Not words but deeds. One is the undisputed brains behind the success of ASML, the other an excellent female pioneer who has risen to authority in the predominantly male construction world. Furthermore, you see here the tangible added value that can arise when science and the business world know how to properly find one another.”
Van den Brink remains humble about his appointment and ASML’s success. If there is a secret to ASML, he believes it to be teamwork. “It’s not like the success is down to one person. The team and everyone on that team is important. Every part of our machine was made by lots of different people in lots of different companies and departments. They all had to solve all kinds of problems, maybe had some sleepless nights. Staying in control, combining all the parts and finally creating a working machine – that’s the result of ultimate teamwork.”
With this recognition, Scrivener hopes to be an inspiration to young students. “I’m absolutely proud of this. But above all, I hope to use it to reach the next generation, who are now being educated at TU/e.” She has some advice for them: “Don’t put effort into work that is not relevant. Seeing that your efforts have an impact in the real world is what you really need to stay motivated. Now that I have a successful career, it’s easy to just focus on//look at that. But it certainly wasn’t always easy. By the way, a good night’s sleep also does wonders; in the morning, everything is better.”