"We’re working in a very hands-on way and looking for solutions to real problems"

Fourth-year Chemical Engineering student Martijn Langhorst wanted to dive deeper and learn more about chemical technology, so he chose the minor Renewable Energy, Materials & Processing.

"I didn’t actually search for long, because when I saw that this minor offered a more in-depth look at my current study program, the choice was quickly made. I find my studies really interesting and wanted to learn more about chemical technology techniques. On top of that, it seemed great that the lessons are taught by the same lecturers as in my main program, since I’ve always had a good connection with them.

The minor mainly consists of various projects that you carry out in small groups. For example, I’m currently working on a photo-flow reactor. With this reactor, you can convert a substance from plants into a polymer that can be used as a coating for cars. We’re looking into whether we can integrate a nebulizer—a device that turns liquid into a kind of spray—into this reaction so that it can be used on a larger scale.

What I enjoy most is that we’re working on projects hands-on and are constantly thinking about how to solve real problems that we encounter. It feels more like how things go in the real world—constantly coming up with new solutions and then testing them. And it’s fun that we’re working on sustainability, because that’s a topic that’s important in many companies. I’d also find it interesting to do something with that in my future career, so this is great practice!"