Conference on radical energy efficiency in AI – November 26, 2025, Microstad, Eindhoven (NL) Artificial Intelligence promises to solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to healthcare, but its own energy appetite threatens to undermine these ambitions. On November 26, 2025, the conference Watt Matters in AI will bring together leading scientists, technologists, and policymakers to explore one of the most urgent questions of our digital age: Can we make AI sustainable? Hosted at Microstad in Eindhoven and supported by NL-ECO, the event will convene experts from academia and industry to explore radical shifts in how AI systems are designed, powered, and regulated. The goal: to move beyond incremental efficiency gains and toward orders-of-magnitude breakthroughs in energy performance. The conference will not only explore technological roadmaps but also delve into social, economic, and ecological challenges, all with the goal of exploring solutions. Key themes ● How can Europe lead the global transition toward energy-responsible AI? ● What technologies can deliver 10x to 100x efficiency gains? ● What infrastructure (from chips to data centers) supports sustainable AI? ● What policies and ethical frameworks can guide responsible innovation? From Setting the Stage to Advanced Solutions The conference follows four thematic steps, moving from the global challenge to tangible solutions. Following the opening remarks by chair Hans Hilgenkamp (University of Twente), the morning session, “Setting the Stage,” features Laura Cozzi from the International Energy Agency, who will outline the facts & figures on AI's energy consumption and its future trends. She will be followed by Stijn Grove (Dutch Data Center Association) and Axel Berg (SURF), who will offer insights into sustainable data center strategies and high-performance computing, and will also address the new AI factory that will be built in Groningen. The second block, “Technology & Policy,” adds the industry view from NVIDIA and a regulatory perspective from Kristina Irion (University of Amsterdam). After lunch, the focus shifts to Hardware Breakthroughs, with Christian Bachmann (imec), Martijn Heck (Eindhoven University of Technology) and Christian Mayr (TU Dresden) discussing advances in semiconductor, photonic, and neuromorphic computing. Finally, “Advanced Solutions” showcases frontier technologies with Tamalika Banerjee (IMCHIP), Ioannis Papistas (Axelera AI), and Phil Burr (Lumai), exploring in-memory computing, edge AI, and optical computing.

This powerful outreach animation video introduces the innovative approach of neuromorphic computing that's more efficient, more secure, and better for our environment. Experts worldwide are developing this technology that will change how we think about and use computers in the future. What opportunities do you see? Contributing partners: Radboud University, University of Groningen, University of Twente, SURF, UCL, Topsector ICT, NL-ECO, Netherlands Innovation Network UK, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour.

A white paper authored by experts from Radboud University, University of Groningen, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente, AMOLF, CWI, and SURF presents the potential of neuromorphic computing as a key technology for energy-efficient computing in the Netherlands. Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the human brain, offers faster and more energy-efficient data processing by co-locating data storage and processing. The paper emphasizes the need for a national collaboration to strengthen the Dutch position in this emerging field, focusing on six areas of innovation: materials, devices, circuit design, hardware architecture, algorithms, and applications. To advance these efforts, the authors propose creating a ‘Neuromorphic Computing NL’ coalition and developing a roadmap for a collaborative toward future-proof energy-efficient computing. Read the full white paper and learn more about this transformative field .

The NL-ECO consortium members were prominently represented at the "Building the Roadmap for Neuromorphic Computing" event held on 28 June in Eindhoven. Organized by imec, the University of Groningen, and the University of Twente, this event brought together a dynamic community of experts in neuromorphic computing from the Netherlands and abroad, with the goal of developing a shared vision in this field. The meeting began with inspiring presentations of use cases, followed by Johan Mentink from Radboud University Nijmegen presenting a white paper. This document, collectively developed by various organizations active in the field across the Netherlands, provides an overview of neuromorphic computing and its potential impact. It highlights current efforts in the Netherlands and emphasizes the need for a unified national approach to strengthen the country’s position in the rapidly evolving international landscape. The white paper serves as a starting point for creating a collective Neuromorphic Computing Roadmap. The meeting continued with interactive panel discussions on national and international perspectives, as well as breakout sessions where participants brainstormed key applications, case-building, and roadmap drafting. The event concluded with a visit to the brand-new High Tech Campus Eindhoven’s innovation hub 3EALITY. The follow-up events will further refine the roadmap and strengthen collaboration within the neuromorphic computing community.

Researchers, industry professionals and societal partners of our consortium convened for the start of the NL-ECO program on 6-7 February in beautiful locations at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. The meeting has been opened by the program leader Prof. Hans Hilgenkamp and has continued with inspiring overviews on advances and perspectives in spintronics and photonics integration by pioneers in these fields. An exciting lineup of leading experts shared insights in novel concepts, materials, architectures, and equipment for energy-efficient information technologies. We addressed the impact and organizational aspects of the program laying the fundamentals for efficient and productive interactions with our internal and external stakeholders. The meeting provided as well excellent networking opportunities for the participants to build and strengthen collaborations and to exchange research ideas. Consortium members endorsed the success of this meeting and look forward to the future occasions within the NL-ECO program. Stay tuned for further developments and insights emerging from our events.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) recently granted around ten million euros to a large research project that will investigate new concepts for energy-efficient information technology. UT researcher Prof Dr Hans Hilgenkamp is the main applicant of the project, known as NL-ECO. Along with the NWO funding, an additional 2.5 million euros will be made available as co-financing by several participants in the consortium. The digital revolution has benefited mankind enormously. The widespread use of digital devices and technologies, such as computers, internet and data centres, generally make our life more efficient and provide opportunities in areas of application such as medicine. These technologies are energy guzzlers, however. The volume of digital information we process and store and the associated energy costs are growing exponentially.

On 31 May and 1 June 2023, the kick-off of 'NL-ECO: Netherlands Initiative for Energy-Efficient Computing' took place in the U-Park Hotel on the Campus of the University of Twente. This programme, part of the National Science Agenda (NWA), aims to develop new concepts and associated materials for energy-efficient information technologies.