Tech Connect 2025: Talks & Showcase

Tech Connect 2025

It's that time again. The teams of Energy Management, Sustainable Energy Management, Internet of Things, Digital Design/Web Development & Design, Multimedia & Creative Technology as well as Creative Technologies & AI are organizing Tech Connect 2025, Talks & Showcase on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in Kortrijk, the event where alumni and professionals are brought together for an exciting evening of student projects, short tech talks and networking.

Program

Get inspired by cutting-edge technological solutions.

16u30 - 19u00: Meet students realizing innovative projects i.c.w. work field partners
16u30 - 19u00: Discover how you can make use of our research labs (Energy Transition, AI, 5G lab, ...)
17u00 - 19u30: Follow some Short Tech Talks (in Dutch) on topics including AI, Energy Transition, Next Web Development, Smart Home, ... (advance registration is required)
16u30 - 20u00: Enjoy a drink at the bar or on our summer terras.

And above all: enjoy a happy reunion with a lot of alumni, work field partners and former lecturers!

Participating Courses

Associate Degree Internet of Things: Smart Devices installer/technician.
Associate Degree Digitale Vormgeving - Web Development & Design: The web development and designer for your team.
Bachelor Multimedia & Creatieve Technologie: The developers of smart XR and Web interfaces.
Bachelor Creative Technologies & AI: The only true 3-year AI bachelor in Flanders.
Bachelor Energiemanagement – The energy manager for your company's energy transition.
Advanced Bachelor Sustainable Energy Management: The young potential who can support businesses or organizations in a sustainable manner on their path to energy transition, carbon neutrality and reducing carbon footprint through the use of technology.

Research groups

AI Lab: In today's data-driven world, AI is constantly changing. At AI Lab, we bridge the gap between academia and the private sector. By implementing the latest cutting-edge research in AI into your problem.
Energy Lab: The energy lab has extensive expertise on renewable energy sources, EV, energy storage (electric & thermal), energy management systems, data capture & big data analytics, sensors and design of smart controls to find answers to today's energy transition challenges.
Hitlab: The HIT Lab focuses on human interaction with technology. The lab measures behavioral and physiological responses and develops adaptive applications. It is equipped with advanced measurement tools such as eye-tracking and EEG equipment, as well as user-friendly systems for real-life settings. In addition, the lab has access to the latest VR and AR systems.

1. Meet students realizing innovative projects i.c.w. work field partners

Students have realized many innovative projects over the past year, mostly in collaboration with the field. Come and discover the many beautiful realizations of our students.
You can view the student projects continuously from 4.30pm to 7pm.

Web Development and Design Students

WDD students have been doing internships in companies for the past few weeks. They present their work using a poster exhibition. Engage in conversation with the students about their accomplishments.

Students Energy Management

These students are helping make the energy transition a reality. How can you smartly control your charging station? What technical solution did they work out during energy audits of companies?

Final works IoT students

The students in the graduate internet of things also realize a project for their company during their internship. You can see the results during this event. The students will be happy to explain more about their project.

Project One - 1MCT & 1CTAI

Project One is the first integration module of students from 1MCT and 1CTAI. Students work on their first project independently with coaching from the instructors. They choose their own topic to work on. Project management, maker lab, smart devices, ... Discover the surprising results during this event.

Industry Project - 2MCT & 2CTAI

The Industry Project, a 4-5 week course, is the capstone of the second year of MCT & CTAI. The knowledge gained from the previous modules is put into practice during these project weeks in an external business case.
The projects are in the context of web development, AI & machine learning, XR Development and IoT.

Getting inspiration? Making connections with students? Looking for new colleagues? Vacation jobs on offer?

Then be sure to stop by on Wednesday, June 25 during Tech Connect!

Registreer je nu gratis voor Tech Connect!

2. Short Tech Talks

Between 5pm and 7.30pm, our instructors will give you a nice offering of several short Tech Talks on contemporary technologies covered in our courses. Each session lasts 20 minutes and we offer 2 sessions. Every half hour you can attend another session. Please note, the number of places per session is limited, so register early! This session is free of charge. All sessions are in Dutch.

Sessie A: 5G, een stand van zaken!

Wat is er nu eigenlijk al uitgerold van de 5G technologie?

Welke toepassingen kunnen we nu al realiseren? Een paar use-cases van uit het 5G lab van Howest en daarbuiten.

Door: Tom Decavele
Timing: 17u00 & 18u20

Sessie B: Native web transitions

Met de nieuwe View Transition API krijgen we de mogelijkheid om op een relatief eenvoudige manier vloeiende overgangen tussen verschillende onderdelen of pagina's van een web applicatie te maken. En dat zonder complexe javascript of externe libraries. We tonen je hoe dit werkt.

Door: Simon Coudeville
Timing: 17u00 en 18u20

Sessie C: Cursus Agent / chat

Binnen het project Art-IE is er als demonstrator een geavanceerde flow opgesteld die gebruik maakt van verschillende RAG technieken. Welke verschillen technieken dragen bij tot een 'grounded' resultaat van de chatbot om zo een Studie assistent op te stellen.

Door: Tim Bleuzé / Thomas Huyghebaert
Timing: 17u00 en 18u20

Sessie D: Slim Laden voor Slimme Logistiek

Hoe genetische algoritmen postpakketjes efficiënter stapelen?
Denk aan een vrachtwagen vol pakketjes van een postorderbedrijf. Hoe laad je die zo dat alles past, zonder lege ruimtes of onhandig lossen?
In deze talk ontdek je hoe genetische algoritmen creatieve laadplannen evolueren, gebaseerd op natuurlijke selectie. Je leert de basisprincipes van genetische algoritmen én waarom ze verrassend goede oplossingen vinden voor alledaagse logistieke puzzels.

Door: Gilles Depypere
Timing: 17u00 en 18u20

Sessie E: IoT nachtmerries

We willen allemaal meer en meer slimme toestellen in onze woning die we van op afstand bedienen of uitlezen. Wat kan er zoal fout lopen? Hoe houd je alles veilig? Wat met het Lifecycle Management van deze smart home devices?

In deze sessie bespreken we de do's & dont's zodat je mooi kan blijven dromen van je ideale smarthome!

Door: Hans Ameel
Timing: 17u40 en 19u00

Sessie F: The Web Framework that breaks the speed limit.

Nuxt 4, Vue's toonaangevende framework is volledig opnieuw ontworpen voor ongekende prestaties en ontwikkelaarservaring. Van Nitro-aangedreven rendering tot meesterschap in Vue 3 compositie, ontdek hoe Nuxt 4 opnieuw definieert wat mogelijk is in moderne webontwikkeling.
Leer over de revolutionaire verbeteringen in snelheid, de verfijnde ontwikkelaarservaring met verbeterde TypeScript-integratie en slimmere auto-imports, en ontdek de moderne architectuur met Vue 3.4+ en Vite 5. Deze sessie biedt een boeiend en snel overzicht dat je direct kunt toepassen in je eigen projecten.

Door: Martijn Loth
Timing: 17u40 en 19u00

Sessie G: AI 'vibe' coding

AI 'vibe' coding, welke tools zijn er en welke past meest voor jouw toepassing.
Binnen het project AI UPD8 zijn verschillende low code / vibe coding tools bekeken, wat zijn de verschillen en waarvoor kan je ze gebruiken. In deze kleine techtalk geven we graag enkele bevindingen van het kleine experiment alsook horen we graag eens bij de professionals wat hun kijk is op deze nieuwe vorm van coden en waar deze in het onderwijs vorm kan krijgen.

Door: Jens Krijgmans
Timing: 17u40 en 19u00

Sessie H: Digital Twins in de Maakindustrie

Ontdek hoe digital twins de maakindustrie helpen processen te simuleren, testen en optimaliseren nog vóór er fysiek iets verandert. We tonen hoe je met XR-technologie die virtuele modellen tot leven brengt voor visualisatie, training en interactie. In deze lezing verken je wanneer en waarom het zinvol is om de brug te slaan tussen simulatiesoftware en immersieve ervaringen. Aan de hand van bedrijfscases uit het TETRA-project VEOOX krijg je een helder beeld van de praktische meerwaarde.

Door: Charlotte Larmuseau
Timing: 17u40 en 19u00

Interested in any of these Tech Talks?

Sparked by one of our themes? Inspired by the experience of our teachers? Pining for a lesson from a particular instructor? Or just learn something about these cutting edge themes?

Don't wait too long because the number of places is limited!

3. Meet the research groups with demos

Also our researchers have realized many innovative projects over the past year, in collaboration with the field. Come and discover the many beautiful realizations of our research groups.
You can view the demos continuously from 4.30 pm to 7pm.

Energy measurement

Immersive Room

The Sandbox Demo makes a real sandbox come to life in the Immersive Room.

Using a Kinect camera, we measure heights, then Unreal Engine converts them into interactive landscapes in real time. Physical play becomes digital magic.

Let the kid in you come out and try it for yourself during Tech Connect.

5G Network-in-a-Box

We have a case with a full 5G setup. Plug it in, press the Power button and we have full 5G Mobile Private Network.

We place this suitcase in a high-interference environment where WiFi is not sufficient to capture data.

We connect a 5G industrial router to your OT network and read the necessary data from your machinery via Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT, .... The data can later be processed to simply monitor the performance of production or to plan predictive maintenance or optimizations in the production process via AI, for example.

Interested? Contact us for more info!

Registration

Secure your seat in one of the Short Tech Talks. During registration, select the different Short Tech Talks you want to attend!

If you only come to see the student projects, we also ask that you register in advance.

The student projects and Short Tech Talks are completely free to follow along.

Practical / Location

Date and time: Wednesday, 25/06 from 4.30 p.m. (joining later is also possible), we will close the bar at 8 p.m.
Location: Campus Kortrijk Weide - Building A (Sint-Martens-Latemlaan 2B, 8500 Kortrijk).
Parking: Parking 4 in the Graaf Karel de Goedelaan is available.
Cashless: on the event you can only pay for drinks with payconiq. We cannot accept cash.