Time setter story: Meike van den Eijnden on the TNO Traineeship

Broad interests

During her studies, Meike specialised in wearables, AI, and medical imaging. ‘I chose medical technology because the idea of improving healthcare with technological innovation appeals to me. The programme combined physics, mathematics, biology, and chemistry - ideal for my wide-ranging interests.’ Additionally, she worked at a startup and organised events on the energy transition with other students.

However, after graduating, she wasn't convinced of pursuing a specialist career in medical technology. ‘From healthcare to sustainability, it all fascinates me. Thanks to the TNO Traineeship, I've learned that I'm more of a generalist than a specialist. This insight has helped me better understand which roles truly suit me.’

20 companies rolled into one

‘Before joining TNO, I had the image of an old-fashioned organisation. But I was surprised by the innovative culture, the connection to important societal issues, the growing diversity including many young professionals, and the vast amount of expertise. TNO sometimes feels like 20 different companies combined; the knowledge and experts you can find here are impressive.’

Her first trainee placement was for 8 months in the unit Health & Work, in the microbiology and systems biology department. ‘As a data scientist, I worked with wearables in clinical studies, researching disease groupings. This aligned perfectly with my interests and resembled the research I had previously done as an intern at Philips. Hence, I stayed within my comfort zone. How could I challenge myself? By broadening my scope instead of delving deeper into this specialism. I therefore decided to try out a completely different domain: Defence.’

Taking action

‘For this traineeship, you need to be proactive. For example, I approached many people to learn more about their department or role, to see what suited me. The same applies to personal development: you need to be proactive and take action yourself, and then a lot of possibilities open up.’

She arranged her second and third placements within TNO herself. She explains: ‘My second placement was in the unit Defence, Safety & Security (DSS). As a project manager, I worked on, for example, applying technology in the military healthcare chain, such as automatic evacuation of casualties and triage of burns with drones. The world of Defence was truly a step outside my comfort zone. Also, the role of project manager was entirely new to me.’

Fast track

‘The traineeship has brought me a lot in terms of knowledge and skills; it has fast-tracked my personal development. Especially the coaching was valuable to me. I learned a lot about myself which I can use both in my personal and professional life. I also discovered that I am a generalist who gains a lot of energy from variety and strategic thinking. This will help me in the future to make conscious choices throughout my career.’

Responsibility

The most remarkable aspect of her time at DSS, according to Meike, was her contribution to a major project for the National Police concerning maritime crime. ‘It was a fantastic challenge where I brought various parties together and organised a technical action week to detect crime. As a young professional, I really enjoyed having so much responsibility.’

Meike’s third and final placement as a trainee is at TNO Fast Track, where she connects companies with the expertise of TNO experts as a business developer. ‘Startups, scale-ups, and SMEs frequently turn to Fast Track with their questions. I look for the question behind the question and what the company requires from TNO. I then find the right experts who can quickly deliver results in a small project. We are also working on establishing a MedTech community of startups to collectively tackle challenges in the field.’

Advice for new trainees

‘My advice to students who want to become a trainee at TNO? Be proactive, curious, and dare to think outside the box. The traineeship is a fantastic opportunity to discover yourself both as a person and a professional. You need to be able to switch quickly: between projects, people, clients… Sometimes it's stressful, but you can share everything with the other trainees. Everyone is very open. I've made friends whom I will certainly see for years to come.’