As you walk across our campus, you will come across a great deal of research into complex phenomena. In many projects we are dealing with phenomena on various scales in time and space. Think about the processes in a living body, in which organs, living cells, and molecules interact. On each level of scale, there is a complex interplay between processes that work simultaneously, which in turn determines phenomena on a higher level. Or a different example—improving energy efficiency in a city involves the study of devices, households, neighborhoods, and the city as a whole.

At Eindhoven we hold a strong position in this type of research. We have excellent groups in almost all departments. The list of people involved is highly impressive; their interests range from biomedical research to polymers and building physics to sustainable energy. No wonder, complex phenomena are at the heart of much engineering. But most notably they are crucial for progress in our strategic research areas: energy, health, and mobility. Therefore, we have established the Eindhoven Multiscale Institute (EMI). Bringing this research together will make it easier to move forward. The EMI will be housed centrally on our campus in the Advanced Study Center, from which scientists are able to interact with all departments.

The EMI faces many challenges, for example, in connecting discrete and continuous models or in developing numerical methods for kinetic models. Or in advanced models for turbulent flow or porous media flow. These are all challenges with a wide range of applications. We expect that the concerted efforts of top scientists will facilitate breakthroughs and make our curriculum more challenging. I wish them an inspiring scientific journey.

Hans van Duijn

Eindhoven, 27 October 2011