EDUCATION 
In addition to the founding fathers Tilburg University, Fontys Hogeschool, and ROC Tilburg, BUas is the fourth knowledge institution to become part of the MindLabs' partnership. The knowledge and expertise of BUas in the field of entertainment games, serious games and digital media (VR/AR), are a valuable addition to the MindLabs innovation program; and of course vice versa. Researchers and students of the BUas Academy for Games and Media (AGM) are already closely involved in the MindLabs VIBE project, in which, under the leadership of Tilburg University, research and development work is being done on digital humans (avatars) for VR/AR training in healthcare. Game technology, geo-data and AI also come together in so-called Digital Twins with applications in, for example, manufacturing, safety, logistics, water and spatial planning. The knowledge institutions in MindLabs will therefore work more closely together in the field of interactive game and media technology in the coming years, thus further strengthening the MindLabs ecosystem.

LEVERAGING EXPERTISE
MindLabs director Loet Visschers is delighted with the new partner: "It's great to see that organizations from the region are increasingly able to find us. With BUas we are taking a big step forward in connecting companies to education. MindLabs can benefit from BUas' expertise in entertainment and serious games and Virtual and Augmented Reality, while BUas will benefit from the expertise of the MindLabs partners, particularly in cognitive sciences and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Igor Mayer, lecturer in Serious Gaming at BUas, and since January 1 also part-time special professor at Tilburg University joins us: "The challenges in the field of Interactive Technology and Digital Realities are not only super exciting, but also robust and long lasting. This calls for a well-organized and smart ecosystem of knowledge institutions and social and private partners who can find each other quickly and effectively. MindLabs is fastly becoming an important, if not the most important player in this field."