Mirjam, you are the person who can tell us all about the RegioDeal. Fire away: what does this project entail exactly?  
RegioDeal is the name of the subsidy; a bag of money that goes from the national government to the various regions in the Netherlands. This is to stimulate the local economy and innovations through collaborations between knowledge institutions and companies. In the region of Central and West Brabant, 17 projects were selected, of which we are the largest. In our case, it is a 2.5 million euro subsidy for 5 subprojects: 

• A data science project with Interpolis, in which we are looking at whether we can predict, based on data from policyholders, whether they will exhibit risk-averse or risk-seeking behavior. 
• A project with the Royal Air Force, in which we expose future fighter pilots to VR simulations during their training. We compare the results with those of regular simulations. Because it's much cheaper if a pilot can just do some of that training lifelike from home with a headset on.  
• A follow-up to our Spacebuzz project, in which we teach children of elementary school age about climate change. In a converted truck they make a virtual journey into space, accompanied by an avatar of André Kuipers. He interprets environmental effects from space: deforestation in the Amazon and light pollution on the oceans and the Nile. In this way we measure the effect of learning in a different way. And how we can prevent boredom in education. Because that is the biggest predictor of learning nothing. We not only ask the participants questions, but also collect data using neurofeedback.  
• A serious game for the port of Rotterdam. To prevent knowledge being lost with the aging and retirement of large groups of employees. With the serious game we try to capture what the professionals there decide during important decision moments. What knowledge do you need for those decisions? How do you judge things? We can pass on that knowledge to the younger generation. 
• In the maintenance and manufacturing industry, machines run day and night. Those factory buildings have to be checked constantly; are there any malfunctions, is everything safe there? We are investigating whether you can train those responsible for these checks more effectively using VR than in a classroom setting or from a booklet. And whether you can also use VR to instruct people remotely. This is particularly important in times of Covid-19. If a Dutch machine goes to the other side of the world and the person who devised it stays here in the Netherlands, it can be useful to have him or her watch it with the aid of a projected 3D model and an AR headset. And also a smart algorithm with a simultaneous translation from Dutch to the language spoken on site makes the whole process a lot smoother.   

Why is the RegioDeal really a project for MindLabs? 
Because it involves smart algorithms, human behavior and new technologies. And it contributes to the question of what you can outsource in terms of intelligence. What are the limits of artificial intelligence? And what is the optimal point of collaboration between the human and artificial brain? 

What concrete products or outcomes will the RegioDeal ideally produce?  
Answers to companies' first-ever innovation bottlenecks. We are trying to create an evidence base for new technology. But we are also trying to achieve cross-fertilisation and knowledge-sharing during the projects. The RegioDeal is not a stand-alone project; it is 'only' a four-year project. It is a seed that you plant, from which spin-offs will grow. It must become a showcase that we can use to bind new partners to us.  

What is your role as project manager in this? What are you mainly concerned with? 
In my work I help researchers to generate new projects. The RegioDeal is an example of this. I stimulate them to think about new project proposals, subsidy opportunities that are open, whether direct collaborations with companies are possible, that kind of thing. In that sense, I've pretty much let go of the RegioDeal by now. That project has been completed, so I am already working on the next one. And I am making new contacts with potentially interesting companies for MindLabs, looking for locations where we can present ourselves and I am busy looking for interesting alliances. Looking for each other's strengths and being complementary. I want to generate projects to show what we do as MindLabs. To ensure that we can stand on our own two feet. Also in the future.
 
And what do you especially like to outsource? 
Projects that are already up and running. Then my part of the job is done. I have now transferred most of the management of the RegioDeal to the project manager. 

I'm sure you've had some highlights to share as far as the Region Deal is concerned. Can you highlight any? 
We have been very busy leading up to the RegioDeal. From the first outline in 2019 to the official award last September. So we're actually just getting started now. But we could say that that is already a highlight in itself; that the grant of the very first major MindLabs project is around. And that the team for this is now complete.  

When do you expect the results? 
The RegioDeal ends at the end of 2023. So we have a term of 4 years.  
Looking even further ahead, how will the project group celebrate these milestones? There must be some creative ideas already... 
You would actually have to ask the project manager about that. That is what he is in charge of. We wanted to organize a kick-off event for the RegioDeal. We wanted the entire club to meet in a festive context. But that won't work. You can do that online, but it's a lot less fun. It's all about the informal meeting. But I'm sure it will get better. It's a pity to start off so quietly. But we have a term of four years. So I'm sure we can catch up sometime.  

What will you do now? Go full steam ahead with technology again? Or will you first have a cup of coffee or something stronger? 
Another coffee and then a follow-up meeting with colleagues from Tilburg University. Their expertise lies in the more derived issues of artificial intelligence. Consumer privacy, for example. We are trying to form such a club of people on the campus.  It also gives me the opportunity to promote MindLabs and to look for people who could be a good addition to our MindLabs team.