Interview with Wilfred van der Wiel on breakthrough neuromorphic research published in Nature

Professor Wilfred van der Wiel, coordinator of HYBRAIN and professor of nanoelectronics at the University of Twente, was recently interviewed following the publication of his team’s research in Nature.

The interview focuses on a major scientific result: a new hardware-based approach that significantly reduces the energy needed for image and speech recognition. Instead of relying on cloud computing or complex software, the research shows how combining specialised chips can perform AI tasks directly within the material itself, inspired by how the brain processes information.

The publication is particularly relevant at a time when AI systems are becoming increasingly energy-intensive, and it highlights the growing role of neuromorphic computing as a complementary path to conventional digital technologies.

The interview highlights why this research is especially relevant today: it presents a concrete, hardware-based answer to the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence, demonstrates the scientific maturity of neuromorphic computing beyond theoretical concepts, and reinforces Europe’s role in advanced AI hardware research.

The discussion also brings out three key takeaways: first, the publication in Nature reflects years of work and a rigorous review process, confirming the robustness and broad impact of the results; second, the neuromorphic approach enables image and speech recognition to be carried out directly in hardware, achieving high performance with significantly lower energy consumption and minimal latency; third, the research is already moving beyond the lab, with patents, industrial collaboration, and plans for scaling production, pointing to real-world applications in areas such as smart sensors, consumer devices, and future biomedical technologies.