TNO has won the PSV Women Innovation Challenge with their pitch for 'Customized Food'. The applied research company was chosen by High Tech Campus Eindhoven, BrabantSport and PSV from dozens of entries. TNO came up with a solution that 3D-prints customized food per player, which should reduce menstrual complaints and promote match recovery.

In September, PSV, in cooperation with High Tech Campus Eindhoven and BrabantSport, announced the Innovation Challenge. This gave companies the opportunity to sign up with a tangible, innovative and solution-oriented product that could contribute to PSV Women's performance. For the final day, four companies were selected to pitch their idea in front of the jury.

Due to their creative and, above all, innovative entry, TNO was chosen as the winner on the final day. The jury was unanimous in their verdict, giving the company a cheque for 15,000 euros to develop the product. They will also work with PSV Women to fully integrate it into the team's nutrition programme. The club's women's branch will thus act as one of Customized Food's field labs.

Femke Hoevenaars and Emma Munnig Schmidt were responsible for TNO's presentation on the finals day. They reacted ravingly when the jury gave its final verdict. "It is incredibly cool and an honour that we get to contribute to the performance of PSV Women," Munnig Schmidt says. Hoevenaars talks about the importance of their product: "A lot of biomedical research is done on men. With Customized Food, we really look at women's needs. In doing so, we are actively contributing to the emancipation of women in medical science."

Jury's verdict

The jury, formed by delegates from PSV, High Tech Campus Eindhoven and BrabantSport, had a positive verdict on all the finalists. Jury member and Women's Football Manager Sandra Doreleijers explains why the food vending machine was eventually chosen as the winner: "Nutrition was already an important theme, but until now it remained a general scheme. With Customized Food, we can provide tailor-made solutions. In addition, they are already far along in the development process, which means we can get started in a relatively short period of time."

Hilde de Vocht of HTCE is enthusiastic about the first edition of the Innovation Challenge. "This way, we come into contact with parties that don't normally cross our path. TNO can really add value for PSV Women, so as far as I'm concerned we can speak of a successful project." Thirza Brinkhoff of Brabant Sport says the other candidates meanwhile remain on the radar. "They were all good pitches about potentially valuable innovations. We will keep an eye on the other participants to perhaps collaborate in the future."