Hands-on
No theory, just working applications. We show what runs, what breaks, and what it actually takes. Learning by doing.
04 · ABOUT
No showroom. A workshop.
The Humanoid Application Center is built for people who want to do. We exist to accelerate Dutch industry into a future where people and machines work together, by giving companies hands-on access to humanoid robotics.
WHERE WE'RE GOING
Within seven years, the European hub.
Humanoid robotics will have as much impact over the next decade as software and the internet had over the last thirty. The bottleneck isn't the technology; it's there. The bottleneck is knowledge, application and implementation.
Hence the goal: by 2033 the HAC will be the European address where companies learn, build and scale humanoid robotics. With over a hundred active companies, more than a thousand trained professionals, and millions of hours of work done by humans and machines together.
HOW WE WORK
The bridge between robot and business.
We don't sell a brand. We sit between the robot manufacturers and Dutch industry, and we pick the best fit per use case: Unitree, UBTech, Agibot, Boston Dynamics, Smartrobot.solutions, EngineAI. Hardware-independent, strong on application, rooted in the MICS mechatronics ecosystem at the Conradstraat 4 in Schiedam.
In practice that means: if your use case runs better on a quadruped than on a humanoid, we say so. If a cheaper robot can do the job, that's what you pick. No vendor lock-in, no manufacturer sales pitch.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Three principles.
Independent
Hardware-agnostic. Always aimed at the best solution for the customer, not the best margin for one vendor.
Impact-driven
Only use cases that deliver real business value. No showcases, no demo for the demo's sake.
FOUNDERS
Three parties, one mission.
The HAC is founded by three partners with complementary roles. No overlap, no middle layer.
Evert Jaap Lugt
BD · Business & Strategy
Founder Nimbuzz · former MD YES!Delft
Responsible for positioning, sector partnerships and public collaborations. Built Nimbuzz into a global mobile messaging app (sold for €137M), led YES!Delft (200+ startups, €300M+ funding). Lecturer in innovation management at Nyenrode, EIT Board EU.
Bart van der Werf
Tech · Software & Simulation
Founder Sherpa Digital · TU Delft
Runs the software and simulation side of the HAC. Earlier founder of Sherpa Digital, the company that implements AI for family businesses and SMEs. Before that, founder of the can do company, Yabba Data Doo and MAEX. Bart translates complex AI and humanoid applications into workable tools and simulations that customers can use immediately.
Richard Kuijpers
Robots · Hardware
Founder Smartrobot.Solutions · Official Unitree/Ubtech/EngineAI distributor NL/BE
Brings the hardware knowledge. Active in robotics since 2013, builder of healthcare robot Maatje, expert in quadruped and humanoid implementation in healthcare, retail and manufacturing. Manages the HAC's hardware portfolio and supplier relationships.
WHERE WE STAND
At MICS, in the Conradstraat 4.
The HAC is rooted in the MICS mechatronics ecosystem. MICS is a physical campus for mechatronics, robotics and industrial technology on the edge of Schiedam: not an office park, not an incubator loft, a working industrial environment. Our studios sit on that shop floor. Backed by MRDH and the Regio Deal as our first-hour public partners.
MICS, Conradstraat 4, Schiedam · Opening 2 July 2026.
It's a workshop. Come over.
What happens here is best seen on the shop floor. Book a visit and pick your track on the way out.