W.P.M.H. Heemels

Prof. W.P.M.H. (Maurice) Heemels is a Full Professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Mechanical Engineering department, leading the Control Systems Technology group. His work focuses on hybrid systems, networked control, and model predictive control (MPC) with applications in cyber-physical systems, precision agriculture, and cancer treatment optimization.

• PhD in Mathematics (1999) and MSc in Mathematics (1995) from TU/e
• Assistant Professor at TU/e Electrical Engineering (2000-2004)
• Research Fellow at Embedded Systems Institute (2004-2006)

His research addresses resource-aware control strategies to replace traditional time-triggered systems with event-triggered schemes, enabling efficient use of computational and communication resources. Applications span automated driving, precision agriculture, thermal control in lithography, and nuclear fusion reactors. He has developed innovative hybrid integrator-gain systems (HIGS) and reset controllers to overcome limitations of linear time-invariant controllers. Model predictive control is a core methodology, applied to hyperthermia treatments, wafer scanner thermal control, and drone-based farming systems.

His 2025 publications emphasize networked control for nuclear fusion, safety-critical MPC in autonomous vehicles, and data-driven control barrier functions for nonlinear systems. Key trends include hybrid systems theory, resource-aware control, and scalable optimization for large-scale applications.

• 2025: DISC PhD Award for Stefan Heijmans
• 2019: EECI European PhD Award for Victor Dolk
• 2017: Best Paper Award @ EBCCSP Conference
• 2014: Automatica Outstanding Service Award
• 2000: ASML-award for best fundamental PhD thesis

He has supervised 88+ students and secured over 7 MEuro in research funding from NWO, EU, and industry. His Control Systems Technology group operates labs including the Automotive Engineering Science Laboratory and Robotics Laboratory, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable cities and climate action through cyber-physical systems.