Joep Overdevest
As Chief Engineer, Joep holds final responsibility for all technical aspects of the exoskeleton, from subsystem design to system-wide integration. He sets the technical direction, safeguards the coherence between subsystems and interfaces, and leads technical decision-making on complex, cross-departmental issues. He monitors the project's long-term vision as well as its progress, risks, and feasibility, while overseeing safety, testing, and validation. Beyond the technical side, Joep structures the working methods of the engineering departments, ensuring a healthy, positive environment that keeps the team aligned through close communication and active collaboration.
Joep joined Project MARCH for the chance to combine complex technical theory with innovative ideas into a large-scale project with tangible results. Most important to him, however, is the social impact, directly contributing to further improving the quality of life of people with a spinal cord injury. With a background in Clinical Technology, he brings both technical expertise and knowledge of medical device development, design, and testing.
This year, Joep aims to grow into the Chief Engineer role, deepening his knowledge of technical design and system engineering as well as strengthening his leadership and communication skills through the challenges of leading a multidisciplinary team. Above all, he hopes to support the engineers' personal growth and help advance the exoskeleton toward Project MARCH's vision: step by step.