The 12th Tensions of Europe Conference
Conference theme: The meaning of the past in sustainable futures
Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
8-10 July, 2026
The 12th Tensions of Europe Conference was held at the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) from 8-10 July, 2026. It was organized by the Eindhoven History Lab part of Technology Innovation and Society research group of TU/e in collaboration with the 4TU History of Technology center, uniting Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, the University of Twente, and Wageningen University & Research.
Conference theme was: The meaning of the past in sustainable futures. To understand the pluralistic and multidimensional global challenges of our time, long-term perspectives appear more relevant than ever. Shifting geopolitical dynamics are reshaping Europe’s positioning, self-image, and its ambitions in a global context. These shifts require historians to critically revisit established narratives of how – within and beyond Europe – its material culture has shaped and re-shaped livelihoods; how its infrastructures and trade networks have connected and disconnected localities; or how transnational elites, businesses, users, and local practices co-produced Europeanness.
At the 12th Tensions of Europe (ToE) Conference, we explored and discussed what it means for European and non-European scholars to write ‘European’ histories of ‘technology’ in a pluriverse world. From such an engagement, we wanted to co-develop fresh ideas on how a European historiography of technology can inform and contribute to current agendas for inclusive and green transitions. In what ways do aspirations for equitable and inclusive relations intersect with legacies of the past?
This evoked questions about the role of migration, local knowledge, formal and informal networks, both within and beyond Europe. What are the legacies of Europe’s diverse historical trajectories and its influence on relationships within and beyond its borders? How did transnational dependencies and evolving relationships shape the current crises within and outside Europe? Which alternative perspectives on eco-modernist approaches to sustainability can help forge the agenda for a just and green transition?
The 2026 Tensions of Europe Conference hosted two keynote speakers:
- Prof. Johan Schot. Johan Schot is co-founder of the Tensions of Europe Network. He is professor of Global History and Sustainability Transitions at Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges. As one of the founders of the Sustainability Transitions research field, his keynote talk focused on The Promise of a Second Deep Transition.
- Prof. Edward Jones-Imhotep. Edward Jones-Imhotep is historian of the social and cultural life of machines. He is professor and director of Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. He is author of the prize-winning book The Unreliable Nation: Hostile Nature and Technological Failure in the Cold War. His keynote talk was titled ‘The Broken Machine: Other Histories of Technology’.
For the first time, the 2026 Tensions of Europe Conference included Micro Workshop sessions and Making & Doing sessions. Making & Doing sessions consist of historical work and experimental practices that are presented interactively. Read here the report for Making & Doing from the organizers of the sessions!
The conference was preceded by a summer school for early career scholars. Organized by the Tensions of Europe Early Career Scholars Network. It took place in Dordrecht, a historic Dutch city in the west of the Netherlands. It hosted workshops discussing contested archives, digital history methods, biography writing, reaching out to non-academic audiences and the future directions of history of technology. Furthermore, it included a city walk and fieldtrip to the UNESCO world heritage site of the Kinderdijk windmills.
During the conference in Eindhoven fieldtrips to the Philips Museum, a bicycle tour in around the Vincent van Gogh village of Nuenen, a campus walk and fieldtrip to the former steam powered leather works in Oisterwijk were offered. The conference ended with social gathering, with food, drinks and dance, in the heart of the Philips industrial heritage area of Strijp-S.
We sincerely thank the local organizing team for a great conference!
Local Organizing Team Eindhoven University of Technology:
Frank Veraart (Chair)
Mila Davids
Michael Keith
Jan Korsten
Jonas van der Straeten
Henk Treur (volunteer conference desk)
Dulce van Vliet
Nathaly Yumi Da Silva
-Find the full programme of the 12th ToE Conference here.
-Moments from the 12th ToE Conference:
