Inside the NeurotechEU Autumn School : from sensors to application in Lille
From 13 to 16 October 2025, the University of Lille hosted the second edition of the NeurotechEU Autumn School : "Closed-loop Neurotechnologies: from sensors to application", bringing together students, young researchers, and speakers from across Europe.
The first day set the tone: a deep dive into neural sensors, circuit control and bioinspired devices, with researchers sharing both advances and questions that still drive their work. Between talks and the poster session, informal conversations took over the hallways, a reminder that science also moves forward in these in-between moments. The day ended with a walk through Lille, allowing participants to discover the city beyond the lecture hall.
The second morning shifted the focus. Rather than asking how neurotechnology works, the programme asked what it changes. From UNESCOā€™s recommendations to European legal reflections on cognitive freedom, the sessions opened a broader dialogue on responsibility and agency in neurotechnology. Later that afternoon, the discussion became more technical again with AI, immersive interfaces and signal processing approaches.
On the third day, theory met practice. Participants moved into workshops dedicated to EEG loops, fMRI neurofeedback and neuromorphic computing, testing tools, asking practical questions and comparing methods across labs and disciplines. To close the scientific programme, a visit to the Xperium "Transitions" exhibition offered a different perspective on innovation, one that links research with social and ecological change.
The final day took the participants to Ghent, where the visit to the Gents Universiteitsmuseum created a thoughtful ending point: a museum that presents science not as a collection of certainties, but as a story shaped by trial, imagination and doubt, very much in the spirit of the week.
Several sessions, particularly those opening ethical and legal perspectives, will soon be available on Campus+, the NeurotechEU training platform, so that participants and partner universities can revisit and continue the dialogue beyond the event.