During Dutch Design Week Eindhoven, Red Box will present an exhibition and public programme at Aera 51 on Strijp S, exploring how design can strengthen the position of women in society. Red Box shows how design choices influence women’s daily lives and how design can contribute to an inclusive world.
Early Warning Scan is one of the participants in the Red Box.
The Early Warning Scan is a technology in development aimed at detecting breast cancer faster, painlessly, and more accessibly. Using computer techniques, the shape, movement, color, and temperature of the breast are recorded and breast tissue is analyzed. With the help of artificial intelligence, it becomes possible to distinguish between a healthy breast and one showing abnormalities that require further examination.
Social design and social mission
Early Warning Scan BV sets itself apart through its approach. Although it is a private limited company, it operates according to the principles of social design: social impact comes first, not profit maximization. All team members – researchers, technicians, and other professionals – volunteer their expertise, driven by the conviction that early detection can save lives and improve quality of life.
The project has its roots in citizen science. What began in 2019 as an initiative by Eindhoven-based entrepreneur and inventor Tom Sanders has grown into a collaboration between citizens, technicians, scientists, and educational institutions. It is funded by the YvYa Foundation, founded by and for women, who as future users have a direct influence on development. Today, the project is supported by several partners, including Fontys University of Applied Sciences Eindhoven, Sioux Technologies, and physicians from the Catharina Cancer Institute.
In development
The Early Warning Scan is still in the development phase. Following the construction of two prototypes and initial preclinical tests with volunteers, the technology is being refined step by step. The coming years will focus on research, testing, and further development – with the goal of ultimately making a medically reliable, user-friendly, and socially accessible method available.
About Early Warning Scan
Early Warning Scan BV is a social enterprise in formation, based in Eindhoven. The team consists of dedicated researchers, technicians, and professionals who contribute their expertise to make a social impact. Since 2019, Early Warning Scan has been working on this innovative technology for the early detection of breast cancer, driven by the mission: preserving life and quality of life through early and women-friendly detection for all ages.
Red Box – Dutch Design Week
Area 51 / Ketelhuisplein 18, Eindhoven
18 – 26 October 2025
ddw.nl/red-box
Red Box is curated by Katja Lucas, Wisse Trooster and Alieke Geerts.
