An engineering organisation, not a studio.
8design research and development operates as a research institute. We document before we build, validate before we deploy, and treat every artefact as a long-lived engineering record.
- Founded
- 2018
- Domain
- R&D
- Method
- EDS rev. 4.1
- Status
- Active
Mission
We exist to advance engineering disciplines through structured research and rigorous documentation. The output of our work is not a product — it is a body of reproducible technical knowledge that outlives any individual deliverable.
We deliberately reject the framing of a startup or agency. Our measure of success is not market traction but the quality, verifiability and long-term usefulness of the engineering record we produce.
Operating principles
- Engineering before marketing
Technical substance precedes communication. We publish nothing we cannot defend.
- Evidence before claims
Every claim is tied to a referenced artefact: a measurement, a specification, a validation report.
- Documentation before deployment
If it is not documented, it does not exist. Documentation is the deliverable.
- Security by design
Threat modelling and post-quantum considerations are part of architecture, not aftermath.
- Structure creates trust
Consistent format, revision control and traceability across every project.
- Long-term over short-term
We prefer slow, durable work over fast, disposable output.
Scope of work
We work across domains where engineering rigour is undervalued or under-applied. Our labs cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, post-quantum cryptography, embedded systems, building technology, robotics, industrial automation, sustainable engineering, digital twins, data platforms and research methodology itself.
Team
The permanent engineering staff responsible for the research agenda, the Engineering Documentation System and the long-term technical record of the organisation.
- Andrew James RoelvinkFounder — Chief Research EngineerResearch direction · EDS methodology · Systems architecture
Leads the research agenda and engineering documentation standard of 8design research and development. Works across hardware, embedded and software domains with a focus on structured, reproducible engineering.
External researchers, engineers and technical partners contribute to individual projects under the same documentation standard. Named collaborators are recorded per project in the Engineering Database.
Associated researchers and technology partners are documented per engagement. Public listings will be published as collaborations are formalised.