The research unit Plasma Technology (RUPT), which I founded in the nineties, has grown into an internationally renowned group in the field of cold plasmas. While my younger colleagues focus on “plasma technology” as such, i.e. the use of plasmas for a variety of (bio)medical and environmental applications, my expertise is primarily in the field of “plasma engineering”, i.e. the development and characterization of plasma sources. This often involves exploratory research into novel concepts to generate cold plasmas, with the aim to open to door to new applications. A recent example is the development of micro-plasmas as a UV-source on photonic chips. In the early stages of exploratory research it is often impossible to apply to the conventional funding channels. The forelying application therefore concerns funding for this type of “proof-of-principle” research.