Professor Ivo Broeders is currently head of the section minimally invasive surgery of the department of surgery of the Utrecht University, Netherlands. He has extensive experience in (robot-assisted) laparoscopic surgery, with focus on benign disorders of the proximal digestive tract. Apart from robotic surgery, his research program focuses on virtual reality simulators for endoscopic surgery and ergonomics of operating theatres. Ivo Broeders has joined the boards of various societies focusing on endoscopic surgery, including the technology committee of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery and the Minimally Invasive Robotics Association.