Link 2018 Noord Nederland Special

TH E CO N N ECTI O N B ETWE E N TEC H N O LO GY, MAR KET AN D MAN

Magazine

SPECIAL HIGH-TECH NORTHERN NETHERLANDS November 2018 | Volume 20 | Issue 5

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET INTERNATIONAL WELCOME CENTER NORTH IS A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR HIGHLY SKILLED MIGRANTS

NHL STENDEN UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES CONTRIBUTING TO A SMART, SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

NEW ICD-CHAIRMAN BINNE VISSER

‘NOWADAYS ENGINEERS FROM SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS ARE LOOKING TO THE NORTH’

Internet of Things (CPX-IOT with OPC UA)

Festo Cloud Siemens MindSphere Rockwell IOT SAP Hana etc.

Management level Control level

Connect with the future!

Field level

Sensor/actuator level

CODESYS V3 Optional OPC-UA for Industry 4.0

Setting your sights high?

Want to achieve more?

We show you new ways forward.

Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) impresses original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and end users alike.

Production and the digital world are coming together, making factory automation more flexible, increasing energy efficiency, linking logistics processes more closely, optimising the value chain – and all this is happening in process automation too. Festo is playing a major role in shaping the Industry 4.0 trend – nationally and globally.

www.festo.com/iot

JOOST AN OUTSTANDING REGION

CONTENTS 4 THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET • New chairman Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD) Binne Visser drawing up five-year balance sheet • Companies of ICD inspire each other with the theme ‘human capital’ • Big Data: exponential growth of cloud applications anticipated • Philips and Norma combine expertise for ICD research topic 3D metal printing • Visual intelligence: faster, better decisionmaking thanks to faster, more reliable analyses • Towards smart machines with remote sensoring and big data • Battery or fuel cell? All options open for all-electric propulsion within Innovation Cluster Drachten

This special edition of Link Magazine, High-Tech Northern Netherlands 2018, is a fine example of northern collaboration between Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD), Campus Groningen, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Region of Smart Factories (RoSF) and ENgineering and TEchnology institute Groningen (ENTEG) to present the great recent developments in the northern high-tech ecosystem. And of course the plans for the future will be unfolded in various sections of this Link special!

Step by step, based on our northern DNA, we are building a fully high-tech ecosystem, with more and more companies joining in.

This creates a clearer view of all the unique strengths that can be found in this region. This awareness instils confidence and pride in our qualities, which is sometimes necessary to entice top international companies to come to the Northern Netherlands. The recent TopDutch campaign, to invite Tesla to set up a new assembly plant here, was a good first step in this respect to show that the Northern Netherlands is an outstanding region for high-tech.

On invitation of LINK Magazine Joost Krebbekx is the guest editor-in-chief of this special edition. Krebbekx is Programme Manager of ICD. Photo: Peter Lieverdink

19 STAFF & ORGANIZATION Sustainable deployability: companies will get round to it tomorrow

20 Who’s collaborating with whom and on what, in and with Innovation Cluster Drachten?

22 ENGINEERING BUSINESS Master’s in Mechanical Engineering new step in boosting the RUG’s engineering profile

24 OPEN INNOVATION Campus Groningen is the

Other important steps have also been taken, including the start of the GEBC (Groningen Engineering Business Centre), the developments at the Campus Groningen, the fastest growing campus in the Netherlands, and the growth of ICD (with a new, energetic chairman) to 19 high-tech parties. In addition, we have seen the start of new field labs, including 5Groningen as a test site for IoT applications, and new lectureships, such as Data Science at the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (under the inspiring leadership of Ioannis Katramdos).

And last but not least, the University of Groningen is developing new Mechanical Engineering Master’s tracks.

fastest growing campus in the Netherlands

26 STAFF & ORGANIZATION International Welcome Center North is a one-stop shop for highly skilled migrants

30 EDUCATION NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences contributing to smart, sustainable industry

32 PROCESS INNOVATION Smart Industry field lab Northern Netherlands Region of Smart Factories (RoSF) gaining momentum

To further develop our region, it is crucial to attract talented professionals at different levels and to retain them over the longer term. To be able to retain talented engineers, we need to offer them the opportunity, among other things, to work on all the areas that matter to them in terms of the digitisation of the industrial sector (Industry 4.0). We must create these opportunities for talented professionals from the region and far beyond. Whether we do this through field labs, industry or digital hubs is of secondary importance.

JOOST KREBBEKX, GUEST EDITOR IN CHIEF OF THIS SPECIAL EDITION AND PROGRAMME MANAGER OF ICD

34 PARTNERS Dutch TechZone to become region of super specialists and niche players

PUBLICATION INFORMATION Magazine COLOFON

This special issue is a supplement to the November 2018 issue of Link Magazine.

Link Magazine is a management journal that discusses contemporary forms of co-operation between companies themselves and between companies and (semi)-government bodies, universities and colleges of higher education.

Link Magazine is published six times a year.

NOVEMBER 2018 PUBLISHED BY H&J Uitgevers Mireille van Ginkel Bosscheweg 76, 5151 BE Drunen The Netherlands +31 10 451 55 10 +31 6 51 78 41 97 www.linkmagazine.nl

ADVISORY COUNCIL ing. P.A.M. van Abeelen (ISAH), J. Beernink MSc (Golden Egg Check), ing. D.M. van Beers (Festo BV), J.C.A. Buis MBA (RR Mechatronics), ing. B. Draaijer (V en M Regeltechniek), F.M. Eisma (Trumpf Nederland), ir. J.F.M.E. Geelen (Océ), ir. R. van Giessel (voor-malig ceo Philips CFT), ir. M.H. Hendrikse (NTS-Group, HTSM-boegbeeld), ing. J.B.P. Hol (Legrand Group), ir. T.J.J. van der Horst (TNO), ir. M.W.C.M. van den Oetelaar (Bosch Rexroth), dr. ir. M. Peters (president & ceo Moba Group), dr. ir. D.A. Schipper (Demcon), E. Severijn (Siemens PLM Software Benelux), J.A.J. Slobbe (ITM Group), H.G.H. Smid (Variass Group), ir. W.W.M. Smit MMC (DBSC Consulting), ing. N.J.F. van Soerland MBA (Philips Healthcare), ir. H.H. Tappel (Bronkhorst High-Tech), W.B.M. van Wanrooij (IBN Productie), ir. S.J. Wittermans (ASML)

EDITOR IN CHIEF Martin A.M. van Zaalen FINAL EDITING Pim Campman, Lucy Holl, Wilma Schreiber; redactie@linkmagazine.nl THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ISSUE Hans van Eerden, Joost Krebbekx COVER PHOTO Team Horsthuis TRANSLATION Powerling Nederland, Bunnik GRAPHIC DESIGN Primo!Studio, Delft PRINTED BY Veldhuis Media, Raalte SUBSCRIPTION € 68,50 per annum ADVERTISING OPERATIONS John van Ginkel john.vanginkel@linkmagazine.nl +31 010 451 55 10 +31 6 53 93 75 89 ISSN 1568 - 1378 No part of Link Magazine may be copied or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. This publication has been compiled with the utmost care. Nevertheless, the publisher cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies. No rights may be derived from this publication.

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

3

NEW CHAIRMAN BINNE VISSER DRAWING UP ICD FIVE-YEAR BALANCE SHEET

‘NOWADAYS ENGINEERS FROM SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS ARE LOOKING TO THE NORTH’

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET Five years ago, Innovation Cluster Drachten was launched. Since then, high-tech companies in the Northern Netherlands have been collaborating more closely with each other, and with numerous knowledge

The word ‘cluster’ makes it clear: within Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD) it’s all about cooperation. Cooperation between businesses, research institutes and authorities, facilitating innovation in terms of industrial processes and high-tech products. And not only to help the companies involved to enhance their added value, but also to make the northern region of the Netherlands (Drachten is in the heart of this) more appealing as a place to work. Which requires cooperation.

Together with Joost Krebbekx (the cluster’s Programme Manager), Binne Visser (ICD’s brand-new Chairman) reveals what exactly the intentions are for ICD and what has been accomplished so far.

institutes, through this cluster. They collaborate in the area of research in order to more rapidly develop more successful innovations. And in the area of education so as to better match the influx of graduates to the needs of high-tech companies. The strengthening that comes from this collaboration should also raise the profile of the hightech region in the Northern Netherlands, making it more attractive to talented professionals. In this section, we will have a look at the remarkable results of these efforts.

The words of Binne Visser, Director Production Engineering & Maintenance at Philips Consumer Lifestyle in Drachten and ICD Chairman since summer 2018. When Link Magazine visits him, he has just chaired his first cluster meeting. It’s the week in which the ICD announced his appointment in a press release. There he cites the combining of strengths as the cluster’s objective ‘to ensure that the digitization of the economy – Industry 4.0 – is put in the fast lane’. Visser explains how the parties are endeavouring to fulfil that objective (i.e. cooperation).

19 COMPANIES, FIVE R&D TOPICS

ICD Chairman Binne Visser: ‘This region can offer people not just a job but also a career.’ Photo: Com-magz

BY MARTIN VAN ZAALEN

‘Y

ounger generations don’t know any better, but us older folks understand that a company really can’t make it on its own any more. The technologies are changing too rapidly for this. For young people it’s completely self-evident that you have a search on the Internet first before you try to invent something yourself which may well have been around for a long time already.

But the older generations too aren’t just really

4

proud of what they’ve developed or produced (technicians through and through) but are also open to other parties’ solutions. Here at Philips, for instance, we’re working on vision technology, but they’re also doing that at ZiuZ, BD Kiestra, FMI and other ICD members. They’ve already solved issues we’re still working on, or vice versa. We’re learning from one another without stepping on each other’s toes. Thus bolstering our powers of innovation and rendering us more appealing to the best technicians.’

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

‘There are several front runners here. They’re the ones that have clustered within ICD. Because it only makes sense for companies more or less on a par to join forces. They need to be struggling with broadly the same issues, willing and ready to learn from one another or, in fact, prepared to help one another.’

What this means in concrete terms is that the members are collaborating in joint processes.

There are 19 of them now concentrating on one of the ICD’s five research topics, with digitization being the common theme: 3D Metal Printing, Remote Sensoring and Big Data, Robotics, Visual Intelligence and All Electric Propulsion. One company will be participating in four projects and another in one. ‘However’, adds Krebbekx, ‘if you participate then it really is a question of give and take. And the distance to Drachten can’t be more than a one-hour drive. After all, cooperation also entails regularly meeting up in person. Which makes proximity a bonus.

That’s how business gets generated.’

UNITING AND EXCITING

HIGHER BUDGET

The high-tech cluster has been around for five years now and is fulfilling a clear need, says Visser. The ICD started out with six member companies in 2013, but has since grown to 19 members, including the Groningen-based vision specialist XPAR Vision. These 19 firms encompass more than 1,400 FTE in terms of engineers collaborating on pioneering innovations. But at the present juncture they’re also providing in excess of 200 work placements and graduate placements to students in higher vocational or academic education, Visser says, highlighting one of the results of the ICD Uniting & Exciting programme. ‘We’re in close contact with educational establishments, precisely because it’s extremely important for us to get the most talented individuals to commit to our companies and this region.’

To this end there’s also collaboration on the influx side, says Krebbekx: ‘In conjunction with other parties, the ICD has voiced a marked need for there to be a Mechanical Engineering course within the University of Groningen’s Faculty of Science and Engineering. We also launched the Groningen Engineering Business Centre with the University, with the GEBC seeking to ensure that the work done by the science groups ties in better with companies’ needs and is made more visible.’

An agreement was signed with intermediate vocational education, continues Visser, which arranges for teacher work placements and gives the business community more influence on the content of the curriculums and what technological and social skills are dealt with in them. ‘In addition, we set up the Mechatronics course in conjunction with higher vocational education, namely Hanze UAS, with the first students completing this course last summer.

We also organized a summer school, which sees the participants setting to work on concrete problems that ICD members are actually faced with. We’re keen to sign an agreement with higher vocational education too.’ Furthermore, the ICD is also encouraging technology start-ups, such as Elfskot (generic product configuration) and Cinoptics (VR/AR glasses). ‘We provide help if start-ups indicate that they need it. For example, we jointly organized a conference and a customer day.’

All these activities are financed from the current budget of 9.7 million euros that the ICD has for the current (third) ‘2017-2018 development period’. Half of the financing is being provided by Smallingerland municipal council (Drachten is the capital of this region) and Friesland’s provincial authority and the other half comes from the participating companies. A higher sum will be needed for the next period (2019-2020), simply because

the number of research projects is on the rise.

For the purposes of the R&D projects the aim for the time being is a budget of 9.1 million euros, and for the ‘Uniting & Exciting’ programme the target is 4.6 million euros.

INCREASED VISIBILITY AND APPEAL Binne Visser and Joost Krebbekx think this should be feasible. After all, an increasing number of members are contributing. It also helps that they can demonstrate concrete, achieved results to authorities. And in that regard it’s not just a matter of the 1,400 FTE in terms of innovators, the 200+ work placements and graduate placements, the launching of new technical courses and the research results generating new business (see elsewhere in this edition). They’re also talking about the improved visibility and appeal of the northern high-tech industry. Visser: ‘This region can offer people not just a job but also a career. At the very least I can cite one example where someone made the move from Philips to Neopost and is now working for BD Kiestra. And I myself am frequently called by applicants currently still working in the south of the Netherlands, fully au fait with the career opportunities up here, who know that it’s a great place to live and are keen to establish themselves in this region.’ www.icdrachten.nl

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

5

where great minds work

We are a group of high-tech companies in the Northern Netherlands that work together on solutions for the major challenges of the future ‘on the edge of technology’. We call this our ‘big 5’ of high-tech: ‘the internet of things’, big data, robotics, 3D printing and alternative energy. We do this by using stateof-the-art high-tech or, where necessary, developing it ourselves. This is possible thanks to the unique collaboration of our R&D departments, in which mutual competition has given way to strengthening each other. The result is more than 50 new products every year worldwide. Products that save people’s lives, make the operation of complex systems child-friendly, tailor products to the individual wishes and needs of consumers and make data accessible to improve the quality of food. We are Innovationcluster Drachten: ‘The heart of the smart factory region’ of North-West Europe.

icdrachten.nl

TECHNOLOGIES

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET COMPANIES OF INNOVATION CLUSTER DRACHTEN (ICD) INSPIRE EACH OTHER WITH THE THEME ‘HUMAN CAPITAL’

COMPELLING AND CAPTIVATING Human capital is high on the agenda of ICD and the affiliated members. They share knowledge and experience, exchange employees, organise activities to interest pupils and students in technology, create new courses together with educational institutions and promote their companies and the entire region as an attractive location for technically trained people to work in.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

F

or YP Your Partner in Drachten (19 employees), specialists in industrial process automation with a focus on the software, ‘human capital’ was an important reason to become a member of ICD, according to director Theun Prins. On the homepage there is a prominent red button ‘Vacancies’. ‘We are eagerly in search of people, especially programmers. We were unknown in the region because we are mainly active internationally. However, nice things happen in our company. Through the cooperation within ICD, we can demonstrate that better so that students and other technical talents know how to find us. We now receive cvs from top-talents from universities; from the RUG, of course, but also from the technical universities.’

ONE SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT For Theun Prins, the relationship with the education system is an important aspect of the ICD theme human capital. ‘For the institutions, it is fine that they now have one single point of contact in the form of ICD. That improves the interaction between business and education. As cooperating companies, we can now participate in determining the agenda and co-developing educational programs. Recently, we have drafted a human capital agenda focussed towards the MBO (senior secondary vocational education, ed.).’

Tightening the bonds between companies and educational institutions is something Henk Westera greatly values. The director of VDH Products in Roden is the chairman of the High Tech Career Competition within ICD. The objective of the HTCC is to generate more internships for students from the HBO (higher professional education) and WO (university education) at ICD companies by allowing them to formulate assignments for which students can apply during an open house in speed dates; the first round is this autumn. ‘By working together, we can strengthen each other and demonstrate that there is work for highly-trained technicians in Northern Netherlands.’

WARM NEST VDH Products develops and produces measuring instruments for temperature, pressure and relative humidity and delivers these to customers all around the world. The company (70 employees) is growing steadily but has no problems attracting new personnel, Westera mentions, thanks to an approach which can inspire other ICD companies. ‘About 7 years ago, we began to shed our northern ‘shyness’ and began making more noise by means of advertising, social media, projects and knowledge groups.

Thanks to this, we are also visible in the western Each primary school in Friesland received in 2017 from ICD an EDU-robot including a teaching package. Photo: Ventura Systems region of the Netherlands. Each week we also be seen in the treatment of carers who receive open applications.’ VDH still has the work at VDH. Marinus: ‘We don’t focus on character of a family business which offers the limitations but on the possibilities.’ ‘In personnel a warm nest, HR manager José this way, people go to work with pleasure and Marinus adds. ‘We do not treat personnel as a they can be better deployed’, Westra explains, number but as an individual.’ Westera: ‘We pointing to a certificate on the wall. ‘You don’t do not conduct functioning interviews but win such an Export Award easily.’ development interviews. Here, people with ‘golden hands’ who have only finished primary school and university trained people DYNAMIC GROWTH work, and everyone in between. We do While VDH grows calmly and steadily, Ventunot judge everyone the same but we look ra Systems in Bolsward is growing at a fast individually how we can stimulate people pace. The globally operating manufacturer of towards competence.’ door systems for trams, metros and buses is a VDH finds corporate social responsibility member of ICD since last year. The company (CSR) important, says Marinus. ‘Without with its innovative products and pro-active employees it doesn’t work. With us, there is, marketing is experiencing dynamic growth, for example, a warm welcome for people who according to the commercial director and are distant from the labour market. We have a co-owner, Bas de Nooijer. ‘We now have 130 lot of contact with the Employee Insurance employees, 30 more than 6 months ago. We Agency (UWV in the Netherlands) about the therefore work actively with recruitment and implementation of the Participation law and selection companies and promote ourselves we are invited to inspire other companies with the ICD at events at the TUs and HBO for this, among others, in ICD circles.’ The corporate social responsibility approach can TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

7

mapp View. WEB MEETS AUTOMATION. www.br-automation.com/mappView

That was well-received by teachers because they are already overloaded and then they have to also include technology into their regular education tasks. Thus, they are happy with the ICD initiatives.’

De Nooijer also values the exchanges between ICD members on practical issues such as the harmonisation of Primary school pupils with augmented reality glasses at the stand of YP Your Partner during the Edu-Robotics final which ICD organised early this year in Leeuwarden. internship allowances, Photo: Jan Buwalda but also about the international perspective which many ICD members have, including CONTINUATION OF PAGE 7 Ventura. ‘We have offices worldwide for sales and support and also some production here with the message: ‘Northern Netherlands has and there. We want to keep the people oververy attractive companies where you can work seas involved with the organisation and well on interesting themes.’ We don’t only provide them with our culture and sense of focus on the employees who we want to community. That is quite a task.’ employ today, but also on those for in 5 year’s time. Therefore, we have, for example, more than 10 interns and graduates each year. The ‘INTERNAL LABOUR MARKET’ first step, De Nooijer emphasises, is to tempt Kwant Controls in Sneek is also a worldwide pupils to choose technology. ‘For this, we active ICD member. The developer and actively participate in company visits, tours manufacturer of nautic controls for, among and girls days such as Jet-Net (youth and others, cruise ships and ocean tankers, is an technology network, ed.) and ICD are organiR&D-intensive company, according to office sing these. For example, we participated in and HR manager Willy Tamminga-Ros. The the ICD robot project for primary schools. company (70 employees) has at least 20 in

R&D and engineering and furthermore many technicians in assembly and service. Technical vacancies are not easily filled. For example, there is a vacancy for a commissioning engineer who guides the commissioning of Kwant systems on site. Also for the overhauls which Kwant carries out, employees have to travel; not every candidate is prepared to do this.

Within the ICD, Tamminga-Ros spars with HR colleagues from other companies about recruiting employees. ‘We promote Kwant as a Frisian company with a unique product full of high-end technology which continually renews and values employees’ initiative.

ICD is also important for absorbing the fluctuations in the amount of work because Kwant is strongly project-driven. ‘We work in the boats, I sometimes say, and that is accompanied by waves. Production is, therefore, difficult for us to plan. That is why about 15 temps work here. Two of them come from an ICD member who had a little less work.

Another ICD member had no work for a service technician and circulated his cv within the ICD; he is working here now. That is the manner to, in any case, retain technical personnel in the region.’ www.icdrachten.nl www.kwantcontrols.com www.vdhproducts.nl www.venturasystems.nl www.yp-yourpartner.nl

COOPERATION WITH ENGINEERING @ HANZEHOGESCHOOL GRONINGEN In the tight labour market for technical personnel, besides recruitment, further schooling of the current employees is at least as important. Hanzehogeschool Engineering in Groningen, with more than 2,000 students, is a partner of ICD for this. ‘We are the specialist in energy and we are growing towards smart industry’ dean Peta de Vries tells.

‘That is triggered, among others, by our cooperation with Region of Smart Factories and ICD.’ A unique outcome of the partnership is the Mechatronics course (HBO-level) which the Hanze has compiled, tailored for the ICD members. Last summer, the first class - 8 employees from 4 ICD companies - received the certificate from Fiona Schrage, product manager Engineering and lecturer professional skills. They successfully studied modules like mathematics, dynamics, electronics, modelling and presentation and completed a mechatronics project during 18 months in part-time.

Thanks to an ingenious design of the program, the students could run through the program flexibly and matching to their situation. That is thanks to the Hanze focus on flexible forms of teaching, such as part-time, distance-learning and combinations thereof with content from full-time courses. It begins with determining what the students have learnt already and which work experience they have gained, to then connect well to this in the course, Schrage explains. ‘Our ambition is to test that very

specifically, eg. by letting the students do an assessment.’

The part-time courses are also important for compelling and captivating the employees.

Besides the Mechatronics course (including the possibility to then follow an accelerated HBO course), it also concerns the associate degree Project Leader Technology. This is meant for experienced, technical professionals who want to grow further into a management function. Schrage: ‘Participation Hanzehogeschool Engineering in Groningen, with more than 2,000 students, is an important education partner for ICD. Photo: Hanze in educational pathways can stimulate and challenge emplotechnology really has to offer them in the future. yees. They broaden their horizons and learn to In that respect, the research task which the univercooperate, ask critical questions and analyse issues. sity of applies sciences has these days helps. ‘The It provides them with the professional competences Hanze, for example, participates in a research proto adopt changes.’ There is another effect, De Vries ject into human-robot collaboration, collaborative adds: ‘Companies show their appreciation for robotics, with companies like BD Kiestra, Neopost employees by facilitating such trainings, and want to and Photonis. There, lecturer-researchers in sensor retain them by doing so. In general, we invest a lot in technology are involved who translate their experienrecruitment and we can be too nonchalant towards ce to education. And students get to know the excipeople who have already chosen for technology. ting area of work in assignments at ICD members.

That also counts for the students; we must not lose those. Therefore, we want to show through www.hanze.nl/engineering internships and graduation assignments what

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

9

ADVERTO RIAL

THE MANY ADVANTAGES OF OREEL’S ONE STOP SHOP

170 YEARS OF FAMILY BUSINESS: HIGH-TECH FLEXIBILITY Since the acquisition of a laser welding cell in 2014, Oreel Metal Components & Assemblies in the north of the Netherlands, has developed into a laser welding specialist. The laser welding technique has many advantages over manual welding, such as cost, strength, accuracy, speed, reliability and esthetics. These are all features that provide many chances for the automotive, food, medical and furniture industry. Oreel already serves clients from all of these industries, however is continuously expanding its capacity in order to be able to offer these advantages to all original equipment manufacturers – all as part of its one stop shop concept.

However, the Frisian company’s activities are of course not limited to this laser welding specialism. The company’s main focus is to fully unburden its clients by offering a large number of operations in steel, stainless steel and aluminum. Some orders may require up to as much as 20 forms of processing, which – if separate specialists are sought - makes planning extremely difficult. Oreel’s concept hugely simplifies the client’s logistics, as involving a chain of specialists for their product is no longer necessary. All this in-house processing does not only concern the standard metal sheet processing, but also machining, rolling and tube laser welding, supplemented by aftertreatments and logistic services: the one stop shop. Oreel offers the shortest turnaround time possible, enabling original equipment manufacturers to deliver their products with a short time-to-market, which is a crucial success factor in the current demand driven market, where customers expect a tailor-made product for the price and delivery time of a standard product. The highly efficient onestop-shopping focus seems to be paying off: since 2006, the sales revenues have tripled. Reason why Oreel is determined to uphold this special focus.

The family company, which is led by the 5th generation, Sytse Oreel, is fully up to speed on sustainability and efficiency. A new production hall, covered with over 600 solar panels, was built 5 years ago, and the next huge expansion of the production facilities – an extra 3,600 square meters – will be taken into operation shortly.

Currently, the company employs some 125 employees, who due to cross training are familiar with more than one machine and so enabling them to cover production peaks if necessary. Oreel’s highly qualified operating staff has a vast and diverse machine park at its

disposal. The production and processing takes place in separate production halls for stainless steel and steel in order to avoid contamination of the stainless steel; a requirement of Oreel’s food industry clients.

Oreel aims to create a paperless work environment and full automation of the production processes, again for both efficiency as well as sustainability purposes. The order intake has since years been digitalized, resulting in orders being ready for production within half a day. Also, Oreel works with shop floor control, in which all work instructions are sent directly to the operators’ display. All these developments prove Oreel’s continuous adapting to future demands.

Oreel Postbus 1 9074 ZL Hallum Meekmawei 4 9074 TJ Hallum T 0518 43 11 41 info@oreel.nl www.oreel.nl

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF CLOUD APPLICATIONS ANTICIPATED

FROM BIG DATA TO SMART MACHINES Within the compass of the Smart Machines project nine companies in Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD) are studying the opportunities that big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) present for industry. ‘Each participant is familiar with his own specific use of big data.

But everyone’s focus is on smart machines and predictive maintenance: equipment in the field, at a customer’s place of business or in a production environment indicating itself when it requires maintenance to minimize the incidence of faults’, says Anne Gerben Terpstra, R&D Manager at Delta Instruments.

Thanks to the so-called herd management tools in Delta Instruments’ analysis equipment, blood levels and thus diseases can be measured on the basis of the milk analysis results. Photo: Delta Instruments

BY WILMA SCHREIBER

he core business of Delta Instruments (part of PerkinElmer) in Drachten is to supply equipment for the purposes of analysing dairy products in terms of their chemical or biological composition.

‘This enables dairy factories to monitor and adjust their production. And laboratories can check tank milk samples on such things as the fat percentage in the milk, based on which the price is set’, explains Anne Gerben Terpstra.

The most significant innovation in terms of the analysis equipment in recent years is the so-called herd management tools, which also calculate blood levels and thus diseases on the basis of the milk. ‘To this end we have developed analyses and incorporated them into the equipment, thereby enabling conclusions to be drawn on the health of the cow too.’

In collaboration with Cornell University in the USA, Delta Instruments has been acquiring application know-how with cows at a number of experimental farms. ‘Sales are rising and ample use is being made of the analysis equipment in the field’, says Terpstra.

At present, the company is focusing on Europe, starting in the Netherlands. ‘One of our customers, milk inspection lab VVB in Nunspeet, is engaged in trialling and experimenting with the analysis technology with a small group of farmer members. The farmers are now seeing the added value and are now asking for this data themselves and having extra samples taken to test cows.’ In order to ensure this new method of forecasting blood levels based on milk samples is successful on

T

the Dutch and European markets, Delta Instruments is collaborating with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) on a pilot project at the Dairy Campus in Leeuwarden.

BETTER SERVICE Off course there’s plenty of room for improvement. To ensure accurate results, Terpstra is of the opinion that the user should now be calibrating each analysis once a month.

‘Bearing in mind any changed circumstances like humidity, and because equipment isn’t immune to wear and tear. This means ordering and taking calibration samples, which

‘Sensor technology is becoming cheaper and cheaper, more usable in practice and more accessible’

works fine, but it does take time and money.’

Nevertheless, for herd management analysis it would seem to be practical not to do this.

‘The calibration of milk component analyses is carried out using commercially available calibration milk sample lots. Such sample lots are not available for blood levels. And so ultimately we’re hoping to render calibration

superfluous through predictive maintenance: forecasting when adjustments are necessary on the basis of sensor data. That means better equipment for diagnostic purposes and, therefore, better service for our customers.

What’s more, labs will save time and money because they’ll no longer have to buy samples and there’ll be no equipment downtime.’

In Terpstra’s view, current issues such as animal welfare, driving down the use of antibiotics and the dairy industry’s environmental impact present even more opportunities.

‘We’re continuing to develop the first generation of herd management tools further for even more, even better predictions.’ In addition, Delta Instruments is devoting time to research projects with regard to sensor technology in general. ‘The developments are proceeding swiftly, we want to spot new technologies that will enable new product analyses or help us to make existing product analyses better or cheaper.’ Looking to the near future, Terpstra foresees exponential growth in cloud applications in the industry. ‘Sensor technology is developing more and more, is becoming cheaper, more usable in practice and more accessible. Sensors will move to the cloud, where it will be possible to extract even more value from data by means of smart data analyses – lab analysis as a service.’

MAGIC MACHINE Besides Delta Instruments, parties that are actively involved in the smart machines TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

11

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET PHILIPS AND NORMA COMBINE EXPERTISE FOR ICD RESEARCH TOPIC 3D METAL PRINTING

3D PRINTING CAVITIES CUTS LEAD TIME AND BOOSTS DIE-CASTING RESULT Philips’ Binne Visser has two cases with the printed cavities at the ready. One contains a shiny sample: a complexly structured block of metal for die-casting a plastic part of the shaver that Philips Consumer Lifestyle manufactures in Drachten. The other contains an identical work piece, except this one’s rough and unpolished, and yet to undergo a surface treatment. Both have been made using a 3D metal printer – an SLM 280 – housed in the Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD) field lab, i.e. the High Tech Shared Facility Center, on the Philips site.

BY MARTIN VAN ZAALEN

T

hey are the result of a close collaboration between the people at NTS Norma, who know everything about metal, and the people at Philips, who know everything about plastic – ‘and everything they need to know about metal’. That combined knowledge and experience is crucial to achieve the process innovation that the ICD research topic 3D metal printing is all about.

SMALL CHANNELS Because of the printing, the innermost cavities can be given a small channel, right under the surface. Water can flow through this small channel: warm water to heat up the plastic cast in the cavity and cold water to cool it down. ‘As a result, the die-casting process can be precisely controlled and the end result accurately determined’, says Binne Visser, Director of Production Engineering & Maintenance at Philips, placing two small black tubs on the table to illustrate his point. One is

Binne Visser.

12

unpolished on the inside, while the other is super shiny as the result of a finely tuned diecasting process, he says.

The 3D-printed cavity for die-casting the plastic parts of the shaver that Philips manufactures in Drachten. Photos: Team Horsthuis.

WHAT’S THE OPTIMAL DESIGN?

ITERATIVE

Both the development and the production of the cavities, as well as their implementation in a well-controlled die-casting process not only requires a knowledge of how metal and plastic behave, but also a knowledge of software.

Using design software created especially for 3D printing, you can predetermine how best to structure the cavity, says Klaas Geschiere, General Manager of the NTS Norma office: ‘In the case of the conventional design of a product, which you might make using a machining process for example, the designer has to consider a lot when it comes to the limitations of the milling machine, for instance. After all, the milling machine has to be able to get everywhere.

If you’re going to design for 3D printing, then that production process offers more freedom. The key question then is: what’s the optimal product design? In this case: where should the small cooling channels go to ensure an optimal die-casting result using the least amount of material and, therefore the lowest possible weight?

He continues: ‘That design process creates an organic structure of small cooling channels, comparable to the vein structure of tree leaves for instance. If you then go and print that, you’ll find that the surface treatment of the small channels is not very easy to do or the supporting structure isn’t solid enough. That testing then leads to other design rules or other printer settings.’ ‘It’s a question oftrial and error’, Visser adds. ‘An iterative process of modelling, printing out, die-casting, comparing the result with the design software’s simulation results and adjusting. For instance, by slightly moving the small channels in the design, but also by changing the printer’s controls if it transpires that the metal isn’t homogenous enough.’

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

LIFESPAN STILL A CHALLENGE Incidentally, that last point is more or less no longer an issue for the two pilot cavities that Philips and NTS Norman are working on.

Geschiere: ‘I think we’ll have achieved the desired end result within a year. But it could also take another two years. We already have a grasp on producing material of the right thickness, more or less comparable to rolled metal. But producing a cavity with a long enough lifespan, i.e. one that doesn’t break or rust easily, is still a challenge. But we’ll get there. Everyone’s convinced of the potential of this production technology.’ For Philips, that

potentially primarily lies in the saving of time, says Visser. ‘We currently outsource the manufacturing of cavities to suppliers elsewhere and as a result have a 6-8 week lead time. If we can 3D print them here in Drachten, we can have them within a week. What’s more, die-casting with 3D-printed cavities is quicker and also produces nicer plastic products.’

PRINTING FINAL PRODUCTS Being able to print metal with a density that is 99.9% that of conventionally produced metal is important for printing tools like cavities. It may be heavier if (parts of) final products have to be manufactured using the new technology. That’s why NTS Norma, whose USP is its ability to do metalworking with micro precision, is also working on the ICD research topic 3D metal printing with parties active in other markets, e.g. Stork Turbo Blading (see box) and medical technology and semiconductor parties. ‘That means we can look at such things like how the printed part behaves over a longer period of time under high pressure or very high temperatures. In that way, we learn from other companies’ business cases and they benefit from our metalworking expertise. That’s how we help each other develop.’ www.philips.nl www.norma-groep.nl

3D PRINTING COULD SAVE STORK TURBO BLADING A LOT OF TIME Stork Turbo Blading is a global supplier of parts for electricity turbines and gas compressors to companies in the energy sector. Last year, the Sneek-based company became a member of ICD for two key reasons, says site manager Sybren Reinsma. ‘We make turbine blades by milling them from metal. We’ve been following the crucial progress in the development of 3D metal printing and have decided to come on board to get a better picture of what that technology could mean for us, for two types of products.’

Firstly, there’s the so-called ‘sample foot profile’, a part that can be sent to the client with the sole aim of checking on site whether the measurements are correct or not. ‘If they are correct, then we make the actual foot profile that’s built in to the client’s turbine to replace the worn profile. Although we will continue to mill this actual foot profile for the time being, we’d prefer to print the sample foot profile to reduce the lead time.’ Stork Turbo Blading has also come on board to be able to start 3D printing for other Stork companies. ‘For instance, the cover for an electric engine that’s broken. It will save us a lot of time if we can print these types of spare parts.’

For at least one day a week, Stork Turbo Blading has one engineer working in the ICD research lab on research into 3D metal printing, primarily with engineers from NTS Norma and Philips. ‘They now

The so-called ‘sample foot profile’.

Illustration: Stork Turbo Blading

have the most experience with this technology. We mainly want to map out how the different types of metal behave when you 3D print them. Because unlike cold milling, 3D printing releases a lot of heat causing material to expand and then shrink again. We’re already making significant progress.

I think that we’ll be able to print a sample foot profile before the end of the year that has the exact measurements and can be shipped commercially.’

The fieldwork on other Stork products is still at an earlier stage, says Reinsma. www.stork.com

Do you want to take a leap forward in your personal or your organisation’s development?

Take a look at the courses of the Berenschot Academy • Managing an agile organisation • Blockchain • Lean Six Sigma

www.berenschotacademy.nl

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

13

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET FASTER, BETTER DECISION-MAKING THANKS TO FASTER, MORE RELIABLE ANALYSES

BROADENING HORIZONS IN TERMS OF WHAT CAN BE SEEN Visual intelligence is one of the big five topics within Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD). This intelligent way of looking in combination with big data and data analysis helps companies to optimize their production processes or to enhance the quality of their products.

Four companies talk about the most recent developments and what they still have in the pipeline: ‘Imagine a night-vision device that also provides information on location, size and distance.’

BY WILMA SCHREIBER

C

hecking by looking - we’ve been doing it since time immemorial. Usually it’s staff visually inspecting such things as beer bottles, apples or shaver heads for any imperfections. Still, if quantities are too large or speeds too high then it will no longer be possible for the job to be done by humans, meaning automatic, software-driven inspections will be required using camera systems.

‘ZiuZ in Gorredijk is a specialist when it comes to analysis based on images and helps other businesses with smart solutions for their production process or service provision’, says CEO Bert Garlich.

For example, a few years ago ZiuZ developed the IRIS medication scanner for pharmacies and hospitals, which performs quick, reliable, automated checks on the accuracy of medication pouches’ content. 400 of these machines and its big brother Photon are now in operation worldwide. The company currently has plans for an automatic solution geared towards detecting malignant colorectal polyps. ‘At present, a doctor uses images to decide on the basis of his own experience which polyps to remove. We have extensive databases of images and assessments from doctors throughout the world and are in a position to put this in an automatic solution’, explains Garlich. ‘Using camera technology, the system recognizes the polyp automatically and states with nigh on perfect accuracy whether or not it needs to be removed, whereupon the doctor makes a decision live.’

In short, a patient will only have to undergo an operation if it’s necessary, and what’s more, because a polyp no longer needs to be investigated, the system saves time and money.

INCREASE IN IMAGES Once the product has been developed in conjunction with a number of partners from the

14

medical world, longterm clinical testing in a Developed by ZiuZ in conjunction with Variass, the IRIS medication scanner helps pharmacists and validated hospitals to perform automated checks on the content of medication pouches. environment Photo: Mathys Breidenbach will be cations, for instance. We’d preferably be involrequired. According to Garlich this will take ved in a customer’s idea as early on as possible twice as long as the technical development. to ensure the product functions properly, Consequently, it is anticipated that the equipperhaps by making different decisions’, ment will not be brought to market until after explains CEO Henk Smid. ‘Customers know 2021. ‘Besides our forensic activities and IRIS, their market and know what their customers this is the third discipline in which we’re keen want. We look to see whether their product to invest.’ Looking to the future, he envisages a can be improved and industrialize it so that it sharp rise in the volume of images, presenting is more readily reproduceable. Preferably an opportunity to further improve his modularly, making changes straightforward.’ products. ‘We’ll need more processing power

FILE CREATION

‘It’s a race to develop the best product with the highest resolution’

for that, though. Particularly if the analysis has to be done in real time. Because that’s where things are headed: the doctor looking and the software reaching a diagnosis faster than the doctor.’

For the purposes of optimizing the electronic and mechatronic components of IRIS, ZiuZ collaborated with ICD partner Variass Medical Systems in Drachten. This company examines customers’ products and, based on analysis of big data obtained from those products, makes suggestions for improvement.

‘Replacing parts or making technical modifi-

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

In the case of IRIS, Variass played a role in the development of the tabletop model a few years ago. ‘Engineering during the preliminary phase so that things dovetail neatly with one another, developing electronics, mechatronic components and software. And then integrating these things and turning them into a readily reproduceable product’, says Smid.

‘Setting up and managing further file creation for the product: knowing why you’re developing something in that way, thus ensuring that you understand the effect of changes. What’s more, this process of product and production optimization is also crucial for life cycle management. Describing all critical processes is important for the purposes of certification too.’

ICD partner BD Kiestra in Drachten, which makes machinery for medical-microbiological laboratories, was supported with industrializing and scaling up the production of an existing lab machine from four to 100 per annum. ‘We looked at how the machine was developed and what could be changed about it to enable product and production optimi-

zation. Consider in this regard product reliability, deliverability and cost price optimization. The upshot is a machine that can quickly be scaled up thanks to its modular structure, and which can be maintained in the same way. That led to reduced costs.’ Variass is building a module for this production line.

The developments in terms of smart machines and big data only serve to reinforce the notion that knowledge is power. ‘For us, the trick is to derive the right algorithms from the data for the purposes of making product improvements. Thus enabling us to help customers improve their products, in turn enabling them to serve their customers better.’ According to Smid, this trend is continuing. ‘In combination with visual intelligence as well. This is enabling better decision-making thanks to faster, more reliable analyses. Particularly on the medical market, where there’s still a lot of manual work.’

STANDARDIZED PHOTO This is precisely the angle taken by BD Kiestra. ‘Thanks to acceleration and standardization – a robot always does things the same way – we’re able to improve the customer’s processes and thus the quality of their service provision’, states Director R&D Bas Nieuwenhuis. ‘Traditionally samples were taken out of the incubator by hand and visually inspected for bacterial growth and strain. Counting bacterial colonies is a tricky task, one that people aren’t very good at.’ BD Kiestra digitized this process, with a camera taking a standardized photo which is then assessed by image processing software. ‘It’s then made clear whether or not samples contain a pathogenic bacterium, and if so, which one. This paves the way for the most impor-

The FusionSight night-vision device, developed by Photonis in collaboration with French partner Bertin Instruments, combines night vision with infrared.

Photo: Alexandre Dalivoust

tant question, namely what dose of antibiotics will be required to combat the pathogen – our customers’ mission. In due course, the only thing an employee will still need to do is scroll through photos and assess them.’

Meanwhile BD Kiestra has brought a product to market that automatically scans photos to check for the presence of urinary tract infections, the most common infection in the Netherlands. Nieuwenhuis: ‘A few years ago we managed to standardize the way in which the photo is taken. Whether the photo was taken in light or dark conditions, during the day or in the evening, in Drachten, Tokyo or Pretoria no longer affects the result. This is very important: the software just sees a single photo, and you want any anomalies to be reliable indicators of bacterial growth rather than the result of external factors.’

Using a product that automatically scans pictures for the presence of urinary tract infections, BD Kiestra is helping customers to improve their processes.

Photo: BD Kiestra

PREDICTIVE DIAGNOSTICS From its sites in Drachten and Grenoble the company is working together with clinical partners on identifying bacteria on the basis of photos and ascertaining bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics. Furthermore, BD Kiestra is participating in R&D projects within ICD in order to enhance knowledge and expertise vis-à-vis visual intelligence. Nieuwenhuis is thinking of image recognition algorithms and multispectral cameras. ‘If this generates sufficient knowledge, then we’ll be able to manage implementation of projects ourselves.’ Looking ahead, his dream is one of predictive diagnostics. ‘It would be great if we were to have all photos of samples in a database, enabling us to find connections on the basis of this big data. Information that you’re not directly looking for, but which is actually present in the photos. With you subsequently, due to a certain correspondence in hundreds of photos, being in a position to say: take a look at this. That will open up a new range of possibilities.’

The Dutch site of French firm Photonis in Roden is also collaborating in the high-tech cluster on projects to do with such things as engineering, materials and technologies. For instance, in conjunction with Philips and BD Kiestra the company is studying such things as how actions can be automated straightforwardly. Within its own R&D department Photonis is working continuously on stretching the boundaries of visibility and measurability in low-light conditions. ‘We’re doing so by means of image intensification, with the most important markets being security, aerospace, defence and the medical industry.’

Plant Manager Rolf Moedt speaks. ‘We work with analogue image intensification tubes for such things as night-vision devices and space telescopes. In addition, our products are used at CERN for the purposes of rendering particles measurable.’

INTELLIGENT IMAGE CHIP In parallel with the analogue image intensification tubes, Photonis is working on digital

low-light cameras. ‘We think that the future for night vision will be largely digital and are also seeing increasing interest in our digital low-light cameras’, states Moedt, who sees two main tracks. ‘First and foremost, there’s still plenty of development to be done in terms of both image intensification tubes and digital low-light cameras when it comes to image quality, power consumption, dimensions and weight. We will be continuing to do our utmost to ensure we’re able to supply the best performance at all times. It’s a race to develop the best product with the highest resolution, because if you’re the first to spot something, then you’re in the lead’, he explains. Furthermore, the focus is on developing an image chip. ‘The market increasingly needs to make recordings, analyse them and exchange information. We’ve developed an algorithm in conjunction with TNO for security cameras that are equipped with an image chip and software. The software will flag up anomalous movements like loitering as suspicious and these will be reported as such. Thanks to this intelligence in image processing, security workers will no longer have to stare continuously at screens.’

The importance of artificial intelligence is only set to rise, according to Moedt. ‘More and more digital image information that can be processed and interpreted automatically is becoming available. Consider in this regard a night-vision device that also issues information on location, size, distance and suchlike up to automatic image processing and identification.’ Combining existing technologies such as infrared will also present opportunities. ‘If you’ve got infrared and night-vision images in digital format, then you can superimpose them. Presenting even more possibilities.’ www.icdrachten.nl www.ziuz.com www.variass.nl www.bd.com/nl www.photonis.com

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

15

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET TOWARDS SMART MACHINES WITH REMOTE SENSORING AND BIG DATA

SHARED BRAINPOWER Many machine manufacturers in the Northern Netherlands are taking the step to predictive maintenance – for example, Neopost Technologies, with its fully automated packaging line. Using remote sensoring, they retrieve big data from their machines in order to process it in smart ways: ‘Is it a coincidence or is there really something wrong with the machine?’ It’s natural that Smart Machines should be a big project for Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD). There is also a strong focus on the main data source, sensors. The digital temperature sensor which VDH Products is developing, for example.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

he CVP-500 ‘smart machine’ from Neopost Technologies is an innovative fully automated packaging line that packages products ‘fit-to-size’. That saves cardboard, packing material, the cost of staff (who are often hard to find), transportation costs and CO2 emissions (because smaller packages means more packages per journey).

The CVP-500 is a success, with machines already installed at distributors and technical wholesalers like Ingram Micro and Lasaulec.

T

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE Each machine is linked to Neopost’s maintenance department, explains R&D manager Joost Zeilstra. ‘We can upload all the data and we have an almost real-time picture of the machine’s behaviour. It contains a very large number of sensors, including seven cameras, one of their roles being to monitor move-

ments in the machine. If there is an incident, we can review the last two minutes of footage to see what went wrong: an operator error, a software bug, ...? Using the data, we can make predictions about the performance of the machine and individual modules. So we know when a service engineer needs to be sent out before the customer even notices something has gone wrong, and what to look out for.’

Neopost also uses the data to further improve the design of the machine. Neopost is working on multiple topics with fellow companies in the ICD Smart Machines project because they are all taking a similar approach to predictive maintenance. ‘We want to be able to predict trends: is it a coincidence or is there really something wrong?’

SENSOR INNOVATION Analysing big data, making machines smart – it all starts with the sensors that generate the data. A sensor specialist within ICD is VDH

Products based in Roden, which has seventy employees, of which twenty in R&D and engineering. VDH develops and produces measuring instruments for temperature, pressure and relative humidity. Applications include cooling, fruit ripening control and climate control for customers worldwide.

‘You need to be able to measure in order to control’, explains director Henk Westera. The company is investing heavily in innovation and is currently developing a digital temperature sensor, for example. This sensor passes its signal to the central control system, via the bus systems which are familiar from industrial automation, faster and more accurately than analogue temperature sensors. ‘The temperature sensor is perhaps one of the most important parts of a smart system.’ In machines, for example, a temperature increase can indicate reduced performance or even a fault.

LARGE COMMON DENOMINATOR Whereas VDH Products specialises in the sensors themselves, fellow ICD member YP Your Partner in Drachten is mainly concerned with gathering, bringing together and processing data. ‘Creating value from sensor data’, summarises director Theun Prins. To this end, YP Your Partner has developed C.A.R.S., a software platform for the remote monitoring, control and automation of machines, devices TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

FROM MILK TO MILKY WAY Scientists are also a good fit for ICD. For example, Astron, the Dutch institute for radio astronomy in Dwingeloo, recently became a member. ‘We outsource all the production of our telescopes, where possible in the Northern Netherlands, and together we develop innovations’, explains Johan Pragt, competence group leader Mechanical R&D. ‘We also find it hard to recruit engineers, so we are keen to contribute to the promotion of the technology sector in the Northern Netherlands.’

Astron is traditionally known for the big radio telescopes in Westerbork, which ‘listen’ to the Milky Way and the deeper universe. These days, Astron runs the LOFAR distributed radio telescope, with antennas all over Europe, which conducts research into the origins of our universe, among other things.

LOFAR 2.0 is currently on the drawing board and Astron is involved in the development of the SKA (Square Kilometre Array), a much bigger radio telescope network being rolled out in Australia and South Africa. The bigger the surface area covered by the network, the deeper and more sharply astronomers can use it to look into the universe

16

(and therefore into the past, almost right back to the Big Bang).

The main challenges Astron is tackling as part of ICD are low-cost and big data. The telescope networks require huge numbers of sensors and they need to be manufactured as cheaply as possible.

Together with electronics firm and ICD member Variass in Veendam, Astron is working Antennas in the field of the LOFAR distributed radio telescope. Photo: Hans Hordijk on the application of conducwe collect data on temperature and other environting plastics in low-cost electronic circuits for the mental factors for all the telescopes and analyse it sensors. ‘Variass is also interested in this for its own in a similar way in order to improve the quality of the production.’ The largest ICD project which Astron signals from LOFAR. The great thing about ICD is is involved in relates to artificial intelligence (AI), for that we can share that knowledge openly, we have the analysis of big data. A partner in this collaborano secrets from one another.’ tion is Delta Instruments, which develops analysis Now to uncover the secrets of the universe. equipment for milk and other dairy products. Pragt: ‘The way in which they analyse multispectral data www.astron.nl with the help of AI is of interest to us. For example,

Special Issue - Hightech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

THEME INTENSIFIED COLLABORATION: STRONGER COMPANIES, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOB MARKET ALL OPTIONS OPEN FOR ALL-ELECTRIC PROPULSION WITHIN INNOVATION CLUSTER DRACHTEN

BATTERY OR FUEL CELL? Electric propulsion is the future for cars, trucks, boats, ships and, who knows, perhaps one day aircraft too. The electricity is provided by an on-board source, such as a battery or a fuel cell fed with hydrogen.

Within the 'all-electric propulsion' theme of Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD), there are companies working on both options. WhisperPower is developing hybrid propulsion systems based on batteries, while high-pressure specialist Resato International is building filling stations for hydrogen.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

hisperPower in Drachten started developing hybrid power generation systems for a wide range of vessels in 2010. Electric batteries are supplemented by a diesel generator as a 'range extender' to ensure that a vessel is not left without power when on the water and far from a charging station. This concept has been well received in the market and at the start of this year WhisperPower entered into a partnership with the German firm Torqueedo, a market leader in water-borne electric propulsion. Together they have developed an extremely compact and silent diesel generator that can feed a back-up charger for the batteries on board. The two companies will also utilise each other's networks for sales, service and maintenance, reports CEO Roel ter Heide. ‘For WhisperPower, this represents an upgrade to the market segment for higher propulsion capacities for commercial shipping and pleasure craft. For instance, there is a demand for electric propulsion for water taxis and others vessels in cities like Amsterdam, Berlin and Venice. Electric propulsion, which is quieter and produces fewer emissions, is a hot topic there.’

W

ELECTRIC VEHICLES WhisperPower has also gained a foothold ashore, introducing the same concept for the market for electric vehicles – for instance, refrigerated trucks, sweeper trucks and vehicles for city-centre distribution. ‘We provide the power supply for cooling, cleaning and other equipment, separately from

the main drive – which runs on high voltage and which we leave intact, partly in view of the guarantee – based on our battery storage and conversion technology.’ As a supplement to the back-up diesel generator systems, WhisperPower is working on a gas engine.

‘The aim is to further reduce emissions.’

WhisperPower is hoping to further increase the size of its market by means of a strategic partnership with Webasto Thermo & Comfort, also concluded early this year. This company, part of the large German automotive supplier Webasto, makes heating, cooling and ventilation systems for cars, camper vans and boats. Both collaborations are in line with Ter Heide's ambition for his firm, which currently employees nearly fifty people, to grow in turnover from ten to twenty million euros over the next few years. ‘By broadening applications and strengthening distribution, we are seeking to increase the critical mass for our products.

Electric will remain our focus, and we will continue to innovate by investing roughly five percent of our turnover in R&D.’ All this from its base in Drachten, where all production activities are now concentrated.

HIGH PRESSURE In Assen, Resato International is targeting the other major energy carrier for electric propulsion, hydrogen. In a so-called fuel cell, hydrogen is combined with oxygen, generating electricity and producing water as a non-harmful emission. Hyundai, Toyota and Renault already have fuel cell cars, while brands like Mercedes, Audi and BMW are working on them, and there are also converted cars. These are sometimes jokingly

Impression of the solar boat, with a carbon fibre hull and solar electric propulsion, which WhisperPower has built with a team of students to compete in solar boat races.

Illustration: WhisperPower

referred to as ‘Heslas’: the Tesla on hydrogen.

Resato is a specialist in high-pressure systems, explains CFO & COO Ton Driessen. ‘We have made our name with the construction of test systems for the oil and gas sector and water jet cutting machines for manufacturing industry, for example. Around three years ago, we got in touch with the Holthausen Group in Groningen, a supplier of industrial gases such as hydrogen. They had bought a hydrogen car and were looking for a solution for filling it.’

That involves high pressure – hence Resato.

This is because the hydrogen needs to be compressed to an extreme degree in order for a car to be able to carry sufficient ‘fuel’ in its tank for a range of over 500 km. One of the challenges is that the compressed gas heats up considerably upon entering the tank and therefore needs to be cooled beforehand.

BOOMING MARKET Resato first decided to develop a slow-fill station, says Francois Hemmerlin, Business Development Manager Hydrogen. This allows a car's fuel tank to be filled in an hour – when the filling is carried out slowly, the heating effect is reduced, so modest cooling is sufficient. ‘This is particularly suitable for fleet owners who can fill their hydrogen vehicles, such as lease cars or service vehicles, on site.’

For hydrogen refuelling at filling stations, in five minutes, a fast-fill station is under development, which requires more extensive cooling and therefore works out more expensive. Hemmerlin: ‘We started by developing the compression technique and then working TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

17

The CVP-500 smart packaging machine by Neopost Technologies in action. Photo: Neopost

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 16

and processes. Customers come from machine and equipment manufacturing, environmental and water management and government.

‘This platform provides the large common denominator for a variety of applications, all of which require data acquisition, visualisation, benchmarking and alarm handling. We build applications for our customers which they can add to their own portfolios.’

One of those customers is VDH, which uses C.A.R.S. for the visualisa-

tion it builds into fruit ripening control.

Prins: ‘VDH approached us for the software, in the form of C.A.R.S. for user interface and data analysis tools, so that they could devote their own development capacity to sensors and electronics. Thanks to that efficient allocation of resources, they were able to extend their operations to twenty countries within two years.’

MORE INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS In Smart Machines, YP Your Partner is developing components in partnership with other

firms, with new functionalities that it can add to C.A.R.S. ‘We carry out research together, write code together and share experiences.

That speeds up product development, for us and for our partners. I have yet to see an R&D collaboration comparable to this ICD project anywhere else.’ But the partners are not quite there yet. ‘Data acquisition and processing are on the right track, now we need to move towards more intelligent systems. We cannot yet apply artificial intelligence to the existing data structures for predictive maintenance, for example, because too little data is currently available. We need to help operators and other employees enter all kinds of data.

That gives you a better insight into the actual functioning of processes, so that you can then improve them.’

Speaking of insights, Joost Zeilstra of Neopost regards the sharing of knowledge and learning from one another as the most important product of ICD. ‘The more people work on a subject, the more ideas are exchanged. That shared brainpower is fantastic.’

www.icdrachten.nl www.neopost-technologies.nl www.vdhproducts.nl www.yp-yourpartner.nl

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 17

towards the complete filling station step by step. To this end, we are working with specialists, for example for the dispenser that puts the hydrogen into the car's fuel tank. This hydrogen chain has yet to come of age.’

Resato will soon be delivering the first slowfill station to a consultancy firm which is offering a total solution for hydrogen driving.

Resato is also building a filling station on its own site in Assen for the hydrogen car it is planning to buy. In this way, Resato can gain experience with refuelling in order to further develop the filling stations. Meanwhile, many requests have already been received, some from abroad, reports Hemmerlin. ‘It’s amazing how many people find their way to us.’ Next year, the first fast-fill station will be built in The Hague. The hydrogen market is booming for Resato, concludes Ton Driessen.

‘In the long run, it may become just as big for us as our other two markets, oil & gas and water jet cutters. We are growing fast, from 80 employees to almost 100 in the past year. It is one of the reasons why we are members of ICD. Together we are committed to attracting and inspiring employees and getting them working in the technology sector in the Northern Netherlands.’

PARTNERSHIP Two ICD members are active in the arena of 'all-electric propulsion', each with its own

18

Ton Driessen, CFO & COO of Resato International, depicted beside a slow-fill filling station for hydrogen which is currently under construction. Resato's expertise lies primarily in the technology to boost the pressure of hydrogen in three steps from 200 bar when stored in bottles to 700 bar when it enters the car's fuel tank. Photo: Antoinette Borchert

approach. As yet, there is not much collaboration with other ICD companies, notes CEO Roel ter Heide of WhisperPower. ‘However, there is crosspollination in terms of operational management, thanks to the fact that we can see what the others are doing. Product development together with partners in the cluster has yet to really take off. I try to encourage companies to take that step.’ Resato has already been in touch with fellow ICD

Special Issue - Hightech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

member VDH Products for the control electronics and sensors. VDH specialises in temperature measurement and control, for example for refrigeration, which is essential for the fast-fill stations. Under pressure, the need for cooperation is growing. www.icdrachten.nl www.whisperpower.com www.resato.com

STAFF & ORGANIZATION SUSTAINABLE DEPLOYABILITY: COMPANIES WILL GET ROUND TO IT ‘TOMORROW’

DOING NOTHING IS (FINALLY) NOT AN OPTION ‘A sustainably deployable employee is one that’s full of vitality and is competent, happy and productive, now and in the future.’ That’s according to the text on one of the sheets from Berenschot. Sounds perfectly good, and who wouldn’t want such employees working for them?

Companies are fully aware that they need to do something on the matter of sustainable deployability, but they often don’t get round to it. What’s more, how on earth are they going to approach it?

In order to come up with some ideas, an inspiration meeting was held by Link Magazine and Berenschot at the start of September. The meeting was hosted by Assen-based Resato International, one of the most innovative businesses in the Netherlands (including in the sphere of social innovation).

Laura Keijzer of Berenschot explains what sustainable deployability involves: ‘The need to do something about sustainable deployability is here. Companies have got it on their priority list, but the topic keeps getting pushed back.’

BY LUCY HOLL

S

taff are positive about themselves. As research from Berenschot and TIAS reveals, nigh on everyone believes that he will be capable of satisfying new requirements that the work imposes, now and in the future. But here’s the rub: half of them think that their colleagues will end up in a mess. ‘That’s the so-called better-than-average effect’, maintains consultant Roxane Vercauteren from Berenschot. People have a marked

Photos: Antoinette Borchert

tendency to rate themselves as above average and therefore evaluate themselves more positively than others. Together with Berenschot colleague Laura Keijzer, Vercauteren is spending this afternoon at Resato guiding the Sustainable Deployability Dialogue Game to give the participants from a variety of companies from the northern provinces greater insight into the subject of sustainable deployability. Employers should avoid getting

RESATO AND SOCIAL INNOVATION Resato International in Assen wants to become the high-pressure specialist worldwide. It’s all about creating, managing and manipulating high pressure in liquids and gases. In 2015 Resato was declared the most innovative company in the Netherlands, and last year it was declared the province of Drenthe’s Business of the Year. Resato has already taken plenty of steps in terms of sustainable deployability and social innovation. ‘Our biggest capital isn’t on our balance sheet; it’s our well-trained, motivated staff. They need to be able to keep developing throughout a long life’, says Arianne Stenvert, Human Development Manager at Resato.

Which is why they have such things as Fit@Resato.

This stands for physical fitness and fitness for one’s role. There is fitness equipment and fresh fruit in the workplace. Resato has a cycling club, a walking

club, excursions involving plenty of exercise, a quitsmoking programme. Arianne Stenvert: ‘Each and every employee is given 1,000 euros to spend on their personal development and they keep an e-portfolio of what they’ve done and where they want to get to. Where do their strengths and weaknesses lie, how do they want to develop?

Some of them find that really tricky at first and they’re resistant to the idea of building a portfolio like that. But in the end they’re proud when they’ve got some more news to add to it. We want to keep people on their toes and keep them happy in their job for longer. We don’t have any performance reviews as such, but we do hold self-assessment meetings in which employees rate themselves on all aspects, including sustainable deployability.

There’s continuous dialogue.’

misled by this positive self-assessment on the part of employees. There’s definitely an issue here, and something really needs to be done about finding and maintaining the right fit between work and staff.

SKILLS OF THE 21ST CENTURY Laura Keijzer begins by citing a number of developments in her introduction. Workers need to be flexible, work for longer, and be highly stress-resistant. Being good at communicating, cooperating, being adept with technology and plenty more 21stcentury skills besides are becoming increasingly important. In turn, companies will have to put more energy into the recruitment process, into uniting and exciting staff, as technical experts are thin on the ground. The workforce is ageing in many an organization.

And at the same time there’s a new generation entering the workforce, with different requirements. Staff want new types of employment contract or are perhaps finding their own development more important than that expensive lease car. ‘SMEs in particular are looking for ways to deal with these things’, muses Bert Rundervoort, Sales Advisor at Koninklijke Metaalunie, which visits hundreds of member companies each year. ‘It used to be plain sailing: post a vacancy, select someone, all done and dusted. That’s no longer the case.’

TO BE CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

19

WHO’S COLLABORATING WITH WHOM AND ON WHAT, IN AND WITH INNOVATION CLUSTER DRACHTEN? ICD MEMBER COMPANIES ICD ACTIVITIES R&D PROJECTS R&D projects 2019-2020 Topic 3D printing Topic Sensoring & Big data Topic Vision Intelligence Topic Robotics Topic Renewable Propulsion EXCITING Job fairs SAFARI DTW ICD ambassadors Work placements JetNet/Girlsday MBO talent programme Techniek Tastbaar HC roadmap MBO High Tech Career competition Honours programme GEBC ME tracks ICT trainee pool AD robotics AD mechatronics UNITING ICD courses Mechatronics course Mini symposia Knowledge networks Study journey HT NL community HELPING Technology start-ups Process suppliers Alliances SHARING 3D printer Cobots Test facilities SPINNING Hackathons PR Nationwide campaign

•

•

•

•

• •

• • •

• •

• • • • • •

• • • • •

• • •

• • • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • •

• • •

• • • • •

• • •

• •

•

• • •

•

• • •

• • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • • •

• • •

• • • •

• • •

• •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

•

•

•

•

• •

• • •

•

•

• •

•

•

• •

• •

• •

• • • • •

• • • • • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• •

•

• •

• • •

• • •

• •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• •

•

•

• •

• •

•

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

•

•

• •

• •

• • • • • •

• • •

• • •

•

• •

• •

• •

•

• •

• •

•

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

•

•

• •

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

•

• •

• •

• • • •

•

• • •

• •

• • • •

•

•

•

• • • •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

project include Neopost, Philips, BD Kiestra, ZiuZ, Resato, VDH, FMI and YP Your Partner.

Although industry is becoming increasingly efficient when it comes to handling big data, there is still a long way to go, according to Theun Prins, owner and Director of YP Your Partner in Drachten. ‘The time has come for linking up multiple sources of information – not just machine data but also how an operator responds to faults. We’re getting better and better at understanding the context: a machine’s lifetime, what a machine component is doing, what batch it came from, might there be a better product available? But unlocking these environmental parameters won’t turn it into a magic machine yet. As human beings we still need to build models, amass relevant data and introduce the most significant connections.’

Machine learning is what it needs to become, which is why after completion the big data project in ICD was succeeded by the current smart machines project, which is to be extended by a couple of years in 2019. Prins is also keen to keep growing with his C.A.R.S. package, which was brought to market as a central alarm and recording system 30 years ago. ‘Back then it was about fault handling, whereas now we’re on version eight and the system can make maintenance requirement predictions based on big data with increasing frequency, thus preventing faults.’ Big data is

•

• •

•

• •

• • • • • •

• •

• •

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 11

20

•

•

•

•

•

•

• • • •

•

• •

•

•

•

•

•

• • •

•

nice, but Prins wants smart machines. ‘The first results are in, and we’re keen to keep evolving over the next few years.’

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS In the market, YP Your Partner is increasingly acting as a development partner, The smart software platform C.A.R.S. monitors, manages and controls any desired number of an extension of systems, buildings and objects, independently and from any location. Photo: YP Your Partners equipment manufacturers’ tanks available to dairy farmers and Mueller’s R&D departments. ‘The pace of developments service organization. ‘As a result, faults are worldwide is accelerating and we’re seeing flagged up in good time and sometimes are more and more of such strategic partnerships even prevented. The business case is clear. arising. That closer cooperation has led to a We’re now going to be talking with electronics situation in which our product is 80% off the suppliers to see how the existing electronics shelf and 20% market-specific, almost as good can be fitted with smart modems that can as a bespoke product for equipment manufaccommunicate with C.A.R.S. through the turers. Such partnerships are also becoming cloud.’ increasingly important now that technical staff are hard to find and combining strengths is essential.’

A great example is the partnership with the www.icdrachten.nl Groenlo-based Paul Mueller Company, which www.yp-yourpartner.nl entails YP Your Partner making the tank www.carsonline.eu monitor data from 10,000 bulk milk cooling www.deltainstruments.com

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTES INVOLVED ICD ACTIVITIES R&D PROJECTS R&D projects 2019-2020 Topic 3D printing Topic Sensoring & Big data Topic Vision Intelligence Topic Robotics Topic Renewable Propulsion EXCITING Job fairs SAFARI DTW ICD ambassadors Work placements JetNet/Girlsday MBO talent programme Techniek Tastbaar HC roadmap MBO High Tech Career competition Honours programme GEBC ME tracks ICT trainee pool AD robotics AD mechatronics UNITING ICD courses Mechatronics course Mini symposia Knowledge networks Study journey HT NL community HELPING Technology start-ups Process suppliers Alliances SHARING 3D printer Cobots Test facilities SPINNING Hackathons PR Nationwide campaign

• • • •

•

•

•

• • •

• •

• •

•

•

•

•

• • •

•

•

•

• •

• • •

•

• •

•

• •

• •

• •

•

•

•

•

•

• • • •

• •

• • • •

•

•

• • •

• •

•

•

•

•

•

• •

• • •

• •

•

• •

•

•

• • •

•

• •

• •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Leading MRO supplier, with full technical expertise In cooperation with our industrial customers and key suppliers, we provide the best Up-Time services, sustainability, guaranteed savings and optimal availability with fast correct delivery time programs for industrial supplies & services.

As full business partner for maintenance-, production- and manufacturing industry we are the logical partner for Brainport Industries Campus.

Constantly anticipate

Disrupt to progress

Rethink knowledge

www.rubix-group.nl

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

21

ENGINEERING BUSINESS MASTER’S IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING NEW STEP IN BOOSTING THE RUG’S ENGINEERING PROFILE

TECHNICAL STUDENTS AND INTERESTING JOBS SIDE BY SIDE The University of Groningen (RUG) will offer a master’s in Mechanical Engineering from next year. The university has taken this new step in promoting RUG Engineering with Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD). As part of the course, ICD will also support the second year of the Smart Factories track. The RUG is also working closely with ICD and other business clusters in the north of the Netherlands in the brand new Groningen Engineering Business Center (GEBC). The aim is to show students that there are interesting jobs in the north of the Netherlands and to show businesses that they can find engineers and attractive opportunities for applied research.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

T

he RUG has offered very technical courses since the 1950s. As the only general university, it offers a general and a technical version of a course for various disciplines side by side, e.g. physics and applied physics. Applied physics is a truly technical course and focuses on such things as the development of measurement equipment that general physicists can use to conduct their experiments. ‘Groningen has the whole spectrum of general and technical sciences on offer,’ says Jacquelien Scherpen.

She is a professor of discrete technology and production automation (focus: system and control technology) and director of the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG) in the RUG’s Faculty of Science & Engineering. ‘I do research into

smart energy systems; once we’ve come up with something, social and legal scientists can look into whether it will be accepted or not.’

Her colleague Bart Kooi elaborates: ‘The Energy Academy Europe here deals with the human sciences as well as science and technology disciplines, and as such covers all aspects of the energy transition, including the social aspects.’ Kooi is a professor of nano-structured materials and interfaces at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, also at the RUG’s Faculty of Science & Engineering.

NEW MASTER’S PROGRAMME With RUG Engineering, the university is now taking part in the sector discussions that Dutch universities of technology are having about issues such as division of labour. In the current growth market, this is primarily about expansion in terms of the influx of students

into technical courses. As such, there are plans in Groningen for a new BSc in Biomedical Engineering and 2-year PDEng programmes for data science and process technology. A PDEng is a professional doctorate in engineering and is an alternative to doing a 4-year PhD programme after a master’s. In concrete terms, this means a master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the RUG as of 2019 that will offer tracks that dovetail with research being conducted in the north of the Netherlands and industrial spearheads relevant to the region. For instance, the tracks Advanced Instrumentation and Smart Factories are the perfect match for developments in the field of high-tech product and production technology in ‘the big five’ ICD research topics, Region of Smart Factories (RoSF) and 5Groningen, which is a testing ground for the latest generation of mobile internet. ICD supports the second year of the Smart Factories track by providing graduate assignments and local research facilities. Advanced Instrumentation, meanwhile, aligns with astronomy (RUG, Astron, SRON) and medical research (UMCG, KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology). Just like the other tracks, Process Design for Energy Systems is a good match for the energy profile the region traditionally had because of the presence of oil and gas; this track focuses on renewable energy of course.

And finally, there’s Materials for Mechanical Engineering, which links fundamental

DEMCON ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT NEW MASTER’S Demcon, the technology firm that started out 25 years ago as a spin-off from the University of Twente and currently employs 550 staff, opened an office on the Zernike Campus in Groningen this spring.

Lars de Groot, Business Unit Manager Industrial Systems & Vision, acted as quartermaster. ‘From our point of view, the RUG is a university of technology.’

As such, it’s in Demcon’s interest to open an office nearby, like they did in Eindhoven and Delft. ‘I have regular contact with Jacquelien Scherpen – she also spoke at our opening – and various professors at ENTEG. In the case of high-level innovation developments in the north of the Netherlands, we at Demcon always involve the RUG. And vice versa, they know where to find us, for instance as part of RoSF.’ Demcon was involved in the product and production development of the E-Lighter, for example. Another

22

example is the 3D glass printer that Demcon developed and built for the German company QSIL at the Winschoten site (formerly owned by Philips Lighting). This was a huge challenge because glass is a syrupy liquid when it’s been melted and, in the case of thin products, very fragile after it’s congealed.

With additional process research, Demcon and the RUG are trying to better understand glass printing.

Another reason for Demcon to open a site near the ‘northern technical university’ is hiring new staff.

De Groot: ‘The RUG regularly introduces us to good master’s and PhD students. At this point in time, it’s difficult for us as a new site with 15 staff to employ them, but that will definitely happen in the future.

We’re already noticing that we are very attractive to people who’ve just graduated.’ To increase its exposure, Demcon is participating in the HTSM Honours

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

Programme that the RUG set up with ICD members to give students the opportunity to get a taste of working in the industry. ‘We hosted an evening about a technical subject and organised an open day at our head office in Enschede for the honours students.’

De Groot is enthusiastic about the news master’s in Mechanical Engineering. ‘It’s great that Jacquelien and her people have been able to start this course in the north of the Netherlands because it’s very much in line with the type of people we need. But applied physics and biomedical engineering are relevant for us too.’ In short, the RUG’s broad spectrum of engineering fits Demcon perfectly.

www.demcon.nl

master’s in the Randstad (western part of the Netherlands), closer to the interesting jobs.

Now there’s more of an outlook here.” Scherpen: ‘I now see a lot of students staying at Philips, Gas-Terra or ICT companies. There’s been a change and students are saying: ‘Hey, I can build a career here in the north as well’.

There’s already more familiarity from both sides, from students as well as businesses. Local businesses always found it difficult to find us, but that’s becoming much easier to do. And vice versa, we’re finding them more easily.’ As Professor Jacquelien Scherpen and Professor Bart Kooi are looking for closer collaboration with the business community in the north of the Netherlands: such, the RUG is getting ‘We see a change among students: ‘Hey, I can build a career here in the north as well’.’ Photo: Antoinette Borchert to know other companies through its contacts with Philips Drachten – RoSF’s big draw. in the Groningen Engineering Center, which research in materials science to practical Students are conducting interesting research gathers all engineering education and research applications. Nanotechnology often forms the on topics relevant for the industry. For instanunder the chairmanship of Jacquelien Scherbasis of this, says Kooi. ‘We’re working on ce, robots work together in production with pen. ‘At the GEBC, we want to work together such things as materials that have a powerful human operators and the digital twins that with the business community to facilitate effect at a nano-scale and that have to be aim to accelerate and simplify product work experience and graduate assignments given a practical application at a larger scale.’ development. A concrete example is the collafor students. Many companies working with Scherpen: ‘Because we cover the whole boration with Fokker in Hoogeveen on the higher vocational education (HBO) institutes spectrum in Groningen, we can work on E-Lighter, athermal battery that generates don’t know about the RUG yet. They take on anything from nano-devices to applications electricity with diesel, which soldiers could HBO students and immediately have somein society.’ use in the field to charge their electrical thing functional in the end. If they were to devices. work with our students, they could inexpenTHE FERINGA EFFECT sively initiate developments in innovation for The link between scientific research and the longer term.’ Kooi adds: ‘Some issues industrial application can also be made for MESSAGE demand more insight, for which you’re better the work of Ben Feringa, who won the Nobel The message from Scherpen and Kooi is clear. off using university students. After all, Prize for Chemistry two years ago. Naturally, The north of the Netherlands has some it’s about applied research with a focus on the RUG is incredibly proud of him and is interesting companies for students for products and processes, so our students can using the brand new Groningen Nobel research during their studies and to build a certainly be of added value for these compalaureate to promote itself; the previous Nobel career once they’ve graduated. And vice versa, nies. What’s more, businesses affiliated with laureate was Frits Zernike in 1953. The Faculthese companies find candidates via the RUG the RUG via the GEBC have access to pricey ty of Science & Engineering’s new building on to fill their high-level technical positions. infrastructure, like electron microscopes, that the Zernike Campus will be called the Feringa they couldn’t justify themselves. The GEBC is Building. Kooi: ‘Feringa works on molecules www.rug.nl/fse/engineering now setting up a matchmaking platform for that he makes move like a small sort of machiwww.europaomdehoek.nl/projecten/ students and companies. The new initiative ne. Fundamental research, but at a nano-scale groningen-engineering-business-center-gebc also wants to reach local small and mediumit’s actually engineering.’ That said, Feringa sized enterprises via business associations in doesn’t feature yet in the university’s engineethe north of the Netherlands such as ICD, ring profile. Scherpen and Kooi are hoping Samenwerkende Bedrijven Eemsdelta and that there’ll be a Feringa effect on the influx NEW PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD EMMTEC in Emmen and the northern RoSF. of new students for chemistry and chemical technology, and possibly for the new master’s OF UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN in Mechanical Engineering. They are expecREGION OF SMART FACTORIES ting about 50 students for the first year in Collaboration with the business community – 2019. which is getting ever closer thanks in part to The Supervisory Board of the University of the new GEBC – should contribute to an Groningen has appointed Prof. Jouke de Vries increased influx of students. Kooi: ‘It’s great MATCHMAKING PLATFORM as President of the Board of the University for a that students see how R&D works at compaAnother part of promoting RUG Engineering term of four years starting from 1 October 2018. nies in the region. If they enjoy it, then they is the GEBC, which launched this year with an De Vries was previously Dean of the University might stay here in the region when they’ve EU subsidy. GEBC’s aim is to ‘maximize how of Groningen’s Campus Fryslân. He succeeds finished their studies. Undergraduates often the technologically oriented ecosystem functiProf. Sibrand Poppema. wonder whether it’d be wiser to do their ons at a university level.’ The GEBC is rooted

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

23

OPEN INNOVATION CAMPUS GRONINGEN IS THE FASTEST GROWING CAMPUS IN THE NETHERLANDS

THE UNDERLYING SUCCESS IS DOWN TO ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND MENTALITY Construction of a unique complex is set to start at Campus Groningen in the not too distant future: the Product Creation Centre that will, among others, include the Pilot Factory. The brains behind the Pilot Factory is the hands-on, innovation agency, the Pezy Group. In the future, together with the innovators at the Pezy Group, start-ups as well as established companies will be able to genuinely convert their product ideas into successful businesses. It’s a fantastic example of all that grows and flourishes: Campus Groningen is booming.

BY LUCY HOLL

‘P

roduct innovation enterprises are complex and multifaceted’, says CEO Henco Pezy at the Pezy Group. ‘We’ve been involved with those sorts of enterprises hundreds of times already. We see

start-ups in which a great deal of money is invested, and we also see that despite that, it often goes wrong: excellent product ideas aren’t properly formulated, the production stage is never reached.’ That is a shame. The team at the Pezy Group want to make their expertise more readily accessible to all kinds

Impression of the Product Creation Centre, that includes the Pilot Factory. Drawing: The Black Dog

of interesting initiatives that come their way.

Henco Pezy grew up in the the north of the Netherlands, studied in Enschede, completed his thesis at Philips in Drachten, and founded his innovation agency in 1995. At the time, in a business centre on Campus Groningen. The agency expanded, relocated, and to date has offices in Groningen, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, Houten and Singapore. One day the team came up with the concept of the Pilot Factory, and Henco Pezy approached the management of Campus Groningen, who responded with enthusiasm. The plans are still in development; additional facets keep being added. Meanwhile the idea is to offer teaching and project rooms to knowledge institutions, over and above test labs and prototyping and small-scale production facilities, plus premises for start-ups. The Groningen branch of the Pezy Group will relocate in its entirety to the Pilot Factory at Campus Groningen, at the Zernike site. The Pezy Group itself will invest millions of Euros in this, and a subsidy will be provided by the Groningen Regional Investment Aid to the amount of 425,000 Euros.

Pezy: ‘Of course, the opportunity existed to build the Pilot Factory elsewhere in the country, but I deem it paramount to embed our company even further in the Northern Netherlands infrastructure. We employ around 100 people, 45 of whom work in Groningen. We are also very keen on the influx of young talent, particularly those with a technical background. The lion’s share of our work is attained from multinationals, and besides that we wish to do more with fantastic start-ups. These will come to us more easily via the Pilot Factory. Our plans dovetail nicely with all that’s happening here on campus.’

CAMPUS GRONINGEN: FASTEST GROWING IN THE NETHERLANDS

MORE STRINGENT

Campus Groningen has mushroomed into one of the biggest, best-established campuses of national importance. So concludes consultancy firm Buck Consultants International (BCI). Upon the behest of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Netherlands’ Cities of Knowledge Network the agency did some research. BCI describes a campus as a location with a concentration of companies and knowledge institutions, where open innovation predominates, and where partners join forces working on R&D projects. Campus Groningen is the fastest growing campus, and the second largest campus in terms of total

Campus Groningen comprises the Healthy Ageing Campus and the Zernike Campus.

The first has sprung up around the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), on the eastern edge of Groningen’s centre. Here you’ll find businesses and institutions that focus on Food & (e)Health, Biomedical Technology and Pharma. There are also University of Groningen (UG) and UMCG research facilities, incubator buildings and business laboratories. There is also an R&D Hotel: here entrepreneurs and researchers can lease office space, in the short or long term.

The Zernike Campus to the north of Groningen has been around since the end of

24

employment opportunities.

- The campus has around 200 companies, 3 knowledge institutions (UG, UMCG and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen), 20,000 jobs and more than 45,000 students.

- In Groningen the increase in employment opportunities between 2014 and 2018 amounted to 60%, compared to an average 20% at all wellestablished campuses across the Netherlands.

- The increase in economic activity was 74% in Groningen, compared to a national 28%. www.bciglobal.com

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

the 1960s: initially it had buildings for UG natural sciences and engineering courses. An increasing number of knowledgeintensive companies and spin-offs found their way to the site, and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen also established itself at the Zernike Campus.

A veritable eco-system for intensive public-private cooperation arose. Growth has been particularly striking in recent years (see text box).

‘The biggest difference to before is that we’re looking far more holistically at what is happening’, says the Director of Campus Groningen, Edward van der Meer.

‘Businesses, knowledge institutions and local government are all working more consistently, and collaborating more efficiently.

Director Edward van der Meer: ‘If I had to describe Campus Groningen, I’d say we’re initiating the ‘smart start’ here. There is an extensive knowledge basis and considerable multidisciplinarity’. Photo: Campus Groningen That adds a new dynamic, and yields a more appealing campus. though set extremely realistic goals. Nor can com, Pharmaspray, IQ Products, PolyVation, We have also become more stringent; our we do it all off our own bat. Following on Polyganics and Innocore. They jointly underchoices are more clear-cut. What’s occurring from that, Innovation Cluster Drachten, for take innovation projects in life science and here reflects urgent societal themes, such as example, is a very interesting prospect. The medical technology, attend trade shows and Healthy Ageing, Sustainable Society and same applies to other campuses across the conferences together, and opt for co-procureEnergy.’ country. Together we must build up a strong ment of training courses and laboratory Interesting projects derive from those themes: eco-system.’ resources. Within Bio Cooperative, that ‘We inventory all these projects and highlight among others includes KNN Bioplastic, Bio the societal aspects within those. First and BTX and Biofuran, the same applies for the foremost, you have to be very good at somewww.campusgroningen.nl biobased economy. Van der Meer anticipates thing. We then make that visible to the world. www.pezygroup.com many more cooperatives will arise, in the field That’s how we reach a narrative that tallies.’ of engineering and data, for example.

The aforementioned MercachemSyncom, that MATERIALS AND DATA BLOCKCHAINGERS HACKATHON: develops new chemical materials for research Campus Groningen increasingly profiles itself into medicines/materials, and thirty years ago using its extensive knowledge and expertise 700 PARTICIANTS started out as a UG spin-off, is also one of the within the field of Advanced Materials – FROM 20 COUNTRIES founders of Innolab Chemistry: this testing intelligent, new or improved materials with arena offers laboratory facilities and support specific features – and Smart Data – the services to start-ups in the chemistry sector. conversion of Big Data into meaningful This spring Groningen once again hosted the Smart Data. That knowledge can of course be largest physical Blockchaingers Hackathon in the applied to all the themes listed. Van der Meer: BUILDING A STRONG ECO-SYSTEM world. In a former factory on the Suikerunie site ‘If I had to describe Campus Groningen, Campus Groningen has undergone a commore than 700 participants from 20 countries I’d say we’re initiating the ‘smart start’ here. prehensive metamorphosis and presently tackled societal problems. The dozens of teams There is an extensive knowledge basis and counts as a key centre for innovation, research launched ideas and prototypes for blockchain considerable multidisciplinarity. The underand economic activity in Northern Netherapplications, via which both society and the ecolying success of the campus lies in developing lands. ‘The difference is discernible as you nomy would be better and more smartly organised. the right infrastructure: we proactively work cycle around here, we haven’t shouted about it Parties from both the private and state sector – on a robust research and entrepreneurial loudly from the rooftops yet, that’s down to immediate potential launching customers – sponclimate. And, it’s also down to the mentality: our modesty, perhaps. But it’s becoming sored the Blockchaingers Hackathon. The themes people want to collaborate.’ Within research increasingly perceptible.’ included Future of Pensions (sponsor: Pension he recognises a significant shift in mentality: The number of jobs has also increased provider APG), Energy Transition (NUON Vattenresearchers from knowledge institutions are in significantly due to more and more businesses fall, Gasunie and New Energy Coalition), Health contact with the outside world more than ever basing themselves on campus. Agri-food (University Medical Centre Groningen and the before, and want to add value. company, Avebe, is building its new innoMinistry of Health, Welfare & Sport) and Public vation centre here that includes a laboratory, Safety and Security (Dutch National Police). Next pilot plant and a customer innovation centre.

COLLABORATION WITHIN COOPERATIVES year’s Blockchaingers Hackathon will take place in Here too, there is again room in the Agri-food That self-same mentality applies to knowApril at Digital City Groningen. Innovation Cluster Innolab for start-ups in the agri-food sector. ledge-intensive companies. They cluster their Drachten is reaching out to the Groningen-based Buck Consultants published resounding innovation questions which makes them a organisers, as it also wishes to do more with growth figures for Campus Groningen. ‘The better dialogue partner to the research instihackathons. figures look great, but I’m not really keen on tutions. SMEs within the region, for example, like-for-like comparisons with other campuform cooperatives. Take Life Cooperative that www.blockchaingers.org ses. Here we strive for the best, but we do incorporates, among others, MercachemSyn-

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

25

STAFF & ORGANIZATION THE INTERNATIONAL WELCOME CENTER NORTH IS A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR HIGHLY SKILLED MIGRANTS

A WARM WELCOME The International Welcome Center North has been a firm fixture in the city of Groningen since 2014. It’s a one-stop shop for highly skilled workers coming from abroad to work in one of the northern provinces. Instead of having to trudge from one organization to the next for weeks on end, all formalities are taken care of properly, swiftly and in a single location. Employers welcomed the centre with open arms.

Netherlands is truly in the vanguard’, says Michiel Kasteleijn, Business Manager of the IWCN in Groningen.

His centre serves the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The founders of the International Welcome Center North are Groningen City Council, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), the University of Groningen and the Connect International Foundation. Important supporters include the three provincial authorities, Philips, Google, Astron, UMCG, the University of Groningen, Hanze UAS and local authorities such as Midden Groningen, Assen, Delfzijl, Eemsmond, Emmen, Heerenveen, Leeuwarden, Smallingerland (Drachten) and Veendam.

MAP COVERED IN STICKERS

The International Welcome Center North is homing in on the life and work needs of the international community in the north of the Netherlands. Photos: IWCN

BY LUCY HOLL

M

ichelle Bokma-Calderón soon became anxious when she read the book ‘The UnDutchables: an observation of the Netherlands, its culture and its inhabitants’ prior to coming to the Netherlands from Mexico. All Dutch women give birth at home with a midwife, it said. And everyone cycles, sometimes with no hands.

People have a calendar with people’s birthdays on it in the toilet. She’s now acclimatized to these cultural differences and has even become a bit more Dutch herself. ‘I never would’ve thought it, but I’m now crazy about special offers and I’m a big fan of the deal weeks. I take my son out even if it’s raining or snowing, in which case I’ll make him wear a hat and coat. I never would’ve done that before.’ Incidentally, she gave birth to him the ‘normal’ way, in the hospital.

Michelle Bokma is currently working as a personal advice consultant for the International Welcome Center North (IWCN). ‘About three years ago I moved to Groningen to study a master’s degree in law at the university. I had a Dutch partner who is now my husband, which is why I chose to come and live in this

26

country. Following my studies, I arranged an orientation year to see whether I would also be able to find a job here. But that soon proved impossible due to the significant language barrier.’

She started doing volunteer work in the International Welcome Center North and was soon offered a job. ‘I know what expats have to go through in the first months after they come to the Netherlands and what kind of needs they have. People come here and notice that lots of information isn’t accessible, for instance.’

Groningen may well be an international city, but all kinds of websites and brochures on taxation, finding a house or selecting a school are in Dutch. ‘At the IWCN we soon help them make progress. If I don’t know something, then my colleagues will know it. We’re able to give them the feeling that they’re welcome.’

THE NETHERLANDS IN THE VANGUARD A similar International Welcome Center now exists in every Dutch region where it is relevant. They exchange information between branches and also provide feedback to the Government on matters that could be done better for highly skilled migrants. ‘The

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

Michiel Kasteleijn: ‘Here in the region we’ve got a relatively high number of SMEs and far fewer large OEMs and head offices. The international knowledge workers are spread across the region. The run-up to getting our own IWCN was a long one, but the demand for it was getting increasingly urgent. Calls from companies like Philips, GasTerra and Gasunie saying that something really needed to be organized were getting louder and louder.’

Talks with the local authorities ensued.

Groningen City Council and the University of Groningen already wanted to do more in terms of international policy: they were faced with a growing influx of international students and workers.

‘In the spring of 2014 dozens of companies attended a meeting on getting our own welcome centre and expressed their commitment to the IWCN. Everyone was encouraged to put stickers on a large map of the world to indicate where their international staff were from.

The whole map ended up covered in stickers.’

STREAMLINED The IWCN had expected to be taking care of formalities for 500 people during the first year, but that number soon soared to 900.

‘We’re now at an annual figure of nigh on 2,000 new knowledge workers for whom we see to it that everything is in order, and the number is growing by about 15% per annum.’

The centre works for 145 organizations and businesses, with the largest customers being the University of Groningen and the UMCG,

followed by (in addition to the aforementioned companies) such parties as Campina, IBM and Avebe.

Those companies pay fixed fees per knowledge worker and any partner and children.

The IND takes care of the residence papers and work permit in the IWCN’s building on Gedempte Zuiderdiep. The Connect International Foundation provides the information and services, whilst Groningen City Council takes care of registration in the municipal records database for all local authorities involved. Banking matters are sorted out, subscriptions applied for. Everything is done in streamlined fashion: what once took weeks and sapped patience is now done and dusted within a couple of days.

STARTING WORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE Astron, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy and also member of Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD), is a long-term customer, says Head of Human Resources Diana Verweij. ‘Around one fifth of our 180 members of staff at Astron are from abroad. International knowledge workers are extremely important for us. As a result of this we obviously have a long track record of taking care of all formalities, but we were extremely happy when the IWCN was set up.’ Regulations are constantly changing, and it’s a lot of work. Now everything can be done under one roof. ‘It used to be the case that people would

sometimes have to travel across the country to get their affairs sorted out in the right place. Yet staff are keen to start the work they’ve come to do as soon as possible.’

SOCIAL LIFE Each year, the IWCN receives Coffee morning for expats. around 3,500 visitors with queries: they don’t understand their energy bill, they want information on the property market or have got questions about their health insurance. Everyone is welcome and the services are free of charge. Bokma: ‘We’ve now got a database containing answers to 10,000 questions.

A recurring issue is finding a job for one’s partner. We’d like to devote more attention to that, we already hold a job café for companies now and then, and we’re going to be building a job portal for the north of the Netherlands.’

The Connect International Foundation helps out with building a new social life and (professional) network. People can join the social club, there are coffee mornings, book clubs, language cafés, pub nights and courses on

Dutch language and culture. ‘We’re giving people a warm welcome. And we’re making things hassle-free for companies that are hiring foreign knowledge workers. Still, the arrival of people from other countries does have a significant impact on the corporate culture and the language within a business.’

The next step for the IWCN is not only to welcome foreign knowledge workers when they arrive in Netherlands, but also to reach out to them abroad. Together with ICD, the Center is looking into opportunities for jointly presenting the career options in the Northern Netherlands at international job fairs. www.iwcn.nl

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

27

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 19

Another, disconcerting figure (from TNO/ CBS): people are expecting to be able to keep working until the age of 62.5 on average. They want to keep working until the age of 62.8 on average. But there’s quite a gap between that and the age of 67 until which they will have to (or will be allowed to) keep working.

‘WE’LL DO IT NEXT YEAR’ Laura Keijzer: ‘The need to do something about sustainable deployability is here.

Companies have got it on their priority list, but the topic keeps getting pushed back: yes, next year we’ll really set to work on it. Why don’t companies just do it now?’ There are a fair few reasons for this: the costs precede the benefits in this case. A company invests in sustainable deployability, but what it will yield cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

The issues of the day keep managers from engaging with the subject. And companies don’t have a clear idea on how they can deal with it in concrete terms.

Which is why Berenschot developed the Sustainable Deployability Dialogue Game, to discuss the matter with one another in an informal setting. Participants gather round the tables and first select a photo that they associate with sustainable deployability.

Marketeer Simone Vendrig from Kolhambased AP Nederland (manufacturer of control panels and distribution systems for data centres, healthcare and industry) chooses a turtle: ‘We’re still totally burying our heads in the sand. Workforces are getting older, but as yet we’ve got very little by way of policy, and not many solutions either. Awareness is growing, but still too little is being done.’

Director Janet Slingerland from 4impact (organizational development and career coaching firm with offices in Groningen, Zwolle and Emmen) selects a steep staircase as an appropriate image: ‘Many of our clients

have staff who’ve been employed by them for many years and who have a high average age.

Those older staff are genuinely open to change, they’ve got good intentions and are moti-vated, but they do need help and support if a robot is suddenly brought in. And you can’t make them mentors for the younger generation in the company just like that, as they don’t have comprehensive knowledge of new technologies.’

Most of the organizations represented by the game participants are characterized by hierarchy and efficiency. The staff perceive the pace

A company invests in sustainable deployability, but what this yields can’t be quantified in monetary terms to be high, they often have a lot of responsibility and are required to have a great deal of professional expertise in-house. ‘And bear in mind that we’re talking about industrial companies’, says Bert Rundervoort. ‘A foreman doesn’t find it easy to ask how someone feels or how they see their future. The male workers clam up. Occasionally somebody will leave due to burnout. “He never complained, how’s that possible?”, frets the boss.’

ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS The two Berenschot consultants are keen to hear what kind of things the players’ organizations will be faced with over the next one to three years. ‘What are we not faced with?

Everything’s important in our case’, sigh the participants before citing a litany of things already mentioned by Laura Keijzer in her

From left to right: Arianne Stenvert (Resato), Martine Kampfraath (4impact), Jeltsje Mulder (BD Kiestra), Celine Punter (BD Kiestra) and Bert Rundervoort (Koninklijke Metaalunie). Arianne Stenvert: ‘It also calls for clarity: if you won’t get on board, fine, but then colleagues will overtake you at lightning pace.’

28

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

introduction, such as the shortage of specialists and the high pressure of work. They also cite: changed customer requirements, lack of people from other sectors (‘a supermarket chain asked for 150 people with higher vocational education for its new logistics concepts a while ago’), the blurring of boundaries between work life and personal life, loss of knowledge due to staff retiring. These aren’t positives. Rundervoort: ‘It used to be that someone would join the business as a turner and could stay with us for 40 years. Nowadays what they learn at school is already out of date by the time they join the company. The young people coming in are all fingers and thumbs, companies sometimes say’. It used to be that the manager had more authority, whereas nowadays a lot of coaching is needed to get people doing their job properly, say the other participants.

Companies are sometimes not fully clued up on what kind of staff they will be needing in a couple of years: people with a higher level of education? Or, in fact, practical operators with a lower level of education, precisely because the robots with which they’re working are getting smarter and smarter? And how do you adapt your training programme accordingly?

At any rate, one thing that’s certain is that staff will have to be capable of continuously moving with the developments and changes with which the business is faced.

WILLING AND ABLE The participants in the game are fairly positive about the enthusiasm, motivation and commitment of most staff in their companies.

The rank and file are willing and able to move with anything the industry finds itself faced with, the room says. Laura Keijzer: ‘That dividing line between willing and able is vague.

Sometimes entrepreneurs say: “The people are unwilling”. But that’s also down to self-confidence and daring, because change is tense and scary.’ Careers Advisor/Project Manager Martine Kampfraath from 4impact: ‘It might be that you’ll need to drag people over a threshold here and there. Devote attention to them, allow them to try new things.’ Arianne Stenvert, Human Development Manager at Resato, has a poster on her wall featuring a catchphrase from her childhood hero, Pippi Longstocking: ‘I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that’. Staff need to be given that feeling.

Stenvert: ‘It also calls for clarity: if you won’t get on board, fine, but then colleagues will overtake you at lightning pace. So get on board, or get off. You’re the one in control’.

The participants in the game are presented with the slightly confrontational question of how mature the sustainable deployability policy is within their companies at the present juncture: barely, ad hoc, fairly or everything shipshape. Well, rather ad hoc, most of them say. They do, of course, have policy and tools when it comes to terms of employment and pay, working conditions and health. But they

Clockwise: Roxane Vercauteren (Berenschot, standing),

sometimes fall by the wayside a little in terms of softer tools pertaining to training and development, mobility and career policy and strategic human resources management. Bert Rundervoort sees it at meetings of the Metaalunie too: ‘When it comes to HR matters you’ll have 10 people in the meeting, whereas when privacy legislation or the Working Conditions Act is being discussed it’ll be a full house’.

Margriet Bouma (Koninklijke Metaalunie), Simone Vendrig (AP Nederland), Janet Slingerland (4impact) and John van Ginkel (Link Magazine). They conclude this game is not only useful for HR staff, but also for general management.

ATTENTION How do you get social innovation and sustainable deployability to genuinely be made a priority? How do you draw managers’ attention to these things? It might help to chart the consequences of doing nothing, someone suggests. Then you would become a less attractive employer and have greater difficulty filling vacancies. Staff would be lagging in terms of knowledge and skills, employee satisfaction would fall, absence rates would rise. That’s not a pretty picture.

Or perhaps it would help to work out the costs and benefits of sustainable deployability.

Laura Keijzer highlights the KOBA-DI tool from the National Platform for Sustainable Deployability (NPDI) and TNO: a calculation tool that provides direct insight into what sustainable deployability will bring a company. How can you proceed towards making responsible investments? ‘What are the staff costs, what will the effect on productivity be and how will it affect your rating compared to similar companies?’

Aside from these questions, Keijzer more than once presented a business case study for companies wishing to know what and how they should invest in sustainable deployability.

‘That’s good in terms of opening your eyes, but at the end of the day it’s no longer about that once you’re busy.’ Then everyone gets increasingly enthusiastic and you see for yourself that paying attention to sustainable deployability doesn’t do a business any harm.

HAPPY FAMILY And where’s it all leading? ‘One happy family’, says the room. Vacancies filled more easily, everyone in the right place, staff that are aware of their knowledge and abilities. A kind of utopia, then. ‘Well, sure, but you need to

SMART WORKING: AMBASSADOR OR SCEPTIC? Berenschot and TIAS School for Business and Society were commissioned by FME to carry out a survey among around 7,000 employees in industry.

Its title translates as ‘Smart Working – Staff Speak’.

Virtually all of them (91%) see that their company is working with new technology and 61% of them are accordingly expecting distinct changes within their work. Some 88% of them are anticipating that their duties will change, and most of them think that they will be given additional duties, whereas others think that there will be fewer tasks for them to do.

Around 83% of the employees regard digitization and robotization as likely. They welcome the developments, as they will make the work more challenging (51%) and more enjoyable (30%).

However, they are concerned about higher pressure of work, increasing complexity and more demanding work, particularly due to the increasing productivity and speed of working. They feel responsible for keeping up to speed with their profession. Yet they do want to be given the space to develop themselves and grow with the profession.

They also want to be involved and informed and be able to provide input. People expect to cooperate

more outside of their own department and do envisage a different way of leading.

According to the study, four groups of staff can be distinguished, irrespective of age, level of education or sector.

• Quarter of them are ‘ambassadors’: they are extremely positive about the technological developments.

• Over 40% are ‘optimists’. They see more opportunities than threats. They are curious, if a little hesitant.

• Nearly 20% are ‘followers’. They can see opportunities, but are less conscious of the far-reaching impact of new technology.

• Around 14% are the ‘sceptics’. They are uncomfortable with the technological developments or are anticipating that these will make the work more tedious and less enjoyable.

This group contains a relatively higher number of staff with a lower level of education and a role at greater risk of being automated.

Download the study at fme.nl/medewerkersaanhetwoord

keep it realistic. If we got it 90% right, that would already be really good.’

The players realize that they’ve got plenty to tell their colleagues the next day. ‘It’s high time we had a vision and strategy in terms of sustainable deployability in place and charted employees’ needs’, says HR Business Partner Jeltsje Mulder from Drachten-based BD Kiestra (manufacturer of automated laboratory systems).

‘We need to be devoting a lot more attention to this matter’, realizes another. ‘This isn’t just a handy game for HR people; general management should be playing it too.’ Sustainable deployability is about going for it, it’s fun, useful and inspiring, says Simone Vendrig from AP Nederland.

Laura Keijzer finishes things off with a short film from management guru Ben Tiggelaar.

Change is difficult. The more ‘people’ and ‘behaviour’ are involved, the harder it becomes. ‘So force yourself to take that ridiculously small first step, so that everyone will say: “Yes, that’s something I can do”. Keep it small.

If you want to become a people manager, then ask your people two questions in a meeting.’

Participants: Martine Kampfraath and Janet Slingerland (both 4impact), Inge Popken and Simone Vendrig (AP Nederland), Bert Rundervoort and Margriet Bouma (Koninklijke Metaalunie), Jeltsje Mulde and Celine Punter (BD Kiestra), Arianne Stenvert (Resato), Laura Keijzer and Roxane Vercauteren (Berenschot) and John van Ginkel (Link Magazine). www.4impact.nl www.apnederland.nl www.berenschot.nl www.bd.com www.metaalunie.nl www.resato.com

Special Issue - Hightech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

29

EDUCATION NHL STENDEN UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES CONTRIBUTING TO A SMART, SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

‘PROFESSIONAL FIELD CALLING FOR CURIOUS AND INNOVATIVE STUDENTS’ It's all about pushing back boundaries on every front at NHL Stenden, a unique international multi-campus university with sites in the Netherlands, South Africa, Qatar, Bali and Thailand.

The new institution created this year by the merger of NHL and Stenden universities of applied sciences produces students who are always up for a challenge in an inspiring educational and research environment.

Researchers, students and businesses are working together to develop a smart, sustainable industry.

NHL STENDEN THEMES Frank Gort, programme manager at NHL Stenden: ‘I am proud to work in a knowledge-based environment in which we train

Water The big challenge is ‘safe water’. Water technology, maritime and wetlands are the specialisations within this theme.

Smart Technology The focus is on computer vision & data science as a cross-sector combination of ‘liveability’ and ‘creative technologies’. Together with partners, NHL Stenden is working on integrated and collaborative production systems that respond to changing requirements and conditions in the factory in real-time (smart manufacturing). The Vision research group is an established name in the Northern Netherlands and has already helped many companies, such as BD Kiestra and Ziuz, with application-oriented research in the area of vision intelligence.

Circular Economy/Renewable Resources This theme will contribute to the transition to a sustainable and circular economy. Sustainability here means minimising harmful emissions, energy consumption and the use of harmful materials.

Creative Industry Under this heading, topics are tackled such as meaningful communication by citizens and organisations through social media, smart and ethical use of social media and 21st century skills.

30

curious students for the new occupations of the future.’ Photos: NHL Stenden

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

HL Stenden has eight locations in the Netherlands, of which six in the north of the country, including the Leeuwarden site. The university has a unique education concept, Design Based Education, says programme manager Frank Gort. ‘We work with the professional field (the students’ future employers, ed.) on real-time issues from practice, in multidisciplinary teams. The professional field is looking for curious and innovative students. They are discovering that involving other disciplines in an assignment results in real solutions. Within our technical education, too, we are working to build a unique learning environment, with workshops (labs) that have a substantial research profile.’

N

SMART, SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY Besides education, as a university of applied sciences NHL Stenden also conducts research.

Gort works with researchers, students and businesses in the domain of smart, sustainable industry. ‘It is essential for the education we provide that we are very close to professional practice. Students and lecturers work on innovation assignments in inspirational

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

workshops and also with the Innovation Cluster Drachten (ICD) at the shared facility lab in Drachten. This is the technical and innovative working environment in the field of High-Tech Systems & Materials, where robots, 3D metal printing and other technologies are routinely employed.’

Based on its areas of focus, NHL Stenden contributes to smart, sustainable industry with topical themes. For example, clean and safe water, food security through sustainable and circular production methods and increasing health and well-being. Achieving smart applications demands consideration for the ethics of data use and the protection of privacy. Based on the themes of Water, Smart Technology, Circular Economy/Renewable Resources and Creative Industry, NHL Stenden works on the issues that really matter.

Each theme involves specific approaches which are often directly or indirectly connected with research programmes of particular research groups; see also the text box.

INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ‘It is wonderful to see that alongside our international activities, there remains a strong connection with the northern region’, Gort continues. ‘Manufacturing industry in the

northern Netherlands is very important for our university. For example, in Emmen students and researchers are working on interesting assignments with Fokker and many other companies. We have been asked to get involved in cutting-edge projects for ‘circular plastics’. We are also proud of our maritime research, in which we work on unique research assignments like self-steering ships through lecturers and the education at our Willem Barents Maritime Institute.

Businesses also come to us for serious games which we have developed for healthcare, surgery training and pain management, for example.’

COMPUTER VISION & DATA SCIENCE For the high-tech sector, computer vision & data science in particular is a domain in which NHL Stenden sets itself apart and can help ICD, says Gort. ‘An example from our research programme comes from precision agriculture. In the potato sector, Altenaria is a notorious yeast infection. An entire field can become infected within days and the harvest lost. The presence of Altenaria is revealed by dark spots on the potato leaf. In practice, a farmer who sees dark spots on the leaves will immediately use pesticides. However, this is often not necessary, because the cause of the discolouration may be the innocuous condition ozone damage. Our research has shown that Altenaria and ozone damage can be clearly differentiated from one another with the help of hyperspectral cameras and self-learning data science algorithms.’

Gort refers to developments in the field of

artificial intelligence. ‘The dizzying pace of developments around deep learning will have a disruptive impact on the way we develop software. This means that in the future, the main cost, and therefore the intellectual property, for developing software solutions will shift from manual programming to collecting and labelling examples in order to train deep learning models.’

ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN ROBOTICS Gort describes the partnership with intermediate vocational education as very positive for teaching and the students. In close collaboration with ROC Friesepoort in Drachten and the professional field, brought together in ICD, NHL Stenden is working to develop an associate degree (AD) part-time course in Robotics. ‘The university has already been offering dual education for more than fifteen years across a number of programmes and was the first in the Netherlands to successfully launch associate degrees. The ideas for a new education concept and the knowledge gained in the pilot schemes into more flexible education for employed people are now being bundled to develop this new associate degree in Robotics. In order to be able to roll out the associate degree robustly and sustainably, it needs to be tailored to the target group and properly incorporated into the hybrid training offering of our Academy Technology & Innovation. The associate degree is the missing link that brings lifelong learning one step closer.’

THE SMART CONNECTION

www.nhlstenden.com

With heart and mind we stand by you into the fourth industrial revolution. And offer you comprehensive, innovative automation solutions. Intelligently networking all the data from the sensor to the control level increases your competitiveness.

Because transparency, flexibility and high efficiency are critical for Industry 4.0.

Visit us at www.balluff.nl

Smart, mechanical insects conquer NHL Stenden for the fifth year. Students from the Engineering and ICT departments

Balluff B.V. Europalaan 6a 5232 BC ’s-Hertogenbosch Nederland Tel. +31 73 6579702 Fax +31 73 6579786

compete against each other in multidisciplinary teams representing the specialisms of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. A jury will judge their ‘smart spiders’ or ‘hexapods’ on speed, smartness, robustness and above all beauty. In the ‘spider dance’, high-tech companies are seeing students at work who may be their future employees.

www.balluff.nl

PROCESS INNOVATION SMART INDUSTRY FIELD LAB NORTHERN NETHERLANDS REGION OF SMART FACTORIES (ROSF) GAINING MOMENTUM

TAKING A LEAD IN DIGITISATION RoSF was launched two years ago. With forty partners, it is now the biggest Smart Industry field lab in the Netherlands and businesses, government and educational and research institutions in the Northern Netherlands are getting behind the overall theme, the digitisation of industry and economy.

Now those bonds are being tightened further in a regional Smart Industry Hub. The aim is to help SMEs become part of the Smart Industry movement, promote demand-driven education in skills labs, increase the visibility of the Northern technology sector and link in better with European innovation programmes.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

he people behind the Smart Industry field lab Northern Netherlands Region of Smart Factories are Jan Post and Hans Praat. Post is Head of Strategic Jan Post: ‘It is important to involve SMEs and offer them new opportunities as smart industry solutions providers.’ Photo: Team Horsthuis Partnerships at Philips Drachten and professor by special appointCAD/CAM and PDM for shipbuilding. ment in Digital Manufacturing at the Univercurement study along US lines, explains Post.

Another example from Philips is the Anysity of Groningen (RUG), while Praat is a bus‘Anyone, a government agency or a large or Feeder, a solution for presenting small, unsoriness developer at the Northern Netherlands small company, can submit a problem and if ted parts on a shaver assembly line. A problem development and investment agency (NOM). it is a match for RoSF, we will build a consorat the core of smart industry, to which vision Their motivation was to raise the profile of tium to develop a solution.’ Some of the proand artificial intelligence are being applied.

High-Tech Systems & Materials, the top sector jects are linked to PhD projects with RUG and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences within which large companies in the Northern Twente University, but this is certainly not a has contributed to the solution and Netherlands like Philips Drachten and Fokker classical approach, asserts Post. ‘It starts with JB Besturingstechniek (control technology) Hoogeveen and numerous smaller OEMs and research at a low TRL (technology readiness in Oosterwolde wants to commercialise it. suppliers are active. They have succeeded in level, ed.), moves gradually to higher TRLs ‘At Philips, we play the role of the launching doing so, says Post. ‘After two years, RoSF is and only then investigates how the solution customer and we provide the use of our own gaining momentum and we are working on could be marketed. No, RoSF is about innofactory as an experimental centre which has behalf of the manufacturing industry in a vation driven by the market.’ industrial maturity. It is important to involve broad sense. Everyone is very enthusiastic, Naturally, Post is able to illustrate this perfectSMEs in this way and offer them new oppornot just the companies and educational and ly with an example from his own company, tunities as smart industry solutions providers.’ research institutions but also the provincial Philips. For a new product, they were looking governments. They now want us to follow up for a solution to process the big data the our success. An important point is that RoSF production machines were spitting out. ‘We THREE FIELD LABS, ONE HUB is organised by the companies; they set the put that request to a number of SMEs within The success of the Dutch Smart Industry field priorities and the provincial governments RoSF. That resulted in Drys, a big data platlab concept has been translated into more help to facilitate them.’ RoSF fits within the form developed by KxA Data Solutions and than 30 separate initiatives of varying sizes in Dutch Smart Industry field lab concept.

Future Industries which is now commercially recent years. High time to bring everything available to other interested companies.’ together and create a clear point of contact for Fokker Hoogeveen also put forward a project entrepreneurs. For this reason, it was decided TEN PILOT PROJECTS and software vendor Cadmatic is working at national level to set up a so-called Smart The ten pilot projects running under the RoSF with partners to link together and optimise umbrella provide an important showcase.

Industry Hub in each region. In the Northern software and information systems like They represent a kind of pre-commercial proNetherlands, the RoSF, 5Groningen and Tech-

T

32

Special Issue - Hightech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

nologies Added field labs form the base of the hub, which will have locations in Drachten (at Innovation Cluster Drachten, ICD), Groningen (Zernike) and Emmen (Technologies Added). That base will be broadened further as affiliated organisations join; besides ICD, these include RUG, Zernike Campus and employers’ organisations. The hub will present its final plans at the end of the year.

Jan Post offers a first glimpse.

The Smart Industry Hub has a regional and a national/international dimension; this is how Post describes its extensive scope. ‘Digitisation is high on the agenda in the Northern Netherlands, among the industry around Drachten and Emmen, for example, and also at the Zernike Campus in Groningen. These are ideal landing spots for the Smart Industry Hub. At the same time, sectors like shipbuilding, with its focus on predictive maintenance, and the various provincial executives are throwing their weight behind digitisation.’

The Smart Industry Hub brings together all those digitisation agendas. ‘And by setting up skills labs for demand-driven education, the various educational institutions will also become landing spots for digitisation.’ At the regional level, the one-stop shop function is also important. ‘Businesses and SMEs in particular will be able to submit all their questions to the hub.’ Vouchers will provide funding to answer those questions. ‘We must not just focus on the leaders but also on the rest of the pack. We are talking about hundreds of companies. Which is why it’s a good thing that employers’ organisations like FME and Metaalunie are getting involved.’ At the national level, the hubs need to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience between the various field labs.

EUROPEAN DIGITAL INNOVATION HUB Post is also enthusiastic about the international dimension. ‘As well as the short term, with research in framework programmes like Horizon 2020 and its successor we need to cover the digitisation agenda in the long term.

Developing a strategy and drawing up a roadmap is something that is best done together, in an international context.’ Post already has plenty of experience of European innovation projects with Philips and RoSF, and RoSF has since been recognised as a European digital ROSF IN THE INNOVATION ECOYSTEM

HOW ‘SMART’ IS MY ‘FACTORY’?

The production companies, machine manufacturers and technology suppliers brought together in RoSF wanted to know to what extent their own companies could be regarded as ‘smart factories’, explains Hans Praat, business developer of the NOM and programme manager of RoSF. So the Smart Factory Assessment was born.

The definition differentiates five levels of digitisation: ‘The assessment makes clear how firms can follow the pathway to a smart factory in a structured way’, says RoSF programme manager Hans Praat. Photo: Com-magz from – level 1 – the ‘Traditional’ manufacturing company’ (uses outdated technology) to – level 4 – Smart Industry. So we also offered the assessment ‘Smart Factory Now’ (state-of-the-art digitisation) externally online and it has since been completed by and – level 5 – ‘Smart Factory future’ (the ultimate many companies’, reports Praat. In doing so, they smart factory that will be built in the future, entirely define not only their current level (‘what is’), but also connected to its surroundings). The yardstick their ambitions (‘what should be’). The results can comprises ten questions about competencies then be discussed in their own management teams, which define the digitisation level in generic terms. but also in workshops organised by RoSF. For example: ‘How ‘smart’ are the products or ‘It turns out that virtually every company is still a long services?’, ‘How is the development process for way from its own aims. Most are still at level 1 or 2, products and production processes organised?’, a few at level 3 for particular aspects. It challenges ‘How flexibly is the organisation automated?’ and them to go further. And at the same time, this ‘What is the role of data within the company?’ approach makes clear how they can follow that All the companies which are part of RoSF have pathway, in a structured way’, says Praat. now completed the assessment. ‘It produced lots of enthusiastic responses, because it gives firms a www.smartfactoryassessment.com kind of guide in the jungle that is Industry 4.0/

innovation hub. The whole of the Northern Netherlands can get involved through the Smart Industry Hub. RoSF is already part of a major European research project on interoperability: how can computer models and the data structures of different software vendors be made compatible with one another, so that in the ‘digital twin’ of a complex physical system, one calculation or simulation can serve as the input for the next and all the data is available for every kind of analysis? In other words, how can the digital twin cover the complete process of design, production and management?

‘Fraunhofer is leading this project and large companies like Audi, Boeing, Airbus, Bosch and Philips are providing use cases. In this way, we can innovate in a European setting and at the same time generate business.’

BRANDING Post is especially proud of the fact that RoSF is a pioneer in digitisation. ‘We are blazing a trail in the northern Netherlands, primarily for industry but the demand goes further than that. Today, the biggest retailer, Amazon, doesn’t have any shops, the biggest taxi company has no taxis and the biggest hotel chain has no hotels. Digitisation is going to change the world; in the Northern Netherlands, besides industry that also means sectors like chemicals, dairy, water and energy. They are already working with big data and are keen to digitise further. RoSF, and now the Smart Industry Hub, can help them do that.

Ultimately, it's also about 'branding', concludes Post. Smart industry in the Northern Netherlands and the digitisation taking place there need to be made visible: to regional SMEs, to educational institutions and students as potential employees of the future, to political parties and society, and to Europe and the world.

www.rosf.nl www.smartindustry.nl

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

33

PARTNERS DUTCH TECHZONE TO BECOME REGION OF SUPER SPECIALISTS AND NICHE PLAYERS

‘PERSEVERANCE IS PART OF OUR DNA’ ‘Do you hear that? That’s the elephants in the new park behind the town hall’, says Emmen’s alderman for economic development Bouke Arends midway during the interview. Over the past 1-2 years, Wildlands Adventure Zoo has been taking on the spot of Emmen Zoo. FC Emmen, the only professional football club in the Dutch province of Drenthe, was recently promoted to the Dutch Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. In short, there are a lot of great things going on in the region. Dutch TechZone is certainly a part of that too; it’s a powerful alliance between the business community, educational and knowledge institutes and the region’s government authorities.

BY LUCY HOLL

D

utch TechZone aims to be one of the Netherlands’ industrial hotspots by 2030. It wants to become known for its specialised and high-quality (manufacturing) industry, international outlook, high-quality applied science and craftsmanship, and its attractive living environment. Apart from Emmen, Dutch TechZone covers the municipalities of Hoogeveen, Coevorden and Hardenberg. The region is home to 19,000 businesses, which provide 112,000 jobs.

Bouke Arends: ‘It’s worth noting that almost 16% of people here work in industry; nationally, that figure is 9%. This shows how incredibly important industry is for the region. A number of large companies, like Philips Lighting, have downsized or simply left, but there’s a lot of potential in our small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We have a wide range of excellent suppliers, for instance for high-tech systems and materials.’

The municipality is very committed to supporting SMEs and helping them develop, as well as attracting new companies to the region. Who wouldn’t want to live in this part of Drenthe? It’s green, peaceful, spacious and safe. The idea is that suppliers can grow into powerful super specialists and niche players.

Major assets in the Dutch TechZone include high-tech systems and materials, energy transition, logistics and a chemistry/bio-based economy.

PERIOD OF BLOOM Zuidoost-Drenthe – and Emmen in particular – was a prime example of an area that could be shaped after the Second World War, says consultant Niek Wehkamp of Emmen muni-

34

cipality. ‘The region got a lot of economic help: there was huge employment potential and a surplus of cheap ground.’ Industry bloomed for years until contractors started shifting their business to lower-income countries. The region was suddenly faced with global competition: the manufacturing industry, and in particular the chemistry industry, suffered a lot as a result. ‘At their peak, the Enka factories, which later became AKZO, employed 8,000 staff; they employ a quarter of that number now.’ But times change, and the shift to China and elsewhere in the world has slowed. There are countless new opportunities for suppliers investing in smart industry. Existing companies are growing and new companies are welcome.

Wehkamp: ‘Compare our region to a silo, full

of government authorities, the business community and educational and knowledge institutes is joining forces. The so-called economic programme Firmly for Work maps out the region’s strong and weak points.

A programme board has been set up to decide and oversee Dutch TechZone’s strategy.

A programme agency is coordinating the implementation. The region has also had a very successful business scheme for the past few years that has provided businesses with subsidies for particular investments, creating jobs and covering financing costs.

ONE BIG ASSOCIATION Herman Koning, Managing Director of Landes High End Machining in Emmen, set up Techniek Sociëteit Zuidoost-Drenthe with fellow business owners, and is now the association’s chairman. Business owners meet up with each other more than ever before. There are plenty of topics to discuss, says Koning.

‘The hiring of technical staff, 3D printing, process innovation – the list goes on. We’re also currently working on merging several business associations. We want to form a single association, with a number of divisions, including technology. We’re starting in Emmen and will then make the move to other municipalities. Business owners in the region are already welcome to join our association evening in Emmen. ‘What you’ll hear there

‘Other regions may be further along than us, but we’re catching up’

of job potential. We have well-trained workers with a lot of experience.’ Emmen and the surrounding municipalities are still proud of the fact they are industrial municipalities, says alderman Arends. ‘We don’t have a 9-to-5 mentality here; people are used to working hard. There’s still enough industry, but if we don’t keep an eye out, it may thin out.’

That’s why Dutch TechZone is investing in structural improvements. The triple helix

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

then is: ‘Gee, that stuff you’re buying from overseas is something I can make for you too’.’

This summer, a group of about 25 people from the local business community and government authorities visited Brainport Industries Campus and ASML. “You’re spending the whole day in the bus talking to each other. This helps foster interesting relationships. What added value can we offer each other?’

TRANSFER WITH EASE To tackle the huge demand for well-trained technical staff together, businesses and colleges for intermediate vocational education (MBO) in the region have already set up a number of vocational training schools, including the Bedrijfsvakschool Techniek Drenthe.

This school offers the BBL learning track for all-round machining at MBO level 3. ‘A vocational training school like that is great for one particular training. We also want to look at innovations in all regular education’, says Bouke Arends.

The region’s providers of preparatory secondary vocational education (VMBO), MBO and higher vocational education (HBO) have concluded agreements to work together on continuous learning paths and being able to transfer with ease between vocational education programmes. They’re thinking From left to right: business owner Herman Koning, alderman Bouke Arends and consultant Niek Wehkamp: ‘We are trying to sort things out for our own region by looking at essential innovations with all relevant parties.’ Photo: Henk Benting about how they train people for the future: What kind of increasingly presenting ourselves as a united tion providers in the region to better align staff does the business community need, what front. their curricula with what companies need, skills are important? A wide-ranging plan for Herman Koning sees a change too. The Herman Koning adds. He knows for sure that technical vocational education is being drawn mentality in Drenthe was and remains a little ‘good jobs and interesting work are in strong up, and this will cover such topics as smart closed and modest. People don’t say when supply here’. His own company, Landes High manufacturing. A new course in machining things are going well. The same can be said for End Machining, is very much looking forward technology at a higher MBO level is also being when things go wrong. ‘But there’s a new to taking delivery of two brand-new autodeveloped. generation of business owners on the horizon mated production cells in December. They This is also about other forms of learning: who are very clearly seeking collaboration and will be linked to the ERP system, so soon a more training on the shop floor, so to speak, looking further than their own company.’ He treasure trove of information will be available more guest lectures, more dual tracks and looks with admiration to Brainport Industries in real time. It’s pure Industry 4.0. ‘That’s what more modular courses that are immediately Campus and what suppliers there do and we’re going to give our people extra suitable for on-the-job training. Stenden Unishare together. It’d be great if in the near training for.’ Dutch TechZone will also be versity of Applied Science in Emmen will be future Dutch TechZone could realise shared looking at in-house training for existing staff: getting a research group for high-tech systems facilities for industry and education. ‘But what do staff need and where do you get the and materials. Bouke Arends: ‘Stenden is comremember, it also took a long time before right training, in-house or externally? paratively small, but a number of its technical Brainport Industries Campus arrived on the courses should become top of the art in the scene. If we continue to invest in a robust Netherlands.’ Companies can show their OPEN ATTITUDE network and keep talking to each other, commitment by providing good work placeHerman Koning is very happy with the open great initiatives are destined to be created. ments and graduate positions. What’s more, attitude of the municipality of Emmen. It’s Perseverance is in our DNA. The past has graduates should want to stay to work in the prepared to go that extra mile for the region. taught us that nothing in the region happens region once they’ve finished their studies.

‘The business community needs a governjust like that. It takes blood, sweat and tears. ment authority like that that actually faciliThe parties involved in Dutch TechZone must tates things.’ Naturally, the financial resources PURE INDUSTRY 4.0 remain realistic however, says alderman Bouke are not endless, and often a lot of time can go Local government authorities don’t have to Arends. Boosting the region together will take by at local government author-ities before answer for the Ministry. One of the regional some years. ‘We’re not simply going to rise anything is arranged. However, four municigovernment’s important responsibilities is to from the bottom right to the top, just like palities coming together with the province continuously innovate the technical curricula that. Having ASML in the region will make it for Dutch TechZone has created significant and attract more young people to technology, a bit easier: An OEM like that carries SMEs support. Arends: ‘We take SMEs very serioussays alderman Arends. Being able to do a along with it. Other regions may be further ly. As a municipality, we’re going to move technical course for free, for example, could along than us, but we’re catching up.’ from a supply-driven approach to more of be a good measure. But it takes too long to a demand-driven one. What’s more, we’re wait for the Ministry. ‘That’s why we’re trying getting an ever-stronger partner to work with. to sort things out for our own region by Until recently, the business community was looking at the essential innovations together www.dutchtechzone.nl somewhat fragmented, with many companies with all relevant parties. www.landes.nl just doing their own thing. As a region, we’re All the discussion will help vocational educawww.emmen.nl

Special Issue - High-tech Northern Netherlands - November 2018

35

isah.com

MORE RELIABILITY ON DELIVERY? MAKE IT WITH ISAH

Isah Shop Floor Control is an application that provides up-to-date insight into the work to be carried out. 100% paperless. Via a touch screen, you see all the relevant information immediately: the hours, the usage and the output. This gives you better insight into progress and allows you to give other parties information about order status. So you can work more eďŹƒciently, and oer better customer service. Make it with Isah.