Link 2016 Oost Nederland Special E

SMART INDUSTRY IN THE EASTERN NETHERLANDS: BREEDING GROUND FOR INNOVATION AND GROWTH

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

Special

2015/2016

BOOSTING SMART INDUSTRY FROM MASTERCLASS TO FIELD LAB CROSS-OVERS OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WITH FOOD, HEALTH AND THE CREATIVE SECTOR PLENTY ‘ROUND THE CORNER’

REMEHA: A FINE EXAMPLE OF EAST NETHERLANDS OPTIMISATION

LEAN PRODUCTION IN THE CHAIN

DENNIS SCHIPPER DEMCON GROEP

‘GOVERNMENT, START STEERING THINGS MORE IN TERMS OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES’

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DENNIS

NEWS Dennis Schipper (Demcon Groep): ‘Government, start steering things more in terms of job opportunities’ Boost: Smart Industry in the Eastern Netherlands – Entrepreneurs at the helm GREAT renewable energy project helps get innovations onto the international market Health innovators and high-tech manufacturing sector find each other Round table discussion on the relationship between government and (smart) industry: Focus on manufacturing companies in the ‘Baden-Württemberg of the Netherlands’ Food partnership: Dutch innovation, Canadian springboard CENTREFOLD Smart Industry in the Eastern Netherlands: breeding ground for innovation and growth Cross-overs create market opportunities for food innovation, from apples to French fries HR policy and growth going hand in hand at AWL Plenty of funding opportunities for start-ups but still room for improvement NieuweWeme has a powerful engine for growth in container building A fine example of East Netherlands optimisation: Lean production in the chain Joint visit to exhibition creates network at home and abroad VIRO and IMS develop generic control software for ‘4.0’ production platform SHORTCUTS Creative sector, too, seeking cross-over with manufacturing industry

SMART ORGANISING

I was very pleased to be invited by the publishers of Link to contribute to this special. Because although we at Demcon are doing more and more internationally and we have a fast-growing site in Eindhoven – besides other locations – we are still based in and connected with Enschede, Twente and the Eastern Netherlands.

The region is close to my heart – out of self-interest, certainly, but there is more to it.

I encounter them and read about them in Link, the ‘gems’ which are so characteristic of the manufacturing industry in the Eastern Netherlands – firms which are working in smart and innovative ways and are growing steadily. I am pleased to have been able to put forward a few of them for this special. Some of them are already working on smart industry. There has been a lot of talk about smart industry lately; here in the Eastern Netherlands, firms are already engaged in ‘smart’ cutting, bending, welding, furniture-making, data exchange and lots more.

In some cases, those ‘gems’ fail to speak up for themselves, which means they are not visible to knowledge institutes, the authorities don’t know how to support their growth and investors hold back.

That’s something we, together, must try to prevent happening in the future. And it’s possible, as I know from my own experience, when it comes to investment capital. Since Demcon has been working on its incubator, private parties have started showing an interest in investing in the start-ups and growing firms we are supporting. These investors are beating a path to our door at the Demcon Campus – perhaps it’s a little premature to say that, but the plans are certainly looking good. Let this be a symbol for the ecosystem I see emerging in the Eastern Netherlands. Where companies – large and small – innovate and grow, where knowledge institutes and government agencies are open to the needs of that diversity of businesses, and where public and private investors are able to provide the necessary resources. If we are smart in the way we organise this, things are going to work out just fine for the emerging smart industry in the Eastern Netherlands.

At the request of Link Magazine, Dennis Schipper acted as guest editor for this Eastern Netherlands special, with the enterprising spirit for which he is well known. Our thanks go out to him.

The publishers, Mireille & John van Ginkel

DENNIS SCHIPPER CEO Demcon Groep www.demcon.nl

PUBLICATION INFORMATION Magazine

COLOFON

This special issue entitled ‘Smart Industry in the Eastern Netherlands: breeding ground for innovation and growth’ is a supplement to the February 2016 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.

2015/2016 PUBLISHED BY H&J Uitgevers Mireille van Ginkel P.O. Box 101, 2900 AC Capelle a/d IJssel (010) 451 55 10 06 51 78 41 97 (010) 451 53 80 (fax) www.linkmagazine.nl

ADVISORY COUNCIL J. Beernink MSc (Golden Egg Check), ing. B. Draaijer (KLS Netherlands), J.A.L.M. van Erp MSc (Holland HighTech), ir. J.F.M.E. Geelen (Océ), ir. R. van Giessel (former CEO Philips CFT), ing. A.L. Goudriaan MBA (Bosal), ing. J.B.P. Hol (Legrand Group), ir. T.J.J. van der Horst (TNO), prof. dr. ir. J.G.H. Joosten (Dutch Polymer Institute), ir. W. Jouwsma (Bronkhorst High-Tech), R.J.C.M. Kok (former president OTB Group), ir. M.W.C.M. van den Oetelaar (Bosch Rexroth), ir. Th.J.O. Pehrson (Festo), dr. ir. M. Peters (president & CEO Moba Group), dr. ir. D.A. Schipper (Demcon), E. Severijn (Siemens PLM Software Benelux), 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 (Frencken Europe), prof. dr. L.H.J. Verhoef (TU Eindhoven), W.B.M. van Wanrooij (IBN Productie), ir. S.J. Wittermans (ASML) EDITOR IN CHIEF Martin A.M. van Zaalen, Dennis Schipper (guest editor in chief) FINAL EDITING Hans van Eerden, redactie@linkmagazine.nl THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ISSUE Maaike Büchner, Pim Campman, Tamara Franke, Lucy Holl, Wilma Schreiber

COVER PHOTO Arjan Reef TRANSLATION Powerling Nederland, Bunnik GRAPHIC DESIGN Primo!Studio, Delft PRINTED BY Ten Brink Offset, Meppel SUBSCRIPTION u 63.50 per annum EDITORS’ ADDRESS P.O. Box 101, 2900 AC Capelle a/d IJssel The Netherlands redactie@linkmagazine.nl ADVERTISING OPERATIONS John van Ginkel john.vanginkel@linkmagazine.nl (010) 451 55 10, 06 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.

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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NEWS TWENTE TECHNOLOGY PACT: LEARNING TO PROGRAMME Smart Industry is an important theme for the Twente Technology Pact, explains programme director Ton Beune. ‘We want to present the region as high-tech, and are focusing primarily on the high-tech systems and materials (HTSM) top economic sector. You can consider the Technology Pact as part of the Human Capital agenda for Smart Industry. Due to increasing production automation and robotisation, alongside traditional craftsmanship, we need to focus more on craftsmen and women who know about programming and ICT specialists who understand what’s going on in production processes. That’s why we’ll be tying in our activities with national initiatives in primary schools to focus on program-

ming. We’re also establishing links with Saxion University of Applied Sciences, where the first LEGO Education Innovation Studio in continental Europe is based. At the studio, children can familiarise themselves with technology and programming while playing.’

Although employment in HTSM is falling nationally, in Twente it’s still growing. So the Technology Pact will need to pull out all the stops to stimulate the recruitment, promotion and retention of technical talent. The figures paint a positive picture, although of course there are multiple factors at work here. For example, the intake in technical subjects at higher secondary and pre-university level is above the national average in Twente and the proportion of

students in technical study programmes at Saxion and University of Twente is increasing steadily, having reached 33% in 2014.

Beune: ‘And we need to take it even further, because the objective for 2020 is that 40% of secondary school leavers will opt for further education in technology.’ The growth potential of the high-tech manufacturing industry is another reason why the Technology Pact is working in partnership with Twente Branding in order to make the region attractive to Twente alumni currently working elsewhere and to experienced workers from abroad. Another action point is retaining foreign students for the region after they graduate.

The refugee issue is very current.

Beune is now exploring the

options for placing highly qualified individuals from this category with firms in Twente.

A new focus area is the development of local agendas in order to strengthen the link between schools and firms at a local level.

‘That way, we can inspire children about technology at an earlier stage. Of course it’s exciting to visit UT or Saxion, but there are lots of technology firms just around the corner, for example where their parents may work.

That speaks directly to children’s experience. Let schools bring in local entrepreneurs to talk to the children.’ www.techniekpacttwente.nl

HUMAN TALENT FOR GELDERLAND PAPER that goal. For example, we’ve established an internship agency, which arranges work placements at intermediate and higher vocational level for companies and educational institutions.’

The Netherlands has no degree course specialising in paper, so there is no ready-made supply of interns. ‘We have to get them from study programmes in chemistry and process technology. It’s in that light that we’re strengthening our relationship with An ‘open house’ is one way to improve the image of the paper industry among young people. Photo: VAPA the Chemistry study programme at HAN University of Applied Sciences and the Dutch paper, cardboard, and With eight firms and around the process technology talent procorrugated cardboard industry, to 2,200 employees in the paper and gramme at ISPT (Institute for Susset up the project ‘Human Talent cardboard industry, Gelderland is tainable Process Technology, ed.). for Gelderland paper’ with the the ‘paper province’ of the As regards the intermediate vocaprovince of Gelderland.

Netherlands. Like many other sectional level, we are in contact with ‘Everyone uses paper and cardtors, the paper industry is having Graafschap College in Doetinboard, but they don’t realise how to deal with a dwindling intake of chem and Aventus in Apeldoorn it’s made, let alone that it’s made well-trained technical staff, such about incorporating paper techhere in Gelderland,’ says project as operators, technicians and pronology into their regular study manager Joris Spaan. The goal of cess technologists, at intermediate programmes.’ In another test proand higher vocational level. More- the project is to develop and ject, a baseline measurement was retain technical talent, promote over, there will be a major outflow developed. ‘We now have a profile recruitment and improve the of staff retiring in the next few of the operator in 2020. When sector’s image. ‘We’ve set up test years. This has prompted VAPA, firms are hiring people now, projects in order to work towards the training centre run by and for

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East Netherlands Special – February 2016

they’ll know what they need to focus on. They can perform this baseline measurement to find out where there is room for improvement. In the test project for human resource development, we look at what competencies are required by employees on the work floor, so that companies can offer their people suitable development opportunities. To that end, we want to draw up sectorwide competency profiles.’

The ‘Human Talent for Gelderland paper’ project is being funded by the paper companies and the province of Gelderland. The project ends in April 2016, but the companies want to extend it because the first successes have already been seen, notes Spaan. ‘For example, 25 higher vocational interns have already been placed. Without the project, this wouldn’t have happened. And the companies are now discussing strategic HR policy together; they are no longer poaching operators from one another.

The step to improve the sector’s image has been taken; now the firms want to ensure employee development and retention and support for recruitment in a new organisational form, the Human Factory. Discussions with the province about providing support are still ongoing.’ www.vapa.nl

MARKET ON THE HORIZON With his software firm Luminis, Jaap de Rijk completed various assignments for Philips Analytical (now PANalytical). There, he met Johannes Bethke. When in 2010 Bethke decided to independently develop an idea for a new principle of materials analysis using Xray technology, Luminis expressed an interest in participating. Together they set up EnTech Scientific in 2010. They were sure there would be no shortage of applications, but they decided to initially focus on the security domain.

With grants from various programmes (Interreg, Point-One and Eurostars), they conducted some fairly fundamental research.

Following proof-of-principle, patent applications and successful lab experiments, it was time for market-scale industrialisation.

Besides looking for investors, EnTech submitted a project proposal to the EU. The Horizon 2020 SME Instrument offered opportunities, and security fitted in seamlessly with the themes of that programme. ‘Security was already a core theme in Europe and it has only become more so in recent years. Within that field, we

chose airport security, and in particular screening luggage for prohibited substances such as explosives. With our method, we can identify a broad range of materials behind a barrier, so suitcases no longer have to be unpacked when they are checked. We can detect solids but also liquids – differentiating us from other luggage screening methods based on Xray technology.’

Enschede-based EnTech submitted a so-called phase I application to Horizon 2020 to have the relevance of the concept assessed within the programme. Once this had been confirmed, the company turned to the East Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV, for assistance with the phase II application. ‘They helped us with that and also contacted experts at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO.nl, to review the proposal, which improved it. We submitted the application late last year and are now waiting with bated breath. We want to develop our prototype into a system that can be integrated into large luggage scanning systems at airports.’

Existing EnTech partners include

Screening luggage for prohibited substances. Illustration: EnTech

VIRO (Hengelo, Overijssel) for the mechatronic system design, Luminis Arnhem for the software, the US firm Canberra for the further development of the detection system, the Netherlands Forensic Institute for experiments with explosives, and the German Fraunhofer Institute for certification.

‘We want to conduct real-life tests at two airports and are looking for investors with the help of Oost NV’s venture capital company PPM Oost. The phase 1 application has given us visibility in the

European network. For instance, we were invited to participate in the EU’s High-Tech Investment Programme and got the opportunity to present ourselves at an ‘investor summit’, the Alpine High-tech Venture Forum in Lausanne, where we won the Best Presentation Award in our category.’

In this way, EnTech has managed to expand its horizons in Europe. www.entech-scientific.eu www.oostnv.nl www.ppmoost.nl www.rvo.nl

NEW IMPULSE FOR SMART BENDING FACTORY In late January, several Smart Industry projects in the Eastern Netherlands were granted funding from OP-Oost, the EFRD Operational Programme 2014-2020 for the Eastern Netherlands. The Smart Bending Factory, the frontrunner among the national field labs (see page 8), was awarded €2 million – one half from the national government, the other half from Gelderland (EFRD and the provincial authority). Other projects to be awarded subsidies included SLIM2 and FreeForm, each to the tune of nearly €600,000.

In the SLIM2 project, a consortium is working on a new flexible production platform with innovative systems for total process control and quality control. The goal is to develop a new generation of ‘smart industry’ production

resources, resulting in an advanced flexible production process (Smart Manufacturing Platform) for the high-tech manufacturing industry.

The FreeForm project is designed to create a standardised system platform with a high degree of

flexibility for packaging various foods. This is a response to the far-reaching standardisation of packaging, which offers the food industry only very limited variation and hardly any opportunities to distinguish itself. FreeForm technology is designed to offer

optimum freedom of form, by matching product and packaging, resulting in reduced investment costs, a lower cost price, shorter switching times and faster manufacturing for businesses. www.op-oost.eu

WORKING VISIT TO SOUTHERN GERMANY The Southern German federal states of Bavaria and BadenWürttemberg – together the industrial high-tech motor of the German economy – are actively seeking collaboration with European regions. This has prompted the Dutch consul general in Munich, Peter Vermeij, to invite Dutch regions on working visits.

This spring it is Overijssel’s turn.

The seeds were sown during a

meeting between Vermeij and the Twente Board. A small delegation led by the Overijssel representative for the economy, Eddy van Hijum, will be in Munich on 28 and 29 April. Their visit will coincide with ‘Second King’s Day’ – traditionally a day on which the Dutch embassies and consulates hold receptions. Van Hijum’s retinue will include several entrepreneurs and representatives of

Kennispark Twente, including the University of Twente and the TPRC research centre. Meetings with state ministers and employers’ organisations are on the agenda. There will also be a return visit and the East Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV, can start organising trade missions to Southern Germany. munchen.nlconsulaat.org

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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DENNIS SCHIPPER LOOKS BEYOND DEMCON’S EXPANSION

GROWING GEM CALLS FOR ATTENTION TO BE PAID TO FELLOW GEMS High-end technology supplier Demcon experienced growth of nearly 25% in 2015.

Autonomously – in medical systems and the new business unit of industrial systems – as well as through takeovers. Add to this Demcon’s incubator function and its ambitions in terms of serial production, and you have an explanation as to why Demcon is once again on the point of bursting out of its head office in Enschede, which it moved into in 2013. CEO Dennis Schipper is dreaming of a Demcon Campus providing space for further expansion. And of regional authorities that put companies exhibiting robust growth year after year at the heart of their economic policy.

Demcon’s head office in Enschede, with the recently added production facilities on the right.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

ast year Demcon hired nearly 50 staff, bringing the total complement to 250.

Distributed across the head office in Enschede, the former premises of Ericsson R&D that Demcon moved into in 2013, expanded with the addition of production facilities, and the sites in Eindhoven (the already bulging Brainport satellite), Amsterdam, Oldenzaal and Groningen in the Netherlands and Münster in Germany. And this year CEO Dennis Schipper is intending to take on another 50 employees. Demcon became big in high-tech systems, but the largest business unit is now medical devices, which contributes 50% of turnover. This was down to previous takeovers, such as Finapres Medical Systems (non-invasive blood pressure monitors) and Macawi Medical Systems (respiratory equipment), which brought serial production and market presence, particularly in Germany. 2015 saw the addition of Inbiolab (measuring muscle tension) and Nymus 3D (visualisations for such fields as medical science). Furthermore, the new business unit, industrial systems, is proving to be a terrific success. Demcon launched the unit in 2014, in part to reduce the dependence on the fitful semiconductor industry by means of speciality machine building for various sectors. It goes without saying that ASML is still a major customer. Demcon is continuing to build test systems for them.

L

AWARDS 2015 was the year of the awards. For years, the high-profile Demcon had only enjoyed modest rankings in Link’s own Dutch Industrial Suppliers Awards. However, at the end of last year, Demcon’s moment of glory had arrived, with the company being selected as best knowledge supplier. Dennis Schipper gave a relieved response: ‘I must admit it’s great to win an award. I think we deserved this award. We’ve been devising solutions for our customers for over two decades now, providing input from as early as the development phase and creating unique products together. This award is for all 250 people working at Demcon.’ He’s almost even more pleased with the award landed by his co-director, Peter Rutgers, the ‘technical brains’ of the company. DSPE (Dutch Society for Precision

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Engineering) presented Rutgers with the Rien Koster Award, named after the godfather of precision construction and positioning. At the University of Twente, Koster paved the way for the region’s mechatronics, of which Demcon is a prominent exponent. Schipper carried out his doctoral research under Koster and during that period collaborated with student Peter Rutgers. Together they went on to set up Demcon, in 1993. Schipper: ‘Peter is important. If we’re sitting round the table with a customer and he’s present, then straight away we’ve got ourselves a good story with plenty of substance. It’s terrific that he won that award.’

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

2015’s award winners, Peter Rutgers and Dennis Schipper.

In addition to the rise of industrial systems, Schipper considers the rapid internationalisation of his company to be remarkable.

‘Some 20% of our turnover stems from abroad, from Germany and Belgium to Singapore and Japan. We are particularly focusing our efforts on Germany. Why look to Palo Alto or China when you can still do plenty of business with the neighbour? We’ve already been there a couple of times with a trade delegation. Accessible, with the right companies and people in the group, ensuring that we get to know each other properly as well.’

DEMCON CAMPUS One consequence of the steady growth is that Demcon is already outgrowing its head office, a mere three years after moving into it. ‘We’re being held back by our production hall, where we produce medical products and carry out the speciality machine building, which are often large-scale projects in a physical sense.

There are several vacant buildings here in the oldest section of the Business & Science Park (BSP) in Enschede. We could move our scaled-up production lines and the big projects to one of these. Our incubator would fit in there too. We’ve already got a waiting list of parties looking to rent from us. Start-ups from the University of Twente (UT) as well as expanding businesses are keen to be part of our concept. We’re offering flexible accommodation, coaching the young entrepreneurs, if need be providing them with engineering at in-company rates and giving them access to our workshop. We invest in some of them too.

Having them here boosts our image, so it’s a win-win situation. We’re introducing them to our customers, and they also work for us.’

Demcon is now in talks with a project development firm. ‘They do a lot of science parks and have a feel for incubators, buildings with meeting points where you can’t avoid one another. To take one example, I want to create a connection with the University of Twente and create a campus here. This part of the BSP needs to regain its high-tech image by means of a quality boost, so that our highly educated

Dennis Schipper: ‘My message to the government: ‘You’ve forgotten those growth businesses. Start steering things more in terms of job opportunities.’’ Photos: Arjan Reef

employees enjoy working and being there. The local and provincial authorities are aware of this and everyone is enthusiastic, because they’re seeing that something is finally happening here once more.’ Schipper looks with interest at the campus being developed around Thales in Hengelo, the High Tech Systems Park Twente. ‘That’s a positive development, with great facilities. You can see it’s attracting businesses. Which is why I want a Demcon Campus here.’

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Demcon is also looking to invest in the public sphere, and conversely Dennis Schipper is expecting initiative on the part of the public sector. ‘A substantial portion of government investment for innovation is currently being put into universities, thereby fostering startups and inventions, but I’m not seeing any multiplier in terms of jobs. My opinion is that the government has a duty to invest in programmes that will generate employment opportunities within the foreseeable future, two to three years. Demcon itself was a startup, of course, but the government ought to be focusing not just on those start-ups and universities but also on bolstering and improving existing industry. Get the government to start talking with the companies that are growing by 10% per annum or more. Ask them how the government can facilitate them so as to enable them to grow at an even swifter pace.

That doesn’t have to be done by injecting capital; it could in the form of other things, such as infrastructure.’

Schipper isn’t so much asking for the sake of Demcon, as he’s perfectly capable of fending for himself and knows how to approach authorities and educational institutes. However, plenty of fellow businesses that are doing well and growing year after year are not making waves and are being overlooked by the authorities. ‘I know plenty of local gems here, companies growing by 50 staff a year or which have doubled in size over a three-year period.

Stop focusing solely on those start-ups, because if you open your eyes, you’ll see there are enough existing companies with opportunities for growth. Do you want to steer things purely in terms of inventions or primarily in terms of job opportunities? I’m not negatively disposed towards the government; I just want to help, by trying to organise the industry better and have it actually function as a discussion partner for those regional and provincial authorities. If medium-term growth in terms of job opportunities is their KPI, then they will have to invite the industry to come up with proposals, sign an agreement on these with one another and then settle up.

If a company doesn’t fulfil the terms of the agreement and doesn’t achieve that growth in terms of sustainable jobs, it will automatically become a less interesting discussion partner for the government. At present, I’m trying to set up a network in conjunction with a few colleagues, concerned regional high-tech entrepreneurs, that aims to achieve that growth.’ www.demcon.nl

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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BOOST: SMART INDUSTRY IN THE EASTERN NETHERLANDS

ENTREPRENEURS AT THE HELM Following the launch of the National Smart Industry Action Agenda in 2014, the Eastern Netherlands was quick to take the Agenda to the regional level. In the first series of national field labs, the Eastern Netherlands provided active input.

Entrepreneurs took the lead, one initiative being masterclasses which also covered business modelling. Last February, the Boost action agenda was launched.

An initial balance sheet.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

S

mart Industry it is all about integrating IT and advanced technologies into the industrial production chain.

Boost – the action agenda for Smart Industry in the Eastern Netherlands – supports the manufacturing industry looking to develop in smart ways in accordance with this philosophy. In doing so, the companies are improving their international competitive positions and, by means of cross-overs – or so the intention is – also those of sectors such as HTSM, Agrifood, Energy and Environmental

Technology and Life Sciences & Health. In February 2015, Boost was launched by nearly 30 partners and a fruitful partnership of SMEs and larger firms, knowledge institutes, industry bodies and regional government is fast developing. The first year was all about building up and raising awareness, with lots of information meetings, workshops, Smart Cafés and initiatives for field labs, etc.

BENDING Field labs are a priority area: practical environments in which firms and knowledge institutes develop, test and implement Smart

Industry solutions in a targeted way. The Eastern Netherlands has been involved in a number of national field labs through Boost.

Of these field labs, the Smart Bending Factory and Secure Connected Systems Garden have their roots in the region. They are all highly active.

‘At 247TailorSteel, the 2D production of cut sheet and tubing has been fully digitised and automated. In the Smart Bending Factory field lab, we want to move on up to 3D by incorporating the next steps, starting with bending.’ So says Michaël Hazersloot, manager of the Smart Bending Factory at 247TailorSteel in Varsseveld. ‘In support of this process, we submitted an EFRD application (now approved, ed.) in September 2015.

Alongside all the laser cutting machines, we now have two new press brakes featuring fully automatic tool change. The customer uploads its STEP-file, SOPHIA (Sophisticated Intelligent Analyser) analyses the product, divides it into flat sheet, tubing and bended plate, and generates cutting and bending programs and a quotation ‘in a few mouse clicks’.

We are currently testing and rolling out the software developed by 247TailorSteel inhouse, together with our seven partner companies and educational institutes in the field lab. This enables customers to reduce their lead times from weeks to days and see their overall costs fall by 20-25 percent. The first results are highly encouraging.’

SHARING

247TailorSteel has two press brakes set up for the Smart Bending Factory.

INSPIRATIONAL ANNUAL EVENT 2016 In early February, the national Smart Industry Annual Event 2016 was held, with the Eastern Netherlands being the partner region. Many of the subjects described in this article were discussed in Apeldoorn.

The inspirational event was brimming with state-ofthe-art novelties and pitches from leaders in the field, and offered opportunities for meetings and entertainment (a robot band). Speakers like Willem Vermeend (professor and publicist), Ad van Berlo (design studio VanBerlo) and Marc Hendrikse (NTS-

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Group) shared their ‘lessons learned’ and ‘best practices’. Other speakers were Gerben Edelijn, CEO of Thales Nederland (host to the Secure Connected Systems Garden), Marjolein Boezel (Van Raam) and Maarten van Riemsdijk (Saxion).

By co-organising the event, Boost underscored the leading position which the Eastern Netherlands is aiming for in Smart Industry. www.smartindustry.nl/jaarevent

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

The ‘Garden’ is all about safely sharing data, explains Evelien Bras, Business Innovation Manager at Thales in Hengelo (Overijssel).

‘Smart Industry involves companies from the entire chain being digitally linked together in all kinds of ways. It is a single production process carried out by multiple firms which operate as one in order to be internationally competitive. That calls for an increased focus on cyber security. Our projects involve online cooperation, which requires trust. Therefore, in the field lab, we are working on cybersecurity solutions for Smart Industry, with some twenty companies and research institutes.

My personal view is that Smart Industry is a good fit for the Eastern Netherlands given its industrial background, high network density and a pragmatic streak.’ There are two projects running in the field lab. The construction of a secure infrastructure is designed to enable safe data sharing. A second project involves working on an extended PLM – Product Lifecycle

CRAFTSMANSHIP AND HIGH-TECH IN THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY ‘Having started out as a traditional furniture factory known for our chairs, we are developing to become a specialist in 3D solid wooden components which we make in ‘single-piece flow’ and are able to assemble into anything. Because the market is asking us for fast, flexible and customer-specific, even personalised products. Our production is being digitised and organised in accordance with the principles of Lean Manufacturing and Quick Response Manufacturing. We are linking our craftsmanship to highly modern technology, allowing us to speed up production to an extent that the local furniture maker or a manufacturer which only has a high-tech machine cannot achieve. The big furniture brands are now making full use of the opportunities we offer. Through the East Netherlands Development Agency, we have established contacts with the University of Twente and the Smart Furniture Industry test bed in order to be able to make this switch.’ www.bsmfactory.com Jan Stroo, CEO BSM Factory (Borculo)

Management – across multiple organisations that are interconnected in a safe way.

WELDING Additionally, a Smart Welding Factory has been set up in which 12 companies from the

Achterhoek and Twente regions work together on robot welding solutions. ‘We are already building ‘smart’ salt spreaders: assembled according to specific customer requirements using standard modules’, explains participant Fred Harbers, technical director of Aebi

Schmidt Nederland in Holten. ‘But we were still looking for support for high-quality welding on single products and small production runs, because we were having trouble converting a CAD drawing to a robot welding program. That’s why we took the initiative for

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East Netherlands Special – February 2016

9

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A ‘Smart Industry’ facility at Thales: the production unit for printed circuit boards. Photos: Willem van Walderveen

this field lab together with the firm Gems from Vorden, which builds tanks and apparatus. Together with NIL (Netherlands institute for laser technology), LAC (Laser Application Centre) and robot suppliers, we are working on the solution: a collection of smaller partial welding programs which can be used to build up a complete welding program for a new product quickly and flexibly.’

The same is true of other initiatives. In partnership with the National Campione field lab, Boost is working under the name Camino on a field lab around preventive maintenance of infrastructure such as roads, water works and electricity supply. There are also field labs under development in Flexible Manufacturing and Smart Furniture Industry, and a Thermoplastic Application Centre is on the way where SMEs can explore the potential for switching to thermoplastic composite. Another initiative is centred around the possibilities and potential applications of augmented reality.

NEW SKILLS Smart Industry makes new demands of employees’ knowledge and skills. For automation and digitisation and for new technologies such as 3D printing and robotisation.

Besides providing intermediate vocational education (MBO) programmes, the universities of applied sciences in the Eastern Netherlands (HAN, Saxion and Windesheim) are also developing new educational programmes (minors and masters) around the theme of Smart Industry and providing additional training for existing employees. They have also established lectureships, through which tutors and students can help companies with the introduction of Smart Industry. What’s more, there are courses in programming robots, for instance, being developed at several locations.

‘At Saxion, we’re looking at the socio-economic aspects as well as the technology,’ says Maarten van Riemsdijk, Welding at Aebi Schmidt.

lecturer in Smart Industry & Human Capital, Saxion Academy for People and Work. ‘To this end, we’ve set up a Smart Industry Network and are sharing our strengths in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship, identity marketing, international business, HRM, organisational studies and ethics. We’re investigating what Smart Industry means for people, companies and society. In the future, people will work differently and will need different skills; companies will need to organise themselves differently, develop new business models and look for new ways of collaborating. We’re working with companies such as Thales, Trumpf, Norma, Voortman Steel, WWINN, Bronkhorst High-Tech and Pas Reform. I am worried about those companies that fail to get on board with Smart Industry.

We want to offer them concrete help, for example in reconfiguring their production processes, improving how teams work together and shifting greater responsibility to the work floor. We’re launching a new master’s programme this year and we can also provide additional training for existing employees.

Conversely, we’re also learning a lot from the companies.’

FLEXIBLE PROGRESS ON THE ROAD TO ‘THE SMART FACTORY’ It is important to the Eastern Netherlands that companies and knowledge institutes are jointly exploring the opportunities of flexible and customer-specific – ‘first time right’ – manufacturing at a lower cost.

Vosteq Industry Consulting Group in Almelo is actively engaged in this quest. Directors Harry van de Vosse and Willem Lenselink: ‘Over the past three years, we have supported more than 60 customers in improving production and making their production automation more profitable. For example, we help them optimise the interplay of organisation, logistics and technology and write functional specifications for the purchase of a good automation solution. So far, we have helped six customers attain the level of ‘smart factory’, with work preparation and production

being digitised and automated in an integrated fashion.’

This approach appealed to Kennispark Twente and the East Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV. It was one of the reasons that prompted them to facilitate steps towards the start of an intended test bed, Flexible Manufacturing, through Boost and put together a network. Interested partners include the University of Twente, Saxion University of Applied Sciences and companies like Demcon, Lionix and Z-Tech. They are looking for flexible production processes and concepts in which ICT and systems collaborate in a flexible manner, are configurable for multiple tasks and can easily be expanded by adding modules. ‘In the intended test bed, we will be working on these the-

mes. We want to make our knowledge and experience more accessible to the market by developing simulation building blocks. These will help us to come up with a recommendation more quickly.

Perhaps this will lead to a simulator for production process improvements and a configurator for the specification of flexible and more profitable automation solutions.’

www.vosteq.nl

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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sessions inspiring and have put what they have learned to tangible use in their firms. They also stay in touch with one another in order to share knowledge and experiences.

PRACTICAL

Impression of a masterclass. Photo: Stan Bouman

MASTERCLASSES Companies such as Royal Lovink Industries and 247TailorSteel, together with ACT, the Oost NV regional development agency and CIVON (East Netherlands Centre for Innovative Expertise), took the initiative to set up masterclasses in Smart Industry & Business Modelling. Under the motto ‘for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs’, a learning pathway consisting of a series of seven interactive masterclasses was established. In January 2015, the concrete preparations began, and on 1 June the first meeting was held, attended by ten high-tech manufacturing companies from the Achterhoek region. Alongside Lovink and 247TailorSteel, companies such as Kupan, Van Raam, Bronkhorst High-Tech and CAD2M also took part. Each firm brought a team of between four and six people along.

During the masterclasses, the participants discussed matters with each other, while experts shared their knowledge and insights about strategy and business models, technology trends, production technologies, digitisation, data analytics, innovation and marketing, plus the human factor. Participants found the

programmes. Kees Nieuwenhuijse, director of CIVON in Doetinchem: ‘Graafschap College’s MBO Engineering programme focuses more on linking IT to production. They have already invested in four robots; students can learn how to control these robots using internet applications. Preparations are also underway for a two-year associate degree programme in Smart Industry, which HAN University of Applied Sciences will be offering in Doetinchem. We’re also working in partnership with Saxion.’

Marjonne van den Hout, project SERVICES AS WELL manager for the One of the participants in the first series of masterclasses: ‘The masterclasses was Van Raam from Varsseveld. national Smart ‘We build 24 different models of modified, Industry project mainly electric bicycles which we assemble to agency acknowledges that we are going furthe customer’s specific requirements. We have ther than merely raising awareness, which is robotised part of our production, and other what most initiatives have limited themselves business processes are also automated’, to so far. Entrepreneurs work out plans, preexplains financial/HRM director Marjolein sent them during the last session and receive Boezel. ‘We took part because we want to keep feedback from their peers. You don't see that up with developments around Smart Industry. practical step being taken anywhere else. This It was an eye-opener for us: in the masterclass, is in line with the desired profile of the we worked out a business model which we are Achterhoek region and its extensive manufacturing industry as a centre for Smart Industry.’ The next series of masterclasses starts in Ulft on 19 April 2016. A total of three series will be held this year, each for 10 companies.

CIVON hosted the masterclasses at the ICER innovation centre in Ulft and listened in on conversations to be able to translate the Van Raam is developing an app for reading the performance of their electric bicycles on a outcomes to new study smart phone.

SMART IMPROVEMENTS TO MANUFACTURING PROCESSES ‘IJssel Technologie helps customers become more competitive by means of smart organisation and maintenance of their manufacturing processes. We advise companies on how they can continually improve their production organisation by putting customer value first in all their processes. IJssel Technologie has increased its focus on technical automation in order to be able to improve processes in even smarter ways. Therefore, at the end of last year we took over Technaut Automation Solutions, raising the number of IJssel Technologie staff to approx. 400. We test new technologies – for example big data, collaborative robotics and augmented reality – against our Smart principles, before using them in smart ways. Because we are convinced that humans are the decisive factor in improvement, we have set up the IJT Academy for our own employees

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and our customers’ employees.

The academy also contributes to the Smart Industry & Business Modelling masterclasses in the Achterhoek region. In our Smart Industry workshop, participants can familiarise themselves with new technologies and the Smart principles, and work on building a customer-specific, reliable and efficient process.’ ijsseltechnologie.nl The Smart Industry workshop at IJT Academie covers such subjects as configure-to-order, augmented reality, 3D printing and collaborative robotics.

Rien Slingerland CEO of IJssel Technologie (head office, Zwolle)

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

OPPORTUNITIES IN EUROPE An industrial revolution, or evolution, is taking place control. Entrepreneurs in the manufacturing industry worldwide under monikers such as Industry 4.0 and who want to benefit from the project can apply to Smart Industry. As such, the European Union has Kennispark Twente and the Eastern Netherlands designated this as an important theme in its reseDevelopment Agency, Oost NV. MIND focuses on arch and subsidy programmes. This offers compathe development of innovative products, processes nies, very clearly also SMEs, opportunities for interand services that provide answers to the economic national cooperation. For instance, various field labs and social challenges in healthcare in the Netherin the Eastern Netherlands have already received lands and Germany. There are three themes that subsidies from the European Fund for Regional MIND addresses: domiciliary care, self-manageDevelopment (EFRD). More than 20 European ment and telemedicine; medical devices; and regions are working together in clusters on themes prevention. Other Interreg projects include Rocket such as sustainable energy, the semiconductor (Regional Collaboration on Key Enabling Technoloindustry, the bio-based economy and value added gies), FOOD2020 (product and process developmanufacturing as part of the Vanguard – New ment, reduced use of raw materials and the food Growth through Smart Specialisation – programme. labour market) and S2M (Sustainable Surfaces & Within the framework of Vanguard, provinces and Membranes – sustainable, multifunctional materials partner regions can together set up EU projects that for antimicrobial surfaces and membrane technoare open to SMEs in the Eastern Netherlands. logies). All the projects will start in the course of A feature of the new Horizon 2020 programme is 2016 with the participation of dozens of German large international consortia, within which research and Dutch firms; support possibilities are still institutes are working together with large and smalavailable for iPro, Rocket, MIND and Food 2020. ler companies. For instance, the Horizon 2020 info@oostnv.nl programme Manunet III offers technology SMEs www.eu-opportunities.eu funding for R&D activities, to get a foothold in new national or international markets and to strengthen their competitive positions. From 2017, subject to approval from Brussels, Manunet III will be open to businesses in the Eastern Netherlands; the funding will come from the proan.0 is H vinces of Gelderland and Overustry 4 d In d h n T e u show. nts aro ijssel. The likelihood of an applil trade elopme ia v tr e s d e then u c r d t fo and sin cation being approved is greater rgest in cal poin 2014, rld’s la o in , the The fo y w y ll tr e n Natura than for other Horizon 2020 er cou esse, th nnover. e partn a r firms nover M e th H ff s o in a l d il projects. ands w oost w resente B p . re o ril to ly Netherl ong late Ap ented Last year, various projects were een str repres show in is e d s o a d it has b c n tr a h ae developed for the new Interreg VA s to th Netherl tion wit d repara eir visit p Eastern th e r s fo ri ities an p Germany-Netherlands programme – upport s activ ill com s u w o e ri s rt e a lo o v th c supp up on lf, with some funded by the provinces. Of ar. This eisit itse llowing v fo e a g th this ye , ’ , in 6 sp advice , includ er 201 d v re those, iPro (Intelligent Products and n o a a n n rc g a e chin elderrep4H and aft urs in G aking, Processes) in particular is linked to e title ‘P eprene cting matchm tr nder th n U e n . r o e d fo ‘C ne ts ma Smart Industry; the project delivers ICT motto eloped v e e th d contac r n nover in e bee in Han y. Und er has innovations for product and process industr gether g to n cial off e interg ri in th tu c da’ on everyth n manufa g e n g ’s ri A d b n n la st will y Actio ts’, Boo Industr the Do ‘Smart e th t pu order to map. l a n o ti na

SS E E M R E N N O V PA R E D A H O T G O E R LY P R E PR O P

going to use to develop services as well as products. We are currently working on an app for reading out relevant data from the electric bicycle; with that information, we can organise our service to customers in a smarter way – preventatively. We are also going to create a platform for co-creation with our end users.

We want to develop new products and services with them.’

2016 With the entrepreneurs at the helm, Boost wants to really push on in 2016. There will be new innovation projects, the field labs will be

more widely supported and go into greater depth, instruction & training for Smart Industry will be stepped up, and the focus will be increasingly turned on other countries – Germany foremost among them.

www.smartindustryoost.nl www.smarthubacademy.nl www.247tailorsteel.com www.aebi-schmidt.nl www.vanraam.nl saxion.nl/site/index/smartindustry www.civon.nl

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6/24/2013 4:12

GREAT RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT HELPS GET INNOVATIONS ONTO THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET

SMALL STEPS, BIG AMBITIONS For start-ups, for example those in the field of renewable energy, the road to foreign markets is littered with obstacles – from language and culture to different rules and the necessary investment.

The European GREAT project offered them a ‘low-threshold’ boost. Start-ups in the Eastern Netherlands were able to obtain vouchers for market research, match-making or consortium-forming.

‘The voucher helped us enormously in adjusting to the international market.’

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

he energy sector has long been well represented in Gelderland, in the shape of companies like NUON, Alliander, KEMA/DNV GL and Tennet. No less than a third of all electricity-related employment in the Netherlands is based in Arnhem and the surrounding area. Around this core, an active cluster of young businesses is growing up, focused on innovative and sustainable smart-energy products. The provincial authority is encouraging this development, hence its participation in the Interreg IVB-project GREAT (Growing Renewable Energy Applications and Technologies) in a consortium with four other North-western European regions (in Ireland, Scotland, England and Flanders). As part of that, the East Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NV) provided support for internationalisation consisting of vouchers worth 2,000, 4,000 or 6,000 euros. SMEs were able to use them to pay for market research, match-making or to help form consortia. In total, twelve SMEs received one or more GREAT vouchers. Cases included electricity storage, carbon capture, energy saving and cogeneration. Three entrepreneurs tell us about their international adventures.

T

HYDROGEN

can do this, based on technology developed

by CarbonOrO (Nijmegen) and CATO Engineering (Arnhem). CATO applied for a voucher for market research and in order to strengthen its partnership in the UK. CEO Immanuël Jurg: ‘It helped speed up the formalising of agreements on forming a consortium.’ They had highly promising contacts with a large waste processor in the UK looking to build a new greenhouse complex covering more than ten hectares beside a waste incineration plant.

At least ten other British parties have also shown interest. ‘We are a pioneer in the niche market for carbon reuse for horticulture.

We are also getting more and more enquiries from Westland (the heart of Dutch greenhouse horticulture, ed.). The buzz in the market is starting to build.’

MODERN WATERMILL BUZZ Greenhouse crops grow faster when exposed to carbon dioxide (CO2) combined with heat and sunlight. Producing the CO2 on location enables the highest yield – in economic and environmental terms – to be achieved. This can be done by removing CO2 from flue gases and using it directly. The British company Energy4Growth supplies installations which

14

the vanes. Moreover, it is easy to install in shallow or deep water, cheap to maintain and fish-friendly. Partners include QConcepts Design & Engineering (Doetinchem) for the production of vanes made of composite material, Hollarts Kunststoftechniek (Didam) for the slats, and local civil engineering firms for carrying out installation projects. DeepWaterEnergy used two GREAT vouchers for market research in Germany. ‘Small-scale water power has been used there for decades, but not yet with small drops’, explains technical director Dolf Pasman. ‘How long is the Rhine in Germany? That one river could generate many megawatts of power.’ In the meantime, the first order has been received for a hydroelectric power station on the IJssel river at Doesburg, to be delivered in late 2016. And RVO.nl (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) has awarded a subsidy for a demonstration project in Surinam.

Water power used to be for fast-flowing water with a large drop. By contrast, the vertical-axis Oryon Watermill from Arnhem company DeepWater-Energy is suitable for slowflowing water with a small drop. The global potential is huge. Compared to old-fashioned, horizontal-axis watermills, the Oryon Watermill has a much higher yield, thanks to a smart construction featuring rotating slats in

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

It may be the number one energy source of the future for decentralised and mobile applications: hydrogen. HyET in Arnhem designs silent compressors for hydrogen which are unique due to the high pressure they generate.

This in turn enables greater storage capacity, which can increase the range of electric cars powered by fuel cells, for example. A Norwegian company wants to start using HyET’s technology for this purpose – because Norway has lots of cheap energy (such as hydroelectric power) available to produce hydrogen and electric cars are already popular there, but their range is still limited. They have now pinned their hopes on fuel cell cars which can cover longer distances on hydrogen. HyET used a GREAT voucher to visit Oslo and Bergen and make contact with parties from the heart of the Norwegian hydrogen industry. This resulted in a Norwegian project subsidy for a joint venture between HyET and Norwegian partners designed to develop the technology for the market. ‘The voucher helped us enormously in adjusting to the international market’, says technical director Peter Bouwman. ‘And with the knowledge we are now acquiring, we can grow in the Netherlands too.’

www.greatproject.eu.com www.cato-engineering.com www.deepwater-energy.com www.hyet.nl

HEALTH INNOVATORS AND HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURING SECTOR FIND EACH OTHER

PLENTY ‘ROUND THE CORNER’, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS There is no shortage of start-ups in the health sector and high-tech manufacturing companies in the east of the Netherlands. Which is ideal, because it enables the start-up to have its innovation produced ‘round the corner’.

‘Ninety per cent of the parties we’re collaborating with are in this region’, says one. But sometimes we need something so specific, says another, that our only option is to seek out a party further afield – even as far afield as Russia.

BY PIM CAMPMAN

I

PaDiC in Deventer develops the DiaLin, an innovative internal insulin pump.

Much more ingenious, more compact/lighter and more reliable than the pump system that has been in common use for some three decades and which has barely been improved in all that time, if at all.

Thanks to a smart sensor, the DiaLin administers much more accurate doses of insulin, thereby saving over fifty per cent in terms of insulin. Furthermore, it reduces the number of hospital admissions (and, if the patient does need to be admitted, an operation will be much less invasive), it is self-cleaning (no more blockages), has a lifespan of twenty years – and readings from it can be taken anywhere in the world using bluetooth.

The DiaLin, an innovative internal insulin pump, developed by IPaDiC.

taking the product to market; we’re also looking at such things as crowdfunding.’ Oost NV is also helping to find parties that will manufacture the various components for the three parts that the DiaLin comprises – insulin pump, service island and communication unit (like a smartphone). It’s still a little too early to name names, but Gerrit Stam is keen to mention that ‘ninety per cent of the parties’ are based in the east of the Netherlands.

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‘The DiaLin saves type-one diabetes patients, who can only be helped with an internal insulin pump, a great deal of misery and stress.

And because everything is duplicated, the patient is always in control’, explains Gerrit Stam, Managing Director of IPaDiC (Internal Pump and Diabetes Control). And he ought to know, as he has been using a pump himself for two decades now. ‘I know what’s not up to scratch and needs to change. This is a unique opportunity; we won’t get a second shot at it.’ The DiaLin, devised by the renowned internal medicine and diabetes specialist Henk Bilo (Isala Clinics, Zwolle), is more or less conceptually ready. ‘We’re ready to start building the first physical prototype. With the aid of development agency Oost NV and Health Innovation Park in Zwolle, we’re seeking sponsors to enable us to continue with that process of clinical trials and ultimately

Things are different in the Hemoclear case, which Medical2Market (from anaesthesiologist Arno Nierich at the Isala Clinics) is getting its teeth into. This says Marcel Zwaal, who is in charge of the commercial side of M2M. ‘Hemoclear is a system as ingenious as it is simple. It is used to filter (read: purify) exudate released during or subsequent to operations and then to return the clean red blood cells to the patient. This not only saves on expensive donor blood but is also medically preferable to the administration of blood derived from others. It has been possible for quite some time now: using so-called cell savers, large and expensive units which, in contrast to the Hemoclear, are in fact exclusively used in operating theatres. They are also a little more crude than the Hemoclear when it comes to handling fragile material; the Hemoclear has the simplicity of a coffee filter (for instance),

because it only uses gravity and not centrifugal force (unlike the cell savers). But look at it in more detail and you’ll see some extremely smart technology. Especially in the filter (disposable, for one-time usage), a nanofoil with exceedingly small and precise perforations made with the aid of a cyclotron. A German firm, a well-known manufacturer of renal dialysis filters with which Medical2Market previously collaborated, did not have a good solution immediately. But it was in touch with a company that did – in Russia. ‘They gave us some great help making progress with the Hemoclear’, says Marcel Zwaal. Hence no manufacturing partner in the east of the Netherlands for that essential part – ‘we think that German partner will be making the filter’.

For the other components such as filter housing, etc., however, manufacturers ‘round the corner’ are indeed in the running. ‘For assembly and packing, clean room conditions are a must’, remarks Zwaal in conclusion. Well, there’s no shortage of those in the east of the Netherlands, which had been a reason for Oost NV to support the innovation process for the Hemoclear earlier when it came to the initial EFRO financing and more recently through RedMedtech Ventures.

www.hemoclear.com www.ipadic.com

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND SMART INDUSTRY

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN THE ‘BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG OF THE NETHERLANDS’ The decentralisation of regional economic policy has given the provincial authorities a stronger role. In a round table discussion in mid-January in Ewijk, representatives of politics and business in the Eastern Netherlands explored the interpretation of that role.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

ecentralisation is the best decision The Hague has ever made; looking back, however, we could have provided more money’, says Eddy van Hijum, Overijssel’s representative for economy and finance and former member of the lower house for the CDA. ‘The provincial authorities are better placed to establish links between firms, research institutes and government agencies. We focus on a number of top sectors where we can really make huge strides in terms of innovation. I am optimistic about the economic climate in the Eastern Netherlands.’

‘D

GAPS AND NETWORKS Bert Dommerholt of Dovideq Medical (Deventer) sounds a critical note. ‘We developed the world’s only fully automated measurement instrument for endoscopes, which improves safety and reduces costs in hospitals.

Nevertheless, Dovideq nearly went bankrupt.

If we barely managed to attract funding for growth, the same will be true for many other companies.’ Dovideq eventually succeeded with the help of a loan from the Overijssel Innovation Fund, which was paid off last month. ‘Without that loan we would no longer have been here, but the interest was high, at over 10%.’ That difficulty in securing money points to market failure, suggests Michiel Scheffer, Gelderland’s representative for economy, education and Europe. ‘The Eastern Netherlands developed instruments to plug that gap during the economic crisis. But government agencies also need to take all the risks into account, which translates into a

16

(market-based, ed.) high interest rate.’

In order to stimulate innovation, government agencies should not only create financial space but also physical space where, as Scheffer puts it, ‘companies can meet and hold casual conversations over the water cooler.’ Although it can also work without that physical proximity, points out Michiel van Mil. His firm, Anoxia Europe (Putten), has developed a new substance for the euthanasia of animals, nitrogen foam, which minimises animal suffering. The first version of the system is already on sale worldwide and support has been secured from the East Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV, for its further development. ‘The networks are there, so you don’t have to be in the same building. We have suppliers like Parker Hannifin and Twente Medical Systems International in our region, both located in Oldenzaal.’ The authorities can certainly help companies; the differences between the two provinces with regard to their innovation schemes are sometimes confusing. Scheffer continues, ‘If it were up to us, we would do as much as possible together.’ Van Hijum agrees, ‘We need to use each other’s strengths even more and coordinate things between us.’

CONNECTIONS AND COLLISIONS Even so, the Eastern Netherlands has good arrangements in place, Tom van der Horst reassures the two representatives. He was involved in developing Smart Industry action agendas nationally and for the Eastern Netherlands (Boost) at TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.

‘Boosting economic growth requires technological innovation, which the high-tech top

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

sector needs to generate. The Eastern Netherlands is well provided for in that regard, with the University of Twente (UT) and an extensive manufacturing industry. The key to the challenge is linking innovations from universities to application domains and establishing links with manufacturing companies. Michiel Scheffer enthusiastically adds, ‘We have the mother of all cross-overs here: the manufacturing industry, a sector that generates the greatest added value, combined with top sectors like agro-food, health and energy. From Putten to Winterswijk in Gelderland, and likewise in Overijssel, every village has a church, café and manufacturing company that ranks among the world’s best in its specific niche.

We are the Baden-Württemberg (a federal state of south-western Germany, ed.) of the Netherlands. And with valleys such as Food Valley, we have an agglomeration advantage: companies and research institutions establish links there, and from the ‘collisions’ between those parties, innovation emerges.’ Moreover, according to an Elsevier ranking, the region has the Netherlands’ best university in terms of valorisation and enterprise, UT, adds Van Hijum. ‘We have an ecosystem for innovation there.’ (According to Elsevier, Wageningen UR is the best collaborating university.)

SCALE-UPS To moderator Dennis Schipper of Demcon (Enschede) it all still sounds a bit too much like ‘the engineered society’. ‘Too often you see technological innovation end up in start-ups, which then fail to grow. New technology needs to find its way to existing firms more.

The question is how you can achieve accelerated growth with the help of themes that have international appeal and the effect of attracting firms to the region. In recent years, for example, a lot of money has gone into nanotechnology. This has produced companies employing 50 people, but no world players.

This is because the world-class research findings of, for example, Mesa+ at UT have not been linked to worldclass entrepreneurs.

There is no mechanism in place to bring that about. At the moment, whether or not a ‘passerby’ picks up the technology is pure coincidence.

Tom van der Horst agrees. ‘We need not only start-ups, but also scaleups. There are plenty of ideas out there, but we need a red carpet to keep the ball of innovation rolling. ‘ Schipper adds, ‘I’m not in favour of ‘free’ money. There need to be checks on the quality of the entrepreneur.’ Bert Dommerholt comments, ‘The first question needs to be: how can we earn money with this innovation? But there are not many technologists who think that way.’ Anne-Jaap Deinum of Hollander Techniek, a systems integrator with sites in Apeldoorn, Almelo and elsewhere, also sees that the biggest challenge with start-ups lies in their onward growth. ‘That calls for different competencies. Start-ups are technically oriented and work inside-out. As they get bigger, they have to adapt their companies to suit the market, but that’s often when technologists lose interest. ‘ Where do the universities stand on this issue? wonders Theo Föllings of Oost NV. After all, they generate most of the startups. ‘Are they prepared to apply the development of their knowledge in a more businesswise manner?’ Dennis Schipper believes they are. ‘Money gets everything moving. You need to hand that money to the entrepreneurs, not the universities. The government is now trying to do just that, with the TKIs (top consortia for knowledge and innovation, ed).’

MIXED EXPERIENCES Facilitating companies is certainly an important role for the government. The experiences of operational director Guido Roncken of engineering firm VMI (1,200 employees, head office in Epe and production locations worldwide) are mixed. ‘Five years ago, we took action together with firms in north-eastern Veluwe because almost no young people were attracted to technical training opportunities.

With support from the provincial authority, we set up the Technical Academy. This now has 100 students, a tenfold increase on the starting number. I was impressed by how quickly we were able to do business with the provincial government.’ That self-organising capacity in the regions is something the provincial authority wants to foster, explains

Participants in the round table discussion in Ewijk: Anne-Jaap Deinum, Senior Business Consultant at Hollander Techniek; Bert Dommerholt, CEO of Dovideq Medical; Theo Föllings, Business Unit Manager for Oost NV; Tom van der Horst, Business Director of Strategies for Industry & Innovation at TNO; Eddy van Hijum, representative of the province of Overijssel; Michiel van Mil, CEO of Anoxia Europe; Guido Roncken, COO of VMI Group; Michiel Scheffer, representative of the province of Gelderland; Dennis Schipper, CEO of Demcon Groep (moderator). Photos: Gerard Verschooten

Gelderland representative Scheffer.

VMI, the biggest employer in Epe, has been trying to push through expansion plans for the past five years. Roncken comments, ‘All that time we have been working on the land use plan, and it will take us a few years more.

Government agencies keep referring us on to one another, so it’s a very slow process. But we can’t tell customers ‘no’ because then we’ll lose them for good. So we have bought land in Poland in order to start manufacturing there too.’ Scheffer recently heard about the matter.

‘It’s now on my desk. We have a red carpet policy and we want to accelerate procedures for companies, but sometimes we run up against dilemmas and unbelievably vocal citizens. I will be making an appointment with VMI shortly.’ Dennis Schipper nods in agreement. ‘The government needs to focus on companies that offer long-term employment. If they can create extra jobs, ask them what they require in order to do it. Conversely, if the regional government wants an extra 2,000 jobs, for instance, which businesses can it make agreements with, sign covenants with, in order to bring that about? There are plenty of networks, but not for this. Do I need to establish yet another network?’ Tom van der Horst says, ‘The challenge for the authorities is to give business a voice in regional development. ‘ Schipper adds, ‘The Techniekpact is really the only issue (the looming shortage of technical talent, ed.) on which businesses have come together, also with government bodies.’

SMART INDUSTRY This Technology Pact, around education and

the promotion of technology, is crucial now that smart industry is emerging, for example at VMI, which sees its customers automating more and more and needs to start working in smarter ways itself. Guido Roncken comments, ‘We need to provide new and additional training more quickly and, for example, retrain mechanical engineers to turn them into software developers, which are almost impossible to get hold of.’ Tom van der Horst adds, ‘Firms want to stay in this region, but they need to be able to make the step up to smart industry, to be able to link software development to machine design. Schipper sees an opportunity for the Netherlands, and the Eastern Netherlands in particular, here. ‘The systems engineering which this calls for is a real Dutch area of expertise; for this reason, graduates trained in systems thinking are the university’s most important ‘product’.’ And don’t underestimate the role of the systems integrators, says Anne-Jaap Deinum. ‘They have the knowledge to link all the machines and systems together. Collaboration is the heart of smart industry.’ Fortunately, higher vocational education has gotten in on the act, reports Föllings. ‘The Boost programme has resulted in smart industry lectureships at the universities of applied sciences in the Eastern Netherlands.’

NEIGHBOURLINESS Such collaboration does not yet go without saying, says Schipper. ‘I know fast-growing companies in the region that are simply not succeeding in building up a relationship with UT or Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

17

LAUNCHING CUSTOMER

Yet their growth may well generate more jobs than 20 start-ups.’ Representative Van Hijum heard it for himself during his short ‘internships’ with firms in Overijssel. ‘I am convinced that the infrastructure for innovation support is sound. However, familiarity with the schemes and funds is not yet always sufficient and there are sometimes mismatches between universities and firms. In Overijssel, the open innovation centres and organisations like Kennispark Twente and Kennispoort Regio Zwolle provide solid assistance to companies that contact them, but firms don’t always make the step. Kennispoort, for example, is doing a good job of staying connected with the beating heart of manufacturing businesses.’ Gelderland has its regional centres for technology as an instrument for this purpose, adds Michiel Scheffer. ‘In the Eastern Netherlands, we don’t have a dominant player or sector to perform the role of director. We need

18

to broker and switch, seek connections, take advantage of neighbourliness. For example we can easily make cross-overs here.’ The ambition is to do the same across borders, in Germany in particular. That’s far too rare in the Eastern Netherlands at the moment, believes Van der Horst. ‘Let Enschede (where the German Fraunhofer Institute for production technology is opening a project centre on the UT campus, ed.) be the gateway to Germany for Industrie 4.0.’ The provincial authorities are placing increased focus on outgoing trade missions, from southern Germany (Overijssel, late April 2016) to China (Gelderland, last year), a development Schipper endorses.

‘There is so much industry in southern Germany and the shortage of good people is even more pressing than here; we need to tell them, preferably in small-scale trade missions, that we can solve this problem for them.’

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

The authorities can also boost innovation in the role of a launching customer. However, so far that is only happening in dribs and drabs.

Too often, when spending money, government agencies look primarily at price and the participation of SMEs is hampered by conditions relating to scale or prior experience. Or governments do not actively latch onto the new opportunities that European and other regulations offer. This was why Michiel van Mil went to Germany to test Anoxia’s innovative anaesthetic. ‘We found a window of opportunity for our technology more quickly there because the authorities in Germany closely follow the new European guidelines.’

The Netherlands could do more, recognises Van Hijum. ‘In tenders, we must do more to reward the degree of innovation.’ Scheffer comments, ‘In the field of healthcare, for example, we are not a direct player. We do, however, organise field labs, which give firms opportunities to test their innovations.’

Dennis Schipper found launching customers among government-related parties who entrusted development to his firm in exchange for guaranteed sales. Let the government link its role as a launching customer to societal challenges, advocates Tom van der Horst in conclusion. The Eastern Netherlands boasts more than enough innovative companies that can develop solutions for that.

FOOD PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ENSCHEDE AND PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

DUTCH INNOVATION, CANADIAN SPRINGBOARD The Canadian food industry wants to learn from the Netherlands, which has grown to become the world leader in food innovation. From Prince Edward Island in the east of the country, Canada’s Smartest Kitchen and the Food Island Partnership are directing their gaze towards Food Valley and Enschede.

ved storage life for lobster and other crustaceans) and five in agri-food (improved storage life for potato products, new packaging products for meat, and more). The strength of Het Foodatelier and DéDutch is that they can help manufacturers translate consumers’ wishes into new products and packaging designs.

BY HANS VAN EERDEN

D

ue to the small size of their domestic market and the stiff competition, Dutch food companies must set themselves apart by means of innovation, high productivity and niche products.

Away from bulk and low margins is also the CanadiThe partnership with the Eastern-Netherlands is intended to help position Prince Edward Island as ‘a place of origin for premium food products an food industry’s desired direction of travel. With this in Canada.’ Photos: Food Island Partnership message, Peter Crooks, CEO The PEI provincial government is providing of R&D centre Canada’s Smartest Kitchen, PACKAGING INNOVATION financial support for the projects. and Sebastian Manago, CEO of the Food The two Enschede-based parties have mainIsland Partnership, recently came to our countained contacts with Canada together with the try on a working visit. The Food Island PartEuropean Packaging Gallery since 2013. Last KNOWLEDGE-SHARING nership represents the food industry on Prinautumn, Joris Leferink, international business ‘This partnership is strategically important for ce Edward Island, which is seeking to position developer for Het Foodatelier and DéDutch, us’, say Peter Crooks and Sebastian Manago. itself as one of Canada’s leading food regions. visited the first Food Island Day on Prince ‘We want to learn from the Netherlands. We The island is also the home base of Canada’s Edward Island (PEI). There he explained the can’t find this kind of knowledge of product Smartest Kitchen. Accompanied by the East Dutch perspective on food and packaging and process innovation in North America.

Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV, innovation and translating food trends into Through knowledge-sharing, we hope to find Crooks and Manago visited Food Valley, new packaging concepts. He had already estasolutions for food manufacturers who want to where they established contacts with researblished contacts there with the PEI Fisherserve niche markets with high productivity chers and companies such as food innovation men’s Association and Loblaws, Canada’s bigand more added value.’ The partnership is also service provider TOP. They had previously gest retailer. The partnership will take conintended to help position Prince Edward joined forces with the Wageningen-based crete form this year with seven orders which Island as ‘a place of origin for premium food firms Solynta (potato breeding with seeds) Het Foodatelier and DéDutch are executing products and a destination for culinary exceland NSure (quality testing for potatoes, fruit for Canadian food manufacturers looking for lence in Canada’, adds Manago, and to get and flowers). In Deventer they talked to Akzo innovation in products and packaging. Their Canadian companies a foothold in Europe.

Nobel Research about salt replacements and clients will be two fish-processing firms Conversely, the partnership offers Dutch comin Enschede to Het Foodatelier and DéDutch. (who want attractive presentation and impropanies access to an attractive market. ‘Prince Edward Island can be a bridge to Canada for them.’ Joris Leferink agrees and puts it into a broader perspective: ‘Tastes differ. Canada’s THE DUTCH PACKAGE Smartest Kitchen can help adjust products from our country to suit the North American market. Or take fruit and vegetables, which Based in Enschede, three closely linked parties structural packaging and processing in partnership are going to be the new meat and fish. In the maintain the Canadian connection. Het Foodatelier with research institutes and packaging specialists.

United States we are seeing a great demand for has been working for the food industry since 2001, Themes are cost efficiency, sustainability and conalternatives following the WHO publication developing new market strategies and food convenience (including storage life and ease of use). about processed meat. In Europe, the regulacepts and products. In 2013 DéDutch was spun off EPG has around 35 members, two-thirds of them tions in terms of hygiene and ingredients are as an independent specialist in food packaging, companies, from Aviko to Zwanenberg. Foreign already very strict. North America hasn’t yet covering the entire chain from agro to the consumer. firms, such as the Canadian project partners, can got to that stage, so there are opportunities A partnership between DéDutch and the University also become members in order to gain access to the there.’ Canada can be the springboard. of Twente produced the European Packaging knowledge developed.

Gallery (EPG), with a financial contribution from Overijssel province’s Agri-Food innovation programme. EPG is an independent knowledge platform where the food industry conducts research into

www.hetfoodatelier.nl www.dedutch.eu www.epgallery.nl

canadassmartestkitchen.ca foodislandpei.ca

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

19

SMART INDUSTRY IN THE EASTERN NETHERLANDS BREEDING GROUND FOR INNOVATION AND GROWTH

KAMPEN

Z

KEY Field lab / test bed Smart Industry Campus

• •

HARDERWIJK

•

Open innovation centre

APELDOORN

Centre of Expertise

START-UP AND VALORISATION PROGRAMMES

G E L D E R L A N

• StartLife www.start-life.nl • RedMedtech Ventures www.redmedtechventures.nl • Koplopers aan de A1 www.kennispark.nl • Gelderland Valoriseert www.gelderlandvaloriseert.nl

• CBBE (Biobased Economy)

MORE INITIATIVES

• Smart Dairy Farming 2.0 • Smart Meubelindustrie

• Test beds for agrifood market launches www.oostnv.nl/page/proeftuinen • Embedded Field Labs for healthcare www.health-valley.nl/projecten/ embedded-field-labs • www.overijssel.nl/thema's/economie/ innovatie/

EDE

ARNHEM

• Wageningen Campus

RENKUM

• Algae Parc • Stichting Hout Research • CAT-Agrofood

• Biorefinery Campus

WAGENINGEN www.smartindustryoost.nl

TIEL NIJMEGEN

• Novio Tec • Mercator

• Smart Polymeric Materials • Polymer Campus • Health Innovation Park

WOLLE

HARDENBERG

• Green Pac / iLab • Polymer Science Park

• Veterinair Kenniscentrum Oost Nederland (VKON)

DEN HAM

O V E R I J S S E L

• Secure Connected Systems Garden • High Tech Systems Park Twente

ALMELO

• Integraal Praktijkcentrum / STODT

NIJVERDAL TechYourFuture Technicampus

• North and East Netherlands: Region of Smart Factories

Cleantech Center

HENGELO

• Open Innovation Center Advanced Materials (OICAM)

ENSCHEDE

DEVENTER

N D

HAAKSBERGEN • Texperium

• SEECE (Sustainable Electrical Energy) • Automotive

ZUTPHEN

• Smart Space Industry

• Smart Bending Factory

VELP

• TechForFuture

DOETINCHEM WINTERSWIJK

• AgroDier

ch Campus Technology & Science Park

• Innovatiecampus Kennispark • Center for Medical Imaging – North East Netherlands (CMI-NEN) • ThermoPlastic composite Research Center (TPRC) • High Tech Factory • Sanderink Technology Centre • Laser Applicatie Centrum • European Membrane Institute Twente • European Packaging Gallery • LEO Center for Service Robotics • Drone Centre Netherlands • Centre4Cloud

• Energy Campus • Watt Connects • InnoSportLab Papendal • Game Garden Gelderland

• Designing Ultra Personalised Products (UPPS) • Flexible Manufacturing • Camino • Sociale Innovatie • Smart Welding Factory

VARSSEVELD • ICER innovatiecentrum

ULFT

DISCLAIMER This map represents a snapshot.

The innovation landscape of the Eastern Netherlands itself is subject to innovation and growth.

ADVERTO RIAL

TWENTE; AN INSPIRING ECOSYSTEM FOR ROBOTICS They are appearing in many forms and have become an integral part of our daily lives. The robot is everywhere and its existence is causing a lot of discussion. Are they taking over our jobs or are they supportive of the things we won’t be able to do ourselves in the future.

In Twente, entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions and researchers believe in the plentiful opportunities and innovations that robots bring along.

The research group Robotics and Mechatronics at the University of Twente has been involved in research into the effects of these developments on our society, for years.

Professor Stefano Stramigioli’s fascination for robots started during a Star Wars screening, which he visited with his father as a child in Bologna. “In 30 years time we will find robots as much part of life as we find the mobile phone now. All technologies bring along risks, but robotics has a lot to offer us!” Colleague and Professor Vanessa Evers is a popular speaker on social intelligence with robots and will join the World Economic Forum in Davos. Twente offers her an inspiring ecosystem. “There are only few places in the world where you’re able to live as healthy and green while also enjoying an intellectual economy in which you can develop yourself as scientist.”

The collaboration between knowledge institutions in Twente is special. Research produced by the university is used practically by Saxion University of Applied Sciences, within the course and lectorate Mechatronics. The combination of knowledge about mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and informatics is sought after. The Regional Community College of Twente now also offers students a course in mechatronics, allowing them to fill up the ‘future vacancies’. Graduates from these courses are not only contributing to the success of small businesses with their knowledge but also to that of the larger (multinational) companies across the region. Voortman Steel Machinery in Rijssen is one of those companies, a company developing with time and seeing itself as machine manufacturing IT-company in the future.

Twente is a region where knowledge is shared. Initiatives such as the Smart Welding Factory, developing the latest applications in the field of welding, or a platform such as LEO Robotics, establishing a name for the east of the Netherlands as a leader in the field of robotics, are creating a climate of knowledge and innovation. It is an incubator for talent and start-up companies such as KITE Robotics and Clear Flight Solutions.

For years Twente has been taking the lead in knowledge and knowhow and world-class solutions.

Read more on www.twente.com/robotics

Twente Branding Hengelosestraat 500 7521 AN Enschede The Netherlands +31 (0)53 - 483 68 38 info@twente.com www.twente.com

CROSS-OVERS CREATE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD INNOVATION

MORE SALEABLE APPLES, FULLY AUTOMATIC CHIP FRYER Agrofood, high-tech and the manufacturing industry in the Eastern Netherlands can reinforce one another and achieve innovation together.

Two eye-catching examples. comatose – once out of the cool cell, it takes a few weeks for all the processes within the VAN AMERONGEN fruit to start up again. ‘This Rob Veltman, CEO of Van Amerongen, has a natural treatment has no effect tale to tell about partnership and innovation. on ripening and flavour. The After seven years at Food & Biobased apples stay harder and greener, Research (Wageningen University & Research making them more saleable.’ centre), he joined the Tiel-based specialist in All the user has to do is enter fruit conservation in 2003. His innovation the apple variety and Van Amewas prompted by the problem of apple scald, rongen’s Advanced Control of which occurs after the fruit leaves the controlRespiration system then autoled atmosphere of the cool cell. ‘The skin Louise Fresco (chair of the executive board of Wageningen UR) gets to taste the matically loads the required turns black and the fruit becomes worthless. settings for the optimum respi- first French fries made by Caenator’s chip fryer. Photo: Koen Verheijden Until recently, the problem was prevented ration value. This new technousing an antioxidant; however, this was banwas given the opportunity to present the chip logy is part of Gelderland’s ‘Proeftuinen ten ned in the EU and no alternative was available.’ fryer at the Food Valley Expo and other behoeve van agro-food marktintroducties’ That is until Van Amerongen started working events. On 2 September last year, Louise (Testing Grounds for Agro-food Market with a new system which is able to measure Fresco, chair of the executive board of WageLaunches) programme developed by the East the respiration quotient of the fruit in the cool ningen UR, was handed the first portion of Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NV). cell and respond with dynamic gassing. ‘In French fries. ‘The exposure was enormous, in The emphasis is on market development and this way, you prevent fermentation at extrethe Netherlands and far beyond. Lots of internationalisation. Van Amerongen is mely low oxygen values, which prevents the customers showed interest, including the working closely with institutes in Spain, Italy, fruit from being ruined,’ explains Veltman.

French supermarket chain Casino Group.

Belgium, Brazil and the US. Veltman: ‘They ‘And because you have the lowest possible They are involved in our beta testing protest varieties and validate our system for us. oxygen value, the fruit produces the minigramme – they will be testing twenty machiCurrently, there are 24 cool cells each with a mum amount of heat. That in turn means nes for user convenience, compatibility with capacity of 300 tons running in two Spanish energy savings of twenty percent for cool cells their payment system and day-to-day sales. laboratories and we have sold fifty systems. in the Netherlands. Abroad, where cool cells After that, they want to buy at least 200 In the Tiel area there are three fruit producers are generally less efficient, the percentage is machines per year over the next five years,’ with a total of 61 cool cells using ACR. They even higher.’ The innovation turns the apples says a proud Roest. receive support from Wageningen Other good news is that VDL is considering UR and ourselves.’

PROLONGED SHELF LIFE FOR APPLES assembling the machine and possibly also 5.8 financing it. Because that is currently the CAENATOR problem: Caenator needs a million euros to These are also exciting times for 5.6 put its innovation onto the market. ‘Actually Bastiaan Roest. His Wageningenwe need 500,000 euros, because if we find an based firm Caenator (Latin for 5.4 investor, Oost NV’s venture capital company ‘dinner guest’) has developed a PPM Oost would match their contribution. fully automatic chip fryer. The first 5.2 And time is short due to our delivery obligaprototype, built in China, was tion to Casino.’ Looking at the customers who found not to comply with Euro5.0 have already shown interest, the future looks pean legislation and regulations. So rosy – not least in terms of new job opportuRoest approached Wageningen UR 4.8 nities. ‘In order to be able to meet the for help. ‘The main challenge in demand, we need to grow towards a productiproducing a good chip fryer was 4.6 on of nineteen machines per day, or around the food technology and not so 5,000 on an annual basis’, says Roest. ‘We are much the technology of the machi4.4 currently in the ‘valley of death’: everyone is ne itself.’ He received financial supenthusiastic about the product, but now we port from StartLife, a programme need to get the finance in place.’ for technology start-ups operated WITHOUT ACR WITH ACR DIRECTLY AFTER 4 WEEKS IN THE COOL CELL AND 1 WEEK AT 18 ºC AFTER HARVEST

by Oost NV and Wageningen UR. The partners shared ideas about www.van-amerongen.com Thanks to Van Amerongen’s Advanced Control of Respiration (ACR) system, the apples retain their hardness for longer, thus prolonging their shelf life. the best business plan and Roest www.caenator.com (Source of apple photo: Slick/Wikimedia Commons)

HARDNESS (KG/CM)

BY WILMA SCHREIBER

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

23

CONVERSATION WITH PIET MOSTERD AND HIS SUCCESSOR BRAND VAN ’T HOF

HR POLICY AND GROWTH GOING HAND IN HAND AT AWL Last month, Piet Mosterd stepped down as CEO of AWL, manufacturer of welding machines for the automotive industry. Time for a look back and a look ahead with the departing CEO and his successor, Brand van ’t Hof. A discussion about pioneering, the importance of good HR policy, roadmaps and the ‘inadequate robot density’ in the Netherlands.

BY MARTIN VAN ZAALEN

t is Friday morning and at AWL in Harderwijk, the car parks are full. The area reserved for visitors contains lots of cars with German number plates. Because today as on so many days, automotive customers are busy testing the welding lines developed and manufactured by AWL. Piet Mosterd is stepping down, twenty-five years after he rescued AWL from bankruptcy in a management buyout. The essential character of the business has remained intact throughout that period: it is a specialist in developing and building production systems for welding and contact welding automotive components in particular, meaning it has a large customer base in Germany.

I

PIONEERING At the same time, much has changed since 1993. The size of the business alone: from 48 employees then to around 450 now, of whom 300 in Harderwijk and the rest divided between locations in China and the Czech Repu-

blic, plus MechDes Engineering, also based in Harderwijk. In many other ways, too, AWL no longer much resembles the company of the early nineties. Mosterd defines a development process in four phases: the pioneering phase (1993-1998), the technology phase (19992007), the professionalisation phase (20082014) and the globalisation phase (since 2014).

‘It starts with employees simply using their creativity’

The most important change in that first phase was broadening the technological base, from resistance welding alone to arc welding and contact welding. Robot-controlled. He explains: ‘Naturally customers know what they want to use our production lines for in

DECORATION On 1 January 2016, Piet Mosterd formally stepped down as CEO of AWL, 25 years after taking over the business. In that time, he has seen the firm grow substantially, creating a large number of high-quality jobs. His work on regional and national educational and other initiatives, such as De Techniek Academie, Veluwe Portaal, Platform Techniek Noordwest Veluwe, Nederlands Instituut voor Lastechniek (Netherlands Welding Technology Institute) and Laser Applicatie Centrum, has contributed to that growth. The mayor of Nunspeet, who last December presented Mosterd with a royal decoration (Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau), put it this way: ‘Thanks to people like Piet, people in the province know that the Veluwe (the region where AWL is based, ed.) has more to offer than just nature and recreation/tourism. We are an enterprising region, which believes in a strong focus on innovation rather than ‘window dressing’. Piet played an undeniable role in this and his efforts have been noted and are much appreciated.’

24

the short term. But after one or two years, all kinds of product modifications occur that call for different production methods. Immediately after the relaunch, we set ourselves the aim of offering our customers flexibility. And that sometimes meant pioneering, yes. Mastering the development and manufacture of arc welding equipment does not happen by itself.

There were failures. But we could afford them because we always made enough profit on other projects.’ ‘In fact, since the relaunch, 2004 has been the only year in which we made a – small – loss’, adds Brand van ’t Hof, Mosterd’s successor as CEO from 1 January.

It’s no accident that he talks about ‘we’: having started at AWL as an engineer, he has worked closely with Mosterd for over 26 years.

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

Piet Mosterd, Knight in the Order of OrangeNassau since last December. Photo: AWL

HR POLICY In the second phase, the HR policy operated

by AWL became decisive. During all those years, Piet Mosterd put a lot of time into maintaining good contacts with educational institutions, from intermediate vocational to university level, and consistently made work placements and graduate jobs available, even in times when demand from the market dropped. When technological steps had to be taken to stay ahead of the competition and help customers in their own competitive battles, that investment paid dividends in terms of successful recruitment. It meant that AWL had the required academic know-how and ‘nous’ to add laser welding to its technology portfolio in good time. ‘In that period, someone here did their PhD thesis on using software to solve the problem caused by the laser beam being affected by vibrating air (refraction, ed.) above the hot laser weld’, illustrates Mosterd. ‘But the concept of our beam switches was primarily the result of logical thinking’, says Van ’t Hof. ‘You can’t simply switch off a laser if you don’t need it for a moment.

So the energy was ‘soaked up’ by an absorber.

We developed a system which used optics to momentarily divert the laser to perform welding elsewhere.’ Mosterd: ‘Naturally, working

GLOBALISATION The current globalisation phase dawned in 2014 when the firm won and carried out its first ‘global project’: supplying the lines for plants in Europe, the US and Asia to manufacture the seat frames for BMW. In effect, preparations had begun with a terse customer request in 2010. Mosterd recalls: ‘A customer we had had an excellent relationship with for years, said: ‘If you can supply from China what you already supply us from Europe, we will remain your customer. Otherwise, we are going to look for another supplier for everything.’ In truth, the call came too early, but in 2012 we established a presence in China and in 2014 we started production there with seven employees. We now employ 35 people there.’

CONFIGURE-TO-ORDER

Piet Mosterd (left) and Brand van ’t Hof beside an AWL welding machine: ‘The CTO of General Motors saw for himself what we do for Opel here. Now GM is making us the preferred supplier of welding production lines for all its seat suppliers.’

Photo: Maarten Hartman

out the solution was far from easy, but it began with employees simply using their creativity.’

FORWARDS AND OUTWARDS The third phase was one in which the company increasingly trained its sights forwards and particularly outwards. In that period, AWL initiated marketing and communication efforts and started drawing up and consistently updating road maps. Van ’t Hof: ‘For example, at that time we only made the equipment for welding the actual seat section of car seats for particular customers. We started asking ourselves what we would have to do to be able to supply manufacturing equipment for much more – for the tracks and recliners on which the seat slides backwards and forwards, and other adjustment elements. We starting looking at the whole seat: which technology was required to manufacture it as a whole effectively and reliably? ‘And because seats need to be made lighter’, adds Mosterd, ‘we started immersing ourselves in the technology around high-performance steel, which is lighter and

quicker to weld, but only by means of laser welding. We presented our ideas on a customer day and within six months, we had landed five large new orders.’

When looking ahead, they considered demographic developments. ‘Western European society is ageing. In ten years’ time, it will only be possible to keep the manufacturing industry going by automating processes in a smart way, using robotics. Dutch industry will definitely have to invest to that end, because robot density is particularly low in our country compared to elsewhere. Customers in Germany tell us: ‘Help me manufacture smarter here so I don’t have to send the work to China.’ That is the only way to prevent the manufacturing industry from disappearing here’, Mosterd believes. Van ’t Hof: ‘In five or ten years’ time, we will still be building welding production lines, but we expect plastic welding to become more important. And what we weld will be different too. In future, self-driving cars will no longer need bumpers.’

‘But’, adds Mosterd with a laugh, ‘even hydrogen cars need seats.’

According to the FD Gazelle ranking (of the fastest-growing firms in the Netherlands, ed.), AWL experienced growth of 82 per cent over the years 2012-2014, bringing turnover to 78 million euros. Last year, the company had to ‘throttle back a little’, but Mosterd and Van ’t Hof have ‘every reason to believe that the growth trend will resume in 2016.’ Mosterd adds proudly: ‘The CTO of General Motors recently saw for himself what we do for Opel here. Now GM is making us the preferred supplier of welding production lines for all its seat suppliers.’ But that growth does require new steps. Two and a half years ago, AWL introduced configure-to-order for welding cell construction. ‘Of course we are a real engineering-to-order company, but to continue to be able to manufacture the production numbers demanded by the market, we need to standardise more over the next five years. Naturally that will save on engineering and there are people within the company who are afraid that there will be nothing left to engineer. The fact is, in recent years we have had to take on an additional 130 people in order to keep up with growth’, says Mosterd. ‘We assume this process will continue for a while, both here and at our foreign sites.’

LETTING GO And that is something he has concerns about: ‘In order to continue to grow, we need to recruit and train people, and not all of them will be of the same quality. That worries me.

But Brand is convinced that we can manage it.

I am going to trust that he is right. Yes, I like to be in control, but in recent years I have gradually handed over more and more responsibilities to Brand. I really feel I can let go now’, says Piet Mosterd, who will continue working at AWL three days a week. ‘Not on operations, but on strategy – in order to avoid missing a trick in terms of market and technological innovations.’

www.awl.nl

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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PLENTY OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR START-UPS BUT STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

FOOD FOR INNOVATION The idea, the talent and the capital are the decisive factors for innovation. There is a broad range of schemes in the Eastern Netherlands that meet the funding needs of start-ups, provided they can make a good case for their chances of success. Most of them are funds drawn from public money, which is food for new business and jobs.

BY PIM CAMPMAN

he Eastern Netherlands has various public funding instruments for startups that show potential in terms of market success, i.e. substantial turnover and job growth. Risk capital provided by the Gelderland and Overijssel provincial authorities, national government and/or the EU in the form of ‘soft’ loans or participating interests. Several cases are outlined below that involve young companies that have received support from parties such as the East Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV, and its private equity company PPM Oost, and from start-up and valorisation programmes such as StartLife, ‘Koplopers aan de A1’, ‘Gelderland Valoriseert’ and RedMedtech Ventures.

Besides money, they also provide support and guidance, for example in formulating a business case, and they introduce budding entrepreneurs to their wider networks of experts in

T

relevant fields, potential investors and manufacturing partners, etc. The Eastern Netherlands has ‘massive opportunities’ to play a role in global high-tech innovation, asserts Jaap Beernink. He is cofounder of Golden Egg Check, which helps start-ups, incubators and established companies look at their businesses cases through the eyes of venture Jaap Beernink: ‘We regularly see that businesses have no funding strategy.’ capitalists and sharpen them up Photo: Golden Egg Check to make them investor-ready.

The Enschede-based firm has developed through 820,000 euros, so Golden Egg Check an online toolset for this purpose (which curhas calculated in research on the financial rently boasts approximately 2,500 users), and ecosystem in Twente. There is no shortage of also offers coaching, market research and due innovative ideas here. ‘KPMG’, says Beernink, diligence. ‘ranks Twente and Brainport (the Eindhoven region) among the top-four most attractive regions for innovation in the EU.’ But there is FUNDING GAP always room for improvement. He sees defiIn their first four years, high-tech start-ups go

ROCKSTART-ACCELERATOR: BRUXLAB

WORLD’S LARGEST DATABASE ON TOOTH GRINDING Rockstart, an organiser of accelerator programmes, chose Nijmegen for its brand-new Digital Health Accelerator initiative. No fewer than 220 start-ups from around the world were competing for the ten available places. The carefully selected lucky ones started work at the Novio Tech Campus in October of last year. The aim was to take huge strides on the path from a great idea to a market-ready successful product in 180 days. They will be presenting their business cases to potential investors shortly. After all, the next steps – validation and certification, prototyping and mass production – require a lot of money.

Bruxlab, one of the ten, is developing a method to diagnose tooth grinding at an early stage, thereby preventing serious damage to teeth. The start-up is developing an app which unfailingly detects tooth grinding (bruxism) during sleep and compresses it into a sound recording. Additional tools enable the dentist to perform a proper diagnosis and offer a

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remedy, such as a mouth guard or Botox. According to dentist Michiel Allessie and Ad Linssen of Bruxlab, this tackles an underestimated problem. ‘We know that stress, smoking, alcohol, antidepressants, drugs and caffeine can cause bruxism. Our app provides clarity: lay your smartphone on your bedside cabinet for three nights and you will know whether you grind your teeth – every night or, for example, only on a Saturday night because you’ve had too much to drink.

Then you’ll know: If I reduce my alcohol consumption, I won’t have to wear that annoying mouth guard.’ The dentist makes the eventual diagnosis, but the algorithm is the key. ‘With approximately 7,000 tooth-grinding noises, I have the largest validated database in the world.’

So far, Allessie has paid for the development costs himself. Rockstart is helping him to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. ‘They provide workshops and coaching, point out things I hadn’t thought of, and introduce me

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

to potential funders. We also have access to Radboud University’s facilities to test and validate things.’

Linssen: ‘In exchange for this support and €20,000 in cash, Rockstart is getting an 8% share.’ The Rockstart Digital Health Accelerator is receiving financial and other support from PPM Oost funds – now and, if the evaluation results are positive, also in 2017 and 2018. www.bruxlab.com www.rockstart.com

‘GELDERLAND FOR INNOVATION’: HAMWELLS

E-SHOWER A BOON FOR THE SKIN, WALLET AND ENVIRONMENT A shower system that reuses every drop of water seven times – hygienically and ultra-clean? The answer is the e-Shower, recently launched by the Arnhem-based start-up Hamwells. The e-Shower saves 90% on water and 80% on energy (gas, electricity), explains Wouter Chömpff. And you can read off its performance with an app; it even streams music. ‘Naturally people don’t want a shower system that is dirty and stinks because dead water remains behind, because of bacterial growth or because the filters get clogged up. The e-Shower remains ultra-clean at all times and is maintenance-free.’

According to Chömpff, this is due to smart features such as the ‘single pipe’ system, built-in electronics and its simplicity. ‘We currently have six patents.’

Hamwells has been working on the innovative ecoshower since late 2014. ‘We are trying to establish something akin to the ‘Apple model’: doing our own product development and marketing and outsourcing production, so we can scale up quickly.’ The

ciencies in the area of funding. ‘Before the market launch, you see a big funding gap in which supply and demand often do not match, particularly in that risky early phase.

We also regularly observe a lack of funding strategies among entrepreneurs; they aren’t looking beyond the next round.’ Beernink notes that businesses and investors far from always speak the same language; they do not

start-up initially financed development according to the ‘family & friends’ principle. This gave PPM Oost the confidence to provide a pre-seed loan (€75,000).

‘That significantly contributed to the development towards mass production.

And they also provided valuable introductions to potential investors/financiers. We expect that the first proper investment round will be concluded successfully.

What matters most now is to build up credibility and grab a piece of the market as quickly as possible – before a giant like Hans Grohe passes us by.’ The Hamwells e-Shower, which has since been awarded the KIWA quality Mark, also received support from Climate-KIC, the European accelerator for climate change. www.hamwells.com

sufficiently form a team that puts the success of the start-up first – in both their interests.

‘Managing the risk of the investment is often given higher priority than creating the optimum opportunity. In such cases, relatively small amounts of money are released – with far too stringent conditions attached. The result: the start-up becomes ‘locked up’, the potential is choked, and the chances of a

world-class company being created diminish.’

If improvements are implemented in those areas, predicts Jaap Beernink, the Eastern Netherlands will really take off. goldeneggcheck.com www.oostnv.nl www.ppmoost.nl

CONTINUE ON PAGE 28

FINANCING CLEANTECH & ENERGY: 2-B ENERGY

NEW WIND TURBINE FINDS FLYWHEEL FOR GROWTH FINANCE Last month, the moment finally arrived: the new wind turbine from 2-B Energy based in Hengelo (Overijssel) generated its first electricity. A milestone after seven years of development as part of a mega project. The turbine stands out among its ‘sisters’ at the wind farm in Eemshaven, Groningen. It has two blades instead of three and is attached to a lattice pylon (somewhat resembling an electricity pylon). And unlike other wind turbines, it does not face the wind, but always turns so that the wind is coming from behind.

And there are other differences, too, reveals CEO Herbert Peels. ‘The basic thinking is: fewer materials and components and a longer economic life. That was our goal from the very start for every turbine component and the entire network around it. That saves on materials, installation and maintenance

costs, downtime, etc.’ The result: an offshore wind turbine with a cost price that is 30 to 40% lower per kilowatt hour generated. ‘We are now bringing the demonstrator at Eemshaven up to nominal power (6 MW, ed.) in stages in order to see whether everything does what it’s supposed to do at different wind speeds. Certification is the next step; once we’ve got that, we can go back to the market with greater conviction.’

A project as large – and risky – as this one requires millions of euros. 2-B Energy secured that money from private parties (such as French venture capitalist Truffle Capital and Shell) and public ones (PPM Oost). For the next project, two wind turbines off the

Scottish coast, to be constructed in 2017, UK investors are stepping in. ‘We are currently preparing for the next funding round. This will involve ‘growth finance’ for the roll-out and upscaling phase.’

2benergy.com

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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STARTLIFE: VITALFLUID

HOTSHOTS AT DISINFECTING AND STERILISING Plasma-activated water can be used to disinfect, sterilise and stimulate the growth of crops; equally as well or better than chemicals like chlorine and pesticides – and 100% eco-friendly. An ERDF project in which Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, Radboudumc, FloraHolland, Alewijnse, Bactimm and Filtex worked together has resulted in the Nijmegen start-up VitalFluid. In 2014 it took up the challenge of developing a device (reactor) that customers can use on location to produce ‘plasma-activated water’ (PAW) themselves. Founder/CEO Paul Leenders explains, ‘This month, we are supplying the first laboratory unit to a seed breeding company.’ A high potential difference – established between two electrodes past which water is flowing – generates a ‘lightning bolt’, causing reactive oxygen and nitrogen particles from the air to dissolve in the water. The ‘new’ water created in this way, PAW, is very effective at combating

pathogens such as bacteria, algae and fungi.

PAW is therefore a highly effective, cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional, often caustic substances used in agriculture and horticulture, water purification and the medical sector, etc. ‘Our focus is on agriculture and water purification. Practical research has shown that PAW significantly extends the storage life of cut flowers and represents a good crop protection agent. And PAW can be at least as effective as chlorine tablets in vase water for cut flowers, if not more so.’ VitalFluid receives funding from a number of primarily public funds, including the Eastern Netherlands GO Programme, ERDF, Climate-KIC and – since the start of this year – StartLife.

This valorisation programme run by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the provincial authority of Gelderland helps early phase start-ups in agrofood

and bio-based economy with ‘soft’ loans, advice and services to help them take the step from ‘idea to limited company’. www.vitalfluid.nl

‘KOPLOPERS AAN DE A1’ (LEADERS ON THE A1): SOUNDINSIGHT/4SILENCE

SONOCAT KEEPS NOISE UNDER CONTROL The SonoCat from the Enschede-based start-up SoundInSight enables acoustic engineers to perform advanced sound measurements at any location and in real time. Using that data, they can counteract undesirable sounds (noise, background hum, whatever). The handheld device – the size of a spectacle case – contains various smart features, explains Eric de Vries. He is the CEO of 4Silence, a spin-off from the University of Twente, which launched a ground-

breaking method for reducing the nuisance from traffic noise some time ago. It is now playing its second trump card with SoundInSight: the SonoCat. With the help of eight very small microphones, algorithms monitor the noise situation in vehicles, offices, concert halls, houses, etc. They measure the intensity but also exactly where the noise is coming from – and therefore where damping materials would be most effective. ‘I can make a car as quiet as a mouse by stuffing the interior with insulation, but then there will be no room left to sit. Or by insulating the exterior even better, but that makes the car wider, higher and heavier – which means it catches more wind and

uses more fuel. With our solution, you can determine exactly where the noises are coming from in the car as it is driving along and therefore where you can take optimum measures. You can also establish how well noise-absorbent materials work in specific situations.’ The SonoCat is in its final stage of development, thanks in part to those who funded the development process, including Oost NV. ‘Among other things, they helped us obtain financing from the ‘Proof of Concept’ fund and write an investor-ready business plan.’ www.soundinsight.nl

EASTERN NETHERLANDS INNOVATION FUND: OJAH (BEETER)

PLANT-BASED MEAT SUBSTITUTES WITH BITE Ever heard of Beeter? In the Netherlands, there’s a good chance you will find the Beeter icon on the packaging of a plant-based meat substitute. In that case, the raw material comes from Ojah in Ochten, which supplies many supermarkets and restaurants – and the numbers are increasing. Frank Giezen and two others came up with the idea to start texturing plant-based proteins from soya – sustainably cultivated, not genetically manipulated – in 2005. They use a now patented extrusion technology that gives their product the same ‘bite’ as meat. Helping to bring around flexitarians – people who eat meat, but want to eat less. Ojah was founded in 2009. ‘We wanted to set up a production company – not reducing

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costs by outsourcing, but by keeping the technology close to home. The know-how is unique: if you give that up, what do you have left? What is your company still worth? We didn’t want that, even if it meant doing it ‘the hard way’. Partly because it required a whole lot of money. We knew a bank that was willing to participate, provided we found a co-financier.

‘Then PPM Oost, together with venture capitalist StartGreen, became a shareholder – and they still are, which we consider a compliment. They see that our value is increasing all the time – and that by postponing their exit, we are earning them more money.

That’s fantastic and we are keen to keep them on board. They help us in the legal sphere, they know

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

their way around ERDF subsidies (European Regional Development Fund, ed.) and have a network of experts and potential investors.’ In the meantime, Ojah (which currently has 25 employees), is increasingly establishing a presence outside the Netherlands. ‘In order to continue to compete with the big boys like Nestlé and Campina, we really need to grow big.’ www.beeter.nl

NIEUWEWEME HAS A POWERFUL ENGINE FOR GROWTH IN CONTAINER BUILDING

ALREADY A RECORD YEAR

Rapid installation in situ, certainty that everything will work properly, cheap transport and low space requirements. These benefits of building installations in containers mean the NieuweWeme Group has a powerful engine for growth in its hands. A relatively simple, ‘mid-tech’ concept which is delivering global success for the Oldenzaal-based company, and its primarily regional customers.

BY MARTIN VAN ZAALEN

A

n Israeli entrepreneur wins a contract to build a wastewater purification plant for a baby powder manufacturer in Vermont, USA. Just over the German border in Goch, he sees the purification plant which NieuweWeme Technische Montages was commissioned to build there by the Sneek-based company Aqana for a potato flour factory. A plant built entirely inside containers and installed on location in three weeks. ‘I got talking to him and within eight weeks I had won the contract to build an electrical and mechanical installation complete with software that would fill seven containers’, says CEO Ben Nieuwe Weme about one of the growth engines of his Oldenzaal-based NieuweWeme Group.

300 PERCENT GROWTH The year is barely one week old when he confidently predicts that his company will grow 300 percent in 2016 compared to 2015.

Particularly in the final months of last year, he was receiving one large order after another.

‘My operations manager won’t let me go outside any more’, he says with a grin, putting aside his mobile having promised the CEO of Waste Treatment Technologies that he would

Ben Nieuwe Weme: ‘When the container is shipped, 98 percent of the installation work will already have been done and the customer knows it has been done properly.’ Photo: Arjan Reef

call him back. The latter company, an engineering firm from Almelo specialising in developing waste solutions, is his client for the construction of waste digestion plants in Vancouver, Canada and Lubartow, Poland.

‘We install their technology in four to six weeks. For a job like that, they used to have a manager on site for six months, who would build the installation from scratch together with a team of fitters and in constant consultation with the client. Especially when you are on location for that long, you always get new requirements and you have to deal with gas, water and electrical connections in awkward places and build solutions for them. And you can’t simply charge for the additional work.

Now we build the complete installation here in Oldenzaal in a few months’ time, ship it cheaply on a container ship and connect it on the spot. If the connections are in awkward

places, the end customer understands that they will be charged extra hours for them.’

CONTINUE ON PAGE 33

STAFF INCREASED TO 125 On 23 December, NieuweWeme Group formally acquired the Niemeijer metalworking company with which it had been working together intensively for some time and which does much of the metalwork for the other divisions of the group. The group also consists of NieuweWeme Technische Montages, HOAF Infrared Technology, Infra Heat Techniek and the trading company Qdel. With Niemeijer, the total number of staff has increased to 125 and turnover to over 20 million euros.

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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A FINE EXAMPLE OF EAST NETHERLANDS OPTIMISATION

LEAN PRODUCTION IN THE CHAIN Apeldoorn-based Remeha, the world’s number three manufacturer in the heating market, works closely with a number of suppliers from the region. This crosspollination is bearing fruit for all parties.

From left to right: Daniël Lentink (Lentink), Frank Dijkman (Ovimex), Edu Veldhuis (Remeha) and Wim Simons (Timmerije) in the assembly department at Remeha in Apeldoorn. Photo: Arjan Reef

BY WILMA SCHREIBER

ollowing the acquisitions of the French company De Dietrich Thermique and the Anglo-Italian Baxi Group in 2004 and 2009, respectively, Remeha now employs around 6,000 people, together generating a turnover of 1.7 billion euros.

Operations Director Edu Veldhuis describes the European market as mature. ‘That means we are looking at other growth markets. For instance, last summer we took over one of our Chinese suppliers, which was already performing assembly work for us in Shanghai and is now going to start manufacturing on a small scale for the local market. In addition, we have acquired the American firm ECR in order to enable expansion.’ Besides innovation in hardware, digitisation is crucial to Remeha’s growth plans. ‘Connected devices, all linked together by the internet, are the not so distant future. We are currently also working on a number of pilot projects in this area. Software will become much more important; we are

F

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already seeing apps that can set your thermostat for you. That development is set to continue at a rapid pace in the heating industry.’

MODULAR BOILERS The Apeldoorn-based firm is also aiming for increased logistical flexibility and cost reduction, leading it to focus on boilers with a modular design, such as the TZERRA. One reason is that this means part of the assembly can be outsourced – for example to Timmerije in Neede and Lentink in Varsseveld, which supplies the sheet steel parts. ‘As part of a lean process, we set up a special assembly line which is directly linked to one of our fully automated powder coating lines. On this we assemble all the housing required for the Remeha central heating boilers, resulting in consistent, high quality for Remeha at a low cost price. For us, this represented a boost in terms of assembly’, explains owner/CEO Daniël Lentink.

Remeha’s own production process has for many years been based on ‘lean’ principles,

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

knowledge which the company shares with its suppliers. ‘We are aiming for the ‘ultimate factory’. For example, last year we opened a pickto-light line, in which lights come on to tell operators the right configuration of components for each boiler’, says Edu Veldhuis. ‘And we are currently working with stocks of just three, four days and all the components are supplied for daily use on a kanban basis (a simple (visual) system for logistics management, ed.). In two years’ time, we want everything to go directly to the line, with no warehouse.’ Assembly takes place by hand. ‘That does have its drawbacks.

We are going to look into robotisation, also with a view to long-term employability of employees, quality improvement and, of course, cost.’

Automation is not always a given, as illustrated by Timmerije, which injection-moulds the plastic covers for the TZERRA. ‘Remeha wants to be able to integrate functions inside this cover and the consumer wants an attractive boiler, which is why we injection-mould the cover with a high-gloss finish’, says CEO Wim Simons. Timmerije also handles part of the assembly of the boilers in its own social workshop. ‘Adding insulation, stickers and a rubber sealing profile – manual actions which we have so far not robotised or automated. The technology does exist, but we have opted against it for environmental reasons.’

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS Remeha sets great store by CSR (corporate social responsibility). The company already does refurbishment – recovering components for reuse – and wants to further expand this in the near future. ‘That means lower prices for customers, with the same guarantee, and we don’t need to treat it as waste’, says Veldhuis.

The finite supply of fossil fuels also presents Remeha with a challenge. ‘Take programmes like ‘ Nul op de meter ‘ (‘Zero meter reading’), where homes generate their own energy. The question is: how do we respond to that? A few years ago, we launched the eVita, a smart

high-efficiency boiler that supplies heat and hot water and generates green electricity. We currently supply hybrid systems, central heating boilers with heat pumps, and we are also looking into energy storage, which is becoming increasingly important.’ In the light of CSR, Remeha works with the EcoVadis self-assessment and also expects its suppliers to use this sustainability evaluation.

Other environmental benefits lie in the fact that the partners are based a short distance from one another, which means that even

DEMAND-DRIVEN SUPPLY Another supplier which adapts to its clients is Ovimex, a specialist in total solutions in IT and print, which supplies the technical manuals for all Remeha’s heating boilers. The Deventer-based firm has developed a tool for custom digital printing. ‘With a view to possible changes, Remeha does not want to keep large stocks. We work with a one-week forecast. Because that forecast is not fixed, our system is designed so that it can look forwards and backwards and supply based on demand’,

‘In the future, I would like to make even better use of our suppliers’ specialist knowledge’

large volumes do not represent a logistical bottleneck. ‘We are part of the Remeha ‘milk run’: every day, a truck collects our products based on forecasts and slot times that exactly match their production runs’, says Wim Simons of Timmerije. ‘And for service, we can be on the spot in three-quarters of an hour.’

His company is also looking into opportunities for refurbishment. ‘The plastic cover is suitable for recycling. We are working hard to tailor the software for our production process to this.’

explains CEO Frank Dijkman. Ovimex supplies Remeha’s five production lines to order daily using five transport carts. ‘We do that five days per week, fifty weeks per year. We use calibrated weighing as an additional check to be sure we are delivering exactly the right numbers of documentation sets.’

Lentink trucks also travel to Apeldoorn daily on a kanban basis, carrying the steel housings for the central heating boilers. The Varsseveldbased supplier also carries out part of the pre-assembly. ‘Remeha doesn’t have room on

CONTINUATION OF PAGE 31

is Rosscor from Hengelo, which engineers multi-phase pumps for its end customer Lukoil. ‘They heard that we are high up in the rankings for suppliers of ATEX-certified (explosion-proof, ed.) installations by word of mouth’, explains Nieuwe Weme on how his containers are finding their way into the Russian oil and gas sector.

‘We now have seven customers for containerbuilding, most of which are based here in the Netherlands. The end customers are ninety

PROVIDING CERTAINTY Another advantage of the container concept is the certainty that everything will work. At the time of the interview, a desalination plant is being built in Oldenzaal for Salttech from Sneek. ‘The customer is coming here for extensive testing before the end of the month.

We use a generator to provide the same voltage as in Texas, which is where the plant will be used to desalinate water for the extraction of shale gas. When the container is shipped, 98 per cent of the installation work will already have been done and the customer will know that it has been done properly. The only thing he needs to provide is a concrete slab in the desert in Texas. My people will then install it ready for use within four days.’ A third advantage is that containers enable compact construction. For example, the purification plant in Vermont will take up only 225 square metres of American soil. ‘Containers are easily stackable up to nine high.’

MID-TECH Apart from desalination and purification, NieuweWeme’s containers are also used for energy generation, compressed air systems, laminating ovens (developed and built by the NieuweWeme Group’s HOAF business unit) and pumping stations. One client for the latter

its line to fit insulation, so they have transferred that work to us. We also assemble individual components, such as plastic parts and rubber hoses’, says Daniël Lentink. He describes a high degree of automation as an important added value. ‘It allows our machines to cut sheets very efficiently. This results in less manufacturing waste – read cheaper production.’

PLATFORM In summary, Remeha’s operational director Edu Veldhuis is very happy with the partnership. ‘Ovimex, Lentink and Timmerije make life easier for us with their stable operational and logistic performance. In addition, they quickly respond to our requests and they are reliable in terms of planning, which is important for our time-to-market.’ Is there no room for improvement? ‘Yes, early supplier involvement. In the future, I would like to make even better use of their specialist knowledge and set up a platform for it, so that Remeha can give them a greater degree of freedom in order to achieve even better products.’

www.remeha.nl www.lentink.nl www.ovimex.nl www.timmerije.nl

Einstein, E = mc2’, says Ben Nieuwe Weme.

‘A further advantage of mid-tech is that you don’t constantly have to worry about your intellectual property leaking away. We buy the high-tech when it is sufficiently developed.’

NEGOTIATING NieuweWeme also builds installations (skids) without the container housing. ‘We are going to supply 108 skids to a Thai end customer for a large desalination plant’, the CEO says,

‘If you’re smart, there is so much more added value and money to be gained from mid-tech’

per cent foreign, but our customers are often mid-tech firms from the surrounding area.

Just as we are a mid-tech firm ourselves. The high-tech work done primarily in Eindhoven is also very important, but if you’re smart, there’s so much more added value and money to be gained from mid-tech. That’s also how I came up with the container-build concept.

Simplicity (‘Eenvoud’ in Dutch) is modular conceptual thinking at its best. Or, to quote

illustrating his firm’s rapid growth once more.

‘Working capital is not a problem either. The banks have become very loyal. Apart from that, it’s a matter of negotiating. For the work in Vancouver I had already been credited half a million euros of the contracting sum, even though I hadn’t yet bought a single screw.’

www.nieuweweme.nl

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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JOINT VISIT TO EXHIBITION CREATES NETWORK AT HOME AND ABROAD

SPRINGBOARD TO THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET Last year, Liesbeth van den Akker of Abelan Fibor Packaging in Zutphen and Maria Lijding of Smart Signs Solutions in Enschede made some interesting new contacts – like other entrepreneurs in the Eastern Netherlands travelling to visit major exhibitions abroad with Oost NV (East Netherlands Development Agency).

There they discover new opportunities in international markets. immediately interested in being part of it.

Smart Signs supplies ast November, a bus carrying around personalised and thirty participants set off for the Medica dynamic information 2015 trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany. systems for buildings.

They were taking part in Oost NV’s ‘I wanted to get an even Match2Medica Tour 2015, focusing on ‘Digital better sense of what is Health Smart Devices’ this time. For three going on in the market. days, they immersed themselves in the world’s Smart Signs sees opportunities in hospitals, prompting CEO Maria Lijding to visit Medica Who are our competilargest medical marketplace in order to be tors? What do they do? 2015 in Germany. Photo: Hartmut Benz inspired, learn about possible business opporWho can we work tunities and above all expand their networks. markets. We were at the show for four days with? For example, I talked to a company that The development agency organised the visit and we had brought along a big fountain: our supplies complete systems for healthcare in to the trade fair in partnership with Health packaging products for tomatoes and melon Europe and is bigger than us. They may want Valley, Health Innovation Park and Kennisgot wet but remained sturdy and stable.’ to add our products to their portfolio.’ A park Twente – as a way of supporting entrePeople were impressed. The fountain attracted hospital recently asked Smart Signs to make preneurs with plans to internationalise. The a lot of interest. Van den Akker established a a quotation for a project. ‘We can’t supply participating firms from the Life Sciences & number of promising contacts, which she is exactly what they want, but thanks to the Health sector and the medical-technological now following up. ‘You need to build it up Medica tour I have now gained a contact industry were given the opportunity to specify slowly, especially in these kinds of countries. which may be able to help us deliver what the in advance what kind of contacts they were I learned a lot about the Turkish market. In hospital wants.’ looking for. They were offered a tailored each new country, you are starting from programme for the trip at an attractive price. scratch, so if you can lean on an organiser The Gelderland and Overijssel provincial FOUNTAIN IN ANTALYA who knows the way, that is very welcome. authorities made a financial contribution.

Sales Manager Liesbeth van den Akker attracThe Holland Pavilion looked fantastic and we ted a lot of interest at the major agricultural could pay for everything together. fair Growtech Eurasia in Antalya, Turkey GOOD SET-UP in early December with the products of When Maria Lijding, CEO of Smart Signs Zutphen-based Abelan Fibor Packaging. As in Solutions, heard about the trip, she was FOLLOW-UP 2013 and 2014, Entrepreneurs often come back enthusiastic the Netherlands and then go back to their day-to-day business.

Export CombiSo Oost NV keeps its finger on the pulse. Prenation and Oost parations for forthcoming exhibition visits are NV had created a already underway. This year, there will again Holland Pavilion be a group travelling to Medica in Düsseldorf. there. Of the In mid-April, companies will have the opporfourteen compatunity to visit Connecting Healthcare IT in nies in the paviBerlin and in late April, the Hannover Messe lion, eight were is being held again. Liesbeth van den Akker from the Eastern and Maria Lijding will definitely be going on Netherlands. more such trips, they say. Lijding: ‘It’s a great ‘Fibor makes set-up, also for expanding our network in our solid cardboard own region.’ packaging used in the fruit & vegetables sector, www.smartsigns.nl for example. We www.abelan.com are always lookremco.lucassen@oostnv.nl Abelan Fibor Packaging presented its solid cardboard packaging products for the fruit & vegetables sector at the Growtech Eurasia agricultural fair in Turkey. Photo: Fibor Packaging ing for new (information about trade fair visits)

BY LUCY HOLL

L

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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VIRO EN IMS ONTWIKKELEN GENERIEKE BESTURINGSSOFTWARE VOOR ‘4.0’ PRODUCTIEPLATFORM

‘HET KOST MOEITE OM DINGEN SIMPEL TE MAKEN’ Flexibiliteit en schaalbaarheid zijn trefwoorden voor de moderne productiesystemen van Industrie 4.0. Ingenieursbureau VIRO is na de recente uitbreiding met software & control-competenties uitgerust voor de ontwikkeling van een toolkit voor de bijpassende systeemarchitectuur. Machinebouwer IMS gebruikt de toolkit om zijn nieuwe generatie flexibele en schaalbare productiesystemen van de benodigde besturingsintelligentie te voorzien.

In gesprek over de flexibele systeemarchitectuur die VIRO ontwikkelt voor launching customer IMS: van links naar rechts Barry te Dorsthorst (IMS), Theo de Vries (VIRO), Ton Pothoven (IMS/WWINN) en Jacob Vlasma (VIRO). Foto: Arjan Reef

DOOR HANS VAN EERDEN

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IRO is een groeiend internationaal ingenieursbureau, gespecialiseerd in engineering en projectmanagement, met 600 medewerkers en hoofdkantoor in Hengelo (Ov). Klanten voor machinebouw en industriële projecten vragen VIRO om over de totale keten – van idee en engineering tot productie en inbedrijfname van een machine – ondersteuning te bieden en waarde toe te voegen. Dat kan in de vorm van onder meer kwaliteitsverbetering, doorlooptijdverkorting, kostenreductie, flexibilisering en inbreng van expertise, vertelt Jacob Vlasma, vestigingsleider Hengelo. Reden voor VIRO om zijn dienstenpakket verder uit te breiden. Jongste aanwinst is de afdeling Soft-

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ware & Control, die VIRO verwierf door de overname vorig jaar van negen medewerkers van het Enschedese Imotec. Onder leiding van Theo de Vries ontwikkelt deze afdeling technologie en high-end software voor de besturing van machines en andere mechatronische systemen. Nu kan VIRO klanten op het gebied van Industrie 4.0 ondersteunen met geavanceerde software, systems engineering en slimme concepten voor systeemarchitectuur.

ONVOORSPELBAAR Een van die klanten is IMS in Almelo, onderdeel van de WWINN Group (negentig medewerkers). IMS ontwikkelt en bouwt productiesystemen voor de semi- en hooggeautomatiseerde productie van veelal kleine, samengestelde producten. Dit zijn bijvoor-

Special Oost-Nederland - februari 2016

beeld componenten voor consumentenelektronica, denk aan smartphones, en medische devices. ‘Wij zijn actief sinds 1999’, vertelt algemeen directeur Ton Pothoven, ‘en het begon met maatwerk, dedicated systemen voor een bepaald product. Vervolgens kwamen er modulaire systemen, die binnen een productiefamilie flexibel verschillende producten kunnen maken. Nu is er vraag naar flexibele, schaalbare productieplatformen, vooral van bedrijven die productie in Europa dicht bij hun innovatiecentra willen houden. Zij willen al vroeg in de lifecycle, als een productontwerp nog niet helemaal vastligt en de productieaantallen nog niet groot zijn, automatiseren; dit met het oog op loonkosten en kwaliteit. Maar ze willen het risico vermijden van een grote investering in een dedicated machine voor een product waarvan de levenscyclus nog onvoorspelbaar is. Daarom ontwikkelen wij nu een platform dat flexibel en herconfigureerbaar is, zoals bestaande machines, maar ook meer schaalbaar en programmeerbaar. Eén machine moet productieflows voor heel uiteenlopende producten kunnen verwerken. Met zo’n generiek platform kunnen klanten flexibel meegaan in de dynamiek van hun markt.’

BESTURINGSINTELLIGENTIE Het nieuwe concept van IMS, METIS 4.0 genaamd, kent een hoge mate van flexibiliteit.

Het vergt dan ook veel besturingsintelligentie om het systeem optimaal te benutten, verklaart Pothoven. ‘Onze eigen expertise ligt vooral in de ‘real time’-wereld, waar het gaat om motion control en de afloop van productiestappen op een machine. De flexibele besturing van complete productiecellen en -lijnen is voor ons relatief nieuw. Om dat naar een hoger niveau te tillen, zijn we een partnerschap met VIRO aangegaan. Zij doen al veel mechanische engineering voor ons en door de komst van Theo en de competenties van diens groep diende zich deze gelegenheid aan. Zij ontwikkelen een toolkit die aansluit op onze

opportunity arose. They are developing a toolkit which matches our need: control intelligence which does not only have an interface with our low-level machine control but is also able to integrate components from third parties and, above all, provides the interfacing to the outside world, from ERP (production planning at the highest level, ed.) to maintenance systems. That is the flexibility of Industry 4.0.’

REUSE Theo de Vries explains the VIRO concept: ‘The system architecture has basically been set up so that modifications can be made for specific automation solutions with relatively little effort. We first develop the basic functionality and demonstrate that it works well and is reliable.’ Pothoven: ‘That means you are doing the same thing at the operating level as we are doing on the physical side: creating an architecture with a number of building blocks which you can reuse in order to generate a customer-specific solution quickly, cost-effectively and, above all, in a predictable way.’

IMS is acting as a launching customer for the toolkit that VIRO is developing. VIRO does want to involve customers from other market segments as well, adds De Vries. ‘Our toolkit needs to be truly generic and in order to achieve that we also want to use it for other parties. To this end, an IP philosophy (for intellectual property, ed.) has been integrated

into the software architecture so that, in order to protect the commercial interests of IMS, no components end up in the toolkit which are distinctive in terms of their competitive position. The challenge is to find the right degree of flexibility and scalability.’ That’s where the importance of the partnership lies, responds Barry te Dorsthorst, electrical engineer at IMS. ‘We have concrete ideas about flexibility, but you make sure that other ideas, which perhaps have less to do with our market, also find their way into the toolkit.’ Flexibility is the greatest challenge for IMS, Pothoven admits. ‘Our systems must be able to handle very different product forms. We want to have to do as little specific engineering as possible, because that takes time and entails risks. The best thing is a flexible solution that looks relatively simple.’ Theo de Vries concurs. ‘But the way I see it is: it takes effort to make things simple. That’s what makes it interesting.’ In VIRO’s view, the openness of the system architecture is essential, so that the customer itself or third parties can augment the control.

Te Dorsthorst: ‘The transition from our ‘real time’ control to a higher control layer will be a very open interface, based on communication standards.’ De Vries: ‘We need to interface with a large number of systems, but we can’t do everything so we have to make choices. For that purpose, too, it’s good to talk to several parties and use the toolkit straight away on diverse projects.’

LEAD VIRO is not going to market the toolkit as a software product, says Jacob Vlasma. ‘We’re going to use it to carry out specific projects for customers in a cost-effective manner, with relatively short lead times and guaranteed quality. With the toolkit, we want to strengthen the competitive position of the chain – the customer with us in our role of service provider.’ The development of the toolkit is an ongoing process, but IMS will start using components that are ready in new systems immediately. Pothoven: ‘In a few years’ time, we will have a complete system that we can demonstrate. We will almost certainly be the first to put this onto the market. Our competitors still supply primarily dedicated systems, but we are now also seeing them putting modular systems onto the market. With METIS 4.0, we are hoping to restore our lead.

In any event, we are getting a surprisingly strong response from our customers. Our approach is perfectly suited to high-volume production in Asia, but our first goal is to create the flexibility that parties in Europe are looking for. With our platform and the toolkit from VIRO, they can make a generic investment which they don’t have to earn back with one specific product.’

www.ims-nl.com www.viro.nl

Next level in plastics Timmerije is an ISO/TS 16949 certified full service manufacturer of plastic injection molded parts and specializes in products with a technologically complex character.

The factory is equipped with 50 injection molding machines ranging from 25T to 1400T clamping force and state of the art 2K injection molding, gas injection, insert molding and in-mold decoration.

As “Custom Moulder” with over 150 dedicated employees, an own engineering department and tool shop, they create the distinctiveness for the customer.

Proud!

During the DISA '14 Timmerije has been rewarded.

Timmerije can call itself the 2nd Best Knowledge Supplier, something to be proud of!

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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SHORTCUTS STARTING PISTOL FIRED FOR EUROPEAN CLEAN MOBILITY CENTER In late January, the Clean Mobility Center, ‘European centre for business innovation’, unofficially opened. ‘New energy solutions are essential in order to reduce CO2 emissions in which mobility figures prominently. However, in view of the size and complexity of the existing challenges, partial solutions are not enough’, says General Manager of Allego, Anja van Niersen, one of the initiators.

The Clean Mobility Center focuses on innovative solutions for all forms of mobility that can be made more sustainable, including cars, buses, bicycles and lorries.

That means innovating and/or

making more efficient use of the vehicle itself, the infrastructure and sustainable energy generation and storage directly related to mobility.

The centre is establishing a test site, showroom and research facilities at the Kleefse Waard industrial estate (IPKW) in Arnhem.

The founders are Allego, CGI, DEKRA, DNV GL, EL-KW and IPKW. Arnhem municipality, Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences (HAN), the kiEMT Foundation, the East Netherlands Development Agency, Oost NV, the Rhine-IJssel regional training centre, SEECE

Impression of the Clean Mobility Center at the Kleefse Waard industrial estate in Arnhem.

(Sustainable Electrical Energy Centre of Expertise) and SUEZ are also part of the initiative.

The official opening takes place on 21 April. cleanmobility.eu

MADE IN HOLLAND AWARD 2016 GOES TO EASTERN NETHERLANDS Machinefabriek Boessenkool, PillenGroup, Romias and Exner Ingenieurstechniek have been nominated for the Made in Holland Award 2016. The award was established in order to showcase the achievements of the Netherlands as a manufacturing industry centre. The presentation will be held in Utrecht in mid-March, during the ESEF and TechniShow trade shows at Jaarbeurs Utrecht.

Machinefabriek Boessenkool (Almelo) has entered with the Drone4Agro, and the PillenGroup

(Lichtenvoorde) with the HeatFun Comfort Panel; these nominees are ESEF participants. From the entries for the TechniShow Innovation Award, the jury

selected Romias (Enter) with the robot control Romias-MI and the engineering firm Exner Ingenieurstechniek (Druten) with the Instant Robot programming

NEW CYCLOTRON AT RADBOUD UMC The device allows the Nijmegen hospital to produce short half-life radioactive substances (radiopharmaceuticals) and administer them to patients very quickly.

This creates a better picture of

tissues, organs and processes, enabling doctors to make better choices between the various treatment methods for cancer, metabolic disorders or cardiac and neurological complaints,

GIANT ELECTRIC TRACTOR OUTSIDE ENTRANCE TO THE LOWER HOUSE Last month, Ineke Dezentjé Hamming-Bleumink, chair of FME (the body representing the manufacturing industry), presented the report ‘Nederland maakt’ (‘The Netherlands manufactures’) to all the party chairs. With a view to the parliamentary elections in 2017, the report identifies the importance of the high-tech manufacturing industry as a driver of the Dutch economy. In order to add lustre to the presentation, a real tractor was parked in front of the Lower House in The Hague, as an example of technological innovation from the Dutch

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system. All four nominees are from the Eastern Netherlands. www.esef.nl www.technishow.nl

manufacturing industry. The Multi Tool Trac was built by Boessenkool Machinefabriek in Almelo. It was developed in partnership with Wissels Techniek, Van Ham Organisatie & Advies and seven organic farmers under the auspices of the Osse Equipment Manufacturing Group.

The Multi Tool Trac is the world’s first large electric tractor. It makes the farmer’s work more pleasant and sustainable and keeps the natural soil environment in optimal condition. www.multitooltrac.com www.fme.nl

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

NEDERLAND MAAKT! Ovver het belang van de industrie en industriële waardeketens voor Nederland

such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. www.radboudumc.nl www.siemens.com

CREATIVE SECTOR, TOO, SEEKING CROSS-OVER WITH MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

‘QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY, PREFERABLY STUNNING BEAUTY AS WELL’ ‘Innovation is a prerequisite when it comes to staying afloat in the creative sector.

And that’s only possible by entering into partnerships with other sectors, in our case manufacturing. And sustainable innovation is something you do locally.’ The words of Mars Holwerda from StudioMOM in Arnhem. Even Maison the Faux, another Arnhem-based business, is opting for the innovation route by designing creative, sustainable clothing in conjunction with open innovation centre Texperium in Haaksbergen.

BY TAMARA FRANKE

T

he east of the Netherlands is seeing more and more cooperation between various top sectors. For instance, the creative sector and the manufacturing industry are also seeking each other out for the purpose of innovation. Some great examples include StudioMOM / Identity & Design and Maison the Faux, both in Arnhem. StudioMOM is promoting itself by designing products ‘with a bold, clear identity’.

Fashion label Maison the Faux is focusing on craftsmanship, innovation and vision as a response to our consumer society. Tessa de Boer from Maison the Faux: ‘Designing creative, sustainable clothing is our focus, and that involves more than just introducing a new line of clothing each year. Particularly within the fashion industry, sustainability is still scarce.

The sustainable products that do exist are often unsightly and don’t satisfy the requirements for haute couture designs. We’re aiming to change that.’

RECYCLING Maison the Faux is engaged in efforts to innovate together with Texperium, the open innovation centre for high-quality textile recycling in Haaksbergen. ‘We sought them out to talk about the possibilities for a recycled yarn that fulfils the criteria of haute couture. In conjunction with them we are now actively developing a range of yarns that look amazing.

Exciting stuff. Texperium has the technical know-how, they’re developing the yarn. We’ll twist and twine the yarn and use it in our collection. The goal is for the thread to become available to all.’

Tessa de Boer is enthusiastic about the role of development agency Oost NV as a sparring partner, including when it comes to financing applications. ‘We’re creative and enterprising, but we realise that we don’t speak the language of financing. They’re filling this gap, and the terrific network they have benefits young entrepreneurs tremendously.’ The newspaper De Volkskrant has proclaimed Maison the Faux fashion talent of 2016. ‘We’re over the moon about that. People primarily regard us as a fashion label, and that’s certainly where our roots are. But personally we think of ourselves more as a creative studio. We want to do more than just fashion, continuing to develop other products. We’re constantly engaged in improving, making a difference, a positive change – that’s our goal.’

NETWORK

StudioMOM designed the high-efficiency Oak wood stove, which is manufactured locally. Photo: Wanders

StudioMOM also benefited from Oost NV’s extensive network. Mars Holwerda: ‘That’s how we found our partner Wanders in Netterden. We’re continuously engaged in developing new concepts. But the best thing is if we’re able to produce these locally. Only then are your operations genuinely small-scale and sustainable. And that’s precisely what the Oak wood stove from Wanders became: a sample card of several companies in the region that collectively make this product. The stove is sustainable because of its high efficiency as well as its local production concept. You only make what’s needed, meaning you don’t have

Maison the Faux designs creative, sustainable clothing.

much left lying in stock. Its aesthetic qualities also ensure that people cherish the product and keep it for a long time. That’s what we’re always looking to achieve with our products: quality and sustainability, preferably stunning beauty as well. We want to be flexible, local and interesting, which is possible if you produce things within your region.’

StudioMOM prefers to manufacture its products locally instead of outsourcing production to low-wage countries. ‘That hampers flexibility. It’s difficult to confer with people in India or Poland. Apart from the distance, the language is often a barrier. Innovation is necessary, otherwise you’ll stagnate as a company. Innovation is definitely optimal in Gelderland if you enter into regional partnerships. It’s precisely by sharing knowledge that you can come up with great new products.

Dropping in on each other to look at an interim phase and to discuss where you want to be headed enables you to generate new ideas.

It makes it easier for you to try something out, bolstering innovation significantly. This is the future: small-scale, local, with shared knowledge that encourages you to design and make great, sustainable products.’ www.maisonthefaux.com www.studiomom.nl

East Netherlands Special – February 2016

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