At the stroke of 10 a.m., a tour bus drove onto the grounds of Exosens /Photonis Netherlands in Roden. On board: 30 FSE students from the University of Groningen (RuG). They were actively exploring their future career options that week. At the request of Innovatiecluster Drachten (ICD) suggested Arjan Boerma put together a hands-on program, with a central role for alumni from the region.
Alumni share their career paths
The morning started with a brief introduction about Exosens and Photonis Netherlands. Then former students told their personal stories. Mathijn Lensen took the students through his career path: from Astronomy and Mechanical Engineering at the RuG through internships to his current position as R&D Scientist at Photonis. In doing so, he gave a clear picture of his daily activities.
Subsequently, the Jamo Momand explained how he progressed to R&D Manager via Physics at the RuG, a PhD program and a postdoc at Photonis. He outlined the challenging physics issues and sophisticated equipment his team works with.
High-tech in practice: labs and sensor technology
The presentations were followed by an active program. The students were split into groups and given a look at the R&D labs. Among other things, they were introduced to a fast laser gating setup, a solar-blind UV setup and experienced for themselves the operation of night vision technology.
From ASTRON joined two ICD colleagues: Tammo Jan Dijkema (mathematician) and Morag Brown (electrical engineer). They told about their work on high-tech astronomical instrumentation, supported by impressive images of galaxies. They also gave a clear overview of career opportunities at ASTRON for future astronomers.
From Roden to Drachten: innovation in production
With a well-filled lunch bag, the group left for Drachten. At the SKILL building, the students were welcomed by alumnus Paul Huizenga. He talked about his career at Philips, with a focus on design and production of cutting and cutting elements within the Drachten plant.
During the subsequent factory tour, the students got a unique insight into the largest robotized factory in the Netherlands. A concrete example of how profound technical innovation comes about within a large industrial company.
Entrepreneurship and technology at XPAR Vision
The day ended with a contribution from Tim Bakker, Head of Services at XPAR Vision. This ICD company develops, manufactures and maintains inline inspection systems for the production of glass bottles and jars. Tim outlined his career, with a PhD in the United States and a combination of science and business, including at ASM. An inspiring example of an alternative career path within high-tech.
The future is closer than you think
With the message “The future is closer than you think” and an overview of all the ICD companies in Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe, the students left for Groningen again. It is expected that some of them will soon find their way back to the high-tech ecosystem of the Northern Netherlands.
The ICD remains committed to connecting talent, knowledge institutions and innovative companies in the region.