On Wednesday 28 October, Drachten was the focus of the excursion “The manufacturing region of tomorrow”, part of Day of the City 2026 in Fryslân. The ICD and Packsize explained to the participants how high-tech systems are being developed in and around Drachten. After that, a tour of the Packsize factory followed.
Day of the City 2026: identity in motion
Dag van de Stad 2026 took place in Fryslân, with Leeuwarden as the central meeting place. The theme was “Identity in motion”. Administrators, policymakers, researchers, and innovators explored how regional identity, culture, language, and community spirit can contribute to future-proof cities and regions.
The central question was how a strong regional identity could address the societal and spatial challenges of the future. The program consisted of excursions through the Friese municipalities, the informal Night of the City, and a conference day at Stadsschouwburg De Harmonie. There were lectures, workshops, theater, film, and practical examples about broad prosperity, inner-city transformation, sustainability, mobility, and participation.
Excursion to Drachten: building on a rich manufacturing tradition
One of the excursions took the participants to Drachten. The municipality of Smallingerland organized the excursion “The manufacturing region of tomorrow”. The question was how to build on a strong manufacturing tradition without stagnating.
Drachten has grown by doing things. That started with the skûtsj building and grew, among other things, through Philips, The program revealed that during the excursion, several forms of making came together: high-tech companies within the ICD, the creative making culture of the city, and the traditional crafts of the region. The Sludge Factory and the craftsmanship behind the Friesian skûtsjes.
Joost Krebbekx, program manager of the ICD, spoke about the growth of the ICD and the development of the North-Dutch high-tech ecosystem.
Packsize is on the move in the international market
Aike Wilting by Packsize He then gave a presentation about the developments at Packsize. The company is active in the international market for e-fulfillment systems. He showed how Packsize, as a high-tech company, continues to move forward and grow in line with the market demand.
In this way, the presentation closely matched the theme of the day. Likewise, a company with a strong manufacturing history must continue to innovate.
Factory tour in Drachten
A factory tour was of course not to be missed. This way, the participants were able to see for themselves what high-tech manufacturing in Drachten looks like in practice. The tour made it clear how technology, entrepreneurship and craftsmanship come together here.
Working together to build the manufacturing region of tomorrow
The excursion showed that a region can use its manufacturing history as a springboard to the future. Education, business, culture and heritage all strengthen each other in this process. ICD contributes to this by connecting high-tech companies, knowledge institutions and talent in the North of the Netherlands.
Want to learn more about the ICD and our affiliated companies? Check out the page The Companies or read more in our News section.