It's been a while, but definitely not less worth mentioning: On Thursday, March 26, the ICD | Innovatiecluster Drachten organized an inspiring IT safari for first-year students NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. A total of 35 IT bachelor students traveled from Leeuwarden to Drachten for a day full of practical experience, knowledge sharing, and career orientation.
The students are following the Software Engineering and Business IT programs. The central theme of the day was Embedded Applications. In other words: how software, data, and smart systems come together in high-tech practice.
The future is closer than you think
The safari focused on career orientation and getting to know the region. Under the motto “The future is closer than you think” the students discovered which innovative IT applications are being developed right in their own backyard.
During the day, they visited two ICD companies: Waters Advanced Diagnostics and Philips. In addition to this, also provided Your Partner and Batenburg Bones substantive presentations.
This way, the students gained a broad overview of IT in manufacturing and the high-tech sector in a short period of time.
Embedded Software and Smart Systems Central
The common thread of the day was clear: the deployment of ICT in embedded software, remote connectivity, and smart data applications.
While many companies use standard software such as ERP, CAD/CAM, and CAE systems, the focus on this particular day was on in-house developed and implemented IT solutions.
This gave students a realistic picture of the role of software development within innovative organizations.
Innovation in the spotlight at Waters
At Waters Chris Blom a presentation on imaging applications for bacterial detection. It explained how advanced image processing and software contribute to medical and laboratory applications.
Following this, a tour was given of the R&D and production facilities. This allowed students to see the technology in practice firsthand.
Smart consumer technology at Philips
At Philips Harm Kingma the students into the world of embedded software in shavers.
He talked about the development of FPGA software and its connection with apps. That combination yields valuable data on consumer usage. This gives students insight into how hardware, software, and data analysis come together in consumer products.
After lunch, the students also received a tour of the company here.
Remote monitoring and autonomous systems
On behalf of Your Partner. Yasmin de Groot on remote sensing of pump systems in sewers. It addressed how Your Partner develops both front-end and back-end software in-house.
Finally, gave Thom Verwater a presentation on autonomous systems in the agritech sector. He showed how sensor data is converted into smart applications that take over repetitive and physically demanding work from humans.
Practical experience as inspiration for the future
With this ICT safari, students got valuable insight into the practice of software engineering and business IT. Moreover, such a day helps to better understand the career opportunities available in the region.
At ICD, we believe it's important to connect young talent with innovative companies. Together, we are building the future of IT and technology in the Northern Netherlands.
We look back on a successful and inspiring day. And who knows, perhaps even more students will choose a future as a software engineer in high-tech practice.
