A number of enterprising parties, including Innovatiecluster Drachten, signed a manifesto at Fokker in Hoogeveen in order to jointly give a major boost to the Northern region in the field of innovative technology.
The Northern region has a large number of strong companies and research institutions active in the field of High Tech Systems & Materials (HTSM). The stimulation of the sensor cluster through Stichting Sensor Universe has made an important contribution to this in recent years. However, it became increasingly clear that a next step in the development of the Northern Netherlands as a High-Tech region would have to come from the field itself. A number of large companies, particularly Fokker Aerostructures (Hoogeveen) and Philips Consumer Lifestyle (Drachten), the investment company NOM and parties from the Sensor Cluster, including ASTRON, INCAS3, Sensor City Assen, the University of Groningen and Hanze University Groningen have therefore joined forces.
The broadening of sensor to High-Tech Systems & Materials leads to a better connection to national programs and to Europe. Moreover, it does justice to the strength of the companies in the region. Dr. Marco de Vos (Managing Director of ASTRON): “In the SKA project we clearly see that the Northern Netherlands has a lot of potential in the field of high-tech electronics. Through this collaboration we can hook SME companies on large and exciting projects and thus give them the opportunity to grow.”
Rob Goossens, Fokker Aerostructures Hoogeveen: “Collaboration of large companies with SMEs, customers, suppliers, universities and knowledge institutes in innovative platforms, supported by an active government policy, has shown that we can take new technological developments to a higher level in a structured way. It is of great economic importance for the North to stimulate innovation by facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration.”
Rob Karsmakers, site manager Philips Consumer Lifestyle Drachten: “With the signing of the Manifesto, a Platform HTSM Noord will be formed on which a number of major programs will be jointly launched, aimed at strengthening the Northern Netherlands manufacturing industry and employment growth.”
Siem Jansen, Director NOM: “Working together on concrete projects such as DOME and SmartFactory is the best way to hook a large number of SMEs and give them the opportunity to grow and excel. Effectively connecting already existing SMEs and actively supporting entrepreneurship from the platform is an important core objective. With this, the partners bundle initiatives around industrial development, both among large parties and SMEs.”
The initial partners of this manifesto are: Fokker Aerostructures Hoogeveen, Philips Consumer Lifestyle Drachten, ASTRON, NOM, University of Groningen, Hanze University Groningen, SRON, INCAS Foundation, Innovatiecluster Drachten and Sensor City Assen.
The platform will be expanded in the short term by joining other parties, including large companies, educational institutions and SMEs.
The regional authorities wholeheartedly support the initiative. Because the initiative comes from the professional field, government funding can be used on a project basis. Deputy Ard van der Tuuk: “It is important that we as provinces can support projects in which the importance for employment in the region is clear. I am therefore very pleased that parties in the field have found each other.”