Creating an attractive climate where people can enjoy working, living and studying is more important than before for our region. The more than 40 representatives of Northern industry agree on that. ’’But if we don't know each other it won't work,'' concludes initiator and host of the industry summit Klaas Jan Hutten of ING. ,,It is our role to connect companies and I sense here the ambition and will to create something together.’’ Hutten observes all kinds of connections and forms of cooperation in the northern Netherlands. ,,But nobody knows where to find each other.’’
Industrial leaders
The industry summit is prepared for that. At six Round Tables the top leaders meet each other and six industrial frontrunners. Johan Russchen (Avebe) talks about the opportunities of the energy transition for the Northern Netherlands. At the table of Mischa Baert (Breeder) is about Smart Industry. Christel Werkman (Workman Horseshoes) shares her ideas on how a traditional business can be innovative. Alex van Dalen (Legs Automation) states that without smart sensors there is no big data and Theun Prins (YP Your Partner) shows how augmented reality is changing the manufacturing industry. Kor Visscher, chairman Innovatiecluster Drachten and director at Philips in Drachten, puts the urgent question on the table at his Round Table on regional cooperation and branding: how do I keep my staff up to date and how do I attract new talent?
Human capital
He does not have a solution, but Visscher makes a suggestion. ,,With our high-tech companies we explicitly stimulate the Northern cooperation between business and knowledge institutions. We do this mainly in the field of High Tech Systems & Materials, but in other sectors this is of course also possible.’’ Attracting highly skilled personnel to the region and exchanging knowledge and experience are concrete goals in this regard, according to Visscher. This should be done with more urgency than a few years ago. The ambition of companies should therefore focus on more operational cooperation on three aspects. ,,First of all human capital, activities aimed at attracting and retaining personnel at all levels of education. So to speak, the ‘captivation and retention’ of personnel. In addition, regional promotion is important with activities aimed at strengthening the image of our region. In our case, technical and innovative. And finally, knowledge exchange and networking between the personnel of companies and knowledge institutions.’
Tech proof
This is music to the ears of keynote speaker Ineke Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink. She is chairman of FME, the business association for the technology industry, and believes that the lack of skilled workers should not hinder economic growth. ‘’That can't be true! That's why we have to make the Netherlands ’tech proof.’ She does not yet find the new cabinet on her side, as she misses the word ‘digitalization’ in the coalition agreement, which she believes is the driver of the tech industry and the future of the Netherlands. ,,The tech industry offers fantastic solutions to major social issues. Think of healthcare, food (scarcity) and energy. Moreover, we are in the middle of the transition from a natural gas economy to a green hydrogen economy, in which technology plays a key role.’’ That's why she presents industry leaders with the unfortunate choice: ’’Are you going to keep muddling through here or move to a country where R&D managers roll off the assembly line?’’ According to her, the North should even become a paradise for expats. ''Business and education must become intertwined, with education coming up with solutions and not getting defensive. We have to step on the gas because industry cannot do it alone. If we do nothing, the shortage of technicians will increase by 20 thousand a year. So 8 out of 10 students must choose engineering. That is our ambition!’
Top talent
There is no word of Spanish here, and Lambert Zwiers thinks so too. He sees shortages of well-trained personnel in all sectors. ,,It is a big challenge for all of us to get employees on board with all the developments. After all, personnel is becoming increasingly scarce. That is why we are bringing parties together today to really work on cooperation. He finds inspiration important, ’but we also want to earn a living. So results count. According to him, the top managers can get straight to work by looking for solutions within their own companies. ’’Consider that you already have the best capital in place and ask yourself the question: am I making optimal use of our existing employees? Top talent: use it or lose it!’’
Photos: JAV Studios Assen