90 students from the Alfa College in Groningen were given the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at five high-tech companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten. They came face-to-face with the most modern technological developments.
The students were taken on a High Tech Safari along BD Kiestra, Variass, Delta Instruments, WhisperPower and YP Your Partner. A voyage of discovery where they got a taste of real business. Central to the visit were their own interests, their personal development and possible career opportunities.
Enthusiastic noise
Interested, the students responded to the story about ‘the smart cow’ from Delta Instruments. This company develops dairy analysis equipment that allows farmers to easily measure a cow's health and thus milk quality. WhisperPower demonstrated that for them, a product is only perfect when you can't see and hear it. So during the tour of the factory, where whisper-quiet generators are made, the enthusiastic noise of the students prevailed.
At BD Kiestra, they brushed up on their knowledge of recognizing bacteriological infections, and Variass demonstrated how complex medical laboratory systems are built. YP Your Partner, one of the organizations focused solely on software development, let the students experience that a myriad variety of systems can be monitored and operated via smartphone, tablet and PC.
Knowledge sharing
Big Data, Internet of Things, robotization, 3D printing, virtual reality and serious gaming are the technical developments for which the companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten are devising new solutions. Solutions that are useful, for example, in the dairy industry, for generating energy, supporting research into child abuse or bacterial diseases and managing pumping stations, bridges and locks protecting us from flooding.