VentureLab Twente Entrepreneurs & others

volume 32012

VentureLab Twente Entrepreneurs & others

2012 volume 3

9&10Group

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Foreword

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Greater focus on entrepreneurship

The University of Groningen wants to increase its focus on entrepreneurship. With this in mind, the University has made changes to the way it trains its students. The programmes are now broader, because we have noticed that most people change jobs fairly quickly during the initial period after graduating. So it is only logical to train people in more than one discipline. Entrepreneurship now features on our academic agenda: not all alumni look for or find employment with a large organization. We want to help those who would rather prepare to be job creators than job seekers.

In conjunction with this, we have also broadened our initiatives in the field of entrepreneurship and valorization. Together with Hanze University of Applied Sciences, we have set up the Cube050 business incubator, and with the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Centre for Valorization and Entrepreneurship. In addition, we have set up campuses for Healthy Ageing with the UMCG, and for the Energy Academy with Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Another important move is the appointment of Prof. Aard Groen, Scientific Director of VentureLab, as part-time professor at our University, where he will set up a research group and supervise start-ups in the area of energy. He will serve as a linking pin with both the University of Twente and VentureLab, a collaboration that has already proved highly successful in the eastern part of the Netherlands. And of course, we can put the expertise and knowledge accumulated there to good use.

But above all, these are logical developments. The University of Groningen and the University of Twente have already been working together at the junction of medical and technical sciences for many years. Both institutes participate with Siemens in the Centre for Medical Imaging in Twente. Our medical students do their clinical rotations in hospitals in Twente, while students of technical medicine from Twente do internships at the UMCG. Our decision to stimulate entrepreneurship can be seen as a move to intensify this collaboration, and one that we hope will increase employment opportunities in our regions.

Professor Sibrand Poppema,

Chair of the Board of the University of Groningen

This booklet marks a very special juncture in our short history. The funding that was used to set up VentureLab Twente will stop at the end of this year. As from 1 January 2013, we will continue in the guise of VentureLab International. The change in name reflects the changes this involves, changes that have loomed on the horizon since the very start. A programme that claims to reinforce entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial competencies must also be able to stand on its own two feet. Practice what you preach. In the new setting, VentureLab will be a social enterprise, guaranteeing value for entrepreneurs by sharing knowledge, stimulating personal development and providing an expansive network. The value to society can be found in the new businesses that start up and the ongoing growth of those that already exist. As we have already proved, this will eventually lead to increased employment opportunities.

The entrepreneurial phase constitutes a chance to look further, to explore and exploit new opportunities. Up until now, the focus was on start-ups and entrepreneurs from the eastern part of the Netherlands. The subsidy we received allowed us to refine and step up our programme, so that it can now be rolled out in the rest of the Netherlands. The roll-out is well underway: we are already working with the University of Groningen (which has appointed me as a part-time professor) on a VentureLab construction for the energy sector. The scientific component, which typifies our programmes, will of course be upheld. We are currently making an inventory of the entrepreneurial skills most relevant to these sectors. We will then incorporate the knowledge we accrue into the support we offer to entrepreneurs, so that they too will be able to operate more efficiently and successfully in the Netherlands and beyond.

The proof that our vision extends beyond national borders can be found in this booklet, which tells the story of seven young managers from the Chinese steel giant BaoSteel. This is the second group of visitors from this company and the third is on its way. The benefits of this contact are mutual. The managers gain insight and knowledge of the market, opportunities and entrepreneurship in our part of the world. At the same time, we are expanding our network in China, which provides exciting new opportunities for entrepreneurs here. As part of the Netherland-Russia year 2013, we are preparing to set up a study centre for universities and businesses from both countries.

Message from the Scientific Director

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The dual approach practised by VentureLab forms the basis of all our activities. We help entrepreneurs on the path to success by supplying them with the latest scientific insights. In turn, they provide us with insight into their working methods and developments. The data thus collected and analysed enables us to keep on refining the quality of the programme we provide and coordinate it with ongoing demand. So we offer more than just a training programme. We prefer to call it an ‘entrepreneurial ecosystem’, which ensures that like-minded parties can find each other. The partnership between VentureLab and Kennispark Twente is just one of the many examples seen here in Twente.

We support entrepreneurs in the Platform B.V. Berkelland by boosting their competencies, with the aim of generating new business. The Platform is responding to a widely-felt and urgent need: the current market demands innovation, flexibility, versatility and insight into what customers want and need. It’s a message we hear constantly from the experienced entrepreneurs who come to give presentations during our VentureClasses. If we can put these new insights to good use and organize adequate eco-systems, we will create magnificent opportunities for the manufacturing industry.

In short: we are finding new ways and new places to share our knowledge and networks. VentureLab International is ready for the future.

prof.dr. Aard J. Groen,

Professor of Innovative Entrepreneurship, University of Twente

Professor of Entrepreneurship and Valorization, University of Groningen

Scientific Director of NIKOS

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The transition from VentureLab Twente to VentureLab International coincides with my own departure. A perfect opportunity to include a few observations and ideas in my final message. We are coming to the end of a remarkable and intensive period. At times, it was pioneering work. Our training programme was (and is still) unique in the Netherlands. There were no predecessors to pave the way and we needed a low threshold in order to serve the maximum number of up-and-coming high-tech entrepreneurs. The generous contributions from our subsidy providers enabled us to realize our ambitions.

We are now witnessing the maximum returns at so many levels. VentureLab Twente has helped more than 200 participants on their way. These include countless start-ups and an increasing number of more experienced entrepreneurs. Our programme, which comprises workshops and training courses, guidance by experienced coaches and access to an expansive network and potential investors, has helped to establish and expand dozens of new and existing businesses. More importantly, together we have created hundreds of new jobs.

Interaction between the participants is an essential part of this process. No matter which day they are here, they talk to each other, swap experiences and give each other tips. They set one another up with interesting parties from their own networks. The impact of this community spirit, which we like to call an ‘entrepreneurial ecosystem’, cannot be overstated. It has proved invaluable over the past few years. We have set up synergy groups to enhance the effect and allow entrepreneurs from similar fields to join forces. One of the alliances thus formed is Novides, a company that looks for sustainable new uses for old properties that become vacant.

We are seeing a new trend. The gap between the economy of the 21st century and that of previous centuries is widening. Globalization is the main cause. The world is gradually forming a single market. These days, even relatively small businesses can develop into global companies if the products on offer are advanced enough and meet the demands (or future demands) of the market. Many of these companies work closely with fellow-businesses, giving them flexibility and a stronger basis for innovating. For this reason, the business model, with its focus on value proposition and the earnings model, is high on the VentureLab agenda. A good business model bears more weight than a static business plan. Everything is changing; an entrepreneur must be able to anticipate and change course as and when necessary.

Message from the Programme Director

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But this is equally true of VentureLab Twente during its transition to VentureLab International. Our pioneering concept has gathered a following. We have now committed to similar programmes at Radboud University in Nijmegen, aimed at the valorization of medical knowledge, and at the University of Groningen, where the focus is on the energy sector. Aard Groen’s appointment as part-time professor at this northern university is an added incentive. Other universities are preparing comparable programmes. At the same time, small-scale entrepreneurial alliances, like those in Berkelland, are applying to us for more specific tailor-made programmes. In the 3.5 years it has been around, VentureLab Twente has become a trendsetter.

So we have laid a solid foundation on which VentureLab International can continue to grow. I hope it too will become a trendsetter, giving the means to the next logical step without a promise of further funding. I will follow its progress from a distance, as Programme Director and Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Management at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. This university of applied sciences is at the dawn of a new initiative to strengthen the ties between education and the business sector. The rich experiences gained here in Twente will provide all the inspiration I need.

Dr. Rob van LambalgenProgramme Director

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VentureLab Twente Research: The End of the Beginning

As a university, our goal at VentureLab Twente extended beyond simply helping the entrepreneurs that took part. By involving the participants in our research projects, we hoped to generate new insights to help other entrepreneurs throughout the world. Fifteen researchers were involved and I had the pleasure of coordinating this research.

As a research project, VentureLab Twente is unique. To my knowledge, this is the first time that researchers have been given the opportunity to gather such a wealth of data on entrepreneurs at the start of their new venture. It has resulted in one of the world’s largest and most extensive databases on entrepreneurship. To give you an impression: we collected over 1,500 questionnaires and 6,000 weekly diaries, gathering data on over 300 variables and 1,100 individual items, leading to around 250,000 individual data points…

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As you can imagine, gathering and organizing this data was (and still is) a challenging task. I would like to thank all VentureLab Twente participants, staff, funders and researchers for helping to make this a reality.

We have presented the VentureLab research at various conferences in Europe, Australia, Asia and the United States. Wherever we go, our work is met with great interest and even some jealousy among other conference delegates. This only goes to show just how unique and valuable this research is, and confirms that it was well worth all the effort.

Although VentureLab Twente in its current form is coming to an end, the research has only just begun. While most of the data has now been collected and organized, data analysis has only just started. Furthermore, we will continue to track the participants to study their growth and success, and to assess the long-term impact of participating in VentureLab Twente. Our primary aim is to predict, explain and increase the success ratio of entrepreneurs, so the relevance and value of our research will increase as the years go by.

dr. ir. Jeroen Kraaijenbrink

j.kraaijenbrink@utwente.nl

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In late May 2012, I presented a research paper at the High Technology Small Firm Conference. In that paper, we examined the influence of entrepreneurs’ characteristics on their use of the business model.

The business model describes a firm’s value creation ‘logic’, in terms of

building blocks that contain the value proposition, the customer segment, relevant supply and distribution channels, as well as cost and revenue structures of a business opportunity. Participants in the VLT programme can be trained in the use of the ‘canvas’ business model developed by Osterwalder et al. (2005).

While conducting exit interviews with nearly 180 VLT participants, I noticed that the business model seemed to play an important role for them. It helps them to formulate their ideas, get a better grasp of various parts of their business and is considered to be an all-round helpful instrument. It also looked as if entrepreneurs from different backgrounds (trained in business management, for example, or a more ‘technical’ background) were using the business model instrument differently. As a researcher, I wanted to find out whether my idea about the differences in business model use was actually grounded.

The use of business models

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I examined about thirty exit interviews to see what entrepreneurs say about the business canvas. The entrepreneurs came from a range of backgrounds, with various professional experiences and different ages. We analysed the data by drawing on the typology of business model functions by Osterwalder et al. (2005). These are the functions of understanding, communicating, analysing, managing, prospecting and patenting a business model.

As it turns out, entrepreneurs from different backgrounds do not appear to differ much with regard to how they use the business model. One difference is that entrepreneurs with a more formal managerial training claim to use fewer business model functions when asked how they deploy the business model. We also found that on the whole, the entrepreneurs used the business model instrument for understanding and managing the business model of their own business opportunity. Interestingly, the business model instrument is hardly ever used for communication purposes, for communicating with other parties such as launching customers or potential investors, for example.

So, while I have been forced to discard my initial assumption about differences in the use of the business model, we certainly learned a lot about how entrepreneurs in the VLT programme use the business model in general.

drs. Gabi Kaffka

g.a.kaffka@utwente.nl

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During the VLT intake interviews, the thing that surprised me most was the fact that nearly all the participants were able to tell me what their company would look like in five years’ time, including which products or services they would be offering, how many employees they would employ and how much revenue they would generate. This left me puzzled: was it a blind guess, or was there more to it than that?

Simulating the future in our minds enables us to understand more about the long-term effects of our current actions. This is called ‘prospective thinking’. Prospective thinking is one of the three imagination processes. An example of prospective thinking would be: ‘What will the market look like after the crisis?’ The second imagination process is counterfactual thinking, a process whereby past events are mentally changed to see what the present outcome would then have been. An example: ‘If I hadn’t taken part in VentureLab, how successful would my company be now?’ The third and final process is seeing things in another perspective, or putting oneself in someone else’s shoes.

The use of imagination

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For a piece of research I presented at the Academy of Management, we analysed the diaries kept by the VLT participants every week. This gave us an impression of how entrepreneurs use their imagination. Our research clearly showed that entrepreneurs imagine 1) future states of their company; 2) different scenarios and plans to achieve these future states; and 3) the actions required of the stakeholders to make the scenarios and plans come true and allow the entrepreneur to achieve the imagined ideal future state.

If we examine the success of your companies, we find that the entrepreneurs who actively imagine these three events are more successful. Putting yourself in the shoes of your customers, suppliers and other stakeholders would appear to be a particularly successful tactic. This research has shown us that imagining events and activities in advance helps to prepare entrepreneurs and makes them more successful.

Arjan Frederiks MSc.

a.j.frederiks@utwente.nl

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Research has shown that one of the key factors in stimulating entrepreneurship is the person; the entrepreneur. When evaluating VentureLab, participants always praise the coaching. The same kind of satisfaction with coaching is also expressed by other entrepreneurs. But we do not know whether coaching is also effective in the sense of producing economic results. To find out more about this, I launched my own research: ‘The economic effects of coaching entrepreneurs’.

Coaching is commonly used as a learning and development strategy. It is a learning activity which is most often used in organizational settings and is for individuals to develop themselves in their work. When coaching takes place within business incubators it matches the assumptions for adult learning. The role of the coach is to support the person being coached and to facilitate the learning process.

But the concept of coaching is very diverse and often used as a container concept. So first of all, it is important to look at what coaching could be, and more specifically, what ‘coaching entrepreneurs’ actually entails. Although coaching is aimed at the person (the entrepreneur), it is obvious that their business is also part of the coaching process, particularly in the case of small (start-up) businesses. This is useful to the coaches, who use situation-dependent behaviour in their interaction; i.e. the business of the person being coached.

Researching the impact of coaching entrepreneurs

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For the purposes of this research into coaching, I will define 6 types of coaching; Suggesting, Exploring, Clarifying, Empowering, Liberating, Challenging. The first three focus on the business side, and the last three on the entrepreneurs. The model that clarifies the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development distinguishes between the Individual level, the Firm level and the Macro level. Combing these two models clearly shows that different types of coaching affect different levels of economic development.

The results of the research can be used to work out the best way of coaching entrepreneurs. This may help politicians, for example, to decide on the most practical form of support for aiding economic development. But it will also help us to discover the best way of teaching entrepreneurship.

ir. Ruud Koopman

r.g.m.koopman@utwente.nl

32Contents

Page34-35 Networks for sustainability and innovation - Erik Meiberg

36-37 Ready for the next step - Gerard Hoogendijk

38-39 High-tech hand rehabilitation - Dick Spreeuwers and Piet Kroon

40-41 Saving billions on laying offshore pipelines - Jan Buijvoets

42-43 A carpenter’s eye for 3D design - Jörg Dahlhaus

44-45 Pearls for effective marketing communication - Marcel Evertzen

46-47 The world has been waiting for ozone - Mathieu Wolfs

48-49 Professionalizing ‘lonely’ professionals - Monique van der Geest

50-51 Developing entrepreneurship - Nico Dam

52-53 Recognition wherever and whenever you want – completely safe - Paul Schrijver

54-55 More kilometres on a tank of petrol - Piet de Jong

56-57 Precision through spark erosion - Gerrit ter Hoek

58-59 Breathing new life into old buildings - Rob Mees ten Oever

60-61 VoIP exchange for small and medium-sized businesses - Ariën Huisken

62-63 Lever for entrepreneurship - Bas Kerkdijk

64-65 Growth through mergers and take-overs - Dirk-Jan Vorgers

66-67 Better heat at substantially lower costs - Frans Oosterbaan

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Page68-69 Sustainable urban renewal - Gees Kuit

70-71 Surprising perspectives and high-tech membrane technology - Frans van Mol

72-73 Designing for wood-fired sustainability - Ewald Tenhagen

74-75 Language we can all understand - Linda van Ingen

76-77 Wind in the sails - Evert Jan Temmink

78-79 Geographic Time-Critical Information Cross-Linking - Maurice Glandrup

80-81 The metaphor as an instrument for creative innovation - Mechtild Paauwe

82-83 More in tune with entrepreneurs - Jan-Frens van Giessel

84-85 Organization before growth - Rob Weeber

86-87 Innovative brainstorming with the clients - Ronald Booij

88-89 In the market for more export - Arno Tammerijn

90-91 Heat to kill cancer cells - Will Rutten

92-93 Solutions for customers - Camiel Brands

94-95 Out of the fishbowl - Leo Salazar

96-97 JumpStart DNN for transparent data management - Jos Richters

98-99 Strategic insight for machine builders - Tanno Zuidema

100-101 Learning some practical European ways - Baosteel

Networks for sustainability and innovation

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VentureLab and “Stichting” kiEMT (which stands for: knowledge & innovation in Energy and Environmental Technology) enjoy very close ties. Entrepreneurs sometimes come to VentureLab via kiEMT, and some VentureLab participants find their way to kiEMT. ‘Working together makes us stronger, we complement each other’, says Erik Meiberg, programme manager of EMT (Energy and Environmental Technology) at kiEMT.

Let’s start with some figures. Since starting in 2005, kiEMT has helped to establish about 100 new businesses in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, providing employment for some 1,500 people. ‘We don’t just talk the talk; we actually convert EMT knowledge into new employment opportunities. The best way to safeguard sustainable technology is to make sure that it earns money. Based on this philosophy, we form an ecosystem that uses economic paths to create welfare, particularly in the environmental and energy technology sector’, explains Meiberg.

The bottom-up structure makes kiEMT unusual. Having evolved from the business sector and knowledge institutes, the organization now pools more than 200 participants: businesses, government, research and education. ‘They all pay a fee. We involve them in scouting and screening and in the support phase, and this is paying off.’

kiEMT also has a lot to offer in the knowledge-expertise-cash chain. Alongside an extensive network, it has access to crowd funding, informal investors, revolving funds, proof of concept funds and pre-seed-loans. ‘We see our role in broader terms. Sometimes we’ll help a man and a plan, and sometimes we’ll look for the right man or woman for a good plan’, adds Meiberg. ‘We’ve become an East-Netherlands platform. Gelderland and Overijssel are full of engineers and producers.’ This is the message that kiEMT is putting across the border, particularly in Nordrhein-Westfalen. ‘It’s very close. There are huge opportunities there.’

This explains the close ties between kiEMT and VentureLab. ‘We work well together and do our best to interlink our networks so that we can serve more parties. We are trying to do this in the area of sustainable building, bio-energy and smart grids, for example. Working together makes us stronger; VentureLab brings us interesting propositions from the University of Twente. But we’re both dedicated to creating opportunities for entrepreneurs. This is our goal. We don’t have to make a name for ourselves as long as we can do something.’

www.kiemt.nl

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Ready for the next step

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Inventing new things: this is what Gerard Hoogendijk and Clemens Mensink had in mind when they set up Axiom-IC five years ago. Their company has now developed a concept that will enable digital (audio) amplification. Protection of this IP (Intellectual Property) has been applied for, and the major global players have expressed their interest. ‘It’s time to join the adult world.’

Mensink was the first of the two to participate in VentureLab. Hoogendijk, CEO and CFO of Axiom-IC, joined the next round. ‘Partly because of Clemens’ enthusiasm, but also to feel more in control and responsible about our next step’, he explains. The AD converter (analogue-digital) is almost ready to go, so the time is ripe. ‘It enables digital control of audio amplifiers, so that you can add loads of new functionalities and make the whole process more robust. It’s unique; we’re the first.’

Axiom-IC is going according to plan. Five years after setting up, the company employed 21 people. ‘As a fabless design house, we mainly sold services. But our ambition is to develop our own products and IP portfolio, with a focus on data converters. We have a wealth of in-house knowledge; the major players have already noticed us.’ The initial prototype of the AD converter is ready, and the first customer has already signed on the dotted line. Negotiations with the next one are in full swing.

‘So now we’re at a crossroads. Should we continue with IP and our own products, or as a design house? There are already so many design houses and our plan was to come up with new concepts. So I think we must now concentrate on determining our future and our strategy. VentureLab has been invaluable’, says Hoogendijk. He didn’t attend many of the workshops as he already has so much previous experience. ‘I came for the network, which is fantastic. And so is the coach. He gives advice about marketing, and warns you about the organizational pitfalls too. You have to make sure that the organization stays afloat while you find new staff; they’re in great demand in our field. VentureLab helps you to find a new perspective and new contacts; I’m just as enthusiastic as Clemens.’

www.axiom-ic.com

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High-tech hand rehabilitation

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It looks so simple: a small device with a handle. But don’t be fooled by appearances. This E-cone is a remarkable piece of high technology. The built-in sensors and sophisticated software make it an ingenious instrument for hand rehabilitation. But inventors Dick Spreeuwers and Piet Kroon are already planning other uses for it and have set up Sensor Imprint Technology to market their invention.

In the Netherlands alone, 300,000 people a year suffer problems with their hands. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the main culprits. A surgical procedure has become a common solution. ‘But this has led to greater demand for rehabilitation’, says Spreeuwers. And appropriate equipment. ‘Sensors on the E-cone allow the physiotherapist or doctor and the patient to see real time images of how the hand is being used’, explains Kroon. He picks up a coffee cup: ‘If you can’t gauge the strength in your own hand, you tend to squeeze. The E-cone teaches you to use your hand properly again.’

Spreeuwers and Kroon were originally company doctors and know all about hand problems. While working in the Reade rehabilitation centre in Amsterdam, they noticed how few devices were available for restoring hand movement. It gave them an idea. ‘We’re both good at designing things’, says Kroon. ‘My brother, who works at the University of Twente, is specialized in sensor technology. We just combined the idea and the technology’, Spreeuwers continues. It sounds easier than it was: they still needed the software to drive the model and sensor technology to convert signals from the sensors directly into images. ‘ The patient and the physiotherapist see the images directly on a screen, so they can monitor the therapy and its effects.’ Users report huge improvement after just a couple of weeks.

All encouraging news for Kroon and Spreeuwers. Game software is being developed to stimulate people to continue their exercises, but other applications are also a distinct possibility. ‘We’re already considering our next step, which is why we didn’t call the company E-cone’, explains Kroon. ‘But we’re doctors, not entrepreneurs’, adds Spreeuwers. ‘VentureLab taught us about the entrepreneurial side, and the network and other participants have given us a solid contact base. VentureLab was like a warm bath.’

www.e-cone.eu

39 Dick Spreeuwers (l) Piet Kroon (r)

Saving billions on laying offshore pipelines

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Industry currently invests billions of euros a year in laying offshore pipelines for oil and gas. Jan Buijvoets’ refined innovative O-lay method could make this much cheaper. It’s a new concept, which is safer and can be used in shallow waters. ‘We’ve done all the research; it’s time to hit the market’, he says.

Laying offshore pipelines is an expensive and time-consuming business. The components are welded together on site before being sunk to the seabed. ‘My method is different’, explains Buijvoets, ‘because the pipes are connected while on land. We then ship the pipelines to the site in spirals.’ This is not only cheaper, but the technology makes it possible to construct pipes with wider diameters that are also suitable for use in shallow water. ‘Thanks to the savings, small fields can now be developed and existing pipelines can be re-used.’

Buijvoets knows what he’s talking about. He has spent the last few decades laying pipelines throughout the world. He started working for a contractor and the international oil and gas industry, before becoming an entrepreneur in the 1990s. This was when he encountered the spiral technique for pipelines, which he has now developed into the O-lay method. ‘I hold various patents. After many years of research, it’s time to hit the market.’

But this isn’t as simple as it sounds. ‘I’ve made huge progress and can see that people are enthusiastic. But I need investors for the next step.’ He thinks he’s on to something, but it’s still too soon to say. ‘I’m fairly sure we’ll reach an agreement. Then we can make the big leap.’

He’s already got the technology, the strategy and the prospects. This isn’t why he came to VentureLab. ‘I wanted to meet other entrepreneurs and people with ideas. I did an MBA in the past, so I was able to update my knowledge here. For me, the VentureLab is about the contact and the discussions. Bouncing ideas off each other and listening to comments that motivate you to take another good look at things. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m a positive person; I’ve enjoyed my time here.’

www.o-lay.net

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A carpenter’s eye for 3D design

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He has added CEO to his blank LinkedIn profile. A joke proving that Jörg Dahlhaus has got it all worked out. His company offers 3D printing, gadgets in 3D and designs for logos and other features. ‘I’d been thinking about starting my own business for some time. It’s all fallen into place here.’

A scale model of a coffee mug makes things clearer. The bottom of the mug is much wider than the rim. Dahlhaus designed it for someone with Parkinson’s disease so that he wouldn’t have to worry about knocking his drink over. Another object features grooves of exactly one and two centimetres. ‘My partner is a biomedical engineering graduate and has to slice artificial veins to precise lengths. Piece of cake if you use this device called a scaffold.’ It certainly looks simple. ‘It is’, says Dahlhaus, ‘but no-one else came up with the idea. I can see an opportunity here: designing things that no-one’s ever thought of, medical things for instance.’

His talent for thinking in 3D comes from training as a carpenter in Germany. ‘You learn more there than in the Netherlands. And of course I grew up with computers; I’ve always been interested in 3D and graphic applications. It’s what I do best; I’m not a salesman, I want to make things.’ His next design is another good example: it’s a business card with a 3D logo. ‘It’s unique; you’d really stand out with this.’

Dahlhaus Design specializes in service and advice. ‘I can supply the design and manage the 3D printing process. I considered buying my own 3D printer, but there’s already over-capacity in the sector. It’s better to contract out; that’s one of the things I learned here.’ Customers on both sides of the Dutch/German border come to Dahlhaus. ‘I come from a family of entrepreneurs and can dip into their networks.’

He is clearly ready for the start. A nod: ‘But I wouldn’t have decided to start my own business right now if it hadn’t been for VentureLab. You learn so much and the coach is amazing. He helps search for solutions and points you in the right direction.’

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joerg.dahlhaus@gmail.com

Pearls for effective marketing communication

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What’s the best way to help clients with questions about marketing communication and advertising? Marcel Evertzen thinks before answering. This managing director and owner of Sweet Pepper is currently carving out a new path. Not as an agency, but as a network organization. Customers get solutions that they can continue to work on themselves. ‘I bring the best people together, rather like stringing pearls’, says the entrepreneur. The advice can be spiced up, but not the bills.

Thirty-five years of experience, including as managing director of various agencies, has made Evertzen an advertising expert. He knows the field inside out, and is convinced that every agency has its good and its less good sides. ‘I started all over again, with a new formula. Customers are entitled to be critical. They don’t want the empty promises and extra worries that you get with a full service concept, whereby all services are provided by one agency. That’s not my style. It’s much more effective to find the right people for each separate aspect of the job. Give customers what they want and need.’

So Sweet Pepper is a network organization rather than an agency. Evertzen is capitalizing on the specific trademarks of his sector: increasingly more professionals are turning to self-employment. ‘I look for the pearls among them as and when I need them: I want people who will meet the specific requirements of each individual customer. They remain self-employed, I manage the project and customers get a fairer product at a fairer price.’

The concept has earned Evertzen a nomination for the innovation prize run by the Province of Overijssel. This is partly because it can be deployed for a range of sectors. His concept has become more concrete during his year at VentureLab: ‘I now call it the AIM model: advice, implementation and monitoring. I’m completely free to seek out the best people for the job as I don’t have to run an agency. This allows me to find real solutions for my customers.’

He presented his ideas during a panel presentation at VentureLab. ‘This was my target group. I heard a lot of positive feedback, and learned a great deal. This is true of the entire programme. It’s taught me a lot and I feel really inspired. This is a proper lab, bubbling with creativity. Just what I needed.’

www.sweetpepper.nl

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The world has been waiting for ozone

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Mathieu Wolfs is founder-director of Blue Fish Chemicals & Consultants and his world revolves around ozone. He is quick to disclose a vast array of applications. They vary from purifying polluted surface water through to medical applications and the potential to make huge savings on the use of fossil fuels. ’Not only is this what the world has been waiting for, but it will also generate mass employment’, he claims.

‘It’s nothing new, Werner von Siemens was already using it; it’s always been around in the air. Ozone (O3) has fantastic potential’, explains Wolfs. He refers to the ISS space station: ‘The washing machine in that station works on ozone. Oxygen is pervasive as a raw material for ozone: it determines the behaviour and properties of almost everything on earth. Changing the oxygen composition can have serious implications. Bringing things into contact with enriched oxygen (ozone) heightens and speeds up their biodegradability.’

He has been working on the properties and potential of ozone for decades, along with the new possibility of using ozone to make a concentrated and combustible gas mixture of oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3). ‘To put it simply, it would allow you to store more energy in gas. It is already being used to propel rockets and torpedoes. All that remains after combustion is oxygen; no CO2.’ Easy, safe and cheap ways of making enriched oxygen have recently been developed. ‘This could generate huge savings on fossil fuels, and reduce emissions of pollutants. Just imagine what this means, right at the outset of this new plasma technology.’

Wolfs is working on refining the technology as well as focusing on cleaning/disinfecting polluted ballast seawater from maritime ships. These ships will soon be banned from discharging ballast water in foreign harbours. ‘It’s easy using ozone, even with seawater. The market could be worth billions.’

Participating in VentureLab has helped him on his way. ‘I was advised to do it. I was initially sceptical as this isn’t the first business I’ve owned. But entrepreneurs have to be on the ball. I’ve learned a lot: it’s boosted my understanding of how businesses and organizations work and taught me to make better sense of what they’re asking. This will help even further.’

47www.ozonesystems.nl

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The concept evolved as it went along. Monique van der Geest, managing director/owner of M13 personnel management, noticed all the ‘lonely’ professionals working in many companies. HR managers, for example, who are unable to work on their own professional development due to the size of the organization they work for. She brings them together in groups. ‘This could be extended to other target groups. Participants return to work feeling revitalized.’

‘The group meetings revolve around sharing knowledge, gaining inspiration and personal development. The key question is always: what do you want to learn?’ explains Van der Geest. Demand is higher than she’d anticipated. ‘We’re talking about professionals from companies and organizations employing 50-500 staff members, not really large enough to allow for further personal professional development. At the meetings, we tell them about methods and techniques that would help them, such as peer reviews and 360° feedback. Themes like leadership and personal competencies also feature regularly.’

Professionalizing ‘lonely’ professionals

The concept is proving successful. One of the groups in entering its third year and new groups are about to start. ‘It’s very diverse; companies and institutions can be organized very differently. This is a good thing; it enables the participants to learn from each other. It inspires them, and this is what they take back to the workplace. They form new ideas, as they put it themselves.’ This explains the name: Open Professionals: ‘It’s all about being open, uninhibited. You share things, give and take, come out better off.’

Success has set Van der Geest thinking. ‘This concept could be interesting for other target groups. That’s why I came to VentureLab, to think about developing my concept and venturing into new markets and target groups. I came up with the name Open Professionals here.’

So has she got what she came for? ‘Yes!’ she agrees wholeheartedly, ‘VentureLab is like a sweet shop stocked with all kinds of courses and exciting participants. A wide range of people from different nationalities and disciplines. The excellent coaching has given me some brilliant ideas, so I’m going to get together with other parties and work on the national rollout now. There’s a great deal of interest.’

www.openprofessionals.nlwww.m13personeelsmanagement.nl

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Taking over a well-established company is one thing, but getting it through a tough period is quite another. ‘You have to develop and show entrepreneurial qualities for that’, explains Nico Dam, co-director and co-owner of Bureau HHM. He watched his business partner Patrick Jansen’s enthusiasm grow as he returned from VentureLab and decided to sign up himself.

‘Looking back, entrepreneurship just sort of happened’, says Dam. Like Jansen, he was a senior consultant at Bureau HHM. In 2009, they took over a successful business. At the time, it was a reputable research and consultancy agency working for the Ministry, municipal authorities, client organizations, care providers and healthcare insurers, and employing more than thirty employees (which it still does). ‘At first, we just carried on as before, but when the market swayed in 2010 we lost all the certainty that we had built up over the years.’

Developing entrepreneurship

This was when Jansen started at VentureLab. ‘He was so enthusiastic; he came back with the latest knowledge, fresh ideas and new contacts. Seeing this, I decided to sign up myself. I’m not really an entrepreneur, but in a market like this, you need to know what you’re doing and develop all your qualities.’

Dam wanted to focus on personal development at VentureLab. ‘The personal coach and fellow-participants gave me a lot of experience. I also went to three two-day master class sessions with a couple of others. They were heavy going. I now know that I’m an entrepreneur, but I want to become a successful entrepreneur. This means: economic success and being a good employer. They go hand-in-hand.’

So the changes at Bureau HHM are still in full flow. ‘We’re now doing more work for local clients like municipal authorities and care institutions. We want to be the same reliable and innovative knowledge partner that we were for the Ministry. A good example would be the instrument we designed for municipal authorities to demonstrate the implications of taking on AWBZ tasks. More than 200 municipalities are already using it. We’ll continue on this path as we know all there is to know about long-term care. We try to transpose our unique expertise onto new markets to develop even more innovative products and services. Patrick has already said how important VentureLab is. But I’ll say it again: VentureLab gives you everything you need to grow into your role as an entrepreneur.’

www.hhm.nl

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Recognition wherever and whenever you want – completely safe

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It’s every salesperson’s dream: one to one marketing, customized to suit the unique personality of each individual potential customer. ‘And now it can be done’, says Paul Schrijver. Together with a friend, he has developed F-iDDi: the fully personalized loyalty card. ‘It dispenses with the need for all other cards and lets you decide which options you want to utilize.’

‘Imagine this. You walk into a shop and read ‘Mr Schrijver, nice to see you!’ Or you receive messages on your PC or smart phone telling you about all the offers you may be interested in.’ Schrijver is enthusiastic about his invention: a loyalty card that does away with the need for all other cards (Air miles, Makro, whatever...) ‘We’ve all been there. You get to the till only to discover that you’ve left that card at home. Bye-bye discount…’

The customer enters the details for his or her card per shop at home on the laptop. ‘You create a profile by ticking what you do and do not want. You’re in control. The data doesn’t go to the shop, so your privacy is guaranteed. I’m just the trusted service provider. I don’t know who you are or which boxes you tick, and neither does the shop. You will only be recognized where and when you want. And you can always change your personal settings.’

The system has advantages for retailers as well as customers. Retailers are able to send targeted advertising to card owners via the F-iDDi system. ‘Strictly personal, one to one’, promises Schrijver. ‘Much more effective and cheaper too, as you don’t have to print advertising leaflets anymore. And of course you get accurate insight into what your customers want.’ The card can be used by shopping malls or municipal authorities, and for many, many more purposes, such as a coffee-maker that recognizes a user’s preferences.

Although Schrijver is an accountant with many years of entrepreneurial experience, he turned to VentureLab for help in crystallizing his ideas. ‘To get in touch with investors and to get things straight in my own mind. I found a sounding board here that gives high-quality feedback and helps you to enhance your value proposition. It was an invaluable experience.’

www.F-iDDi.com

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More kilometres on a tank of petrol

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An internal combustion engine that performs ten to thirty percent better, allowing drivers to go much further on a tank of petrol and reducing fossil fuel consumption. Piet de Jong, founder of Green Concept Motors, has been working on this idea for many years. Better performance is definitely feasible. ‘All the calculations add up; I just need to build a prototype.’

De Jong describes himself as a huge internal combustion engine geek. After fiddling with engines as a child, he eventually made a career out of them. He worked in shipping as an engineer and later as technical advisor for the installations and the engine room. He then put all his experience, combined with extensive self-study, into developing an engine that would perform significantly better. It’s now time to build a working model. ‘I need to do this to prove I’m right. I haven’t protected my technology yet, so I can’t go into detail.’

It’s become a chicken-and-egg situation. De Jong needs to build his engine to demonstrate results that will convince people that it works. However, he needs investors to do this, and they want to see results before they invest. ‘I was very close to getting a grant, but it fell through for this very reason’, he explains. But: ‘I’ve shown my concept to various experts, including a professor from the University of Twente, and they all see potential. The professor even offered me a student for further research. That’s a real vote of confidence.’

And there’s more light at the end of the tunnel. De Jong has found a couple of parties willing to help crystallize his ideas and invest capital. ‘Financially, I’m halfway there. Now I need the rest.’ He had hoped to find investors via VentureLab, but this wasn’t to be. ‘Not yet, anyway. I think I need to unveil more of the technical side, but that’s a bit risky until the idea is properly protected. There’s an expert meeting scheduled very soon to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s.’

So things are looking up. ‘VentureLab has been a great help, particularly the courses and the contact with other the participants. You inspire each other just by talking, helping one another to take the next step.’

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www.greenconceptmotors.comwww.dje.nu

Precision through spark erosion

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His business is expanding. He has recently taken on four new employees, bringing his total workforce to 27. Gerrit ter Hoek, managing director and owner of Ter Hoek Vonkerosie, is convinced that he can do even better. Both in the Netherlands and abroad. ‘This technology allows you to work with the utmost precision, but too few people know about it.’

A love of technology is his driving force. It was what made him start Ter Hoek in 1990, and it’s still evident today, more than twenty years later: ‘I just love this technology! That’s what it’s all about for me, helping my customers to find solutions they had never thought possible.’ His clients operate in the semi-conductor, aerospace aviation and knowledge industry fields, and include VDL Groep (the new owner of NedCar in Born), ASML and Urenco.

www.terhoekvonkerosie.nl

‘Spark erosion enables you to make parts with utmost precision, parts that would be impossible to make using conventional methods. We do this in close consultation with our clients; we now have so much expertise that we can offer tailor-made advice and products. What’s more, we always keep machines available for urgent jobs’, explains Ter Hoek. And yet this technique is largely unknown. ‘It’s never mentioned in schools and colleges, so technical draughtsmen tend to create designs and solutions for production on milling machines. But you can do so much more these days. This bugs me; it’s something I really want to get to grips with. I just know that we have so much more to offer other clients.’

After the Netherlands, Germany is next on his list. ‘But I’m a typical technician’, he says, ‘I need to focus more on how we should approach it. Up until now, we’ve just expanded without any effort, but it’s come to the point where we have to decide how far we want to go. That’s why I joined VentureLab.’

The result? Ter Hoek: ‘At VentureLab, you learn to focus on your plans. You’re challenged to concentrate on the things you’re best at. The coach has helped me to set out a course. I’m really happy about this, because taking the next step is always the hardest bit.’

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Breathing new life into old buildings

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Deciding to become a self-employed architect in these troubled times requires resourcefulness and stamina. But Rob Mees ten Oever wasn’t daunted. He started up his own agency Archimees at the beginning of this year, in which he works alone in search of collaboration with other parties. To his mind, finding new uses for old buildings needs broad-based, creative minds. ‘Two heads are better than one. It adds to the incentive.’

Changes in the composition of the population are forcing us to consider the future of an increasing number of buildings. The number of elderly people is rising, and with it, the demand for suitable accommodation. At the same time, the population is shrinking and a lot of housing is becoming vacant. Tenants can no longer be found for office buildings. ‘At moments like this, you have to explore what else you might be able to do with these buildings. And whether different functions could be combined’, explains Mees ten Oever. He gives an example: ‘Take a data centre, for example, it’s full of equipment that gives off heat. Perhaps it could be used to heat apartments. It’s all about learning to make connections.’

Taking part in VentureLab was a revelation in this respect. ‘I met other people involved in the building sector. We sat together and ruminated about what can and should be done. And what we could do about all those vacant properties. We came up with so many good ideas that we decided to set up Novides, an organization that explores sustainable new uses for old properties. We’ve already been commissioned for our first job.’

It’s something that Mees ten Oever would never have thought possible. He signed up for VentureLab on the advice of another participant, to polish up his commercial and entrepreneurial skills. ‘It teaches you to look at your products or services in a broader context. You tend to assume that people will come to you, whereas you should really start by asking yourself what you have to offer them. This requires a healthy dose of empathy along with social and communication skills. VentureLab has taught me that I’m capable of more than I thought. And that working with others is revitalizing. Novides is all the proof I need.’

www.archimees.nl

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VoIP exchange for small and medium-sized businesses

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Back to 2008, when the banking crisis led to economic problems. Huisken Systems BV, the company owned by Ariën Huisken, was one of those affected. He chose to keep developers at work and gave them the job of designing a new telephone exchange for VoIP (Voice over IP, telephony via an internet connection). ‘It became a unique product, an excellent option for small and medium-sized businesses’, says the entrepreneur. He’s even started another company: nxTelecom BV.

‘Our exchange was always broken. So we decided to design one ourselves. Speech is conveyed via an internet transponder, but ISDN works too. It’s called a hybrid platform in jargon, but it’s really just a telephone exchange’, explains Huisken. ‘They’ve always been around, but ours is ideal for the small and medium-sized business sector. These companies don’t need all the facilities offered by the larger concerns. We can provide the services they do need at much lower rates. And we’re more flexible.’

nxTelecom has already sold more than 120 of these new exchanges. ‘We could sell a lot more. The small and medium-sized business sector is an enormous market. Two percent currently has a VoIP exchange; this is set to rise to fifty percent in two to three years’ time. We’ve come up with a good product at the right moment. All we need to do now is become a serious market player’, continues Huisken, expressing his ambition.

But he knows that he might have to wait: ‘We’re still basically a techno business with little commercial experience. How do you set up a commercial organization? Should I be opening a German branch yet?’ And, just as importantly: ‘Where can I find capital? We’ve invested heavily in this exchange and we need external capital for the next stage.’

He only found some of the answers he was looking for at VentureLab. ‘I went to all the courses and learned a lot. The programme is highly beneficial, although to my mind, the bias is on education rather than entrepreneurship’, he adds. He is sorry that he didn’t find a financier through the VentureLab network. ‘I think if VentureLab were to doeven more in this respect, it could become a real quality mark. I don’t mean to end on a negative note, but it’s something I’d like to share with you.’

www.huisken-systems.nlwww.nxtelecom.eu

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Lever for entrepreneurship

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Call him an entrepreneur without a business. Bas Kerkdijk is looking for a company to take over, preferably on the cutting edge of technology and commerce. Or one that he can latch on to. The entrepreneurial spirit is in his blood. ‘VentureLab is a sort of lever for me’, he explains.

Robert Cobben, the man behind Vencer sports cars and a past participant, put him onto VentureLab. ‘We know each other; we both come from entrepreneurial families. He advised me to sign up. He knew from his own time at VentureLab that you meet plenty of technical boffins looking for commercial talent’, Kerkdijk continues. It hasn’t come to that yet, but as he says, ‘The knowledge I’ve gained here will allow me to focus. I’m an entrepreneur whether I like it or not; it’s time to find my niche.’

In this respect, he is an exception. Kerkdijk came to VentureLab without a product, service or idea to offer potential investors or clients. On the contrary: ‘What I’m really looking for is an existing company that I can take over or latch on to. Time seems to be on my side, as the baby boomers are now slowly dropping out. One of the participants here put me in touch with one of them, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. The entrepreneur in question was still too attached to his business. So I’ll just have to keep looking. I’ve still got a few coaching hours owed to me here so I’ll use them to work out my next step.’

The examples highlight what VentureLab meant to him. ‘It’s a fantastic platform. If you ask the right question, you get an answer that really puts you on the right track. The network is gigantic and the lessons are really useful.’ But that’s not all: ‘It’s such an inspiring environment. Contact with the other participants is an essential part of it. Everyone is so keen to talk about their ideas or plans, you can’t help but get swept along! What’s more, you learn from and with each other. I know exactly the type of person I would encourage to take part.’

63baskerkdijk@hotmail.com

Growth through mergers and take-overs

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There are various ways for companies to grow. Autonomously, using their own resources, or by merging or taking over another business. This is the field in which EuroDev M&A (stands for mergers and acquisitions) operates. ‘We help American companies with take-overs in Europe and assist with the sale of businesses within Europe’, explains Dirk Jan Vorgers, vice-president of M&A.

EuroDev M&A is an independent company operating under the auspices of EuroDev, a company that helps internationally-operating businesses to capitalize on their opportunities in Europe. It is the fastest-growing department: ‘This year’s turnover is 200% higher than last year’, says Vorgers. He follows this with a modest comment: ‘We haven’t been around for long so high growth is not that surprising’, but it’s still a remarkable percentage. ‘We tend to forget that some firms are still doing well and are interested in merging with or taking over other businesses in order to expand. This is how our department evolved; American clients asked us for help.’

The four-man workforce at EuroDev M&A lend support to American companies looking for business opportunities in Europe. They also assist with the sale of European companies and provide advice to companies considering expansion via this route. ‘We work closely with Woodbridge International, an American M&A company. This opens doors to international markets and serves as a kind of quality mark. So we have huge growth potential ourselves.’

This is partly why he came to VentureLab. ‘Mark de Vries, our CEO, was also a participant and he was very positive. I was keen to come up with new ideas and acquire new insight here. I head a company within EuroDev; where do I want to go, how can I build a team around me? The coach played a key role in this respect. And you learn how useful it is to swap ideas with people operating in the other sectors. Like your fellow-participants and the panel members during the presentations. They give you really useful feedback that gets you thinking. And that’s what I came for.’

www.eurodev.com

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Better heat at substantially lower costs

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Eco-Heat is a heating system that uses 70% less energy than central heating. What’s more, the heat it produces is more pleasant and the temperature can be controlled separately in each room. ‘A totally unique product’, claims Frans Oosterbaan, founder and director of EcoTraject. By the end of next year, it should be available in at least 1,000 sales outlets.

Oosterbaan is an experienced businessman. He once had his own high-end gift shop. After selling his business, he went travelling. He worked as a salesman, selling products in which he recognized the potential before others did. ‘That’s entrepreneurship. It’s about doing something that no-one else is doing and carving your own way. It’s a drive you can’t ignore.’ This is what forced him back into business, despite already having decided to stop work.

www.ecotraject.com

‘I was thinking about a web shop selling ecological products’, he explains. ‘During my internet searches, I came across this unique heating system from South Korea. It’s based on pipes; I suppose you could best compare it with a pressure cooker. Initially, it uses just as much energy, but the heat stays in the system longer. It’s completely unlike central heating, which takes a long time to warm up and needs a boiler, pump and radiators. This doesn’t; the system consists of segments that you simply connect up. The perfect under-floor heating system, but with segments that you can fit behind wall panels.’

The advantages sound promising. Comfortable heat, no air circulation, no radiators. In addition, the possibility of huge energy savings. ‘If you combine it with solar energy, you could be fully autarkic’, says Oosterbaan. Thanks to certification by the German research institute TÜV, the Korean system can now go on the market via the professional channels of fitters and DIY chains. ‘It’s still an unknown quantity in Europe. The potential is huge.’

So he will have to keep his own head cool. ‘That’s why I signed up for VentureLab. I’m a loner; I need a sounding board and some critical feedback. That’s exactly what I found here’, he explains. ‘The discussions with fellow-entrepreneurs were also extremely useful. You swap information and experiences, give each other valuable tips and advice. VentureLab has given me everything I was looking for and has certainly lived up to my expectations.’

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Sustainable urban renewal

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Agricultural engineer Gees Kuit knows exactly what she wants. A return to sustainable green areas in towns and cities as a modern-day variation on the traditional urban gardens. Mankind, nature and the food chain all linked together in a new ecosystem. ‘This crisis forms a perfect opportunity to open up new pathways’, she says.

Many towns and cities are facing the consequences of a slumped economy and shrinking population. New functions need to be found for hectares of ground and countless buildings, some of them smack in the middle of built-up areas. But investors are cautious. ‘I can see huge potential for urban agriculture and green-based activities’, says Kuit. ‘How about sustainable rezoning, whereby city-dwellers became involved in producing their own food. Bringing production and consumption closer together; that’s what I call sustainability! What’s more, it would generate social sustainability by creating new meeting places for the residents, with opportunities for recreation and reusing buildings.’

She refers back to the traditional urban gardens that went out of fashion around the time of the World War II. From that moment on, strict boundaries emerged between urban functions: food production, living, working and leisure pursuits were kept entirely separate. ‘I want to break this pattern. This is the perfect time to reintroduce green areas and the functions they entail into towns and cities. People would be given a say in the production and quality of their food. It could be a new ecosystem, which would solve countless other problems.’

Kuit and her fellow-entrepreneurs, some of them also VentureLab participants, have now set up Novides, an organization focusing on sustainable rezoning for real estate. ‘We’re currently developing our plans and ideas and are already negotiating with a project developer. I wouldn’t have thought it possible a year ago.’

That’s the difference that VentureLab can make. ‘I arrived here by accident when I was looking for innovation to broaden my company’s horizons. I rely on my experience: I currently advise on buildings becoming vacant in rural areas, but I’ve also worked in the Third World and learned a lot about native and local crops. I try to combine all these facets of my experience. VentureLab has given me a fantastic boost. Being here really makes you want to act on your ideas.’

www.geeskuitadvies.nl

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Surprising perspectives and high-techmembrane technology

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It was to be a year for reflection and networking. For plotting a course towards the future. This was Frans van Mol’s mindset when he came to VentureLab in October 2011. One year later, he is closely involved in a business that is working on a promising high-tech membrane filter. He is making the most of everything he learned: ‘It broadened my horizons and taught me to see surprising new perspectives.’

Originally a mechanical engineer, Frans spent 31 years working for a company that manufactured industrial cooling equipment. He started out in the design department and progressed into a commercial position. ‘It all came to an end in 2010, which gave me time to think. Did I want to work for myself or find another job? I expanded my network and came to VentureLab as a means of refreshing and broadening my knowledge.’

The network he carefully built up proved useful during the months that followed. Van Mol came into contact with a producer of membrane filters from Twente. ‘He has a membrane that can separate substances at molecular level. It’s not his own technology, but he’s the only person in the world producing the membrane. It could be an important step in the process of draining water from bio-ethanol to make biodiesel. It has countless possible applications and endless potential.’

At present, Van Mol is dividing his time between two areas. He is carrying out quality inspections throughout Europe for an English client, while also investing more and more time and energy in the Twente business. ‘I provide strategic support and am trying to get the membrane filter to the industrial application stage. There are various possible scenarios; it’s complex but very exciting.’

The VentureLab experience has played an important part. ‘I was introduced to the canvas business model, which I now use as a guideline for the decisions we have to make. I want to speak to my coach about more in-depth supervision. I think this would be of great benefit to me, as were the training courses. The order of the modules could be better; it doesn’t always seem logical. You hear and learn a lot here, including from the other participants. VentureLab has shown me surprising new perspectives’.

71mol.fr@hotmail.com

Designing for wood-fired sustainability

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It’s been five years since Ewald Tenhagen made the switch from high-tech to low-tech. He used to be head of prototyping at a high-end technology company. He now runs his own business, Energiekproduct, which imports and sells heat-accumulating wood-burning stoves with proven efficiency in excess of 90%. ‘Really sustainable. This is the only way forward; we have no choice.’ It is this realization that inspires his inner designer.

It was quite a change: from top-of-the-range high-tech to heat-accumulating wood-burning stoves. ‘My conscience was playing up’, explains Tenhagen. ‘We can’t go on like this; we’re destroying the planet.’ The burners that he imports work differently. The heat from the burning wood heats the stones. The stones store the heat, and they ensure a comfortable temperature for many hours. ‘If you want to be totally sustainable, you could source the wood locally, let it dry and burn it close to home. Then you wouldn’t need fossil fuels at all, not even for transport. The efficiency of the burners is 90% or more, a figure that wasn’t measured in a lab but in the practical situation.’

But it doesn’t stop here. ‘Designing is in my blood; that’s why I designed the 5-e Wood central heating system. It’s a hot water system that you can connect stoves to. Completely sustainable; you even have hot water if the power fails. It’s already in production. I thought about producing it myself, but that’s not really my thing. I’d rather design.’

And yet the question of whether or not to produce it himself was what brought Tenhagen to VentureLab. ‘It was a great help. You build up good contacts here. They all help you get things straight in your mind and the coach is there to answer any questions. There are a few possible strategies for the future; I’ve analysed them all now. Taking part has been good for me. I have just one small comment: I think there’s too much emphasis on the old economy. I’m convinced that we should be putting all our efforts into sustainability. It’s the only way forward.’

www.energiekproduct.nlwww.5-e.nl

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Language we can all understand

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Linda van Ingen is returning to her one, true passion: writing texts in language we can all understand. Even if the subjects are highly complex, including the latest technology and how it works. After ten years of doing other things, she now says: ‘It’s time for me to start writing again, in a way that sets me apart from the rest.’

For many years, she earned her living writing texts. She wrote course material for the LOI and a whole range of articles for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. It was a field she stumbled into via the Russian and Polish translation agency she set up after completing her degree in Russian. ‘I never just stayed at my desk though; I’m naturally inquisitive and I love seeing what goes on behind the scenes. You have to understand what you’re writing about and get to know the world that your clients and their target groups inhabit’, explains Van Ingen. ‘The real skill is being able to describe things in words that everyone can understand. That’s how you get your message across.’

Ten years ago, she moved house and made a career switch. But now she’s starting to feel restless. Her questioning mind is giving her extra impetus. ‘I can’t just write a new text from a sheet of paper the client gives me. I like to get out there and see what it’s all about. Find exactly the right words. I enjoy simplifying tricky technical language, for example, or defining complicated projects. I don’t mind whether it’s for the client’s own publications, trade journals or other media.’

So where do you start? Van Ingen: ‘I want to regain my independence and be my own boss again, but I want some support finding my way. Being at VentureLab is a bit like being in class. We help each other as participants and we say what we think. It’s a safe haven. You learn to rely on your strong points and focus on what makes you stand out, the things that make you unique.’

She speaks with passion, but without embellishing her words. ‘Another point was that I hoped to meet potential clients among all the high-tech start-ups, flourishing businesses and ambitious people at VentureLab. Everyone here believes in something; it’s contagious.’

75l.van.ingen@home.nl

Wind in the sails

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Parthian Technology is a company with serious plans. It develops technology for making windmill sails. In addition, it designs tools for using composite materials and ultimately intends to open a specialist materials laboratory. ‘Obviously you can’t set up your own company overnight, but we seem to be on a roll‘, claims Evert Jan Temmink, one of the founders.

Windmill sails are made from fibre-reinforced composite materials. ‘We gauge the specifications of a good sail: how strong it needs to be and which materials are most suitable. The lighter the better, as this increases the efficiency’, Temmink begins. ‘Parthian Technology provides the knowledge. We also design tools to improve the production process for composite materials. We’re currently working on a degassing device to extract the gases from resin.’

The Parthian Technology business model is based on three cornerstones: consultancy, product development and technical support. ‘We want to set up a test centre for the technical support side, a laboratory where we can test the materials and their properties. There’s massive demand for this, particularly from the yacht and shipbuilding sector’, explains the entrepreneur. But the company can’t afford this yet. ‘We know how much we need. As soon as we’ve earned it, we’ll open the lab. We’d rather not take money from third-parties; we want to maintain our autonomy.’

It sounds like a well-thought-out strategy. ‘VentureLab helped us to develop our business model’, says Temmink. ‘When you start, you think you can get by on knowledge and logical thinking, but this isn’t enough. Realizing exactly what it entails was quite an eye-opener. This is where VentureLab was a real help. Parthian Technology is also benefiting from the network and the connections with the University of Twente. Overall, it’s been an invaluable experience.’

However, he did find parts of the programme a bit schoolish. ‘I loved the courses, but I wasn’t so keen on the weekly diary. On the other hand, the coaching and contact with the other participants were worth their weight in gold. As I said: it’s been an invaluable experience.’

www.parthian.nl

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Geographic Time-Critical InformationCross-Linking:

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You could be forgiven for thinking it was algebra. What’s the cheapest and quickest way of getting product x from A to B? You need some basic information before attempting an answer: speed, availability, historical patterns and more. ‘Linking the relevant information flows allows you to make better decisions’, says Maurice Glandrup. This is the thinking behind his company, NexusZ.

So here’s the sum again. Product x needs to get from South America to Twente. The buyer is in a hurry, as he’s stuck until he gets his hands on x. The consignment will travel to Rotterdam by ship, before being transported to Twente by road or inland waterway. A combination of both modes of transport may even be the best option. Glandrup: ‘If you link all the available information, you get the best solution for that specific situation.’

System software to make the right decisions

Glandrup describes his software in computer science terms: data mining, text mining, semantic technology, advanced visualization. To show what this actually means, he takes an aerial photo of the Dutch coast. Individual shipping movements have been lumped together and shown as a visible pattern. The deviations (the ships that sail outside the regular ‘lines’) are also visible. ‘This is anomaly detection; it’s the basis of decision support and of my work.’

The knowledge can be put to a wide range of uses. Linking information about patterns, deviations, times and places, could generate countless new opportunities for the care and energy sectors, for example. However, at the moment Glandrup is focusing on the transport sector. ‘We set up Port of Twente together with other companies and the government. The presence of Container Terminal Twente has turned Twente into an excellent hinterland port for Mainport Rotterdam, offering new combinations of logistics, distribution and production and extra employment opportunities. My job is to calculate the most efficient transport combinations. Eventually, other transport patterns and partnerships will evolve. Faster and cheaper. A booking.com for container space wouldn’t be unthinkable.’

Glandrup thinks that in the long-term, NexusZ will create new jobs. He came to VentureLab to prepare for this eventuality. ‘I found courses that expanded my knowledge, plus a workplace, a network and entrepreneurs in similar situations. I enjoyed the experience and certainly learned a lot.’

www.nexusz.com

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The metaphor as an instrument for creative innovation

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Times of uncertainty call for fitting solutions, visible opportunities and innovation. No mean feat, and one that requires vision and an open mind. Mechtild Paauwe from “Ga verder naar Start” supports businesses and organizations in their quest.

‘I have both creative and coaching qualifications. My free role as a creative professional allows me to start by asking inquisitive questions. ‘What do you do?’; ‘Why do you do it, and why do you do it like that?’ Paauwe begins. ‘It gets people thinking. I then devise a personalized project for them. Letting people experience it for themselves creates awareness. I do this via creativity and out of the box projects. Working together with the company generates co-creation.‘

The photos accompanying this article demonstrate her use of provocative images. ‘Pictures speak louder than words, and they revitalize people. I use my talents to help my clients boost their motivation, communication and performance. Being a passionate entrepreneur inspires others to follow suit’, she explains.

Her passionate portrayal of the term ‘cooperation’ enabled the Rabobank Salland to revamp its image, and helped to ignite a partnership of water authorities during the presentation of their new plans. This explains her company’s name: “Ga verder naar Start” (which translates as Advance to GO) Those of you that play Monopoly will know that GO heralds the start of a new round and a substantial sum of money. Paauwe: ‘Advance to GO’ is also one of the Chance cards! Did anyone mention metaphors …?’

Paauwe’s design Cordless DeLIGHT (designed in association with engineering consultancy Tauw and Van Maldegem Uurwerktechniek) earned her the ‘=Meer’ Innovation Prize. Coming to VentureLab was part of that prize. ‘It was like walking round a fairground holding my mother’s hand. So many good things, but not always enough hands-on.’ She is referring to a workshop about tax legislation. ‘An abstract explanation of box 1, box 2 and box 3. Bring in three boxes and show the contents to a member of your audience; nobody would ever forget. Images stick in your mind!’

To Paauwe’s mind, VentureLab would have even more impact if it made greater use of imagery and let the participants do more for themselves. ‘You wouldn’t just see the fairground at VentureLab; you’d experience it too!’

www.gaverdernaarstart.eu

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More in tune with entrepreneurs

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Jan-Frens van Giessel is one of those VentureLab participants who found something else than what he came looking for. He signed up a year ago to check out his ideas for starting up a business. What he found was a new job as project manager of the Centre for Medical Imaging (CMI) at the University of Twente. But the knowledge he acquired is proving very useful: ‘It gives you a better idea of entrepreneurship.’

For many years, Van Giessel had been Foreign Investment Manager at Oost NV. It was his job to attract foreign high-tech companies with European expansion plans to Gelderland or Overijssel. ‘That’s when I came up with the idea of helping high-tech companies from the eastern part of the Netherlands to take their first steps abroad. You need a good business plan if you want to work as an international business developer. That’s why I came to VentureLab’, he explains.

A five-month stay in Boston had convinced him that his idea was not really feasible. At least, not yet. ‘There’s definitely a market, but it’s difficult to offer the right level of support. This was confirmed when I presented my business plan here. Generic support isn’t enough; you need to know the relevant parties in America and be able to provide very specific assistance. That’s not what I had in mind.’

But Van Giessel isn’t disappointed. He recently accepted a new job as project manager of the CMI, which will be opening offices, laboratories and an operating room in 2013. ‘We want researchers, businesses and clinical experts to work together on developing new products’, he explains. ‘VentureLab has given me an advantage. I now have a better idea of what it means to be an entrepreneur. I appreciate what it takes to run a company and make sure that you can pay the bills every month. You simply don’t think about things like this when you’re in regular employment. What’s more, I’ve brushed up on my other knowledge and skills.’

He enjoyed his time at VentureLab. ‘I got a lot out of it in the form of coaching and devising that business plan. Unfortunately, the Boston trip meant that I didn’t make most of the courses.’ He laughs: ‘When I started, I was told that I’d learn a lot and probably make a career move. They were right about that!’

www.cmi-nen.nl

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Organization before growth

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As every entrepreneur knows, entrepreneurship is not synonymous with being an entrepreneur. The way you organize your company has a crucial impact on whether or not you will succeed. Under the motto ‘Banishing entrepreneurial worries’, Rob Weeber’s “Buro van A tot O” helps entrepreneurs to organize their businesses.

Weeber, who lives in Neede, set up “Buro van A tot O” a little more than a year ago, after spending five years commuting back and forth to an IT consultancy in Rotterdam. ‘It just got too much’, he admits, ‘but I’d been looking around for some time. This was the right moment to consider my options.’ He knew he wanted to start up his own business, so he rang the University of Twente to ask if there were any plans or ideas he could latch onto. ‘That very afternoon, I signed up for VentureLab.’

www.vanatoto.nl

So the first step had been set. The next step involved building up a network. ‘I hadn’t worked in Twente for five years, so I needed to find my feet again’, he remembers. The ‘Ideeënboerderij’ in his hometown (a concept that provides a workplace for small and/or start-up businesses) put him in touch with Joachim Geerdink, who coaches and guides entrepreneurs in setting up or modifying their organization model. ‘We decided to join forces, mainly with the idea of making a difference to the organization side of business. That’s why we’re called “Buro van A tot O”, rather than “A tot Z”. We don’t claim to do everything: we focus on organization and all that this entails, particularly restoring the imbalance that often develops. And we point entrepreneurs in the right direction; the idea is that they take over the baton. You can’t grow without proper organization, you just get more irritated. We take away the entrepreneurial worries, leaving entrepreneurs to concentrate on their core business.’

Weeber has already secured his first client. And in the meantime, he’s editing the manuscript for his second thriller. He’s already written “De tiende kruistocht”. ‘I have a passion for writing’, he explains. This is a man who knows what he wants. ‘The knowledge and self-awareness you gain make VentureLab a truly invaluable experience, as do the other participants.’

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Innovative brainstorming with the clients

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Rubitech Heating is a young member of the Rubitech family. But despite its comparative youth, the company has been quick to develop three new products for a market it wasn’t even involved with. ‘This is my dream: to develop, produce and sell a product of our own’, says general manager Ronald Booij. ‘In honour of our customers, who want us to think along with them.’

‘Innovation isn’t difficult if you work together with your customers and have good partners’, explains Booij from experience. He is referring to an English company that develops boilers and spare parts. ‘Together with our suppliers, we knew all about producing them. So this is how we continued. When the British legislation for boilers was tightened up in 2004, we were able to respond immediately with new heat exchange technology.’ In much the same way, new heat exchangers were designed with a combination of high-pressure injection moulders and friction stir welding. A version for low power to 70kW has been in production since 2008, and a version for power up to 350kW since 2010.

Rubitech Heating employs five members of staff in the Netherlands and twenty in the producing countries. ‘Here in the Netherlands, we take care of the design and provide service, after-sales and quality assurance,’ explains Booij. The machines are assembled in subsidiaries in Malaysia and Romania, components are manufactured by production partners and the prototypes are assembled in Steenwijk. ‘We’re considering expanding in Romania to spread the risk. This would also bring us closer to our customers and help us cope with fluctuations in currency rates.’

So it is time to make choices. This is what brought Booij and his colleague Camiel Brands to VentureLab. ‘We made a conscious decision to see different coaches. Camiel is good at process thinking, while I’m the creative one. We balance each other out, but our staff members sometimes find it tricky. Camiel often makes a concrete plan, while I tend to concentrate on the goal we’re working towards; I think we may be hard to work with. It’s certainly something my coach pointed out to me.’

What about the rest of the programme? ‘Some of the trainers were really inspiring, other less so. I thought the other participants would have been more experienced so we could just get down to business. The emphasis is on starters whereas we’ve been around since 1983. On the other hand: I came for my own personal development and to think about expansion. Mission accomplished on both scores.’

www.rubitech.com

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In the market for more export

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Every year, the small and medium-sized business sector loses tens of billions of euros’ worth of potential exports. Things need to change, says Arno Tammerijn, founder and managing director of The Market Developer. And thanks to the modules he has developed to give entrepreneurs accurate and swift insight into their capacities, they can change. ‘We just can’t afford to keep ignoring all this money’, he argues.

According to research carried out by Tammerijn himself, there are various reasons for entrepreneurs not capitalizing on their export potential. ‘Many businesses simply don’t have the knowledge or the time’, he says, ‘and employing someone especially for that is an expensive gamble. So they tend to put it off or decide against.’ Which is a great pity: ‘We’re a small country, and we’ve always had to rely on exports. Perhaps now more than ever.’

Tammerijn, a commercial economist, set up his own business based on fifteen years experience as an international business developer. ‘Our product consists of three modules that enable us to make a structural analysis of, and then develop, potential export markets on behalf of entrepreneurs. You can order all three together or each one separately’, he explains. ‘What makes us stand out is our direct, market-driven approach. Hands-on. We collate information and move straight into cold acquisition. It’s much faster and cheaper. The client is shown all his or her options and can make a well-informed decision about how to proceed.’

VentureLab was a great help in developing his concept. ‘Particularly the coach; he was worth his weight in gold. I’ve taken steps that I would never have dared to take on my own. On top of that, I was given access to a solid network. One of the other participants put me in touch with a company in Belgium, which is now one of my clients.’

It was exactly what Tammerijn had expected from VentureLab. ‘I found my target group here: medium-sized and high-tech businesses. I can lower the threshold for all those companies that want to export, but don’t have the time, knowledge or experience. There are always opportunities; you just have to know what the market wants. And that’s where The Market Developer comes in...’

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www.themarketdeveloper.com

Heat to kill cancer cells

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Before he eventually stops work, Will Rutten, founder of the Hippocampus Healthcare Group, hopes to have developed two hyperthermia devices. The first is designed to combat surface tumours by means of heat, combined with other treatment methods and a robotic arm that moves with the body. ’Heat is fatal to tumours‘, he explains. The second device combats brain tumours and has already been successfully tested, mainly on children.

Hyperthermia: combating cancer cells by heating them to approximately 43- 44°C. ‘Most cancer cells can’t survive this temperature’, says Rutten. ‘But any that do survive die later from the knock-on effects of this treatment in combination with another treatment option, such a surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.’ Organizations in Europe, Asia and the United States are working to perfect this technique. The Netherlands was the first country to include hyperthermia in its healthcare budget.

‘Heating up a tumour is incredibly tricky‘, says Rutten, speaking from experience. Since 2000, he has worked as head of science with Professor Andras Szasz, in many German universities and with supporters and founders of hyperthermia treatment methods. Support from various teaching hospitals is now enabling him to redesign a device for treating surface tumours. The prototype is ready for testing. ‘The results show significant improvements. When combined with chemotherapy, it can reverse the recovery percentage for certain types of breast cancer, like mesothelioma: a much better chance of survival and fewer side-effects.’

He wants to build fifty of these devices. At the same time, research is being carried out on a robotic arm to deliver the required radiation to the tumour. This is currently done manually, via sensors that are attached to the patient for a number of weeks. The robotic arm, controlled by new software based on a 3D MRI or CT scan, constitutes a non-invasive, painless method. It’s a world first. Rutten intends to use the proceeds from this technology to develop another device: a hyperthermia system that uses powerful electrical fields to eliminate brain tumours. A number of children have already undergone experimental treatment, but the method still needs scientific validation. ‘The results are seriously impressive.’

Rutten now needs to find investors and organize his marketing strategy before he can continue. ‘That’s why I came to VentureLab. The coach is helping me to contact financiers. We’ll probably start building the first devices next year.’

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will@hippocampus.nl

Solutions forcustomers

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‘You can do so much with our technology that you simply have to focus.’ Camiel Brands, general manager of Rubitech Alucast, is most emphatic. It started out as a company for aluminium high-pressure injection moulding, but soon evolved into a business with production companies in Malaysia and Romania. Various spin-off operating companies have also been set up and a range of services have been introduced. ‘We are continuously developing new solutions for our customers.’

Brands is standing beside a six-cylinder engine case produced for the Austrian truck manufacturer Steyr. It’s just one example, stresses the general manager. ‘We also supply to manufacturers of boilers and businesses in countless other sectors, mainly in the Netherlands, Germany, England and France. And we’re exploring the market in Scandinavia and Eastern-Europe. What make us stand out is that our staff are actually present at the production locations, monitoring the quality of the process. It’s a great way of stimulating innovation.’

Not to mention stimulating innovative applications: Rubitech was the first company to use the current technique of friction stir welding for high-pressure injection moulding. ‘It’s a continual process of looking for ways to apply our knowledge broadly. And joining forces to push back the boundaries of existing technology and design complementary products or services. This is why we set up Rubitech Components: to provide specialised solutions in plastic injection moulding, extrusion, forging and sheet-metal working.’ Then there’s the service side: production companies in Malaysia and Romania endow the company with logistic expertise. Brands: ‘We want to take away our customers’ worries. They can come to us for mixed load containers and local warehousing.’

So they have no shortage of ideas and opportunities. ‘We’re in a transformation phase, on the brink of reaching the next level.’ The perfect reason for Camiel Brands and Ronald Booij, general manager of Rubicon Heating, to come to VentureLab for some extra knowledge and coaching. ‘An MBA takes too long. VentureLab provides practical knowledge and coaching, and you’re encouraged to think about your own development. The interaction with the other participants is the icing on the cake. We even found one contact here that could help us to expand our portfolio.’

93www.rubitech.com

Out of the fishbowl

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Leo Salazar doesn’t beat around the bush: VentureLab wasn’t quite everything he’d hoped for. However, the American is quick to add that his opinion has been swayed by a project that didn’t get off the ground, which has made him extra critical. But: ‘The coaching is very valuable. I’m continuing with it.’

Salazar is no stranger to the world of VentureLab. He is attached to De Baak, the well-known training institute for managers, entrepreneurs and professionals in Driebergen. ‘I’m not actually on the payroll, but I give courses there. Particularly for the more international projects. The focus is on business development and personal development. You have to know what your clients want and what they do; this gives you insight into your own business opportunities.’

He signed up to VentureLab for the practical side. He had a promising project in his sights. ‘I was looking for support and guidance, a network and hopefully, access to financiers.’ After a successful start, the plans came to a grinding halt. Salazar: ‘This despite the resources that VentureLab has to offer, the coaches in particular. Some things just can’t be sorted out by external parties, you have to do them yourself. So VentureLab started to lose importance for me.’

His American take on the set-up is worth thinking about. ‘The programme is very Dutch. It’s something you only notice if you’re not Dutch yourself.’ He can’t really elucidate: ‘You can’t explain to a goldfish what water is!’ he laughs,‘And I’m out of the fishbowl.’

But the experience has persuaded Salazar to continue working on cooperation between companies and organizations from different cultures. He explains: ‘I give managers practical tools to help them get to know themselves better. There are three stages: Who is my client? Who am I? And then you start mapping the terrain. There’s a golden rule: assume that you’re wrong, because you are going into a different world. You have to create a safe environment.’ In other words: you have to get out of your fishbowl. This is where VentureLab can help. ‘I’ll continue with the coaching. It’s very valuable.’

95Leo.salazar@me.com

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‘What’s the best way to explain what my data factory can do?’ This is a question Jos Richters regularly asks himself. The entrepreneur, founder of Visual Data Webservices, has developed an application that can build a web application on the basis of a data model. The market potential is enormous. ‘It’s new and has countless possibilities, but it’s also very complicated.’

JumpStart DNN, as Richters calls his invention, comprises an innovative method for generating applications from a database model. What makes it different is that it does this automatically when the user defines the required structuring of the data in a data model. ‘Imagine: you want a data field for birthdays. You must assign a function to the field, which is a code for a specific action. My code factory unravels the database and builds a module for every table. The main advantage is that any changes to the data model automatically generate a new code: you always have clean software.’

JumpStart DNN for transparent data management

Imagine a box of Lego as the sector for which the application is being made. The Lego instruction sheet is the data model, and the Lego bricks are the functions. Different boxes of Lego contain bricks for different types of constructions. Richters’ invention means that applications can be developed for many sectors using a relatively small number of bricks (i.e.: application functions). ‘And it’s fast. You get the new code in your e-mail within a couple of minutes.’

The Application Builder, with the Database Builder accessible via Richters’ website, works under DotNetNuke (DNN), an internet portal with an open source content management system. ‘Visitors to my website come from far and wide and they keep following me, which is fairly unique in the DNN world.’ He is now using his invention for a project in the metal processing industry. ‘Complex and intensive, but it works. This is what I need; I can’t apply for a patent although JumpStart DNN is intellectual property. So I have to be careful.’

VentureLab has shown him the best approach. ‘Marketing isn’t my strongest point. I’ve now learned to adapt my story in line with my client’s requirements. Just explain how it would help him.’ The business model is ready too. Richters: ‘I’m going to work with a licensing system. VentureLab has taught me a lot.’

www.visualdata.nl

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Strategicinsight formachine builders

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What’s the best way to expand your company’s activities so that you can weather the storm during quieter periods? This was the question that brought Tanno Zuidema, managing director of Z-tech Solutions machine builders, to VentureLab. He didn’t find a definitive answer, but his ideas are coming along nicely. ‘The strategic lessons have helped me to devise a vision for the long term.’

Z-tech Solutions focuses on production automation. ‘We develop special machines that customers can use to automate or optimize their production’, explains Zuidema. ‘This is an innovative and creative process, based on what you want the machine to do.’ The formula has already proved its worth: over the years, the company has grown from 3 to 25 employees.

But there’s a ‘but’, stresses Zuidema. Z-tech Solutions work on a project basis, which is a cause for concern when business is slow. You still have to pay people’s salaries. ‘Also: we work on a turn-key basis. This can be risky; you sometimes have to make up the shortfall yourself. And all those fluctuating project results make me nervous. I want a safe second product that we can stock in series to accommodate market swings. Being at VentureLab has taught me that new products rarely do well in a new market, so I’m looking for something that fits in with what we’re already doing.’

The idea has been formulated and it now needs to be developed. This is where VentureLab proved useful, albeit indirectly. ‘I’m directly involved in our company, so it’s difficult for me to detach my mind. This is my pitfall. Participating in VentureLab meant taking one day a week off, which also forced me to think about our internal organization. It should be possible to take the odd day off to work on our future.’

Valuable insights. ‘It’s been very interesting, particularly the commercial and strategic side of things. I made an appointment to discuss things with Jeroen Kraaijenbrink only this morning. I haven’t found ready-made answers, but at least I’ve worked out which direction and approach I want to take.’

www.z-tech.nl

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Learning some practical European ways

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Celine, Richard, Mark, Fruit, Frank, Shirley and King (their English names) could have taken a course in China, but these seven young managers from the Chinese steel company Baosteel found the practical and informal approach at VentureLab much more appealing. ‘We’re not students anymore. We’ve mastered the theory; we want to learn from concrete situations’, one of them explains.

This is the second group of young managers from Baosteel to benefit from the expertise at VentureLab. ‘We could do an MBA in China, but it’s a full two-year programme and not what we’re looking for’, says Shirley. Celine adds: ‘Five of our colleagues came to VentureLab last year and were so enthusiastic.’ This was mainly because of the programme set-up, explains Mark: ‘The emphasis is on the practical side, things you can apply immediately. That’s exactly what we’re after. We want to put everything we learn here into practice back in China.’

They give a few examples. ‘I really wanted to learn how to devise a business model. It’s another way of planning for your organization’s future’, says Richard. His colleague Fruit brings up the communication aspect: ‘How do you set up a team and how do you mange it? These are burning questions; team work is very important to us.’ But it wasn’t just the workshops and courses they enjoyed; they were pleased to speak to and meet the other participants, the coaches and the entrepreneurs. ‘Nearly all the teachers here have their own business and are happy to share their knowledge and experiences with you’, observes King. ‘Talking to other people highlights the differences between Europe and China, which is important when you’re doing business together’, says Frank.

This joint visit to VentureLab has also helped the seven managers to expand their networks. They’ve already promised to keep in touch with each other when they return to China at the end of November. They also intend to stay in touch with VentureLab. ‘My coach has done so much for me. I’ll certainly stay in contact with him when I get home’, adds Richard. The others nod in agreement.

www.baosteel.com

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Disclaimer

Publisher - VentureLab TwenteExecutive Editor - Joyce Holsbeeke, Annemarie RidderPublication - November 2012, Enschede, The NetherlandsCopies - 1000

Interviews and text - Hans Morssinkhof PublicityConcept and design - NexusPhotography - Erik Brinkhorst Fotografie (except for p. 2, 20, 21, 34)Print - Drukkerij te Sligte

With thanks toCore team VentureLab TwenteAard Groen, Annemarie Ridder, Joyce Holsbeeke, Basil Englis, Edith van Eijk, Ellen Donkers, Heike Spenkelink, Hèla Klaczynski, Jaap van Tilburg, Jeroen Kraaijenbrink, Linda de Kleijn-Colleije, Luuk Meijerink, Mariska Roersen, Rainer Harms, Paula Englis, Raymond Loohuis, Renske Stroet, Rik van Reekum, Rob van Lambalgen, Roel Pieper, Ruud Koopman, Sandor Löwik, Shaker Zahra, Steven Walsh and Theodor van der Velde.

Coaches involved with the entrepreneurs presented in this volumePeter Krijnsen, Arwin Baauw, Patrick Bliek, Marjo Nieuwenhuijse, Willem Poterman, Jaap van Tilburg, Jann van Benthem, Marc Sandalowsky, Marja de Wit, Hans Ouwehand, Eelco de Jong, Gilles Meijer, Hette Elgersma, Andre Oosting, Marc Leeuw, Raoul Timmermans, Jaap Beernink en Karin van Beurden.

Colophon

102This publication was produced in order to highlight the innovative developments in VentureLab Twente and to convey general information regarding entrepreneurship. Although this volume was prepared with the greatest of care, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies. It is also important to remember that both law and practice are subject to continual change.© VentureLab Twente. This publication is protected by copyright. VentureLab Twente has no objection to the reproduction of this material, but it asserts the right to be recognized as author of the original material contained therein, along with the right to demand that these materials remain unaltered.

Contact VentureLab Twente

Please visit our website for more information, news and upcoming events.www.venturelabtwente.com / www.venturelabinternational.com

Visiting address (Per December 1st 2012)

You are welcome to meet us in person in the middle of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.Building Ravelijn, Campus University of TwenteHallenweg 177522 NH ENSCHEDEThe Netherlands

Correspondence addressWe look forward to hearing from you.NIKOS / University of TwentePO Box 2177500 AE ENSCHEDEThe Netherlands

You may also contact us by e-mail at: info@venturelabtwente.com.

Personal contactIf you prefer to address your communication to a specific individual, please contact one of the following staff members.

prof.dr. A.J. (Aard) GroenAcademic Leader VLTT +31 (0) 53 4892 885E a.j.groen@utwente.nl Ir. J.J. (Jaap) van TilburgProgramme ManagerT +31 (0) 53 4836 878 / 4896 989 M +31 (0) 6 2224 6069E j.j.vantilburg@utwente.nl

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VentureLab Twente is part of the Innovation Route Twente and is co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development, the provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland and the Twente region. Here we invest in your future.

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