UT Magazine Zomer 2018 EN.Indd
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MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND PARTNERS SUMMER 2018 SPIN-OFF LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS WITH APPS BY Hans van Eerden PHOTOGRAPHY Arjan Reef “We want to make geo-information publicly accessible and usable,” says Valentijn Venus, researcher at the Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) faculty. In 2016, he launched the spin-off Ramani (Swahili for “map”). The company shares data such as satellite images of crops and roads, weather reports and informa- tion gathered from smartphones via crowd sourcing. Ramani developed a toolkit that gives app developers ac- cess to these information resources. “We have an app that informs drivers carrying perishable goods about obstructions on their route. Another app informs mango farmers about the optimal times at which to harvest and dry the fruit. Journalists can use an app to report misconduct such as bribery. The app Cheetah, which tackles loss of food in Africa, has already won several awards.” Ramani is part of Ujuizi (“wisdom,” “intelligence”), a holding that collabo- rates with corporations and uses the UT’s intellectual property to improve mobile technology in developing coun- tries. “There are already thousands of Ujuizi Laboratories throughout Ghana and Indonesia and we have recently met with local entrepreneurs in Kenya and South Africa.” Venus appreciates the efforts of “The app Cheetah, experts such as Nikolet Zwart, who which tackles loss of food offers local entrepreneurs legal and WERE YOU THERE? financial advice. Support also comes in Africa, has already from the ITC’s Natural Resources won several awards” Open House 2018 Management department and from Novel-T. “They help us develop business models that allow local COLLABORATING WITH THE VU independent entrepreneurs to create Joint Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s programme an impact. In doing so, they also facilitate the ITC faculty’s transition to an entrepreneurial faculty.” For more information: WAR FOR TALENT ramani.ujuizi.com The hunt for highly educated technicians CONTENTS Cover image: Rikkert Harink LARGEST MANUFACTURER 36 OF GREEK YOGHURT 32 ENTREPRENEURIAL DAY LUBRICANT FOR 22 THE HEALTHCARE VU WAR FOR COLLABORATING 4 TALENT UT 14 WITH THE VU 4 DOSSIER 18 ENTREPRENEURSHIP 32 WERE YOU THERE? War for talent Used items of clothing are given a new life 34 ON THE CAMPUS 8 IN BRIEF The Hogekamp project 20 IN THE LAB 10 PHD RESEARCH 36 INTERVIEW RESEARCH Research relationship between 22 AMBITION & ACHIEVEMENT water scarcity and consumption The success story of two 38 DEPARTURE POINT TWENTE electrical engineers CFO at yoghurt king Chobani 12 FUND NEWS From drop-out to top student 25 EXECUTIVE EDUCATION 40 STUDENT HOUSE Huize DADA 14 INTERVIEW EDUCATION 26 IN BRIEF Joint Mechanical Engineering 42 MY JOB bachelor’s programme with VU 28 ALUMNI NEWS From BIT to blockchain 16 ACTIVE STUDENT 30 FUND NEWS 44 SPIN-OFF For an online version of this magazine in English please visit: www.utwente.nl/magazine/en 2 FOREWORD RETAINING YOUNG TALENT ENTREPRENEURIAL DAY “Twente’s campus in the lead,” entrepreneurial attitude made us wrote the regional newspaper De pioneers, but we have to regularly Twentsche Courant Tubantia in early reinvent ourselves if we want to June. A study of Dutch “knowledge maintain our lead. campuses,”’ conducted by Buck Consultants, shows that Kennispark Another conclusion from the report Twente holds the #1 position: the is that the growth rate of the park houses by far the largest num- employment opportunities at ber of organisations – nearly twice Kennispark Twente lags behind the as much as the number two. These average of all other – 35 in total – are spin-offs of the University of knowledge campuses in the Twente, as well as organisations Netherlands. Unlike the area that like to settle close to the Uni- around Eindhoven, we lack major versity and the pool of young talent corporations in Twente. Our em- “WE HAVE TO REGULARLY it houses. Figures from Statistics ployment opportunities are found REINVENT OURSELVES IF WE WANT Netherlands (CBS) also show that at the hundreds of SME spin-offs the economy in Twente grows at a and scale-ups. We find that some TO MAINTAIN OUR LEAD” higher rate than the Dutch national of our graduates prefer to work at a average. That explains why we large organisation and in a different have received the title of “most region. That is why we are colla- entrepreneurial university” for the borating with the municipality of third time in a row. Enschede on an initiative to retain young talent in the region or stimu- These are all wonderful results, late them to return. We are aware yet we cannot rest on our laurels. that it is not all about work; the re- Every university is focusing on gion’s living environment, facilities entrepreneurship now. Rapid growth and culture are also important is not only seen at the other factors. For you, as an alumnus or technical universities, but also at relation of the University, a new or classical universities like the ones renewed introduction to the region in Groningen and Leiden. Our might also be interesting! VICTOR VAN DER CHIJS, LL.M., (1960) CHAIRMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE EXECUTIVE BOARD SINCE OCTOBER 2013. 3 DOSSIER Over the course of the next five years, the Netherlands will need 60,000 highly educated engineers. The four technical universities can only supply half that number. That means it is all hands on deck for businesses and knowledge institutes, including the University of Twente. BY Marco Krijnsen PHOTOGRAPHY Gijs van Ouwerkerk ‘WAR FOR TALENT’ ALL HANDS ON DECK 4 The UT spin-off Demcon is doing in the area. Demcon sponsors well. The developer of high-end Saxion’s Mechatronics lectorate and technology is experiencing specta- the UT’s Robotics and Mechatronics cular growth and it will soon begin chair. The collaboration with the the construction of a brand-new University will be expanded in the Technology Center, right across future. Demcon will also finance from the University of Twente. This half of the Precision Engineering year, the organisation will need 100 chair, the research group that to 150 new employees to keep up focuses on medical robotics. with this rapid expansion. “We will find them all,” says director Dennis This improved visibility is required to Schipper with conviction. avoid a brain-drain of highly educa- “We post 3,000 to 4,000 vacancies Nevertheless, the UT alumnus of ted engineers to other places and Mechanical Engineering is con- companies, Schipper says. Additio- per year and receive 125,000 applications” cerned. Demcon is already forced to nal measures are also needed. “The - Peter Wennink, CEO ASML refuse many projects because it University of Twente stops at the simply lacks the manpower. That Hengelosestraat, which still forms a problem is only expected to grow in barrier. We must attract more the time to come, because the com- students for lectures, projects or petition on the employment market drinks. We do not do enough of is becoming noticeably fiercer. that, even though Demcon is Schipper: “We must be careful that located close to the University. This the shortage of engineers does not situation is even more difficult for impede our growth.” businesses based in Oldenzaal or Almelo. They are often completely Attracting more students invisible to UT students.” Schipper believes that the only way for Demcon to stay in the race for Multinationals in Twente technical talent is for the organisa- Victor van der Chijs, the president of tion to be visible to potential em- the UT’s Executive Board, acknow- ployees who are either still studying ledges this problem. “We have the or have recently graduated. That is right people in Twente and we have why the company is investing in all small and medium-sized high-tech kinds of cooperative alliances, for companies with a large number of example with knowledge institutes vacancies. Nevertheless, many of 5 DOSSIER A TECHNICAL DEGREE, BUT NO TECHNICAL JOB An important cause for the shortage of technical staff is the fact company. These figures are in line with the national averages. that many highly educated engineers work in other sectors. In Twente, the problem is exacerbated because only few students National figures show that only 44% of the students in this group with a technology degree are interested in a job at a local tech ultimately end up in a technical position at a technical organisa- company (17% of the male students and 6% of the female tion. For women, that percentage is much lower still. The chance students). that they choose a profession outside the technology sector is The number of female technology students has increased in four times larger than for men. recent years, but the effects are limited for the time being. That is The “Mind the Gap!” study recently mapped out the situation in due to the fact that women are far more likely to leave the tech- Twente. The results show that one out of every five technology nology sector than their male colleagues. The IT sector in parti- professionals “drops out” of the sector. Out of all highly educated cular struggles with this phenomenon. According to researchers, technology professionals with a technical degree from the UT or this is caused in part by the male-dominated culture on the work Saxion, only 37% works in a technical position at a technical or- floor. Women feel like they are undervalued and given less ganisation, while 31% has a non-technical position at a technical challenging tasks than men in similar positions. our students leave for the Randstad. tage of technical staff. The need is They want to work for a major cor- dire, although ASML itself is not poration, preferably a multinational.