Edwin de Zeeuw has just completed his first hundred days as director of Mikrocentrum. Sometimes, he still has to search for the right terms – “how exactly do we say that here again?” – but aside from that, he has a good idea of his new organization. That is not to say that the blueprint for the coming years is already ready. “Before that, I want to listen a little more closely to the people who have been here a little longer. And just as important: to the market in which we want to be active and deliver our added value.”
De Zeeuw is not planning to turn everything upside down at the successful platform organization for the high-tech and manufacturing industry soon. “That does not mean that everything will stay as it is. Especially now that the market is changing rapidly, we will have to pay extra attention to our adaptability and new opportunities for cooperation. I also see plenty of opportunities to spread our wings. In the rest of the Netherlands in the first place, but perhaps also beyond. How exactly will this take place? That will be an iterative process and simply also needs time.”
Experience and technical background
With the appointment of Edwin de Zeeuw, Mikrocentrum has gained an experienced director with a technical background. Collaboration, innovation, and technology are key concepts for him. Previously, as Director of TMC Mechatronics, he was responsible for the expansion of the mechatronics business unit and initiator of the Masterclass High Tech Systems. At Startupbootcamp, he was Managing Director for the Smart City and FoodTech programs. For Innoleaps, he led the Corporate Acceleration Program. He was also involved in TU/e’s HighTech Systems Center. In recent years, he has focused on the successful expansion of the start-up Ecochain Technologies.
Adapting to changing market conditions is something De Zeeuw has done more than once in his career. For Mikrocentrum, which likes to operate in the heart of the high-tech and manufacturing industry, that will certainly become a theme as well. “Then I am not just talking about changes in content, such as around the trade fairs we organize or the language in which the training courses are given, but we will also start looking at our business model. Exactly how that’s going to work out, we’re going to discover as we go along as a team, but there’s no question in my mind that there are going to be company-wide developments.” Then, laughing, “If you keep doing what you were doing, you won’t get what you got for a long time. Companies today can only remain viable if they continue to differentiate themselves and fulfill a real market need. This also applies to us as Mikrocentrum. Investing jointly in bringing together the right networks, sharing knowledge, and developing employees is crucial for a healthy high-tech ecosystem in this regard.”
Evidence rather than the underbelly
De Zeeuw characterizes himself as “enterprising, but not an entrepreneur.” He prefers to base his decisions on data and other evidence rather than gut feelings. “To me, an entrepreneur is someone who sees a ‘gap in the market’ in the world around them and, often with blind faith and focus, intends to make that happen, no matter what. My preference is to work with something that is already there. An existing foundation that requires a fresh perspective to make what is already there better with the goal of having even more impact as a team.
That team interest is crucial to De Zeeuw. Not only to keep an organization balanced but also to make the best decisions. “I know from myself that I can be a catalyst in a team, but that team of people is the foundation. That’s how I see it at Mikrocentrum. There is a foundation, but to assess that and understand how we need to strengthen it takes time. From there, we can make the vision and mission, some of which is already there, into a congruent whole. Both inside and outside the organization, that has to be visible and feel right. That way you can eventually grow, with a clear goal and all noses in the same direction. We will pay much more attention to this recognisability, both internally and externally.
Cooperation is a guiding theme for De Zeeuw – not only within Mikrocentrum. “In my career, I have worked inside and outside Brainport, as well as inside and outside that high-tech ecosystem. So I can look at it from a distance and as an involved person. Well I occasionally hear people say that we have to learn to work together again, but I can assure everyone that this region and this sector still excel in cooperation. We should be quite proud of that. Of course, that is not to say there is no room for improvement, but above all, let us not talk each other into a problem.” De Zeeuw also sees plenty of opportunities for Mikrocentrum for more intensive cooperation with various technical networks and trade organizations whose target groups overlap in one way or another with those of Mikrocentrum. They can all expect a visit from the new director.
Four pillars
Mikrocentrum has four main pillars: the membership network, the trade training courses, the substantive trade fairs and events, and wonderfully beautiful spaces on the premises in Veldhoven. “All four are logical if you look at where Mikrocentrum comes from. But in the fifty-five years of our existence, the world has, of course, changed. For example, you might wonder if that beautiful building of ours should still have the same function. Before 2018, we couldn’t offer spaces to our network. From meetings to small events, with all the amenities and catering options included. Maybe we can add new functions to it, we’ll find out. And if you look at our trade shows, you see that right now they all run on the satisfaction of the exhibitors; visitors have free admission. You could supplement that with professional, specialized conferences around relevant themes in a sector. That way, our added value is not experienced once a year, but throughout the year.”
Stone in the pond
Zeeland’s predecessor, Bert-Jan Woertman, was in that position for a relatively short time. Still, the new director sees plenty of starting points to build on what Woertman instigated. “Bert-Jan threw a stone in the pond; he exposed the blind spots that every organization has within it. That was necessary, but I now see it as my job to start putting focus back into those wrinkles, which logically go in all directions in the pond. We are fortunate to be able to do that exercise from a good position: we are financially healthy, and our customer satisfaction is very high. So we are just doing very well. But the question is whether that’s all. Perhaps we can do more to serve and strengthen the high-tech & manufacturing industry. What our customers, or companies that don’t know us yet but are active in the industry, need from us. That, of course, is the most interesting question. In that, we may listen even better to the market to make the right impact.
Collaboration
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