The annual High Tech Discovery Route – part of the Dutch Technology Festival – is all about making technology visible and tangible. And if one place is fit for that purpose, it is Brainport Industries Campus. “We show here that technology is not only important but also incredibly fun and for all ages,” explains Evelien Burgmans.
Today, BIC is filled with hundreds of children, most of them elementary school age and mostly accompanied by their parents. They get a chance to learn about technology in all shapes and sizes, with a direct link to the companies and schools operating within BIC. “It ties in with our idea that you can pursue your entire career within BIC,” she adds. “Right after high school, for example, in an apprenticeship program, via Summacollege and Fontys or Avans to a real job at one of our wonderful companies. And even for those who have once found a nice job, the growth can continue. Vertically within a company or horizontally through a transfer from one company to another. You see that HR dynamic in abundance here, supported by what we’ve called the BIC Academy. After all, you never stop learning.”
While the children divide their attention between robots and high-tech marble tracks, imagine themselves in a Formula 1 racing chair for a moment as Max Verstappen or having themselves scanned in 3D, Brainport Industries director John Blankendaal explains the importance of BIC to a group of visiting city council members. “Here, we have brought innovation, education, and production together under one roof. Partly because of that, we can make the things that no one else anywhere in the world can make.” But that situation is not a given. “Although we have a great economic starting point, the supply chain is increasingly struggling to keep up with the growth.”
Golden hands
That has everything to do with the difficulty of attracting talent. That’s why a day like this is so crucial, says Blankendaal. “Attracting youth is hugely important, and then what helps is to throw open the doors and also show the youngest generation what happens here. We have a working landscape of allure here in beautiful surroundings. All that helps to make this place attractive. And thanks in part to our field labs and mutual cooperation, you can see that it is all growing like cabbage. So much so that we have already taken the first steps for BIC2.”
In all of this, the emphasis remains on the “golden hands,” the young people who can not only figure out what our world needs but can also create it. None of that has gone unnoticed, Blankendaal says. “For that I only have to point out the many field labs, the seven European projects, three Growth Fund projects and three educational institutions with all their activities that have found their way to BIC.”
Love for technology
As Blankendaal wraps up his talk, the visiting children have spread further across campus. They are exploring the secrets behind a bionic flower, balancing with their robot on a tricky course and, thanks to virtual reality, imagining themselves in another world, or even another time. Without exception, they are all smiles. And while their love for technology is not settled overnight, at least the first seed has been planted for this group.
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