Dutch Tech Fest makes important contribution to talent development of young people

Talent development for, by and with the large network of tech companies from the Brainport region was the focus during Dutch Technology Festival. The organization cooperates with many tech companies, educational institutions and schools in the surrounding area. “We try to show young people all the possibilities in technology: working in technology is meaningful, valuable and offers security. Technology is the future and the need for talent will only grow. Indeed, young technicians are building the future,” said Lucas van Grinsven, head of community relations at ASML and chairman of the Dutch Technology Festival sounding board group.

Pre-event in partnership with Rabobank

During the pre-event of Dutch Technology Festival – organized together with Rabobank – a group of frontrunners in the region, led by Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem, discussed the future sustainability of the high-tech ecosystem of South-East Brabant. During this evening many ideas were collected to accelerate the plans for housing, mobility and the training and retraining of more technical talent for companies in the region, and especially to implement them together. Dijsselbloem: “Every day I still see a new company, every day I hear an astonishing figure about growth, investment and development, and not a day goes by that an administrator from another region asks me: what is happening in the region? It is important that we continue to capitalize on the potential together, for that we need to forge many concrete plans. How are we going to do that? For that we have governments, social institutions, knowledge institutions and business.”

Klokgebouw

In the Klokgebouw in Eindhoven, secondary school pupils, students and HR & tech professionals went on a discovery tour in five areas – food, health, security, energy/sustainability and mobility. There, over 30 companies and educational institutions were ready to show the latest innovations. Lianne van den Wittenboer (Brainport Development): “By bringing together cool companies that showcase their technological innovations and by challenging the youngsters in terms of content, we show that working in tech is fun and that it contributes to the major societal challenges we face. During the Dutch Technology Festival, together with the large Brainport network, we also considered another challenge: the 45,000 technical talents we will need in the future. How are we going to develop, retain and attract talent? We face this challenge by acting together in the field of talent development and area development.”

The participating schools were also enthusiastic. Samantha Boon, Education Manager havo 2-3 at Scholengemeenschap Were Di: “Our students enjoyed themselves. There was a lot to do and see. Our teachers who came along also had a great time. We hope that in the future the festival will be expanded to include more disciplines and there will be even more to do.” Veerle van Schaijk, Technology department leader at Vakcollege Helmond adds: “The festival connected seamlessly with the curriculum at school.”

High Tech Ontdekkingsroute

Taking a 3D scan of yourself to driving a lap in a Formula One simulation. From welding to soldering. And from LEGO® to KAPLA®. During the High Tech Discovery Route, at six hotspots in the region, there were lots of technical innovations to see and fun technical experiments – for enthusiasts aged 0 to 99 – to perform. Stichting Leergeld Nuenen: “The participating parents and children were very enthusiastic. Everyone had a great time. It was a challenging program and we actually ran out of time. What we noticed in talking to (status) parents, was that they themselves had no idea that these kinds of activities are freely available to parents and children. So nice to see that we thus got them to take another step in integrating into their living environment.”

High Tech Ontdekkingsroute is the final day of the Dutch Technology Festival. John Blankendaal (managing director Brainport Industries): “This remains a fantastic finale to Dutch Technology Festival. Making tangible the technological innovation that we stand for here in the region: all six hotspots succeed again tremendously well this edition. Whether you are interested in AI, 3D, VR, AR, robotics or other applications in the world of tech, enthusiasts got their fill in the region. We are already greatly looking forward to next year!”

About Dutch Technology Festival

Dutch Technology Festival is a joint initiative of companies and educational institutions in the Brainport region. The festival makes an important contribution to strengthening the Dutch high-tech sector, which is so strongly represented in Brainport Eindhoven, by bringing technology closer to the public, arousing wonder, creating interest and stimulating the choice for technical education and professions. Dutch Technology Festival partners are active and proud ambassadors of the festival.