This article is originally published on TNO website.
What did your time at TNO bring you?
'Alongside technical development, TNO also offered plenty of opportunity for personal growth. I was able to discover who I really am, what drives me and where my strengths lie. I still draw on that every day. I also collaborated extensively with international partners while at TNO. I continue to benefit from that network and experience.'
Which object reminds you of that time?
'This little hammer. It was given to me when I left TNO, to crack tough nuts, in other words, to make decisions. A researcher comes up with two questions for every answer. I was one of only a few engineers among many researchers. That combination was precisely what made the work so interesting: you need one another to move forward. The hammer is still on my desk today!'
'At TNO I was able to discover who I really am, what drives me and where my strengths lie. I still draw on that every day.'
What are you proud of?
'The work we did at TNO in Shared Innovation programmes, together with universities and industry. I worked on solar energy with partners in Asia and the United States. We built many valuable relationships and made real progress in a field that is highly relevant to society.'
Innovation for life: how does innovation still play a part in your life?
'To me, innovation is about two things: making discoveries and successfully applying them in industry. At TNO, I contributed to some great inventions. At Demcon, I am closer to the market, at a later stage of the innovation process. I have been doing that for seven years now, with a great deal of energy and passion. They are two links in the same chain, and they need one another.'
What could people at TNO rightly be a bit prouder of?
'A moment worth being proud of is when you hand something over to a party that can take it to the next level. I sometimes compare it to seeing your child move out: it is not easy, but it is a sign that you have done a good job. Entrepreneurship is not always about doing everything yourself; above all, it is about bringing the right people together to make progress.'
Why would you like to reconnect with former colleagues?
'Together you can go further. That is what I find so interesting about former TNO colleagues: they are intrinsically motivated by innovation. How can we work together to solve a societal challenge?'