ChemistryNL reaches out to SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups to help connect to knowledge partners for tackling your innovation challenges. We therefore facilitate so called innovation agents who are ready to connect you to the right partner. Below they introduce themselves.
Read all about daily life of a ChemistryNL Innovation Agent in their blog (in Dutch).
SMEs in the chemical industry can turn to our innovation agents with innovation questions. ChemistryNL pays its innovation agents to provide free advice to SMEs in the field of innovation, bottlenecks, knowledge gaps and interesting partners. Our innovation agents have a broad national network.
Green Serendipity is a consultancy firm focused on bioplastics, bio-based packaging and circular concepts with the focus on sustainable chain innovation. The driving force behind Green Serendipity is Caroli Buitenhuis. Green Serendipity advises in making the right choices regarding the use of renewable materials for packaging and / or products. This addresses the growing need among retailers, brand owners and start-ups, but also the manufacturing industry to gain insight into the possibilities of biobased and circular production and packaging. A clear answer is given to questions such as: which renewable materials are suitable for making or packaging my product, which producers can I approach for this, what about the waste phase, what about the barrier properties or seal possibilities, what are the costs or how can the costs recoup, etc.
Concrete goals, among others:
Contact Caroli Buitenhuis:
+31 (0)6 24 21 67 33 | info@greenserendipity.nl | www.greenserendipity.nl | www.biobasedpackaging.nl
The NRK represents the interests of the rubber and plastics industry (RKI). The turnover in 2018 is € 13.5 billion, with about 900 companies of which 75% are SMEs. Employment is 50,000 and slightly growing. The RKI has been growing for decades with an average of more than 3%. In recent years, growth has double its GDP by 6%. The (indirect and direct) exports amount to more than 65%. More than 12% of the raw material input is plastic recyclate.
The companies supply a wide variety of modules and (end) products for applications in industry, trade, construction, packaging industry and consumer use. Around 400 companies (60% of the turnover) are clustered at the NRK in 19 trade associations. Under the motto “Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Rethink rubber and plastic products! “Since 2000 NRK has given priority to CSR and a healthy climate for the member companies. In our vision, companies and products must contribute to sustainable development and fit into the evolving circular economy, we offer safe and healthy working conditions in which employees can develop and our products offer comfort to the users and contribute to their prosperity and well-being.
As an Industrial Designer, Martin van Dord has over 25 years of experience with entrepreneurship, product development and innovation management of products (telecom, medical, …) and instruments (energy saving and E-learning). In recent years Martin has been working as innovation manager at NRK Rubber & Plastics Industry and DPI Value Center. In addition to the individual guidance of companies, he has a focus on initiating and setting up cluster and chain projects on themes such as recycling, closing the chain, biopolymers & composites. Martin has a broad and deep network in the Dutch polymer chain of raw material, development, processing, use & recycling. Both of industry and knowledge infrastructure and a deep network in the European research institutes in the field of polymers.
Contact Martin van Dord:
+31 6 23426593 | vandord@nrk.nl | www.nrk.nl
Through the service of Business Angels Connect, companies in Chemistry and Agri-food receive feedback on the feasibility of using private investors to find financing for the growth plans of their company. Selected companies are helped to formulate real investors’ propositions and introduce them into the investor network through closed meetings and individual transfers. Business Angels Connect offers the sectors training and education in the field of corporate finance and business angels financing in particular.
René Reijtenbagh is advisor and expert in the field of making companies investor ready for introduction to investors, the so-called Business Angels. Together with the entrepeneurs, René checks if a Business Angels Investing is a financing option for the company. René has an extensive network of Business Angels and Business Angels networks in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France.
Contact René Reijtenbagh:
+31 6 289 09 185 | reijtenbagh@businessangelsconnect.nl | www.businessangelsconnect.nl
As an analytical chemical expert Anton Schotman has over 40 years of experience in analytical chemistry in various roles at Enka, AkzoNobel and Teijin Aramid. Anton served as head of the analytical department of the Teijin Aramid Research Institute for the last 15 years. After retirement on May 1st, 2020, Anton started as an Innovation Agent. Together with his COAST-colleague Innovation Agent Eric van Sprang, he focuses on innovation in analytical science. He has particular interest in Circular Economy (as an application area).
About TI-COAST (short: COAST), the Community of Innovation for Analytical Science and Technology.
COAST’s mission is to advance analytical science and technology in The Netherlands by strengthening Research and Innovation, human capital and the analytical community. COAST sets out to ensure that participating organizations apply the newest analytical technologies, giving them a competitive edge to contribute to society and economy. The community recognizes the importance of analytical science and technology as value creating activity.
Contact Anton Schotman:
anton.schotman@ti-coast.com
Eric van Sprang has over 15 years of experience as datascientist and consultant. Eric is specialized in process chemometrics and process improvement with a strong affinity with Industry 4.0. Eric is partner of TIPb, which is a consultancy firm specialized in process chemometrics and the design and development of analytical solutions based on miniaturised optical technology. As of May 1, 2020, Eric started as an Innovation Agent together with his COAST-colleague Innovation Agent Anton Schotman.
About TI-COAST (short: COAST), the Community of Innovation for Analytical Science and Technology.
COAST’s mission is to advance analytical science and technology in The Netherlands by strengthening Research and Innovation, human capital and the analytical community. COAST sets out to ensure that participating organizations apply the newest analytical technologies, giving them a competitive edge to contribute to society and economy. The community recognizes the importance of analytical science and technology as value creating activity.
Contact Eric van Sprang:
Eric.vanSprang@ti-coast.com
Marco Tibaldi is a young professional with a background in Chemistry, Energy and Sustainability. His main aim is to solidify the importance of chemistry in the circular economy and energy transition goals of the Netherlands. As manager of operations at the Amsterdam Chemistry Network (ACN), Marco is at the center of an active community of professionals, with the same ambitious targets.
ACN creates direct connections between knowledge institutes, start-ups, scale-ups, and large industry across the entire technology readiness level ladder. ACN is becoming the go-to network organization that individuals, companies and institutions approach to gain the best access to the Chemistry and Biotech ecosystem of Amsterdam, with special focus on Chemistry for Sustainability and Chemistry for Life Sciences. The role of Innovation Agent for Marco is a natural continuation of his work done at ACN, on a national level.
The concrete targets and results the connections made are:
– faster and more efficient innovation,
– public-private partnerships in which participants serve a common interest,
– quick access to the necessary resources, e.g. locations and investments,
– scaling up of a new businesses, in terms of both human and intellectual capital.
Contact Marco Tibaldi:
+31 (0)6 23 35 40 41 | marco@acnetwork.nl | www.acnetwork.nl
Robert-Jan Lamers | ImmundnzRobert-Jan Lamers studied Chemical Engineering at the Technical University in Eindhoven. Following this, he obtained his PhD in Analytical Biosciences at Leiden University. He worked at TNO, Erasmus Medical Center and Philips Research, before becoming an entrepreneur at the interface of chemistry and life sciences. He founded the company Abundnz in 2011, and co-founded the company Immundnz in 2016.
Immundnz acts as a boutique service provider to bring specialised in vitro immunology services to drug discovery, medtech and nutrition companies worldwide. Based in the UK with a fully equipped in vitro immunology lab, Immundnz also has its own internal research programs to develop new assays and in vitro models in areas of high medical need.
Robert-Jan is actively involved in a broad network of universities, research organisations, hospitals as well as within the industry in the Netherlands, EU and the UK, with a strong focus on bio-analytical chemistry, immunology, biomarkers, in vitro models and drug discovery. He is very eager to help you in questions related to Chemistry of Life and opening up his network for you.
Contact Robert-Jan Lamers:
info@immundnz.com | www.immundnz.com
The innovation agent must be able to create a climate of open communication and open innovation that results in concrete innovation plans. The innovation agent must be able to bring people together and have common goals formulated. To this end, the innovation agent has the necessary professional knowledge, innovation expertise and (project) management capacities and is able to function well in a multidisciplinary environment. The innovation agent also has a relevant regional and national network in his / her area of expertise. An important quality of the innovation agent is the ability to listen, to speak the language of the SME and to realize demand articulation. The innovation agent can work independently, shows initiative and decisiveness. Drive and enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship are the engines behind the innovation agent’s efforts. The expertise that the innovation agent brings must be relevant to the innovation roadmaps of ChemistryNL.