Strijp-T opens its doors during the High Tech Discovery Trail
‘The T in Strijp-T stands for pride’
‘We’ve actually created a small village here.’ So says Boudie Hoogedeure of GEVA about Strijp-T, the Eindhoven business park where high-tech manufacturing companies, scale-ups and educational institutions come together every day. On 13 June, the Strijp-T community will open its doors for the High Tech Discovery Route. The future will then come to life at this historic spot in the city, with robots walking the streets and drones flying through the air.
At Strijp-T, companies such as Bosch, Avular and Sorama are bringing high-tech developments to life in historic buildings. ‘A unique combination indeed,’ says Boudie. ‘As a development team, we help them with that challenge. The result? A place where old and new come together.’
This location is one of the venues for the High Tech Discovery Route for the second time. ‘Once again, you can explore the site by mini-train and view it from a great height via the zip line,’ says Boudie. ‘New this time: the square at TX will be filled with stalls offering all sorts of hands-on activities. We’re keen to show off this recently completed space. And this ‘market stall’ concept fits with who we are: open and accessible.’
Community
Above all, it shows that companies are keen to come together here. ‘Forming a community’, as Boudie puts it. But he wants nothing to do with the term ‘community manager’. ‘We have a board made up of creative volunteers from the companies who simply pick up on ideas at Strijp-T. If there’s a demand for it, we do it. It’s as simple as that. Often these are the “organisers” within companies, or someone who was Prince Carnival or was in the Scouts. People who love to organise and get energy from it.’ It also benefits the companies. ‘You’re an attractive employer in an environment like this where there’s so much to do: from music events to playing sport together.’
Creativity
This approach is reflected in everything, including the event on 13 June. Companies decide for themselves what they want to showcase, but coordinate with each other on what is organised centrally. ‘Companies are given the freedom to put together their own programme; if they need help, they let us know. But these companies are so creative – they’re perfectly capable of coming up with something brilliant themselves!’
According to Boudie, an event only really counts as an event once you’ve organised it three times. This is the second edition. So we’re learning and making adjustments. ‘The first time was well attended, but the site is so big that it didn’t seem crowded. This year we’re concentrating things more, so you can feel that energy more. And who knows, we might make further adjustments next time.’
