‘Strengthen the chain by training together’
In the semiconductor sector, there is not only a significant need for more professionals to join the industry, but there is also a strong focus on retraining and upskilling existing staff. This is one of the reasons why the Brainport Academy was established: a hub for learning and development within the semiconductor sector and a platform where supply and demand come together. One of the training courses set up, aimed at improving and optimising processes, is Hands-On Manufacturing. This course was developed by Fontys Technology, commissioned by and in collaboration with ASML, amongst others. Supplier KMWE is one of the participants. An interview.
When ASML indicated that it was looking for a course or training programme that could help its own employees improve internal processes, contact was quickly established with Fontys. ‘ASML was very keen to have a training programme that was also accessible to suppliers and certified with microcredentials,’ explains Muriël Keuning, who recently started as team leader at Fontys Pro Technology, the team that organises courses, training programmes and masterclasses for professionals.
Origins in the automotive sector
Fontys Automotive has been running a training programme for its own Automotive students under the banner of Lean Six Sigma since 2008. During this training, students are introduced to various ways of designing and improving business processes. When Hans Krikhaar, former lecturer in Smart Manufacturing, drew ASML’s attention to that training, the seed was sown. ‘That was the start of our collaboration,’ recalls Marc Mussaeus, a lecturer on the automotive programme. ‘The core of our training was exactly what they were looking for. We then adapted the programme to the new target group in co-creation with ASML and launched a pilot in January 2025.’
Energy through collaboration
That pilot was a huge success right from the start. The training took place in a simulated environment, the Learning Factory. Over ten days, the participants (not only from ASML, but also from other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and suppliers) got to work with various tools that can be used to improve work processes and tackle problems that may arise in those processes. Marc: ‘During the training, we were supported by coaches from the industry, including ASML, DAF and Philips. It was great to see how professionals from different companies connected and started working together. For us, it was also quite an eye-opener. The students we normally mentor all have the same background and level, but this group is much more diverse in composition. As a lecturer, you have to provide much more tailored support; how do you present the ‘tools’? How does someone learn best? There are different levels mixed together, but those levels also have to work together in practice.’
To ensure we were also learning throughout the process, the training participants completed a survey after each day of training. ‘Every evening, we as teachers and coaches would get to work on the results. What needs to change, how can we respond even better to the participants’ needs? It was incredibly intensive because the training is delivered in two blocks of four consecutive days, but it also gave us all a huge boost of energy.’
The power of collaborative learning
KWME is one of ASML’s major suppliers. Ron van der Reest is responsible for everything related to learning and development at the company, which employs around 600 people in the Netherlands. ‘When this training course at the Brainport Academy came up, I was immediately interested. I strongly believe in the power of collaborative learning,’ he explains. ‘By learning together, you gain a much better understanding of the supply chain and learn how things can be improved. Bringing the supply chain together also makes it stronger. Everyone should bring their own practical experience and get stuck in with each other. How did our first participants come back from the training? Very enthusiastic, but I wouldn’t have expected anything else.’
Keeping the group together
The second group started in September 2025 and the third training course is scheduled for next summer. If Ron van der Reest has his way, more and more staff will take the course. But … what then? What do you do with the knowledge you’ve gained? Ron: ‘The challenge, of course, is to actually put it to use. I started by organising this group. I want to keep the participants together. It’s becoming an ever-growing network of staff who meet up regularly and who get the chance to tackle projects together. I can already see something taking shape. Using the tools from that toolkit, you gain insight into opportunities for improvement and, for example, into waste. We’ve grown very quickly in recent years, so it’s only natural that all sorts of things are happening at departmental level. However, the overarching process is sometimes overlooked. How do you find each other, how do you make joint use of each other’s capabilities and knowledge? How do you organise things optimally, above the departmental level? These are issues that can now come more into the spotlight.’
Strategic partner
According to Muriël Keuning, it is vital that company employees learn skills they can put into practice straight away. ‘We are working hard on this, for example in the areas of AI for Industry, hands-on problem solving and life-cycle analysis. Partly due to developments in our region, Fontys is much more than a higher education institution where you can earn a prestigious higher professional education diploma: we are a knowledge partner. We do everything we can to work in a demand-driven way with companies in the region. We are a strategic partner in the field of knowledge development, identifying needs within companies and actively addressing them in collaboration with those companies. We can make a difference by assigning accredited value to a course or training programme using a microcredential.’
More about the training courses
The Fontys Hands-On Manufacturing Green Belt and Black Belt training courses are programmes based on the Lean methodology, which focuses on improving processes by reducing waste and enhancing quality. In the Green Belt training, employees are introduced to the various tools and how they can be applied. The focus is on practical process improvement. The more in-depth Black Belt programme goes a step further. This training focuses on complex improvement projects, change management and coaching Green Belts. Want to know more? Email technology-llo@fontys.nl.