The former university development center of the University of Groningen won the Groninger Ondernemingsprijs in 2014. In the meantime, XPAR Vision with its advanced sensor and robot technology, for twenty years the world market leader in optimizing the quality of glass bottles and jars in the glass industry. With the entry of XPAR Vision, Innovatiecluster Drachten has 19 high-tech companies from Groningen, Fryslân and Drenthe.

"Collaboration pays off, especially in the Northern Netherlands and these companies show that municipal and provincial boundaries do not matter when it comes to innovation," said the new mayor Jan Rijpstra of Smallingerland. On his second working day, he welcomes the Groningen high-tech company. “With the entry of XPAR Vision, the group of companies will gain a firm foothold in Groningen. This shows that the time of capturing each other's flies in the Northern Netherlands is definitely over.” According to Rijpstra, he is an enthusiastic supporter of innovative economic development. ,,In the industry, the technological change of this time comes together and you just have to work together! For example, look at the new polymer printer that the joint companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten bought. It's about creating new things."

Off the beaten track

According to chairman Binne Visser, the Groningen company fits in well with the other companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten with its innovations. “With its software, sensors and robots, XPAR Vision masters the production of glass packaging at a very high level. This is only possible if you encourage your engineers to think and design outside the box. With this quality, XPAR Vision is not only a logical partner for our companies, but also an example for many companies in the Northern Netherlands.”

Denying boundaries

Alderman Paul de Rook of the Municipality of Groningen fully supports this. "Joining Innovatiecluster Drachten not only helps the company, but certainly also the entire region." With that northern scale, the Groningen alderman thinks the name of the business cluster no longer covers the load. “Thanks to the Innovation Cluster, companies in the North are better able to find each other. After all, knowledge is one of the few things that grows when you share it. This way of working together and the denial of the borders experienced by some in the Northern Netherlands are settled by these companies. I hope the ICD grows quickly.”

Dare

According to Paul Schreuders, CEO of XPAR Vision, creativity and above all daring are preconditions for being innovative. ,,You also have to be practical and, in our case, talk a lot with customers. For example, we provide a lot of application support to customers, because the next sale can be realized by using our equipment properly.” Schreuders values interactions with customers because they lead to new ideas. "By joining the Innovatiecluster Drachten, we hope to interact with other high-tech companies, which will lead to mutual enrichment and ultimately acceleration of development."

'greasing robot'

The Groningen company is currently developing a special robot that ensures that less glass is needed for packaging food. Glass packaging is now approximately 30 to 40 percent thicker than is actually necessary. “This so-called 'lubricating robot' prevents glass from sticking to the molds for the packaging during production. As a result, the glass packaging does not become thicker than necessary'', explains Schreuders. According to him, the robot also saves on production costs and energy. The province of Groningen has granted a subsidy of 131 thousand euros to develop this robot, with a view to job growth in the north.

XPAR Vision

XPAR Vision is a non-listed Dutch company that has been a specialist and market leader in advanced sensor and robot technologies for the glass industry since its foundation in 1999. Their software and systems prevent production errors at an early stage, enabling a glass factory to significantly limit product failure. In addition, the XPAR Vision method results in a lower consumption of energy and material. 15 highly skilled experts are actively helping these industries make glass lighter and stronger, while improving efficiency and speed, reducing their carbon footprint and reducing human dependence on the manufacturing process. More than 600 systems run on their software in more than 35 countries.