The Innovatiecluster Drachten (ICD) has a valuable partner. On Thursday, September 21, Spark Holland officially joined the ICD, an important event that was celebrated with motivational speeches and the symbolic signing of the cooperation contract on each other's backs. This collaboration promises a new phase of innovation and knowledge sharing, which will be of great importance for both Spark Holland and other companies within the cluster.

A look at the accession ceremony

The festive admission took place at Spark Holland in Emmen, where the guests were also treated to an interesting tour of the company. The ceremony was opened by Florian van der Hoeven, CEO of Spark Holland, who emphasized the expectations and ambitions for this collaboration. Joining the ICD is an important strategic move for Spark Holland, which has played a prominent role in the industry of advanced sample introduction systems and analytical instrumentation solutions for more than 40 years.

Joost Krebbekx, the ICD program manager, spoke about the invaluable value of collaboration, knowledge sharing and welcoming external expertise. He emphasized the municipality's involvement in the cluster and its intention to collaborate at various levels, from local to national.

Joost then introduced councilor Sipke Hoekstra of the municipality of Smallingerland, who gave a passionate speech about the significance of the ICD for the municipality and for the whole of the Netherlands. Hoekstra emphasized that the ICD is a crucial platform for connecting business, education and policy, not only at the municipal, but also at the provincial and perhaps even national level. He expressed his belief that the contributions to further developments and innovations have added value for other partners.

Hoekstra also highlighted the shared goals for the coming years, which he believes can be achieved jointly by large companies as well as SMEs, educational institutions and the government.

The councilor emphasized the importance of the development of the manufacturing industry for broad prosperity and the essential role of short lines of communication between the business community and training institutions in this regard. He expressed the hope that more and more Northern partners will realize the importance of this and that the development will continue in the future.

Hoekstra concluded with the words: “Today let us reflect on this collaboration and it is great that you will take part in it. We look forward to this collaboration and the synergy that will soon arise between the companies. We wish you much success!

Guido Rink, councilor of the municipality of Emmen, also underlined the importance of a strong Northern Netherlands ecosystem. He emphasized that Spark Holland's entry into the ICD will bring benefits to the entire region and urged further cooperation and joint efforts.

Binne Visser, chairman of the ICD, concluded by highlighting the practical aspects of the collaboration, including intellectual property agreements and shared responsibility for innovation. He ended with warm wishes for all parties involved and the prospect of a successful collaboration, after which the ceremony ended with the signing of the collaboration agreement, followed by a tour and a pleasant get-together with a drink.

Why Spark Holland?

Spark Holland is a leading company with in-depth expertise in the field of electronics, mechanics, assembly and chemistry. Their intensive collaboration with both international OEM and local development partners makes them an ideal addition to the Innovation Cluster.

“I am convinced that it is valuable to learn from other companies in different sectors”

Florian van der Hoeven.

Future and Collaboration

The collaboration between Spark Holland and the ICD bodes well for the future. Joining the cluster is a powerful step forward for the entire Northern Netherlands ecosystem. It underlines the importance of cooperation between business, education and government to promote innovation and development.

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