90 students from the Alfa College in Groningen were given the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at five high-tech companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten. They came face-to-face with the most modern technological developments.

The students were taken on a High Tech Safari along BD Kiestra, Variass, Delta Instruments, WhisperPower and YP Your Partner. A voyage of discovery where they got a taste of real business. Central to the visit were their own interests, their personal development and possible career opportunities.

Enthusiastic noise

The students responded with interest to the story about Delta Instruments' 'smart cow'. This company develops dairy analysis equipment with which farmers can easily measure the health of a cow and thus the quality of the milk. WhisperPower showed that for them a product is only perfect if you cannot see and hear it. During the tour of the factory, where whisper-quiet generators are made, the enthusiastic noise of the students predominated.

 At BD Kiestra, their knowledge of recognizing bacteriological contamination was brushed up and Variass showed how complex medical laboratory systems are built. YP Your Partner, one of the organizations that only focuses on software development, let the students experience that an innumerable variety of installations can be monitored and operated via smartphone, tablet and PC.

Knowledge sharing

Big Data, Internet of Things, robotization, 3D printing, virtual reality and serious gaming are the technical developments for which the companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten come up with new solutions. Solutions that can be used, for example, in the dairy industry, for generating energy, supporting research into child abuse or bacterial diseases and managing pumping stations, bridges and locks to protect us from flooding.