end-user marketing geosynthetics / advanced composites - TenCate

ntre in Nijverdal
OICAM is now a reality. The opening ceremony was performed by, from the left, Loek de Vries
(President and CEO, TenCate), Theo Rietkerk (member of the Provincial Executive of Overijssel /
Economy, Energy and Innovation) and Martin Olde Weghuis (Chair of the Executive Board of OICAM)
The opening of the Open Innovation Center
for Advanced Materials (OICAM) took place
on Thursday, 7 July. The opening ceremony
was performed by Theo Rietkerk (member of
the Provincial Executive of Overijssel) and
Loek de Vries, President and CEO of
TenCate. OICAM stimulates companies in
the creation, development and marketing of
innovations in an open innovation process.
As a partner, TenCate has been involved in
OICAM since its inception.
OICAM in Nijverdal is an integral network
of companies and knowledge institutes in
the region of Twente. Together they focus on
sharing knowledge of, conducting research
into and developing high-grade materials and
material technology. The main objective of the
centre is to establish an open, innovative and
creative environment, in which new ideas and
technologies relating to advanced materials
are fully developed in joint ventures. Advanced
materials play a major role in technological
innovation. This applies in particular to the
region of Twente, which will from now on be
called Materials Valley. These are advanced
materials that ‘make a difference’ and they
form a key objective for regional development.
Laboratory facilities
The open innovation centre is housed in
Nijverdal in a former TenCate factory.
This is where innovative research into
materials with unique properties, the building
of demonstrators and the trial production of
these materials will all come together.
The presence of laboratory facilities and
equipment for trial production will enable
innovations and spin-offs to be developed
rapidly and cheaply. OICAM will also facilitate
the design, organization and implementation
of complete development projects.
Continued on page 20
19