We speak three languages and work at three paces

Director of Crossroads Limburg Angely Waajen-Crins finds it a joy to work for the three o's; government, entrepreneurs and education. That does mean: speaking in three languages and working at three speeds. It is sometimes quite a challenge to bring all these different interests together.

Crossroads Limburg is tasked with connecting entrepreneurs, government, education and environment for a healthy further development of the North Limburg region with a focus on knowledge sharing and innovation, the labor market, health and sustainability & circularity. These themes align perfectly with the themes Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo is working on.

The campus is therefore the home base of this Limburg organization for good reason. 'We are here among the innovative entrepreneurs and educational institutions. These are also the target groups we work for. The main difference between us? We mainly work regionally and are there for the manufacturing industry, logistics and agriculture and horticulture; all sectors in which Limburg is traditionally strong. Brightlands in Venlo focuses on one sector, agrofood, and works provincially. We are looking for the best possible cooperation and, above all, how we can strengthen each other."

Making connections

A great example of this, according to Angely, is the startup Sudryso, which is developing a Mega Magnetron that makes chips, popcorn and powder from vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and dairy. 'They knocked on our door and we brought them to Brightlands in Venlo because their innovation is the best fit there. Our focus is on the North Limburg region, but if an entrepreneur comes along whose question or company fits perfectly with Brightlands Chemelot in Geleen, the Smart Services Campus in Heerlen, or another organization or initiative in the region, we will of course make the connection there. For example, there is now a project on bio-plastics that we are taking up together with Chemelot. I really see Crossroads as a counter for entrepreneurs: anyone can knock on our door and we look at where we can best place that question.'

Very much needed

This cooperation is essential, according to Angely, because social issues are now so complex that no single party can solve them alone. 'We desperately need each other, and the environment. The time of 'every man for himself' is really over, simply because you can't solve it on your own. Take the labor market problems, for example: are training programs producing the wrong people? Are entrepreneurs asking too much? Is the government not working fast enough to adjust education? There is no one simple solution from any of these parties. These kinds of major problems require very strong cooperation, in which all parties are desperately needed: education, entrepreneurs and the government. That is precisely how you can make a difference compared to other regions and gain competitive advantages.'

New business models

Bringing together multiple layers of government, knowledge institutions and entrepreneurs is also the strength of Crossroads Limburg, according to Angely. For example, in early April there was a meeting on insect farming. An economic activity that Angely believes can offer many good opportunities for the region to enable the transition to new earning models. 'Entrepreneurs have questions about how to set this up practically and of course that involves a lot of knowledge. We have contact with all educational institutions and can put the questions of entrepreneurs there. It is up to the government to draw up new rules for licensing this cultivation. Of course this should not take years, so together we are looking for ways to organize this in the short term. We are also helping to look for schemes that financially support entrepreneurs in their transition to a new business. The big challenge is to bring everyone together.'

According to Angely, a topic like insect farming also fits nicely with Brightlands in Venlo:

'I really see the campus as a magnet for entrepreneurs, scientists and educational institutions that puts our region well on the map. The focus of the campus is on plant-based so we are talking about this.'

Cooperation not only runs like a thread through the organization of Crossroads Limburg, it is second nature to Angely herself. 'There's a fire burning in me to connect people. Plus a big advantage is that as a former alderman of the municipality of Roermond and former regional secretary of De Limburgse Werkgevers Vereniging I can look at situations with different hats on. I have all interests in my backpack. You really have to address an entrepreneur differently than a municipality or education. We speak three languages at Crossroads and work at three paces to get the best out of it for the region.'