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              Groningen most “cultural” province in the Netherlands

              Rembrandt’s masterpiece to be exhibited in Groningen for the first time

              Prime Minister Rutte, economics minister Wiebes visit province of Groningen

              ‘Gronings Gas 2.0’ exhibition launches at earthquake epicenter

              Groningen: protesters demand safety for residents and an end to gas drilling in the Province

              Shell CEO: Groningen gas field should be closed this year

              ‘There’s a reason why I stayed to work in the Netherlands. Apply and give it a shot’

              ‘There’s a reason why I stayed to work in the Netherlands. Apply and give it a shot’

              Eemshaven’s docking problems force HNL to move to Emden

              Groningen resident wins 5.1 million euros in lottery

              Here’s when people will get the next energy bill help in 2023

              University of Groningen students stage sit in for social safety (UPDATED)

              University of Groningen students stage sit in for social safety (UPDATED)

              Construction of badger tunnel underway in Molkwerum

              Pride and passion: football in the northern Netherlands

              Police detain underage fan after FC Groningen player is punched in Eredivisie game

              Trending Tags

              • Lifestyle
                • All
                • Food & Drinks
                • Nightlife
                • Shopping
                • What's happening
                Groningen welcomes Qatar 2022 with cheer and criticism

                Groningen welcomes Qatar 2022 with cheer and criticism

                The anti Zwarte Piet protest in Emmen

                Emmen: Four people still detained after anti Zwarte Piet protest

                The inside of Forum Groningen

                “Let’s Gro” opens a discussion on the future of Groningen

                What about food in student city Groningen?

                Where to get knockout fries in the northern provinces

                Ukraine Food opens in Groningen

                Ukraine Food opens in Groningen

                Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

                Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

                “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

                Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

                Trending Tags

                • Culture
                  • All
                  • Dutch history
                  • Typical Dutch
                  Luna: Leeuwarden light festival and young artists’ exhibition winding down this weekend

                  Luna: Leeuwarden light festival and young artists’ exhibition winding down this weekend

                  Groningen cultural center Usva

                  Groningen makes international headlines for all the wrong reasons

                  International Welcome Centre North

                  International Welcome Centre North

                  A woman.

                  Groninger photographer Courtney Bonneau launches new exhibition in Lebanon

                  Eurosonic Noorderslag

                  Eurosonic Noorderslag

                  Ending the Year with a Bang!

                  Ending the Year with a Bang!

                  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                  A devastating defeat; an unexpected victory

                  A devastating defeat; an unexpected victory

                  Sinterklaas is Here!

                  Sinterklaas is Here!

                  Trending Tags

                  • People
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                    • Expats
                    • International students
                    ‘There’s a reason why I stayed to work in the Netherlands. Apply and give it a shot’

                    ‘There’s a reason why I stayed to work in the Netherlands. Apply and give it a shot’

                    International Welcome Centre North

                    International Welcome Centre North

                    The cold of the North is compensated by the warmth of its people – Ocean Grazer engineer

                    The cold of the North is compensated by the warmth of its people – Ocean Grazer engineer

                    Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                    Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                    It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                    It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                    People protesting on a street in Groningen.

                    Former Sugar Homes residents protest for return of withheld deposit

                    I’m not Black; I’m African

                    I’m not Black; I’m African

                    A letter from the Editor – Internationals from 120 countries: Welcome to Groningen, Leeuwarden, Assen and Emmen!

                    MPs call for cap on foreign student numbers in order to ensure ‘accessibility’

                    Watch: I’m 100% positive about my Groningen internship – Hanze international student

                    Watch: I’m 100% positive about my Groningen internship – Hanze international student

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                      The cold of the North is compensated by the warmth of its people – Ocean Grazer engineer

                      The cold of the North is compensated by the warmth of its people – Ocean Grazer engineer

                      Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                      Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                      Watch: We’re hiring internationals to help us with foreign clients – ACS Buildings CEO

                      Watch: We’re hiring internationals to help us with foreign clients – ACS Buildings CEO

                      Small but mighty: TECNED is looking for internationals to help it grow

                      Small but mighty: TECNED is looking for internationals to help it grow

                      Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

                      Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

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                      “We do not have all the know-how ourselves, but we can connect the know-how”: an interview with Johannes Boonstra of Wetsus

                      Thomas Ansell by Thomas Ansell
                      December 3, 2019
                      in Opportunities
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                      “We do not have all the know-how ourselves, but we can connect the know-how”: an interview with Johannes Boonstra of Wetsus

                      Foto: Hoge Noorden/Jaap Schaaf

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                      What does it mean to make it in the north? This is part of a series of portraits of local people, organisations, and companies working to further internationalise Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe. This time we spoke to Johannes Boonstra, Executive Board member at Wetsus, an institute that aims to combine scientific excellence with commercial relevance in water technology and is based in Leeuwarden, Friesland.

                      By Thomas Ansell

                      If you have ever entered Leeuwarden by road or by rail, you are likely to have seen the incredible Wetsus building slide past the window. The swooping, wood-shrouded building sits within its own mini-wetlands, and looks as though a particularly eco-cogniscent alien mothership has settled into the Frisian capital city.

                      Beneath the architectural intrigue, Wetsus is a unique centre for water technology in Europe. It’s so successful that the city of Leeuwarden is now known as a ‘capital of Water Technology’, and Wetsus has been a big driver in terms of attracting International talent and companies to the North. It has a budget of around 15 Million Euros per year, and about 125 different companies and institutions participate, from the huge starch producer Avebe, to start-ups, and international companies like Scottish Water and the Spanish brewers Estrella Levante.

                      Wetsus, Boonstra explains, is more than just a research institute for innovation-minded companies: “we are at the intersection of being a research institute, an innovation facilitator, and a not-for-profit business. When we started, we wanted to be world-class in the field of water technology, and our evaluations combined with the number of people and companies that contribute to our work are a testament to that.”

                      “We bring together all relevant water technology research chairs in Europe”, says Boonstra. This takes the form of around 65 PhD candidates, who are seconded to Wetsus from all over the world. They work under the supervision of around 50 different professors in the space-age labs that sit within the building. As Boonstra says: “there is nothing comparable in the world.”

                      What has helped bring about Wetsus’ success, holds Boonstra, is the extent to which it is ingrained within society and its capacity to create utility from research. “We, for instance, work with universities including the University of Groningen, University of Twente and Wageningen University on our Research Master programme. Aside from this, we also work with Van Hall Larenstein, NHL Stenden, and the Hanzehogeschool. In terms of this feeding into practical projects, we are driving work in gaining energy from water, sensor technology, farming technology; and gaining more from waste water to help circularity. We do not have all the know-how ourselves, but we can connect the know-how.”

                      Johannes Boonstra ©Foto: Hoge Noorden/Jaap Schaaf

                      But Wetsus is not just focussed on the science and technology aspect of water-tech: they help bring it to market, too. Wetsus is one of the major drivers within the WaterCampus, which has its own business acceleration program. As a result, over 65 different companies have started their businesses since 2003.

                      Positions in Wetsus itself are somewhat competitive. “About 2% of applications for PhD positions are successful”, says Boonstra, “it’s a small talent pool because of how specific our work is, which has meant we have turned to International talent.” Now, around 75% of the science staff at Wetsus are non-Dutch.

                      Wetsus, as an international institute for scientific Water Technology research, is crucial in bringing more Internationals to Leeuwarden. So, I asked Johannes, what could the North do better to be more international?

                      “There are a couple of things that Leeuwarden lacks, which could be easily fixed. For example, lots of our people with older children miss an International school, and we would like to see more information in English. Not just practical stuff, but things that can help our staff discover our lovely city. We have begun Dutch language courses to help with integration, but Leeuwarden is a city where a lot happens, and we want all new people to be well-informed about how good it is to live here.”

                      Indeed, aside from the exceptional research put out by Wetsus, it is very much an anchor for those who make the move to help with its work. “A significant part of our people stay in the city, once they have completed their research”, says Boonstra. “One issue that is becoming increasingly common is a need for more jobs for spouses- they might be incredibly talented in their own right, but in a different field, and they need to be supported too.”

                      To find out more about the Water Technology sector in the Northern Netherlands, and to find jobs and opportunities of all sorts in the North, just visit www.wetsus.nl or www.makeitinthenorth.nl

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