Sporting values as the foundation for sustainable infrastructure

Inspiration from the world of sports

After an inspiring contribution by Marijn Zeeman during the Summer Event last year, former top athlete and sports director Robert Eenhoorn was on stage this year. "He showed how many similarities there are between top sport and business," van Meijgaarden looks back. "Eenhoorn especially emphasized the importance of talent development and data-driven choices. In sports, it is tempting to judge a player on a single match or emotion, but structural progress requires analysis over a longer period of time. And then you also need to know which data is important for this. This is exactly what we recognise at INNOCY: we look further in our projects. We use data and analytics to design sustainable, stable and cost-efficient solutions. Eenhoorn brought data experience from the baseball world to football, while our trainees work with AI in a world that is quite conservative. An inspiring mirror for our own work."  

Young talent and new dynamics

Another important theme this year is the infloe of young talent. INNOCY welcomed six high potentials in a traineeship program. Five of them came straight from college, one already had a year of work experience. "With this inflow, we are responding to the ageing population within our sector and providing fresh ideas and new dynamics," says Van Meijgaarden. "For the young colleagues, this means a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in complex projects, while for INNOCY it is rightly an investment in the future. In addition, we have scaled up considerably in the project management, RAMS engineering and safety departments by attracting experienced new people."

Strong growth and visibility

In addition to our internal developments, we also raised our external profile this year. Van Meijgaarden is referring, among other things, to the participation in InfraTech earlier this year. "That resulted in many new customers and collaborations. In addition, we were recently able to re-endorse the collaboration with our partners Syntraal and Paltrock B&I for the new 'Framework Agreement for Integral Safety' of Rijkswaterstaat. A great partnership that is right up our alley. Our core is and remains the infrastructure sector – with projects involving tunnels, locks and bridges – but we also see a clear need for skilled workers in the rail sector and the water and energy market."

Safety

Safety is always the basis of our work, Van Meijgaarden continues. "Whether it concerns machine safety, construction site safety, system safety or asset management: the demand for specialist knowledge is growing. Developments, such as the new regulation in machinery safety that will come into force from 2027 and the 3B Building Block for emergency stop systems of Rijkswaterstaat offer further opportunities to use our expertise. We not only support customers with advice, but also help them to set up processes sustainably. In doing so, we use data and analytics to set the right priorities, so that budgets are used effectively and risks remain manageable."

With the recently won framework agreement from Rijkswaterstaat and the ongoing projects on the A9, A20, A27 and A44, among others, Van Meijgaarden looks to the future with confidence. "At INNOCY, we believe in growing together and learning together. Whether in sports or in the complex world of infrastructure and security: with talent, data and teamwork, we are always taking a step forward."