IDE Group works together to realise innovations and build businesses around these innovations. The team consists of more than 50 professionals from a variety of disciplines, We interviewed the Director of IDE Netherlands: Willem Mees van der Bijl to discover the opportunities currently being explored in their new office based in Rotterdam.
Van der Bijl: Our diverse team brings us into contact with people who want to build innovations and companies from scratch: inventors, doctors and researchers work together with us to improve people’s lives around the world.
Van der Bijl discusses one particular instance where the combination of our entrepreneurial spirit and multidisciplinary team have achieved industry-shifting results:
“Together with Atomo Diagnostics we have understood and addressed the people’s need for accurate blood testing at the point of care. And by doing so we have been building the company,and have disrupted the world of diagnostic lateral flow tests.We’ve created a device that is affordable and user friendly for people in Africa. This means people can even test at home for HIV”.
IDE has since developed the platform, and manufactures in high volume for Atomo Diagnostics who are now delivering devices to people in Africa, Europe and Australia.
A warm welcome to the region
January 2019 the IDE Netherlands team kicked off in Rotterdam, expanding our vision to the European market. Van der Bijl: “Here in the region we can work in close collaboration with clinical experts from medical centers all over The Netherlands and with researchers and students with entrepreneurial mindsets. We have made fantastic connections with partners in Germany, Belgium, the UK and France. Moreover, the region has been immensely supportive and we have received a very warm and exciting welcome.”
Last December IDE Group was nominated as one of the top 3 Life Sciences companies in the Netherlands in the field of newcomers by Health~Holland and Invest in Holland (NFIA together with regional development agencies such as Rotterdam Partners & InnovationQuarter). This month, IDE received the ‘highly recommended’ award for its great efforts for the Dutch economy. IDE is very grateful and wishes to thank both Health~Holland and NFIA/ Rotterdam Partners & InnovationQuarter for all their support and we look forward to building better futures together.
Welcome to the team
The Netherlands team has had a great start and has been growing steadily. We would like to welcome Nienke Berkhoudt to the team, who joined us in February of this year. She has a background in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology and 15 years of experience in medical device development working at Johnson & Johnson.
A warm welcome also to Renate Hulst who joined the team shortly after in March. Renate is passionate for creating better futures in health and has two years experience in the field of Industrial design Engineering.
The IDE Netherlands team has been working in tangent with the IDE Australia and IDE USA offices to discover, develop and deliver medical innovations with our partners. The launch of IDE Netherlands has allowed the team the opportunity to meet likeminded people and work together with them to grow successful businesses in the MedTech field.
Have a question to ask someone at IDE? Drop a line at contact@idegroup.com.au or follow link to https://www.idegroup.com.au/contact-us
See our careers page if you could see yourself as part of the IDE Team: https://www.idegroup.com.au/careers