Launching My Career with IDE Group – Juliet Schutten

From University to IDE Group

Hi, I’m Juliet, and I joined IDE Group after graduating in Industrial Design Engineering from the Technical University of Delft. My first connection with the company actually started a few years earlier, during a career event at my university. At the time, I had already worked on several medical design projects and was very intrigued by the field. After a conversation with the IDE team, I learned more about who they were, how they worked, and how multidisciplinary collaboration played a role in their projects. I left with a strong impression. Since I still had a few years of study ahead of me, I kept IDE in the back of my mind as a place I could imagine myself working one day.

Shaping My Graduation Project

When it was time to look for a graduation assignment, I reconnected with the team in Rotterdam. Although no predefined project was available, the IDE team allowed me to shape my own graduation assignment, focused on women’s health, through my university, in a way that closely aligned with IDE’s expertise. During the six months of my graduation project, I visited the Rotterdam office weekly to discuss my progress. This gave me the opportunity to learn directly from experienced designers, gain hands‑on insight into how a design project is run in practice, and truly experience the culture at IDE Netherlands from the inside.

Starting My Career at IDE

That experience ultimately led me to start full‑time as a Product Developer, Industrial Design, in Rotterdam in September 2025. Coming back to IDE Netherlands as a colleague, the first weeks were filled with learning, training, and getting to know the company, its culture, and of course its QMS. From the start, I was encouraged to connect with colleagues across the organisation, which meant quite a few online calls with teams in overseas offices.

Working with people around the world, each with their own expertise, has been incredibly inspiring. It is also fun to experience cultural differences in simple ways, such as wearing a sweater and blanket while colleagues on the other side of the world are dealing with a heatwave. Collaborating across time zones requires flexibility, but it also creates unique international experiences that I had not expected so early in my career.

First International Project: Sydney

One of the first projects I was assigned to was about to kick off at IDE’s headquarters in Sydney. Within a week, I was on my way there to help prepare a Voice‑of‑Customer protocol for one of our larger clients. Being trusted to contribute to an international project so soon after starting really stood out to me.

It was amazing to finally meet my colleagues in person and to experience the Australian office culture firsthand. What impressed me most in Sydney was the scale of everything. Compared to the still relatively young offices in the Netherlands and the US, Sydney clearly shows how established IDE Group is. This is reflected in the number of people, the size of the workshop, the medical startups housed within the office, the range of disciplines, and the many projects running simultaneously, all within an open, social, and buzzing workspace. During the two weeks I was there, I learned a great deal from my colleagues, joined a client visit, and of course also had time to explore Sydney in the summer.

Continuing the Journey in the United States

After those two weeks, I was asked to support another project, this time in the United States. I continued my journey to the other side of the world, swapping the Australian summer for a Midwestern winter. In Minneapolis, IDE Group has recently built a new simulation lab, Suli, a space where hospital environments can be accurately recreated.

For this project, we were running an anthropometric study. During the first week, I helped complete the lab setup, from hanging curtains to building final prototypes. Over the following two weeks, we conducted a large study, testing a prototype across a wide range of body types. I was also lucky enough to be there during IDE HoliDAY, a day full of typically Minnesotan activities with the entire US team. I learned how to throw pottery on a wheel, tried curling for the first time, and got to know my colleagues even better outside of work.

Reflections on an International Start

In just five weeks, I had the unique opportunity to meet almost the entire company and experience firsthand the diversity of work and people that comes with being part of a MedTech innovation and development agency like IDE Group. Seeing the shared passion for creating meaningful products and ventures, combined with a genuine interest in learning from different cultures and areas of expertise, has been incredibly motivating.

The energy of the Sydney office, the warmth of the Midwest team, and the excitement of the Dutch team have shaped my understanding of IDE Group and strengthened my confidence in starting my career here. It has been a very fortunate experience, one I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for an international, hands‑on start to their career.

Interested in starting your own journey at IDE Group? Explore our career opportunities and discover how you can grow, learn, and make an impact from day one.