"Innovation you keep to yourself will be old tomorrow."

A quote from Jan Willemsen, director of infra at Croonwolter&dros Infra. With 140 years of expertise, the company provides complete electrical and mechanical engineering solutions for tunnels, bridges and locks. We sit down with Jan Willemsen and his colleagues Hans Pos, senior project manager engineering and Onno Sminia, innovation coordinator, for a conversation about much-needed innovation serving the energy transition.  

Willemsen opens the conversation, "We want to stay ahead. That can be done in two ways, by winning the competitive battle based on price, or by innovating. Croonwolter&dros opts for innovation; we like to make a difference. With a great club of people, we improve and innovate wherever we can. Within our ranks, innovation is not confined to a handful of people; everyone with a good idea is given room to maneuver. From mechanic to director: we inspire each other and the partners we work with."

Clean power.

Regulations should not be an inhibiting factor
"The nice thing is that innovative ideas are contagious. As soon as people see that they can catch on and do something good, the spark spreads and people pick up the idea. Suppliers are also happy to go along with this," Pos adds. "However, it is difficult to innovate outside of regulations. Keep in mind that a group of people with an urge to innovate takes much bigger strides than the government can keep up with. You quickly end up with solutions on the dividing line between new techniques and old regulations. Rijkswaterstaat is happy to go along with innovative plans, but projects have occasionally been rejected on the basis that they do not use proven technology. The challenge is always to ensure that everything fits within set frameworks."

Sminia adds, "The number of negative assumptions with progressive ideas is already starting to decrease. Where previously strict rules were used and it was not allowed to work outside the lines, more is now possible - albeit with the necessary powers of persuasion. We notice that the energy transition lives in people's hearts and is not just a paper matter. Clients themselves are also eager to jump on the train, not only in business terms, but above all as human beings with an intrinsic desire for improvement. We are at a tipping point, innovating requires a different way of collaboration between client and project partners. To make good ideas viable, solutions are sought that open doors. Regulations should not be an inhibiting factor!"

Use residual heat.

Open innovation opens the door for start-ups
"By definition, you don't innovate within frameworks," is Willemsen's opinion. "We are advocates of open innovation here. Sharing knowledge and ideas with partners that suit you ensures that progress is made." Sminia adds, "That's why we are increasingly sitting down with start-ups. Small companies with a fresh, new perspective. For us, it is then important to see if what they have to offer can be multiplied by a factor of 100, in relation to the project." Willemsen: "Where previously doors were closed to small companies without a track record of many years,  these are now most welcome. You can also achieve the goal with different companies together. For larger companies, this means a challenge to start thinking differently. Exactly what is needed within the issue of energy transition."

Working differently and the same learn to speak the language
At the interfaces of different processes there are still communication problems in practice. Croonwolter&dros is aware of this and is making every effort to ensure that companies from different sectors start speaking the same language. "This requires a uniform jargon," says Willemsen. "For example, where one person talks about a 'guardrail,' another talks about a 'guide rail.' There has to be uniformity in that. We sat down with Mobilis (Croonwolter&dros' civil sister organization) to agree on the jargon used, with the aim of achieving uniformity." According to Sminia, communication is everything, especially when it comes to innovative projects: "If you are innovative, you have to keep asking questions. Especially the 'why question' is important to understand each other well."

Give innovation its own place
"By getting people excited about getting involved in setting up an innovative project, you create a snowball effect. We see that people you give the opportunity to do something good start working for the project with heart and soul. Being allowed to be a participant in something bigger, something new, brings meaningful work. Nothing is more contagious than a passionate colleague. That's why at Croonwolter&dros we give innovation its own place," Pos said. "The proof of this? Potential partners come to us in advance to be included, instead of us having to go find them." 

Sun through fiberglass.

The customer process is central
"Of course, money must be made in order to continue to innovate in the future. This is why we convert innovations that prove themselves into standards as quickly as possible, so that they can be applied in a structured way within other projects. This circular thinking ensures continuity in innovation; it is a revenue model. Process optimization is achieved here by focusing not on the customer itself, but on the customer process. We do not do what the customer asks, but what he needs," Willemsen outlines. "As Onno pointed out, always keep asking that 'why question.'"

CSR 'avant la lettre'
As part of TBI, Croonwolter&dros was given the opportunity eight years ago to be able to work as it does now. Willemsen: "As part of the TBI foundation, 1/3rd of the profit we make goes to a study fund for employees' children, 1/3rd goes to continuity and innovation of the TBI companies and 1/3rd is invested in the restoration of cultural heritage. Corporate Social Responsibility avant la lettre, in other words."

An inside look
At InfraTech 2019, Croonwolter&dros will take visitors into the world of tomorrow by showing what is going on within our projects such as the energy-neutral tunnel in the A16 motorway and the Rijnlandroute. "We make innovation tangible, by showing great examples and immersing the visitor in that world. At InfraTech we mainly want to create an experience, not a dry enumeration of innovative facts," Willemsen concludes.  

Deployment DC.