MWC25 | Mark Beermann, Ecosystem Services & Anke Kuipers, Ecosystem Services

Clips
More from MWC25

Anke Kuipers

Director

Ecosystem Services

Mark Beermann

Director

Ecosystem Services

play_circle_outline Dutch innovation and branding at tech shows

play_circle_outline Dutch Companies Thriving: Support for Learning and Development in Digitalization and Software

Info
Transcript

Mark Beermann, Ecosystem Services & Anke Kuipers, Ecosystem Services

Anke Kuipers

Director Ecosystem Services

Mark Beermann

Director Ecosystem Services

Mark Beermann and Anke Kuipers from Ecosystem Services join theCUBE in Barcelona for an insightful discussion on the Netherlands’ innovative presence at MWC25. They share their expertise in fostering digital infrastructure and network connectivity, detailing the vibrant atmosphere of the Dutch booth. Analysts from theCUBE Research guide the conversation, providing a platform for Beermann and Kuipers to showcase the dynamic Dutch ecosystem and cross-sector collaboration that drives technological advancement.

Key points from the interview include Beerman... Read more

explore Keep Exploring

What efforts were made to ensure the Netherlands was well represented at the Mobile World Congress tech show? add

What companies in the Netherlands are driving digitalization and developing complex software for core networks? add

bolt Powered by CUBE AI

Mark Beermann, Ecosystem Services & Anke Kuipers, Ecosystem Services

search

Savannah Peterson

>> Good afternoon CUBE community and welcome back to Barcelona, Spain. We're here midway through day four of our four days of live coverage on the CUBE. But while we might be in Spain today, we have a very fun conversation with the Netherlands coming up next. Mark and Anke, thank you so much for being here today. How are you doing?

>> Here I go. Very good. Thank you.

Savannah Peterson

>> Very good. So thank you for having us here.

>> You have a lot of energy and smiles for day four, and I would love to just inject a little bit of that just specifically into my vocal cords, but I have to say the Dutch not only always bring the fun, which you definitely do, you're one of the most iconic booths at any show because of your fabulous bright orange and the commitment to the branding of that. I know. Yes, don't worry. We know you still got orange, Mark. We're not going to let you forget that. But I think it's really great because, and I say iconic quite literally, because it's always easy to find the Dutch and go check out what Dutch innovation is happening at whatever show we might be at. So tell me a little bit about... And I know that you work very hard to curate different startups at different stages, to come...

>> . - ... and join your booth. At CES I've seen

Savannah Peterson

>> you with, I think it's something like 30

>> or 40 different startups with little mini baby booths. I'm sure you've got quite a few over there. Tell me a little bit about the program. Mark, I'm going to start with you.

>> Yeah, okay, no, thanks.

>> Also, a little bit of the background.

Savannah Peterson

>> Yeah. - So this is only our ninth time

>> that we are doing this.

>> Ninth? - Ninth, yes, exactly.

>> Wow. At MWC or just in general?

>> No, no, at MWC. - Oh, yeah, cool.

>> And there was of course lots of other representation

Savannah Peterson

>> of the Netherlands on other tech shows,

Savannah Peterson

>> but what we are the one that makes sure

Savannah Peterson

>> that the mobile World is well deserved in the list. So what we noticed, due to all the good parts of the Netherlands, the Netherlands was very obvious, not there. So we arranged things so that we make sure that it was. And it makes much sense of everything that the Netherlands does, in terms of the digital infrastructure, in terms of the quality of the mobile networks, in terms of their innovation and all these kinds of things, that we made sure that the Netherlands was very recognizable, on the map, on Mobile World Congress. But It's on the program, you can tell a little bit more?

Savannah Peterson

>> Yeah. Yeah, we have a really extensive program. So of course our goal is to help all the people in their challenges. So some are looking for new clients, some look forward to get back to old relations. So we always make sure that we have a full program, not only at the pavilion but also outside. So each night actually there is some events involving the Dutch, sometimes also international people. We have the international networking drinks as well. So on Tuesday we had the whole LoRa Alliance coming together for a big networking drink at our booth. Yesterday there was Zscaler presence doing a drink a our booth. So yeah, it's super amazing. There's always a really nice vibe. On Monday, the whole ministry, and yeah...

>> . - ... Monday's always a bit our

>> government day.

Savannah Peterson

>> A little show off with the government.

>> A little show for the government, happy

>> and the minister came. So that's always a huge compliment for us as well because it shows a lot of recognition at the government. Because that's maybe something you don't know, but we are actually a private market initiative, where-

Savannah Peterson

>> Really? I didn't know that.

>> Yeah, it's maybe interesting to know because most people don't know it. They always assume it's actually the government initiating it. But in our case, it was actually Mark who started this initiative, and we now have developed it in a public- private partnership arrangement.

Savannah Peterson

>> Cool. - And that makes it also very nice dynamic

>> because, yeah, obviously different aspects become then also important, which I think is great. So very good vibes so far.

Savannah Peterson

>> Always good vibes. - Yes.

Savannah Peterson

>> Always good vibes with the Dutch in general. Period.

>> Mark, why did you think it was so important to start this program?

>> To start the program? Because I'm basically all of my life already in the mobile area, and I think that we as the Netherlands have a lot of things to offer. So the whole environment is I think perfect for developing, creating, and applying the technology. So it's what you also see back. And I think the only way of getting forward is to do something with it and show also that you do something with it. And the last bit is something that we want to take care of, and we do that very much in cooperation. That's also why we called the ecosystem services. So we try to get as much of the stakeholders and the companies, and the people that are involved in getting things done together, and to make sure that they all get together. And that's more and more is also what you see as outcome of the program, what we do, so we show what people actually are doing, we put up the questions, and we try to facilitate and help with their challenges, all these kinds of things.

Savannah Peterson

>> You're giving them a bit of wind beneath their wings as they're taking off and really making a global slash essentially.

>> Yeah, exactly. - What what stage are most

Savannah Peterson

>> of the companies at? Is it varying? Is there parameters around that?

Savannah Peterson

>> Yeah, what we really try to do is get the whole ecosystem there, because we believe if you only focus on one of these areas, yeah, it doesn't really work as well. So we have governments because government attracts more the corporates companies. Corporates attract more the kind of scale-up companies and the startup companies. And yeah, the scale-up companies and startup companies also attracts again the government. So with that, you kind of have a circle and a community, and we see a lot of value in that. And yeah, bringing those kind of belongs and needs all together, it makes complete sense, and that's what we are always trying to do, also with all the events and the activities and so on.

Savannah Peterson

>> So do the companies, do they apply, do you curate them? What's the selection process like?

Savannah Peterson

>> Well, I think the most important one is we try to be as complete as possible in having the good representation of what's happening in the Netherlands. And by the way, we do that also very in close cooperations with the government. So the ministry of economic affairs there, and they have also special programs for that. So that's being head up with something is called the top sector. And there is 10 areas. But for us the most important one is ICT, and they have various programs on digital technologies, and one of them is digital infrastructure or digital connectivity, basically more specific. And there's a program in the Netherlands which is called Future Network Services, and that's where people in the Netherlands cooperate with also the major large international companies to establish a program to make sure that in the future we will be in the lead as well on these kinds of areas.

Savannah Peterson

>> You know you're sitting across from an American.

>> . - Just let that sit there for a second.

Savannah Peterson

>> Yeah, thank you, thank you.

Savannah Peterson

>> It's very different,

>> and I'm in the Silicon Valley, so there's a big culture

>> around innovation, but there's less a culture around a private public government partnership to truly raise the water level together, and to share ideas and to show off or to go to shows. I mean, I can't imagine the US government giving a startup cash or even doing marketing for them to come and to be at a booth here, for example. So I think it's really special, and I think to your point, I think it allows you to stay in front and always show off your leadership rather than, "Oh, remember that one year that Dutch company did that cool thing? " and then it trails off, and you never see that again. I've always noticed, you said you've been doing this for nine years, I've always noticed this at other shows, but that's really consistent in that presentation and in that messaging and in that celebration of the color orange for sure, without question. Anke, I'm going to ask you first, but I would love for you to both answer. What do you wish more of the world knew about Dutch innovation?

Savannah Peterson

>> Well, what not? Yeah, I think there's so many things about the Dutch innovation. We have some really amazing exhibitors this year. One of the things I think is really going to be the next level after AI. We have, by the way, also some great AI scale-ups with us, like Axelera, but Cuber for example, they will be speaking later in this panel. They're all about quantum and the new technology, and new security that's quantum related, which I'm really proud of that we have such advanced innovation with that in the Netherlands. Yeah, we're also doing a lot with sustainability, which I'm also really proud, and that's also one of the things we really try to push with the platform that we can offer to get sustainability.

>> So important. - Yeah.

>> Yeah. - Because not every country is

Savannah Peterson

>> this march, and I believe, yeah,

>> it's also responsibility of-

Savannah Peterson

>> Oh, tell me about it.

>> Yeah, that's why I'm mentioning what...

Savannah Peterson

>> Especially the states can maybe take away from the Dutch, yeah.

>> Well, we are taking notes, don't worry. Yeah.

>> No, but I think those kind of...

Savannah Peterson

>> yeah, are the things, yeah, we hope that with what we can do can influence the world also a little bit, or at least trying to push those people we believe can also make a change, not only in the Netherlands, but maybe worldwide. And I think that's quite important, and that's also something...

Savannah Peterson

>> Yeah, it is important.

>> I think in short, what I would like to share

>> from our perspective, from my personal perspective with the world. Yes.

Savannah Peterson

>> Well stated. So basically you're doing everything that every... Yeah, one of the things I always think about the Netherlands, you punch above your weight per capita, I think by a long shot. You're always doing cooler things. It doesn't take 300 million people like we have in the United States, to drive innovation. You can drive innovation with a country the size of the Netherlands just as easily. Yeah.

>> And that's what you also see back on Mobile World,

Savannah Peterson

>> because we are not only active on the expo here, but also four years from now. So we have 16 startups also being present four years from now. And what we also try to do is to bridge those into what we are doing here. So we actually started the scale up perspective, an idea of Anke, to make sure that we also facilitate, I would say the development of the company. So some are not... The budget to-

>> You can help them on a little bits. Yeah, share learnings.

>> Definitely. That's what we try

Savannah Peterson

>> to do.

Savannah Peterson

>> So make sure that the movement that is going on, give it a little bit of a place. And also you asked what is-

Savannah Peterson

>> I was just going to say, yeah, yeah.

>> I mean, I would be- - Well, the first one, and I think

>> that's well known, but that can't be I think underlined

Savannah Peterson

>> enough, is that we have a wonder in the Netherlands, which is called ASML, which is driving, I would say the complete chain on digitalization which is taking place, and which also makes whatever is in Europe, is I think a very interesting base of everything that follows and everything which is around it to make sure that it's possible. It's a very interesting industry. And the other one, which I think when you have a couple of pearls also, I think. Some of them will be available in the program later in later on, but at least one of them I will really... you can't stress it enough, is brought forward, who is actually developing very complex software in the core networks. What did they do? So they have established always to get their global nominee, and yesterday they won it again.

Savannah Peterson

>> Wow. Congratulations. - And

>> that is something which we can't underline enough that there is very interesting and very sound developments going on in the Netherlands that the world should be aware of, to see what they are able to do to do.

Savannah Peterson

>> Well, I'm excited to have those conversations with all of those companies. Anke and Mark, thank you so much for coming to hang out with us. Thanks for being such fun neighbors. They're on the other side of the booth, you obviously can't see them, folks at home, but they're literally right there. We can always hear when your happy hours start because the volume goes up, and we can always find our booth because you're the tallest people on the floor. So it's very easy. And you're usually all in orange, which is pretty fantastic. One last question for you. When we're hanging out next year at MWC, what do you hope to be able to say then that you can't say today?

Savannah Peterson

>> Well, first of all, we're going to be partnering a little bit together, so that might be something new.

>> . - So the NL Cube idea.

>> Yeah, we love a Dutch Cube.

Savannah Peterson

>> We will be growing a little bit again, that's

>> the mission and the plan.

>> Yeah, what else? Yeah, we just hope to have even more exhilarating companies with us. And-

>> Yeah, I have one.

>> Yes? - Let's hear it, Mark.

>> Which I think, yeah, that's also a bit of a challenge,

Savannah Peterson

>> a little bit of an ambition, is that we have started to have more presence also in the program. So Anke...

>> Oh, yeah. - ... for example, was present,

>> moderating a session about connectivity on the North Sea,

>> which we as ecosystem services also do, innovation and cooperation programs. And so we also work together with SCS on satellite developments, which are, I think major, what is going on there.

>> Super cool, space. Yeah. - Yes.

Savannah Peterson

>> That's innovation. - And our vision is that we can

>> establish additional steps to that.

>> Because then you reach the people and you're sure,

Savannah Peterson

>> and then the people are here to tell more and discuss more about the details. So that's what we would like to do. Bring and stimulate and activate the-

>> Keep bringing the heat and elevating it. Not surprised.

Savannah Peterson

>> Exactly, exactly. - It's what I know the Dutch for.

>> That's our mission for .

Savannah Peterson

>> You're relentless and relentlessly fun as well. I love it.

Savannah Peterson

>> Anke, Mark, thank you so much

>> for taking the time. Really appreciate it.

>> Thank you so much. - I can't wait to continue

Savannah Peterson

>> telling all of these stories.

>> And thank all of you for tuning in wherever you're watching this fun conversation with the Dutch. We're in Barcelona, Spain, here on day four of Mobile World Congress. My name's Savannah Peterson, you're watching theCUBE, the leading source for enterprise tech news.

>> Thank you.