The Chemelot Young Professional Sessions (CHYPS) are organized by the Young Professional board but who are we and what do we do? In the next few weeks the members of the board will introduce themselves.
Who are you?
Hello! My name is Dannie van Osch, 28 years of age, and I have a doctorate in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. In the small amount of free time I have, I love to spend time with my girlfriend, friends and in the gym to work out.
What do you do?
Currently, I work as postdoctoral researcher in the LIBERATE InSciTe project and I am the Chief Business Officer of Vertoro. It is my task to further investigate how crude lignin oil can be produced from woody biomass. For Vertoro it is my task to be in contact with our customers, to investigate their wishes, apply them to our business, and to find new clientele. My task within the Brightlands Young Professionals Advisory Board (YP Board) is to connect to all the SMEs of the Brightlands Chemelot Campus and explore the wishes of their young professionals.
Why the YP board?
From the first moment I arrived at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus it energized me. I think it is rare that so many companies, varying from small companies to corporates to knowledge and educational institutes are connected on one single chemical site. It is truly unique! For me, it was immediately clear that on this campus a community has been formed, in which the young professionals are also connected.
The ideal spot to get connected from this point of view is then the YP Board. With the strong team that we have as a board, we have the ability to get the young professionals together, connect to them and make a young community of young and bright people together. By organizing lectures and workshops, I hope we can give them some more knowledge and tools for the vastly changing future. Additionally, by organizing events for fun, I hope they can grow bonds with the other people and companies.
In the end, we should not forget that the youngsters of today are the future leaders of tomorrow. Our efforts should be stretched to the limit to ensure that these future leaders bring the Brightlands Chemelot Campus to the next level. A level where the Brightlands Chemelot Campus is familiar over the world, where we can say ‘the Brightlands Chemelot Campus is the Silicon Valley of smart materials and sustainable chemical processes’. This drove and continuously drives me to participate in the YP Board.
What do you think are the right tips & tricks for young talent at campus?
As alumni and ambassador of the Young European Talent program, I often think about talents in all different disciplines, and how to use them. Some tricks and tips from the article about the 10 commitments for being a talent that I will write someday soon are:
- Be the one and only unique you. This is the only way to stand out between all the other young talented people. Only when you do this, you can develop your own path.
- Work on your social, interpersonal and communicative skills. Now more than ever it is not only about the achievements at your job, but also about the communication around it. Nobody will know what awesome things you do if you can’t properly communicate them. Moreover, connect to your peers, from all levels, companies and ages. They can help you with problems, inspire you and give you new energy. A strong network is of high importance!
- Find yourself a mentor. We all need a person that believes in you and gives you advice about your career. My best advice for a mentor is to find somebody you really feel connected to.
- Social media are there to use. One of the ways to get noticed in the current world is to use social media to talk about your research, work or achievements. It is rather simple and you will find out how to approach this by investing time in it.
- Work hard, play hard. When you work hard, you should not forget to relax with friends and especially to work out. Working hard is comparable to top sport, your body should be in optima format. During my PhD I also noticed that for example working out helped with my mental health.
Last but not least, connect to us as YP Board! Come to our events, get inspired, energized and get connected to other young professionals. Please also join the ‘Brightlands Young Professionals’ LinkedIn group (you can find us by searching Brightlands Young Professionalson LinkedIn) where we will keep you updated about future events we organize for all you young professionals!
How do you see the future?
I think the chemical engineering and chemistry industry is at a crossroads. It becomes more and more clear that it will be our job to innovate the world step by step. We in the Netherlands have what it takes, and by making smart use of the strengths of the Netherlands and its young people, we as a small country can and will make the difference.
At the Brightlands we have a strong community constituted of knowledge and education institutes, small and medium enterprises and corporates that are willing to work together. Not to forget, we also have Brightlands Venture Capitals that is with the top-3 European investor hubs! The ideal combination for a community that, with a strong focus, can grow to a world leader and that we can all say: ‘The solutions of tomorrow, regarding smart materials and sustainable chemical processes, are invented and produced at the Brightlands Chemical Campus today.’
(Photo credit: Annabel Romijn)
