Can you tell us a bit about your background?
‘I come from a background of sales in software as well, working in custom systems. I always had an affinity with engineering, having hobbies in car mechanics and woodworking. That being said, my first encounter with CAE was through Femto. I had known of its existence before, but like for (I think) many people, the world of CAE and the digital twin was a very intangible concept to me until recently.’

What surprises you about CAE now that you got into it?
‘What surprised me is how massive the applications in this discipline are, it is a very valuable asset that could be used more in many industries. I see this is growing fast, in Belgium right now as well. I think it is only the start of it. The need for innovation right now is higher than it ever was. This is not a time of ‘we’ll do it later’, systems are really changing. The engineers are true pioneers in this, they are also very passionate people and will gladly explain things that you don’t know.’

What does CAE in Belgium looks like?
‘I think it is a lot alike the Dutch scene, but of course there are differences. In Belgium CAE may be more centered around our universities. Many industries are now opening up to the use of simulation engineering and building their own engineering teams. Of course, in the Netherlands you have Rotterdam, which focuses a lot of groundbreaking technology around the offshore industry. That is something we don’t do so much in Belgium; however I do see student teams focusing on that as well.’

You said something about the need for innovation, could you tell us more about that?
‘We live in tumultuous times, politically, economically, and of course ecologically. I think CAE will play a large part in trying to get better out of this through innovation on a B2B scale. This means operating towards net-zero and energy-saving in general. But also making production systems more efficient to meet pressures like a shortening time-to-market.’

Is it a culture shock to now work for a Dutch company?
‘Yes. Although not in a bad way! I did work professionally with Dutch folks times before and it was always a success. That being said, there are big cultural differences that you should not overlook. The professional hierarchy in Belgium is taken very seriously. In the Netherlands I have not experienced that at all. Especially at Femto the communication lines are very short. I don’t sense a difference talking to an intern or to the director, it is very informal. The Dutch are known to be very head-on. In Belgium you want to take a different approach, us Belgians are very loyal, but you need to earn our trust. I think it helps that I am Belgian myself now that Femto is setting foot in the Belgium market. It is a different way of communicating which is difficult to do as a Dutch company.’

What are your plans for Femto Belgium in 2023?
‘Ultimately my goal is to open a Belgian office for Femto. But right now, the focus is on researching what the market needs and how our expertise fits in. This is a process I really enjoy, and I hope to spend the start of 2023 visiting events and speaking with many interesting people. I also really look forward to showing what we are able to do with Femto’s knowledge. It really amazes me to see how skilled and ambitious our team is. Besides consultancy I also think that the software and added training and support is equally important. I look forward to giving businesses their own tools to utilize CAE simulation. In this I really want to be able to represent our partnership with Siemens DI-SW in Belgium and work closely with our Flemish colleagues there.’

Thanks to Dirk for this interview! Feel free to contact him directly (Dirk@femto.eu) or connect via Linkedin. Are you located in Belgium and do you have any questions for us? Reach out to us below. We hope to see you in 2023!

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