20 years of ISPT – Now is the Time for Open Innovation

Twenty years ago, ISPT began with a straightforward remit: to bring companies and knowledge institutes together around innovative process technology. Now, we have grown into a unique innovation ecosystem – at a time when the process industry must fundamentally transform, making collaboration no longer optional, but essential. In this documentary, we bring the power of open innovation to life.   

Why this documentary?

To mark our 20th anniversary, we are presenting this documentary. It is not merely a look back, but a story that shows where we stand today and where we are heading. The European process industry* is under pressure. High energy prices are undermining the competitiveness of European companies on the global market. At the same time, the United States and China are stepping up their investments and technological development. The question is urgent: how do we keep our industry in Europe future-proof and competitive? 

As the transition gathers at pace, it is now more important than ever for business and policymakers to understand how collaboration works and what it delivers. 

One thing ISPT does well is to adopt a demand-driven approach. They identify where the needs lie within companies and then set to work addressing them

Manon Bloemer, Directeur Koninklijke Vereniging van de Nederlandse Chemische Industrie 

What to expect

This documentary shows that collaborative open-source innovation is essential to tackle the major transition challenges facing the European industry. Companies – big or small – can no longer do it alone. It illustrates the important role that an independent, non-profit facilitator and knowledge hub such as ISPT can play in accelerating innovation and collaboration.

Through personal testimonials from a few ISPT ambassadors Marco Waas (Nobian), Jurgen Hoekstra (BASF), Gert Jan Kramer (Universiteit Utrecht), Manon Bloemer (VNCI), Marjolein Demmers (Natuur & Milieu), Cas König (North Sea Port), Petrus Cuperus (Solsep) and Jasper Vollenbroek (FrieslandCampina) we share concrete examples of innovation projects delivered through sector-wide consortia. Together with milestones such as new separation, drying and dewatering technologies, these stories highlight: 

• How ISPT, together with 150 partners, has built a unique network
• How two decades of knowledge and experience translate into tangible innovation results
• Why ISPT is the ideal and unique network organisation for pre-competitive collaboration

For us, ISPT is the place to come together with other industry players to try, develop and fund new technologies

Jasper Vollenbroek, Senior Expert process technology at FrieslandCampina

Ready for the next 20 years

Now is the time. Together with our partners, we will continue to work on pre-competitive collaboration across the entire value chain. In the Netherlands, but also internationally. By driving innovation in partnership with start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, multinationals and research institutions, we can develop scalable, implementable solutions not only for the Netherlands, but also for North-West Europe. 

*The process industry includes chemical companies (e.g. plastics, fertilisers), the food industry, oil refineries, paper manufacturing, metallurgy (blast furnaces, steelworks), pharmaceutical production, and waste and water treatment companies. The process industry forms the unsung foundation of our manufacturing sector and highly developed society.