First Dutch cleanroom opened at vocational education institution

The red carpet was rolled out, press and photographers were coming and going, and everywhere there was curious wonder. Students, teachers, partners, and companies gathered to admire the first operational cleanroom in vocational education in the Netherlands. Euro Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu and Ingeborg Janssen Reinen, chair of Ter AA, received help from a robot dog that autonomously brought the scissors. When the commissioner cut the ribbon and pressed the red button, loud applause rang out: the cleanroom was officially opened.

According to Paul van Nunen, director of Brainport Development, this milestone perfectly illustrates what makes the Brainport region so strong: collaboration between government, education, and the business community. 'This is the triple helix in its most tangible form,' says Van Nunen on stage. 'Education, government, and the business community are working together to train the microchip talent of tomorrow. Because without people, there is no innovation. In the Brainport region, we need a total of 26,000 new skilled workers for the semiconductor sector. And for half of them, we need vocational students. The cleanroom here in Helmond is a great place to gain that experience.'

European appreciation for collaboration in Brainport

Euro Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in the development of the European chip industry during her visit. 'The chip industry is crucial for European independence. We want to maintain our innovation power here and for that, we need well-educated people. Especially from vocational education. What is happening here in Helmond, right in the middle of the Brainport region, shows how this unique collaboration is making a difference for all of Europe.'

Vocational education of great importance for the semiconductor sector

Ingeborg Janssen Reinen listened with visible pride. 'This is a very special day for our school and certainly also for the region! Vocational education plays an important role in the semiconductor sector. Companies like ASML and suppliers like AAE need not only engineers, but also well-trained skilled workers. With this cleanroom, we are training the specialists of the future. We realized this space together with the business community, and that makes me incredibly proud.'

Students are at the heart of high-tech practice

The cleanroom, spanning over 300 square meters, will not only be intended for students of Ter AA, but also accessible to other educational institutions and companies in the region. Here, students learn to work in a high-tech environment where even one speck of dust is too much. Rick van Grunsven already knows all about it. He is a BBL student at Ter AA and an intern at Kuijpers, the Helmond-based installation company that contributed to the construction of the cleanroom. Rick was allowed to do that too. 'It was special to suddenly work at your own school. That's when you realize how precise everything must be in such a cleanroom. Working dust-free, keeping the air clean, following safety rules. Everything must be perfect.' Second-year student Kevin Nielen is looking forward to getting started. 'It's really cool that we are the first vocational school in the Netherlands with a cleanroom. I want to discover how such an environment works and what we can do with robotics and automation. This is the future, and we get to be right in the middle of it.'

The afternoon ended with a thank you from Ingeborg Janssen Reinen to the Euro Commissioner and all the involved partners. The chair emphasized how important it is to continue inspiring young people for technology. Visitors were already allowed to take a look at the brand-new space where the next generation of technicians will take their first steps.