AD.nl: Roland and Remco make technology 'sexy'
Author
Mirjam Leefboer
Date
November 29, 2022
Reading time
5 minutes
Themes
After just three years of hard work, Remco (25) and Roland Guijs (27) have made their mark. And yet, they have already succeeded in engaging with both the Ministry of Economic Affairs, ASML and TU Delft. How? ,,Technology has never become 'sexy', we are trying to change that.”
Wind turbines, particle accelerators, green hydrogen projects, modular measurement systems, solar panels, hybrid heat pumps. This reporter feels a bit dizzy, but for brothers Remco and Roland Guijs, the terms roll off the tongue smoothly. One impressive project after another that the two have worked on comes to mind. One thing is clear: these men have certainly not been idle over the past years.
In 2019, when they founded their successful visualization company Indall, they had little knowledge of all those complex technical terms that they now list so easily.
As freshly graduated students in product design and mechanical engineering, they knew a bit about technology, but not on this scale.
Now that’s a different story. The brothers are now at the table with companies such as ASML, the largest chip machine maker in the world, Air Liquide, and Technische Unie. Developments that the entrepreneurs sometimes can hardly believe themselves.
How it all started
How did they manage to pull that off? They exchange a brief laughing glance, then Roland begins. “About seven years ago, we started a video company. It began as a bit of fun – we hoped it would earn better than a job at Albert Heijn – but over the years it became more serious. We started getting more video productions on our plate: informational campaigns for the Public Health Service, television commercials for the World Vision foundation, and yes, also assignments for technical companies.”
“In that, one thing stood out to us: there is a huge gap between technology and the way it is communicated. Technical companies present themselves online either with videos full of empty words or in a way that makes it seem like the company has already gone bankrupt. Meanwhile, those companies have indeed come up with something brilliant,” Roland says with a shrug. “We found that – with our technical background and our love for video – quite frustrating to see.”
“It’s a pity that sustainability projects are currently delayed because they are not well packaged”
– Remco Guijs
The men decided to change that. A bridge had to be built between abstract technology and the public, which often had no technical background. They are not excited about tedious project plans of a hundred pages, but rather short, digestible videos in understandable language. And so the company Indall was born.
Do the brothers have an example of their products? Yes, Remco nods as he immediately opens his laptop. A video for GroenvermogenNL, an investment program where various large organizations in the Netherlands advocate for the arrival of green hydrogen, appears on his screen. A plan that, partly thanks to the film by Indall, received half a billion euros in funding.
Global Irrigation Project
Remco clicks on the next video. A Hollywood-like image shows a slowly rotating Earth, accompanied by an English voice-over that talks about the challenges of the world.
The rising sea levels, climate change, a shortage of drinking water. Then the solution comes into view: the wind turbines of The Global Irrigation Project. This project places wind turbines at strategic locations along the coastlines of dry climates. The wind turbines pump seawater up and spray it out through their blades as mist. This should ultimately lead to cloud formation. As a result, the temperature on Earth will decrease and more fresh water will become available, according to the voice-over.
“This is now our flagship project, the one we are most proud of, I think,” says Roland when the video is over. He continues, “A few years ago we started talking to an entrepreneur from Harderwijk. He had been toying with the idea of combating drought by creating clouds with wind turbines, but he sought help to get a foothold with it. That’s when he came to us.”
“It started as a joke – we hoped it would earn better than a job at AH”
– Roland Guijs
“Together we fine-tuned the idea. A patent has been applied for, and we developed this video. A video that is factually correct but also appealing. There are countless hours in this, but it is yielding results.”
“We are now in talks with Siemens Gamesa, the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, and with TU Delft to see if the entrepreneur's idea from Harderwijk is actually feasible.”
This shows that video can be of enormous value, Remco adds. “The technical world is a tricky niche. 'We have been doing it this way for a long time, so why should we do it differently?' is something we hear regularly. But this project shows how good, engaging communication can accelerate the process. We didn't spend years attempting to get a seat at the table with plans on paper. No, with this video we immediately caught the attention of the right people.”
'Not Dusty'
Technical developments are actually not as boring or dusty as people think, say the men from the company in Amersfoort. ,,Somehow, technology is rarely made 'sexy'. That's a shame, because it is. And people should see that because these technological developments are necessary for the world of the future. It's a pity that sustainability projects are currently facing delays because they are not well packaged.
Remco looks at his brother. Their mouths curl up. ,,We realize well that we are not going to solve the climate problem ourselves, but it’s cool that we – with our videos – can contribute a little more than a stone's throw. So that it becomes clearer for everyone where we need to go.”
About the Author
This article was published on AD.nl and is written by Mirjam Leefbroer. The photo was taken by Nico Brons. For the original publication, see this link.
