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Innovation through our own strength
Last week, Spark organized our networking event Mastering the Elements for the sixth time. An afternoon where clients, commissioning parties, partners, and other relations come together for new insights, thought-provoking examples, and valuable encounters.
With the theme Innovation through our own strength, we focused on one of today’s most important strategic challenges. Global trade flows can no longer be taken for granted: from raw materials to critical components, we see how quickly international dependencies can shift. Entire supply chains come under pressure, and delays, price increases, and delivery uncertainties are becoming part of our daily reality. This affects all of us, from entrepreneurs to designers, so the need for greater strategic autonomy is growing.
Autonomy in a world full of dependencies
Our founding partner Robert Barnhoorn opened the program with a sharp analysis of this geopolitical reality. Europe is deeply intertwined with both the US and China, and these dependencies call for healthy vigilance and strategic awareness. During the NATO meeting on the supply chain on June 23,where Robert gave a presentation, “Innovation for Resilience” was the central theme.
We continued on that foundation: how can we strengthen both our innovation power and our global position? Especially in a vulnerable and changeable context, our European strength becomes clear: agility. The ability to learn quickly, build iteratively, and tackle risks early in the process. Examples include the rapid development time of the SAM robot and the Carver, which was developed by a team of only five people. That agile way of working then fuels further innovations such as the PAL-V.
Inspiration from our speakers
Our three speakers, Arthur van Dongen (Nassau Consulting), André Boer (director Hi Delta), and René van Geer (co-founder SECRID) fit perfectly with this theme. Each with their own perspective, they showed how companies today are building an agile, resilient, and future-proof economy.
Arthur shared his vision on innovation and distinctive products. The goal is always the same: to delight customers. Successful innovation arises from inspired people, customer-oriented processes, and collaboration. With a strong platform and brand, you can access new markets and develop products that truly stand out through technology, features, and design.
André shared his experiences with the development of the product FOCUS-ON, which was developed together with Spark. His message: combine forces locally and regionally, work agile, launch a minimum viable product, and don’t be afraid to lock in “good enough.”
René explained how SECRID has consciously produced in the Netherlands since 2009, a choice that was unusual at the time but has now become a strategic advantage. By considering local manufacturability already in the design phase, the entire chain could remain close to home: from aluminum extrusion in Germany to assembly in social workplaces. This results not only in quality and responsibility but also in business advantages: a cash conversion cycle of three months (instead of nine to twelve), no dependence on containers or dollar exchange rates, and a strong brand that benefits from the growing preference for products “not made in China.” At the same time, knowledge remains protected in a market where more than a thousand—mostly Chinese—copies now circulate. For SECRID, Spark developed the dynamic displays seen in stores worldwide.
After an inspiring panel discussion with our speakers and managing partner Michel van Schie, we concluded the day with drinks.
Building a future-proof supply chain together
Innovation through our own strength means not only developing independently but also collaborating smartly, learning faster, and strategically building a future-proof supply chain. Something we are happy to work on every day with our clients and partners.
