Alfred Koop

The NHL Stenden Hogeschool is continuously improving their education programs in order to make sure that they prepare students sufficiently for their future career. The board of advisors for Marketing Management consists of professionals from various backgrounds and it is our task to address trends in technology and make sure that these are taken into account in the curriculum. The goal is to deliver the best educated students possible to an ever-changing business life.

As a member of the advisory committee, I use my experience as an entrepreneur to analyse if innovative projects are feasible to be executed with the funding of the NGO Regio Groningen-Assen (RGA).The goal of RGA is to support innovative projects that will create value to the whole region in the most sustainable way. Untill 2020 regional innovative projects can be presented twice a year before of the advisory committee.

As an entrepreneur I am coaching the students of the educational program 'De Noorderlingen'. My main drive is to stimulate entrepreneurship amongst students of the four universities of applied sciencse in the northern three provinces of the Netherlands. During a period of five months I am coaching students with their businesscase. My specialities are businesscases where engineering and (disruptive) innovation is a substantial part.

Watter is an innovative and award winning company that has developed a machine to deliver the next generation of hygienic solutions. The machine produces onsite a highly powerful disinfectant by only using water and salt. It is more effective than currently used disinfectants, but not toxic for people, animals or the environment. Replacing toxic chemicals and creating a sustainable planet, is one of the major challenges the world is currently facing.

My role within the board of VNO-NCW Drenthe is to bridge the gap between two generations of employers in the region. I am sharing my knowledge and experience with techno start-ups and innovative developments. Furthermore I will emphasize on supporting disruptive innovations in the field of legislation, funding, knowledge and network.

At Watter, we have developed the Vita Bovis brand to meet the demand for sustainable care products for animals. As the managing director, I have been involved since the start of this brand, managing our dedicated team to market our Vita Bovis products.

After having been an active member of JNO, I have now become a board member of the organization. We organize networking events as well as other activities which are attractive for employers within the northern Netherlands.