<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=491489&amp;fmt=gif">

Five months ago Shimano moved their European headquarters to High Tech Campus Eindhoven. We asked Marc van Rooij, president of Shimano Europe, about his experiences so far.

When Marc van Rooij walks along The Strip, the ‘main street’ of High Tech Campus Eindhoven with its many shops and facilities, he always feels a sense of flow. Call it enthusiasm, drive or spirit. “What I feel here is the spirit of wanting to win and getting the opportunities to win. Those are core values that all companies here on Campus share.”

Shimano is best known as a supplier for the cycling industry, but they also make fishing and rowing equipment. Van Rooij and his team are still dealing with the aftermath of the transition, but we were curious to hear their impressions of the new high-tech ecosystem their company is now a part of.

Are you happy with the move to High Tech Campus Eindhoven?
“Yes, from day one. We love the ecosystem that’s available here. The Campus allows us to operate better as a European headquarters. Our previous location was in a village, whereas Eindhoven is a city that is also internationally recognized. I think there’s a lot of benefit there. Already we’ve acquired many more foreign employees. And it’s nice to be around other big companies that have similar goals like innovation and the exchange of knowledge and capacities. Being together on one Campus creates a sense of belonging.”

Shimano does not have an R&D department on Campus yet. Any plans for the future?
“True, in that respect we are the odd one out. We are more like a marketing office. But our contacts and experiences thus far have made us realize that it could be worthwhile to do some R&D here. I think it could eventually lead to an open source co-sharing facility, but there is no official approval yet.”

Are there any concrete results yet from your first five months in Eindhoven?
“It’s still too early for that. The only thing I can say is that we’ve landed in an ecosystem that has opened our eyes. We’ve been contacted by several companies that have knowledge, technology or ideas that can benefit us. We’ve started discussions with companies that we think would suit us, both on Campus and in the wider Brainport region. We’ve signed non-disclosure agreements, so I cannot make any further comments.”

In Eindhoven we often speak about ‘managed serendipity’, or the happy chance encounters that physical proximity can bring. Have you noticed any of that?
“I haven’t been to many conferences and events yet. But what I do notice is that the willingness to exchange information and develop new concepts on the Campus is very high. At the same time you have to realize that it’s important not only to take, but also to give. If you only try to acquire as much knowledge as you can without giving any back, then your contact is of less value to others.”

How have your business partners responded on the transition to High Tech Campus Eindhoven?
“They’ve told us that they are very happy about the fact that with this move we intend to start new developments, which will ultimately benefit their entire industry.”

What about your employees, are they happy with the move?
“I think we offer our employees good social benefits. We expect them to be in the office three days a week and also arrange hotel stays for them. Most of our employees are young and have just started families. For them to be away from their young children for two nights a week is quite something. So there are also downsides to this transition. As a company we feel it was a necessary move that will prove very fruitful in the future. At the same time we have to deal with our human assets. Sometimes you have to navigate between the two.”

And how did the main office in Japan respond?
“Our global president was at the official opening on January 30th. He offered no points of improvement, so that was positive. One of our international board members said that Eindhoven was beyond their expectations. I think that’s a great compliment.”