For someone without a technology background, suddenly working on High Tech Campus Eindhoven may come with some challenges. The technical terms, concepts and culture will be foreign at first. It may take time to settle in, but students from Fontys Consultancy don’t have the luxury of time. These students have 20 weeks to share their expertise with high-tech startups, solve real-world problems and gain valuable work experience.

Fontys Consultancy students at HTCE help develop innovative solutions and solve problems for a startup over the course of a few weeks. The organization’s goal is a symbiotic relationship between students and startups. Fontys Consultancy wants to help high-tech startups move forward while improving the knowledge and experience of its students.

“We can have added value for nearly every startup,” states Marc Veldkamp, Coordinator with Fontys Consultancy.

Since 2019, the Fontys Consultancy initiative has been quietly working in the background at the Campus. The initiative creates a hybrid learning environment for its students while contributing knowledge and diversity to the unique environment of High Tech Campus. It also cultivates future growth and talent for the entire Brainport Region. In fact, there are two consultancy offices. The 10-person team headquartered at HTC 27 is focused on new tech startups. A second team of 20 students in Strijp-S assists small-to-medium enterprises, or SMEs, with marketing projects.

So how does it work? Put simply, students run their own consultancy business for a semester. They network and find new customers. Together with the startup clients, the students define a project’s scope and then manage their own projects and deliverables. The students quickly learn that finding a client doesn’t directly translate into work until they discuss what to do and make a specific plan for the project.

New students to Fontys Consultancy get their first assignment with a hub partner: the 5G Hub, the AI Innovation Center or the Workplace Vitality Hub. This not only provides a soft start for students but also allows the consultancy to take students throughout the year and not just at the beginning of each semester. This allows the organization to be more flexible.

While projects with hub partners are longer and bigger in scope, most projects with startups are four to eight weeks. These projects are always done with a multidisciplinary group of students.

Most students don’t come with a technology background. Instead, the students bring expertise in a variety of subject areas: applied mathematics, applied psychology, commercial economics, international business, consumer trend analysis, concept building, entrepreneurship and retail management. These are complementary skills to the strong technical skills already held within many high-tech startups.

Choosing the consultancy experience rather than a conventional internship helps team members in multiple ways. The students plug into an expansive tech ecosystem and network on High Tech Campus. The environment not only helps them find the next project for their consultancy but can also help their future career prospects.

They take advantage of networking events and impromptu coffee meetings. They have chance encounters with many people and companies working on Campus. The students work in an encouraging, collegial environment where people are open about what they do and gladly share their experiences.

“I’m grateful for my experience as a Fontys consultant at HTC, where there are a number of opportunities for me as a student and after I graduate,” said Miriam Antonissen. “Companies approach me and the other students with projects, jobs, additional internships and traineeships because they see we aren’t afraid to embrace the complexities of their technology and their startups. The networking at Campus is also valuable, so I think there’s no limit to what I can achieve with the connections I make through my work at Fontys Consultancy.”

This working environment builds confidence in students. They work in teams with different backgrounds and perspectives. They work with startups where the founders may span different generations. It gives them real-world work experience that can’t be learned in school.

However, it may not be immediately apparent how young, non-technical students help high-tech businesses. Yes, the students are young, but they bring a lot to the table. The students from Fontys Consultancy bring expertise in subjects that complement the startup’s existing technical capabilities such as entrepreneurship, international business, trend analysis and applied mathematics.

The students also bring a new perspective. Sometimes, management teams are too close to the business problems. Students come with an open mind and no preconceived notions of what would work. Because of this fresh perspective, the results can be surprising.

By asking the right questions, the students can break down what the startup does to other non-technical people. “It’s a benefit if you don’t have a technology background,” says Veldkamp. “Because if students without a tech background can understand it, then customers and potential investors will also understand the value proposition.”

However, it’s important to point out that companies might not always solve what they set out to solve with the students. It requires flexibility and freedom on the part of both the students and the company. As Veldkamp explains, “what the startups need to realize is the tendency of the students to do exactly what the company is asking for.” If the company sends them in one specific direction, they might not find the company's real need.

Instead, the companies need to give the students space and treat the students as any professional consultant in order to see the magic the students can work. This may not be easy as it takes time. The startup must devote time to giving the students the full story and answering their questions, no matter how basic.

By inviting in the students from Fontys Consultancy, the startups get quick results. The students work fast because they want to work on multiple projects to gain as much experience as they can. They have a lot of energy and can accomplish a lot in their allotted 20 weeks.

This initiative has proven how students can make a difference and bring businesses one step further in their journey. Fontys Consultancy has carved out its place on High Tech Campus to allow students to develop new skills and experiences so they can find their place in the professional world – be that in the Brainport Region or elsewhere.

The students have the opportunity to work alongside some of the greatest minds in the region while making valuable contributions to the area’s startups. And in the end, this experience is better than any business course out there and is infinitely more interesting than a conventional internship with a single company.

If you would like to work with the Fontys Consultancy, stop by HTC 27 or email FontysconsultancyHTC@fontys.nl.