In August 2024, we wrote an article about V.O. Patents & Trademarks moving from their offices from our landscape villas (building HTC 84) into the newest office building at the southside of High Tech Campus Eindhoven: Lucis One (building HTC 91).
Bart Jan Niestadt, Partner, and Johannes van Melle, Founder and Partner
We caught up with Johannes van Melle, Founder and Partner, and Bart Jan Niestadt, Partner, recently to see how the transition went and how they’re liking their new space. Short answer: Johannes and Bart Jan are finding Lucis One offers more than they anticipated. “It’s really a step up,” says Bart Jan.
While V.O. has offices in the Netherlands, including locations in The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem and Groningen, as well as offices in Munich, Germany and Leuven, Belgium, the High Tech Campus location has quickly become what Johannes calls “the flagship office.” Not just because of the ultra-modern facilities but also because V.O. is at the epicenter of Dutch tech innovation at HTCE.
“We’re receiving a lot of visitors from our other offices,” Johannes adds (with a smile). “I think it’s really become the favorite.”
V.O. has also been strategic about using the space to strengthen connections across the organization. The new office regularly hosts trainees and junior colleagues from other locations for trainings and conferences, and team members from other offices visit for meetings with Campus-based clients and attendance at appeal proceedings.
When asked about their favorite feature of the new space, Johannes doesn’t skip a beat: “The open floor plan. You can immediately see when someone’s available for consultation. It works very well.” He’s quick to add they still value their private offices for focused work. But the balance between visibility and quiet concentration is an ideal working environment for the patent attorneys.
"People actually want to be here," Johannes explains.
“I really believe in seeing each other on a sort of informal basis,” says Johannes. “If there's some sort of business information to be exchanged, it’s very efficient to have a Teams meeting. But if you want to talk about how things are going, how people are feeling and stuff like that, it doesn’t work.”
Human to human. Face to face. Add a beautiful, open office and you have workplace harmony.
While V.O. initially considered a formal grand opening, they opted for something more meaningful. They held an intimate end-of-year dinner for their team. “We got our desks out of the offices and made a long table,” Johannes says. “We had about 40 people, and it was quite impressive, seeing everyone gathered together.”
It was a very cool event: bringing people to the table, literally and figuratively, in the spirit of celebration rather than a corporate formality.
Being at High Tech Campus Eindhoven gives V.O. unique proximity to their clients and the broader innovation ecosystem. “One of the nice things is that we can easily connect with people here,” says Johannes. “I arranged lunch with a client, and he was just a ten-minute walk away. That personal touch is really important for our work.”
The Campus atmosphere has even inspired the next generation. Bart Jan brought his daughter to the office while she worked on a high school essay about semiconductors. “She was sort of stuck on the subject, so I brought her here for two days,” he explains. “When she looked out the window, she was excited because she saw the ASML building. I took her to lunch on The Strip, and she saw all these companies – NXP, Philips – and she realized she was at the center of semicon. It really inspired her,” he said. (And yes, the group essay scored a high grade!)
While V.O. works with startups throughout the Netherlands helping innovators and technology companies protect their intellectual property through patents, trademarks and strategic IP counsel, their Campus presence strengthens their role in the local innovation community. V.O. has been involved with the Gerard & Anton Awards since the early days. “It’s one of our favorites,” says Bart Jan. “We really like it. It is a sort of participation of many parties of interest. So, it brings together all kinds of flavors,” said Johannes.
As V.O. settles into Lucis One, they’re finding the new space supports their evolving work in the age of AI and emerging technologies. While their core mission remains helping innovators protect their intellectual property, the professional environment and strategic location help them serve their clients and the broader tech ecosystem more effectively than ever.
“The office is an upgrade, much more professional and complete, and it reflects how we work,” said Bart Jan.
