Our founders combine IT & automation expertise to guide businesses on their Industry 4.0 journey.
We leverage the SIRI framework to assess digital transformation readiness and create a strategic roadmap.
We go beyond technology, focusing on the human element and promoting long-term growth.
Our founders combine IT & automation expertise to guide businesses on their Industry 4.0 journey.
We leverage the SIRI framework to assess digital transformation readiness and create a strategic roadmap.
We go beyond technology, focusing on the human element and promoting long-term growth.
Adrien, Jurgen and Mathias are the three founders of Coretecs, a start-up with a mission to accelerate businesses' industry 4.0 journey. With backgrounds in both IT and industrial automation, they have a unique perspective on the future of manufacturing. In this article, we will talk about their histories, industry 4.0 vision and future plans. Stay tuned to learn more about these Industry 4.0 innovators!
To understand the vision behind Coretecs, we need to understand the backgrounds of our three founders. Though they come from different backgrounds, they met while working for the same client, instantly realizing that they made a winning team together.
Our first founder, Mathias Knop, has an IT background. As industrial engineering electronics ICT graduate though he always combined his .NET expertise with microcontroller programming. However, he soon realized that he wanted to be closer to the client, which led him to specialize in low-code development. Mathias expanded his skillset by becoming a business process engineer. He has experience with agile and scrum methodologies, which he believes are essential for Industry 4.0 projects.
Jurgen Petré is an electromechanical engineer, starting out as a system engineer with an OT focus, programming automation systems in the industrial sector. He has site experience, being involved in commissioning & plant building. After two years working as a systems engineer on an oil rig, he came back and switched to a sales position, responsible for prospection, quotation and project management. He learned a lot during his time in sales, but eventually realized that he was missing structure in his team. So he moved back to project engineering, where he first met Mathias and Adrien.
Our final founder, Adrien Bousez, also studied electromechanics engineering, starting out as an automation engineer for several manufacturing and utility companies. After a while Adrien realized programming was not his long term passion, so he eventually started as lead engineer at imec, responsible for leading projects from start to installation.
This is when our three founders met, and together they quickly decided that together they made a pretty unstoppable team, so they decided to join forces. Realizing how their complementary skill set and experience could benefit other companies, they decided to found Coretecs.
Of course, it takes more than just a team to make a company. To determine their mission, our founders quickly found inspiration from their past experience: they noticed that many of their industrial clients were still using outdated technology. OT (Operational Technology) is all about stability and reliability, so it makes sense for businesses to stick with proven technology. However, by using IT solutions in tandem with OT systems, businesses can achieve even greater efficiency and productivity.
Key to Coretecs way of working is the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) framework, a model that Coretecs uses to evaluate a company's Industry 4.0 readiness. SIRI was originally created in Singapore, and comprises a suite of frameworks and tools to help manufacturers – regardless of size and industry – start, scale, and sustain their manufacturing transformation journeys.
"The goal of the SIRI framework is to help companies identify gaps in their Industry readiness so they can make strategic decisions on where to focus their efforts. Coretecs’ mission is to guide companies every step of the way, from assessment to implementation. We are there to help companies at every stage of their Industry Readiness journey."
One of the main goals of Coretecs is to help companies integrate IT technology into their OT environment. Many businesses are hesitant to make changes to their OT systems, but Coretecs can help companies make these changes in a controlled and experienced manner. By using the SIRI framework, Coretecs can help companies identify opportunities in their industry 4.0 journey and make strategic decisions on where to focus their efforts.
"It's not just about picking the right technologies, but looking at processes. Changing ways of working that have been in place for decades is not easy, but our Industry Readiness assessment can help identify gaps and areas of improvement."
"At Coretecs, we understand that manufacturing is a complex and ever-changing industry. That's why we offer comprehensive roadmap planning services to help our clients navigate the ever-shifting landscape. We take into account a range of factors, including competitor analysis, market trends, and client objectives, to develop a detailed plan for the future."
"This plan isn't just a static document - it's a living, breathing guide that evolves as your business grows and changes. Our roadmap planning services are an essential tool for any manufacturing company that wants to stay ahead of the competition and grow its business in the long term."
When asked about the future of Coretecs, the three founders were excited to talk about their collaboration with De Cronos Groep, company culture and future clients.
"Industry 4.0 projects require a holistic approach, and not every competence is covered by Coretecs. This is where De Cronos Groep comes in: a network of over 600 ventures with specialties covering the entire IT landscape. This way, we can offer our clients a one-stop-shop Industry 4.0 solution."
"Just as important for us is creating the right working environment. At Coretecs, we believe in creating a working environment where people like to work and can develop themselves. It sounds cheesy, but from our experience we want to create a company where we ourselves would have loved to work for."
"In five years, we want to be working with the same clients as today. We want to be their long term partner, helping them every step of the way as they journey towards Industry 4.0 and beyond. We want to help them stay ahead of the competition and grow their businesses in the long term."
"We are also looking to start a dedicated Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) division. We see a growing demand for these kinds of profiles with our clients so CAD people are always encouraged to apply!"
It’s been great getting to know these three industry 4.0 pioneers and hearing about their experiences in the field. We learned a lot from them, but we also want to hear your thoughts on this topic. What do you think of industry 4.0? How ready are you and your company for it? Do you have any questions for our interviewees? Let us know —we would love to continue the conversation.
