NEW GRONINGEN INNOVATION CENTER

GIVES A HEAD START

“This is the first impression our customers get of Avebe. And this is where you can see who Avebe really is: the largest and most innovative potato starch and protein producer in the world.” 

Frits Mulder, Anna Marie van Delden and Dr. Zhenghong Chen about the Avebe Innovation Center in Groningen.

Frits Mulder, Anna Marie van Delden and Dr. Zhenghong Chen proudly tell us about the Avebe Innovation Center in Groningen that was opened in the autumn of 2018. At this location Avebe receives customers, prospects and distributors from all over the world. Technical Customer Service Specialists Frits Mulder of food and Anna Marie van Delden of industrial applications are together with their manager Dr Zhenghong Chen convinced that the Innovation Center is of great added value. The three are part of the Customer Application & Response Center (CARE) at Avebe's innovation department. This department is the link between the market and Avebe's products and offers customers daily support in the development and optimisation of their end products. 

“In terms of market and product knowledge, it all comes together in the Innovation Center. The customer who comes to visit knows everything about his product and the people at Avebe know everything about protein, starch and the effect in the end product. This is how we work together to achieve a total solution”, says Chen.

Innovative strength
“Innovation and sustainability, that's what this building really radiates”, Van Delden and Mulder tell us. “Of course, when we visit a customer we share as many of our competencies as possible, but here at the Innovation Center we can show the diversity of our innovative strength in theory and in practice. This inspires confidence and strengthens the bond between Avebe and the customer.” 

The open and transparent atmosphere in the building certainly contributes to this. “You literally look beyond the boundaries of your own working area.” And that's important: “We want to help our customers grow, but that calls for transparency from both sides. An open building stimulates cooperation between people.” 

“It's nice to see that the customers who come to visit here also experience it that way. Whether it's about food products such as vegetable-based meat and dairy products, cheese and snacks or industrial products for construction, adhesives or paper.” All three of them are therefore impressed by this new Innovation Center. “We can give a customer a truly warm welcome here!”

EMPLOYEES CUSTOMER APPLICATION & RESPONSE CENTER (CARE) (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT):

MANAGER  |  ZHENGHONG CHEN

TECHNICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS  |  
ANNA MARIE VAN DELDEN

TECHNICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST FOOD  |  FRITS MULDER