First cleanroom at a Dutch vocational education institution

Yesterday, European Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu, together with Ingeborg Janssen Reinen, chair of the Executive Board of Ter AA, officially opened the new cleanroom at the Ter AA vocational education institution in Helmond. According to Ter AA, it is the first cleanroom at a vocational education institution in the Netherlands. “All signals are green for training more vocational students for the semiconductor industry,” said the European Commissioner.

In her speech, Roxana Mînzatu reflected on collaboration within the Brainport region and the importance of initiatives such as Project Beethoven, in which government, education, and business (the triple helix) work together on the future of the semiconductor sector. "The chip industry is crucial to European independence. We want to maintain our innovative strength here, and to do that, we need well-trained people. Especially in vocational education. What is happening here in Helmond, in the heart of the Brainport region, shows how this unique collaboration is making a difference for the whole of Europe."

Vocational education is of great importance to the semiconductor sector

Ingeborg Janssen Reinen listened with visible pride. "This is a very special day for our school and certainly also for the region. Vocational education plays a crucial role in the semiconductor sector. Companies such as ASML and suppliers such as AAE not only need engineers, but also well-trained professionals. With this cleanroom, we are training the specialists of the future. We have created this space in collaboration with the business community, including the Helmond-based installation company Kuijpers, and that makes me incredibly proud."

“The technician of the past is the programmer of today.”

The cleanroom, which covers more than 300 square meters, will not only be intended for Ter AA students, but can also be used by other educational institutions and companies in the region. In addition, there is room for research and experiments. “Technology is no longer associated with dirty hands,” says Ton Westerveld, Senior Training Manager at Ter AA. "The technician of yesterday is the programmer of today, and our students can see that with their own eyes here. In the semiconductor sector, everything revolves around precision. In the cleanroom, students learn to work in an environment where even a single dust particle - a hundred times smaller than a hair, for example - can be too much. They practice with real-life situations: air renewal, measurements, building, and testing installations. They learn everything that comes up in high-tech practice here."

Official opening of the Ter AA cleanroom by European Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu and Ingeborg Janssen Reinen, chair of the Ter AA Executive Board. © Frans Claassen