Growing Bestronics wants to speed up its activities at BIC

Three years ago, Bestronics opened a branch at Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) with the ambition of making prototyping a permanent fixture there. The main location in Veldhoven runs four full production lines, while BIC was intended as a dynamic test environment for new designs. Prototypes regularly roll off the assembly line there, but collaboration with other companies at BIC has so far remained limited. “It doesn't happen by itself, you have to actively work at it,” says Roel Vos, COO of Bestronics. He now addresses the other BIC tenants directly: ‘Let's see what we can do together.’ Help offered by the BIC management in this regard is also welcome.

A separate discipline

Bestronics specializes in the production of circuit boards and electronics assembly. “Prototyping is almost a profession in itself,” explains Vos. “You don't want the regular production process to be disrupted by small test series. That's why BIC is ideal: we can experiment and learn there without affecting the turnaround time in Veldhoven.”

Yet in practice it appears difficult to get the intended collaboration off the ground. “We have created a wonderful line, and we do make use of it, but it's a shame that more is not happening,” says Vos. “For now it's mainly internal prototypes and external assignments.”

Roel Vos (via Linkedin)

Why collaborate?

The added value of Bestronics for companies at BIC - and vice versa - is evident, according to Vos: “We can make anything that has to do with electronics and PCBs. We can do this starting from a single circuit board, completely locally and with short lead times. We are happy to leave the design to others, but we can contribute ideas about manufacturability and efficiency.”

One example is the collaboration with Moving Intelligence, a company that has outsourced its entire production process to Bestronics. “They provide the design, we make the circuit boards, we test them, we integrate them, we assemble them and we send them to the customer.”

The power of local production

What makes Bestronics special is its way of working. “We have developed a lean production system that allows us to be very flexible,” says Vos. “We have seven SMD lines and high-quality certifications, including automotive and medical. This means that we are versatile and meet the highest standards.”

Vos also emphasizes the importance of long-term customer relationships. “We focus on long-term partnerships. Of course we can make a prototype once in a while, but we look for customers who really want to grow with us. Then we can take steps towards scaling up together. You can see that in our customer base too: long-term relationships predominate.”

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What does that mean for BIC?

According to Vos, the solution is simple: “We just need to make what we can do more visible. We could identify which companies on the BIC need electronics and actively seek them out. Maybe we should just organize a get-together and throw open our doors.” The BIC management also plays an active role in making the campus ecosystem work as well as possible. For Bestronics, this means that it is easier to establish contacts between the relevant parties.

Another idea is to serve start-ups more at BIC. “We already work with innovative companies at the High Tech Campus, and that works fantastically. Startups often need support with production, and we can help them move from prototype to upscaling. That could also work very well at BIC.”

Coating line

Meanwhile, Bestronics is also growing steadily in Veldhoven. “We have set up a new coating line and recently implemented a new ERP system. That helps us work even more efficiently. We also want to grow through acquisitions. There are many smaller production companies that are technically strong but have difficulty scaling up. We can help them by integrating them into our way of working.” That goal has become within reach thanks to investments by ING Bank and OxGreenfield last year. Together, these parties now hold two-thirds of Bestronics' shares.

The ultimate goal? “We want to double our capacity,” says Vos. “And we can do that without having to expand our headquarters in Veldhoven. We still have room here: we can run more shifts and continue to invest in innovation.” He does not see any problems in the labor market. “That's because we train all our operators ourselves. We have even had a hairdresser working with us who was looking for a change. That is not a problem for us.”

Vos is aiming for more cooperation at BIC. “We are here for a reason. We have the resources and the knowledge, and we would like to share them. So to all the companies at BIC: come along, see what we do, and let's discover what we can do for each other!”