SEKISUI Design Studio won the Deshima Netherlands Award for Newcomer
On Monday 11th December 2023, Ms Hilde van der Meer, Commissioner of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, NFIA, presented the 9th edition of the Deshima Netherlands Awards. The awards ceremony took place during the annual DUJAT December Dinner in Amsterdam at the Okura Hotel.
The awards recognise Japanese companies in the Netherlands that make a positive contribution to sustainability, society and Japanese-Dutch relations. They are given jointly by NFIA and DUJAT, the Dutch & Japanese Trade Federation. The Deshima Awards reflect the long history of trade relations between Japan and The Netherlands. They are named after the Japanese island of Deshima, which was a Dutch trading post from 1641 to 1854.
SEKISUI Design Studio, a part of SEKISUI EUROPE B.V., was established in 2020 on the Helmond Automotive Campus. SEKISUI created the modern showroom as a ‘living lab’ to update its customers, OEMs and partners on the latest technological developments, mainly in the mobility field.
This modern showroom also functions as a living lab and provides SEKISUI the opportunity to collaborate with its partners, suppliers and end users in an open innovation ecosystem in the area of smart mobility and smart living.
“With our activities in the SEKISUI Design Studio, we want to focus on high-end, multifunctional solutions rather than raw materials. This will enable SEKISUI to obtain and maintain intellectual property and ultimately a competitive advantage. SEKISUI’s goal is to register patents in the Netherlands. I see the Design Studio as an 'idea generator' for sustainable innovations.”
Masashi Yanai, Director of the SEKISUI Design Studio
At the Helmond Automotive Campus, SEKISUI Design Studio is part of the so-called Triple Helix, where industry, academia/knowledge institutes and government work closely together. It works in a company neutral way to create the best solutions for our society - innovation for good is our approach and philosophy.
The campus is in contact with local educational institutions to support talent development and offers internships to students at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. It also works with Summa Automotive & Smart Mobility, which provides secondary vocational education. This makes SEKISUI Design Studio an active participant in the local community.