When you say Koen Atema (39), Niemeyer comes next in the same breath. An enthusiastic connector and eco-system developer, he has been building entrepreneurial networks in the city of Groningen for over twenty years. Having been involved in projects such as Mediacentrale, Launch Café, Founded, StartupDelta and Techleap, for Koen everything comes together in the Niemeyer project. 'The scale of this development is unprecedented. Insanely beautiful to be able to contribute to this.'
Sometimes as a catalyst or founder, other times as a partner or quartermaster: whatever role Koen fulfills, he is always entrepreneurial in the film. His ability to see opportunities and allow the unexpected to emerge through teamwork, he discovered at an early age at vacation jobs and through his own fledgling entrepreneurship. 'At school, that entrepreneurial strength didn't come out at all,' Koen looks back. 'It wasn't until I started visiting companies that the possibilities opened up. At seventeen I had quickly developed a software product, but I missed something to move forward: a network of like-minded people who together formed a promising environment for the further growth of ideas.
'As soon as I got in touch with other pioneering peers and more experienced developers, I discovered the power of mutual exchange,' he says enthusiastically. 'At home you can tinker endlessly with ideas, but as soon as you start talking to others, then something can happen that you would never have thought of yourself. I immediately loved that dynamic. This is mainly because of the effervescent energy of what can arise. It is the unexpected. Finding surprising puzzle pieces and discovering new possibilities. With that comes an atmosphere of openness and enthusiasm that I look up to. The feeling of stepping into a room full of enterprising people and knowing: beautiful things are happening here ... that's what I do it all for.'
The Niemeyer dynamic
Koen envisions the unique Niemeyer location: a vibrant heart of business, culture, learning and hospitality, with the theme of digital as the connecting factor. That is why he is right at home as project leader from Campus Groningen, which is breathing new life into the former tobacco factory together with real estate developer MWPO. 'A mega-project of a magnitude that is new to all parties involved,' Koen points out. 'That makes it exciting in a positive sense - because of what can come about - and sometimes it also creates tension. Because: you want to strike while the iron is hot, but a lot has to happen and that takes time and patience. We've been on the road since the end of 2022, and one of the biggest challenges is keeping the Niemeyer dynamic alive while we still have to rebuild.'
'We do this by providing space for temporary activities that bring the building and its possibilities back into the spotlight for a while,' says the project leader. 'Think of the Urban Trail in the spring, where thousands of participants ran through the factory, but also the Noorderlicht exhibition Machine Entanglements around technological innovation and of course recently the world premiere of the World Press Photo anniversary edition. All activities that attract a wide audience and maintain a connection with the city of Groningen and the new profile of Niemeyer. On a smaller scale, companies also sometimes organize activities, although we are still cautious about these. I regularly receive questions and proposals to which I have to say no. Yes, for someone like me, who prefers to see everything bustle here, that is sometimes quite difficult. But we are working on a much larger plan and that is the central focus.
This will be a location that can evolve, from a solid foundation that continues to facilitate innovation.
Koen Atema Eco-system developer
AI Factory is magnet
Viewed from that master plan, the arrival of the AI Factory is of great significance. 'The expertise center of this AI Factory fits in wonderfully well with the activity we have in mind here,' Koen says. 'Within the breeding ground of the ecosystem we are building, this is a magnet that attracts other parties and thus increases diversity. As in nature, both that variety and cohesion are crucial to a healthy system. From startups and renowned companies to knowledge institutions and innovation teams, it is the exchange between surprising combinations that is going to lead to creativity and new development. Business is central at Niemeyer, although we also offer space for culture, so that the building can also be a creative hotspot outside office hours.'
'It is emphatically about art and culture that touches the digital theme. In this way we also facilitate space for critical and ethical debate around the role of AI and digitalization in our society. This is particularly appropriate here,' Koen believes, 'because it keeps each other on our toes and allows us to reflect on how we are all part of these impactful developments. In this way we encourage all kinds of cross-pollination that can lead to meaningful innovations.' The project leader can hardly wait for the time to come, even though renovations must first take place in the enormous factory. 'In 2027, phase 1 will be completed and the first batch of tenants can move in. Behind the scenes, talks are underway and the groundwork is being laid for a new community. Yes, at this stage you still need imagination, but once the first entrepreneurs are here soon, they will become the new culture bearers of the Niemeyer vibe.'
This is where I want to be
Meanwhile, Koen enjoys the processes underway. 'Conversations with entrepreneurs and knowledge institutions, looking along with the architect, experiencing how Campus Groningen and developer MWPO are learning from each other, meanwhile keeping the dynamics alive and constantly focusing on the intended profile of Niemeyer in order to get the right parties on board: these are all elements with which we are building this unique development site. Exactly what I like doing best. And yes, that includes uncertainties, precisely because it's new and we don't know what can come up. What we are aiming for in essence is clear: this will be a location that can evolve, from a solid basis that continues to facilitate innovation. A place where you enter and immediately feel: beautiful and meaningful things are happening here, this is where I want to be.