TERNEUZEN – Glenn Jonkman, owner of Novectra, a young electrical engineering company from Terneuzen, has emerged as the winner of BO – What’s Next, organised by Junior Chamber Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
The annual business event took place at the CO3 Campus in Terneuzen. The BO competition focused on young entrepreneurial talent from the region. The other finalists were travel specialist GINI (Virginia Scheele) and Grondbank Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (Amy and Izaak Nortier). The result was determined by a professional jury consisting of experienced entrepreneurs from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the public, who were able to vote up until one week before the final, and the 400 visitors attending the BO – What’s Next event at the CO3 Campus.
The winner, Glenn Jonkman of Novectra, received a prize package worth €5,000. This was complemented by a digital kick-start consisting of a digital scan and hands-on digitalisation session, provided by B&P, an expert session on stress and burnout from Fitr, a session on the opportunities offered by AI from Get a Grip, and a tailored entrepreneurship module from Dockwize.
Novectra was founded in 2020. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, the company has rapidly developed into a prominent player in Zeeland’s electrical engineering market, according to its website. Its areas of expertise include solar panels, heat pump panels, sedum roofs, EV charging points, home battery systems and electric underfloor heating. The company serves both business and private customers.
Finalist Virginia Scheele is building a new kind of travel experience with GINI: travel that goes beyond the ordinary. She offers international impact and roots journeys, as well as cultural tours in the Netherlands.
The third finalist, Grondbank Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, run by Amy and Izaak Nortier, has a clear mission. “We believe that the soil on which we build, live and grow our food is also our responsibility. And that we can literally make that soil healthy again,” say Amy and Izaak.
BO – What’s Next at the CO3 Campus brought together knowledge, innovation, music, culinary experiences and entrepreneurship in a single evening. The programme was packed with surprises: robots moved through the venue, there were entertainment acts and even an opportunity to go karting.
Futurist Christian Kromme opened the evening with an inspiring keynote on technological acceleration, digital transformation and the impact of AI on entrepreneurship.
Next up was Hugo de Jonge, the King’s Commissioner for the province of Zeeland. He outlined the challenges facing Zeeland’s economy in the years ahead and the role AI will play in this. This was followed by food and drinks: at the food court, chefs from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen presented a wide selection of delicious dishes. For the many attendees, it was the perfect opportunity to meet, connect and network.
After Novectra was announced as the winner of the young entrepreneurs’ competition, the One Night Band proved to be the perfect act to round off the evening in style.