Welcome to CHILL, where we facilitate talent development for a sustainable world in chemistry, materials and biotech. How we do that? By making education and business work together effortlessly.
Typical CHILL - passionate, responsible and (a tad) rebellious
At CHILL on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, it's all about collaboration, experimentation and making an impact. In a series of six interviews, we talk to the people who bring this unique place to life. This time we speak to Ron Lambi, an experienced CHILLer who has been contributing to the growth and vision of this incubator for over a decade. About passion, responsibility and being just a little bit different from the rest.
Ron Lambi is no stranger to the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. With more than twelve years of experience, he is the second longest-serving CHILLer. His career began at DSM, but he soon felt the urge to do more. "I wanted to break free from the fixed structures and contribute something that really makes an impact," he says. Thus began his adventure at CHILL. First as project manager, then seconded from DSM, and later as Senior Business Developer. By now he is one of the most experienced forces within the team.
His workday? "An organized chaos," Ron says with a smile. 'From strategic planning to networking with companies and educational institutions, no day is the same. But that variety is exactly what I need. His favorite moment? When we turn an idea into something tangible. That gives me energy.'
Personalia
- Who: Ron Lambi
- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Terneuzen
- Position: senior business developer
- CHILLer since: 2013
Everything under control?
With over fifty assignments a year and a wide range of stakeholders, keeping an overview is not easy. Each stakeholder requires a different approach, and Ron is involved on all fronts at CHILL. Companies come to CHILL to have research conducted by students. As a business developer, on the one hand he has to bring in new orders. On the other hand, he tries to engage educational institutions. 'We are dealing with very diverse interests,' Ron explains. 'Educational institutions want good student support, companies have result-oriented expectations, and the province looks mainly at our social impact.'
'What is important will surface sooner or later.'
Ron is someone who doesn't say no easily. And because he has been with CHILL since its founding fathers established it, he is asked for everything. A presentation here, just helping out there ... 'Oh, Queen Máxima comes to visit, can you do the talking? He is flexible and has since given up trying to control everything. 'What's important will surface sooner or later,' is his motto. He couldn't live without diversity anymore. 'The assignments we work on are so diverse. That keeps it interesting. Things can be done here that couldn't be done in a commercial setting.'
Ron Lambi in conversation with Queen Máxima
Experiment!
One of the projects Ron is proud of revolved around recycling. "We wanted to process plastic waste from the region into raw materials for new products," he says. That succeeded. Together with his team, he developed a process that gave consumer waste a second life. In the main hall of the Chemelot Campus, a recycling machine was installed. This machine could actually convert all hard plastic from South Limburg into new materials.
The process worked and had potential. However, for safety reasons, larger-scale development was not possible and we stopped. Meanwhile, the last parts of the machine have been sold. What remains are beautiful new business opportunities. That, too, is CHILL. Ron: "We are allowed to experiment. If something doesn't work, we learn from it.'
Independent and social
What really sets CHILL apart from the other "businesses" on campus is the balance between commercial independence and social relevance. 'We are not just about making a profit,' Ron emphasizes. 'Many projects have a social angle.' He points to A collaboration with paralympic athlete Mitch Valize. 'He was looking for special bike handles to improve his performance. We created a design that gave him more grip - and four gold medals later, he still calls us his secret weapon.'
'CHILL is not about quick wins, but about meaningful impact. That's what makes my work special.'
'There were more companies around the table with Mitch,' says Ron, 'but CHILL was the only one who dared to develop new handles for one individual athlete.' Such projects show how CHILL dares to break the rules. 'It's not about quick wins here, but meaningful impact. That's what makes my work special.'
Typical CHILL
When Ron talks about what makes CHILL so special, a broad smile appears. 'It's a unique blend of young talent, passion and a touch of rebelliousness. Everyone who works here feels connected to the mission, and you can see that commitment everywhere. He talks about a video CHILL made to illustrate their mission: the CHILL journey. "When that one plays somewhere, you feel colleagues are proud.
That combination of passion and a touch of rebellion is what makes CHILL unique, Ron believes. 'We dare to take risks, to do things differently. When we all had to line up on the last team day, from left 'non-rebellious' to right 'very rebellious,' our SHE manager was on the far right. That's unique. He concludes, "We've found a formula that works. And as long as we maintain that passion and boldness, we can continue to grow and inspire. That's typical CHILL.'