Three years after opening the Hive, we can see that it has become an important link in the challenges we face. The Hive is our own inspiration & development centre (incubator) located in a separate building next to our head office. In 2023, we took the Hive to another level, making it a physical and virtual meeting place for employees from our all business areas. The common thread in everything they do is digitalisation. Digitalisation is a driver for and enabler of most developments. The Infra and Building & Technology software teams are growing in terms of breadth and are working together on methods, structures and software choices.
The cross-pollination between employees and the connected business areas have already produced accelerated innovations. In addition, the Hive has also become a place where we apply new technologies. For instance, we have created an energy grid in the building in which solar panels, heat pump, batteries, charging stations and a boiler are dynamically connected, enabling us to realise ‘zero on the meter’. All our business areas can benefit from sharing this kind of experience.
The open structure of the Hive is also a reason for many employees to choose Heijmans. The connection with operations in the various business areas is growing closer in the Hive, making it a serious place in the onboarding programme for new employees. We are also seeing an increasing number of clients and partners from the various business areas coming to the Hive to be included in the steps we are taking.
Marthe Doff
“I am eager to learn and want to be able to do everything independently as quickly as possible. I love working outside with my hands, but I’m also already looking to my future: I hope to become a good supervisor or manager. What does the future of construction look like? I think my work will have been taken over by robots in a hundred years’ time.”