The firm: Suit-case
Tomas te Velde never imagined that a year on the board of competition sailing association DSWZ Broach would lead to running his own business. Yet that is exactly what he is now doing with strategic consultancy firm Suit-case, together with fellow board members Daan de Wit, Marc Bolier and Bern Laninga.
“We enjoyed working together on the board so much that we felt it would be a crying shame to leave it at that,” Te Velde explains. In 2016, the four of them decided to set up Suit-case, an organisation that helps government bodies and major companies with concept development and project management.
Foto: Sam Rentmeester
Initially, there was a lot of testing the waters. “In the beginning, we did not have set rates, for example. The client determined how much our advice was worth, but that turned out to be difficult and particularly awkward,” Te Velde recalls. Shifting course, they opened a small office in Delft, which earned them more commissions and brought them into contact met Blue Turtles Associates, an organisation focusing on issues relating to circular chain innovation. “And all that while we were still studying,” Te Velde reflects.
Thanks to the Turtles, things went quickly. The organisation involved Suit-case in the development of manufacturing facility The Tec Factory. “Think of it as a kind of dream hall 2.0,” te Velde comments. “A space where dream teams, businesses and government bodies work together on technological innovations.” The Blue Turtles provide the expertise and Suit-case the young innovative force and methodology.
Thanks to the Turtles, things went quickly. The organisation involved Suit-case in the development of manufacturing facility The Tec Factory. “Think of it as a kind of dream hall 2.0,” te Velde comments. “A space where dream teams, businesses and government bodies work together on technological innovations.” The Blue Turtles provide the expertise and Suit-case the young innovative force and methodology.
The first major commission was Trekschuit 2.0. The group was asked to develop a concept for quiet waterway logistics in the city. “Many logistic flows, such as waste collection, could be made quieter and cleaner. Did you know, for example, that segregated waste is collected everywhere in Delft, except in the city centre?” he asks. “Everyone wants to make Delft cleaner, but that is difficult. For example, it is virtually impossible to build underground containers in the historical centre. So why not make use of the Delft canals?”
Te Velde feels they have a simple solution. “An electric flat-bottomed barge in the canal can collect segregated waste for a single street. It is an energy-neutral way to solve the problem of waste. If it works, we would like to develop it further. You have to start small to fulfil your ambitions.”
And ambitions are something Suit-case is not short of. The group is already looking beyond Delft. “We are hoping to get a similar concept off the ground in Utrecht, but then for delivering packages. And we are working on this with DHL. It is really exciting, because this means we are developing a solution from idea to concept. So now it is up to us to show what we're capable of.”
From left to right: Pieter Lenselink, Kito Samson, Tomas te Velde, Marc Bolier
Suit-case
Founded in: 2016Degree programmes: Architecture and the Built Environment, Civil Engineering, Industrial Design and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering (Management of Technology).
Number of employees: 4 full-time and 4 part-time.
Mission: To develop interesting concepts that contribute to a better world.
Turnover: “Last year we came close to 100,000 euros.”
Target group: Government bodies and major companies.
In five years’ time: “To have grown quickly so we can tackle larger projects. We want to inspire as many people as possible to think outside the box.”