Get to know the team

Organization

HZ Innovation Studio – The Garage depends on the co-design of various stakeholders that come and go. Three HZ colleagues are the stable factor and form the management team. Jessica Rongen-Borgs, Charlotte Röhl and Timo Derriks collectively operate the studio. Each has its own focus area and key responsibilities while decisions are made jointly. In case of need, we can cover for each other on particular tasks.  

Students are made aware of our existence and possibilities by means of our manual, student testimonials, descriptions of past and future projects, word-to-mouth, suggestions from their study coaches, social media or via our in-class visits. In these latter we present the Garage or provide a workshop that covers parts of the ways we think about and do things.  

Potential projects reach us directly or via HZ colleagues. Incoming project opportunities are discussed in close collaboration with HZ Nexus and colleagues of the Applied Research Centre Vitality. Matching projects have one thing in common, they all share the objective to regenerate Zeeland somehow. When they are deemed as potential match, they enter the project formulation and framing stage. It is often only a brief moment between having a formulated project and the actual start of it.  

Each semester, the Garage also welcomes one or two graduation students that help develop and scale our innovation studio. Students work, for example, on improving our wellbeing program, design thinking toolbox, the formulation of interdisciplinary projects and marketing. Additionally, it could be that we are supported by fellow HZ lecturers or researchers in supervising particular projects. These colleagues also come and go, are guided in our way of supervising but do use their own knowledge, skills and tools. Although many projects and most talks in the studio are conducted in English, it is also possible projects are carried out in Dutch by Dutch speaking students only. However, in order to stimulate internationalization at home, hosting numerous HZ and external students from various nationalities and cultural backgrounds, we prefer English as our used language.  

The organisation of the Garage, its development and scaling is enabled by a strategic plan that includes general guiding principles. Although priorities of our development change from time to time, we are working on separate or overlapping aspects of: 

• The fostering of interdisciplinary learning within the HZ by exploring space in current structures, give suggestions for altered structures, experiment with new possibilities, learn from failures and implement the successes we celebrate. 
• The development of transdisciplinary learning and development, stimulated by fitting project formulations, matching with relevant programs and enthusiastic students, set expectations, create a relevant toolbox, shape and facilitate processes of collaboration. 
• The creation of a research agenda that allows us to investigate, report and share what we do, how we do it, and its outcome. The research is closely related to our daily innovation studio practices but positioned in the wider community of practice related to living labs. 

Meet the team

Timo Derriks

Strategy & education

Timo is the Garage's educational leader. Operating mostly behind the scenes, he constantly scans the environment for possibilities to improve the learning that takes place within the innovation studio. His belief in the use of inter- and transdisciplinary learning is a driver to make the Garage matter for both the HZ and the region of Zeeland. In strategizing, there is a nonstop effort for optimalisation and educational restructuring by aligning the various involved practices. Agility is treasured in attempts to make the connection between study programs, research units and projects truly work. Guiding the managerial organization of The Garage, he does however argue it is the unfolding of projects and students’ learning by Charlotte and endeavors in community engagement by Jessica that guarantee the success of the studio.  Charlotte Röhl

Projects & development

Charlotte is head of projects and supervises the students at The Garage. Driven by her passion to regenerate industries and places, she is the gatekeeper of relevancy and impact. By means of interacting with the group, commissioners and other stakeholder, she continuously balances the various interests at play and always searches for a win-win-win. Having a helicopter view of the projects that are taking place allows her to track progress and step in when needed. Aware of each running project group's objective and challenges, she steers the team forward and coaches each individual’s learning journey. The combination of her expertise in design thinking, the content related to projects, approachability, and the ability to let members think critically makes Charlotte a key person in the Garage.          

Jessica Borgs

Management & organization

Jessica is our community and marketing manager. Her can-do mentality is powered by a great amount of curiosity and positive attitude. A background in vitality combined with experience in office and service management assures the crucial role Jessica fulfills in the Garage. By keeping an eye out on every body's work life balance, supervising the employee wellbeing program and steering the social activity committee, she is responsible for improving and maintaining our precious, unique work environment. Students are supported by Jessica on professional behavior and dedication. By being in charge of the internal and external promotional activities, she makes sure interested stakeholders are well informed on collaboration possibilities and expectations.