Het CCC Management Team

Nico Arfman joins management team

Matchmaker between research and business

CCC research As of November 2011 the Carbohydrate Competence Center (CCC) management team has been reinforced with the arrival of Nico Arfman, Business Manager. Together with his colleagues Lubbert Dijkhuizen, Fons Voragen and Siert Bruins, Arfman will primarily focus on the quality of ongoing work packages, the development of new project initiatives, the expansion of the CCC network and the continuity of future funding.

Under the motto "Be proud and tell it" CCC information strategy will be reinforced as well. The website will be actualized and the CCC newsletter aCCCent reissued. Additionally there is focus on the organization of work-shops, the annual CCC Days and the Wientjes meetings. "The Wientjes meetings are named after hotel Wientjes in Zwolle, the location where the CCC regularly organizes brainstorming sessions with industry and research institutions," explains Nico Arfman. "The Wientjes sessions are becoming a well-known concept within the world of innovative carbohydrate research.' The Wientjes sessions focus on the development of demand-driven research initiatives, with a decisive role for industry. During such sessions, a wide range of issues are being addressed: which carbohydrate related topics are relevant for companies and how can CCC help out, how can CCC be positioned optimally within the 'Topsectoren policy' of the national government, how can new companies and research institutes be involved in new research initiatives and how do we ensure future funding. 'Broad and informative, 'Arfman stresses.

Center of expertise

In essence, CCC strategy is built on the demand and commitment from industry. That is the starting point for building successful consortia with research institutions such as the RUG, WUR and various Universities of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Arfman: "Within the work packages the CCC already cooperates with twenty national and foreign companies, but we want to expand. Our goal is to become a leading Center of Expertise in the field of carbohydrate innovations, both at home and abroad. " On national scale CCC has been celebrating its first academic success. In 2011, the first two CCC researchers graduated and the first patent applications were submitted. In addition, CCC is fully engaged in the development of new carbohydrate research proposals, especially in the field of health ('CarboHealth') and Biobased Economy (Integrated Biorefinery, biomaterials). 'This offers many new opportunities for businesses,' Nico Arfman says, 'both for large players as well as SMEs. Important, particularly for the development of regional employment and investment.'

At home

The CCC is based in Linnaeusborg, the new Life Sciences Center of the University of Groningen. Arfman feels perfectly at home at CCC. He graduated as a biochemist at the University of Groningen (cum laude) in the eighties and got his PhD in Microbiology at the same university in 1991. Through his current work for Oost NV, the East Netherlands Development Agency, he has built an extensive network with researchers, entrepreneurs and governments. Experience, he believes, that will be useful for the establishment of new partnerships. Arfman: 'It is a great opportunity to join the CCC team and help to make this project a success. Let's go for it'