Calling all Innovators! Calling all Innovators!

We are the Royal Schiphol Group Innovation Hub -we have a mission to explore and shape the future of aviation. Our team of explorers is looking for stellar students to generate some extra (brain) power. Are you as clueless about the future as we are, but eager to explore?

At the Innovation Hub there’s always room for innovators who want to explore moon and mars with us. Curious? Fellow interns shared their stories as an inspiration on the broad horizon of possibilities.

Meet our interns

Hi, I’m Niels van Dijk. I worked on the Taxibot project, a project that strives to make flying more sustainable through reducing emissions on the ground (link?). What I liked about the Innovation hub is that from the beginning I was taken along the day to day operation and that you get to work in an environment where people are passionate about aviation. During my time at Schiphol I learned that to make fundamental changes work, a solid concept isn’t enough but you also need to create understanding of the concept to get everyone on board.

Niels van Dijk, Stagiair Autonomous Airside

Hi future interns! I am Victor Verboog, a student from the TU Delft rounding up my master's in strategic Product Design. For the past six months, I've been doing my graduation project at the Innovation Hub on electric aviation with the innovation family of sustainable aviation. With this project I've been developing an alluring perspective for electric aviation, meaning; understanding what will be possible in the future revolving around electric aviation, and how Schiphol can integrate this in their portfolio.

These past six months I've learned a lot. From the basics of understanding the aviation industry, working in a corporate innovation department, collaborating with driven colleagues working towards a positive impact on the world, up to the simpler things such as working behind your laptop in your own living room and still having successful interactions with stakeholders and colleagues. I would argue that I've learned a lot about aviation and as a person, but I'd have to say my biggest highlight during these six months in terms of my graduation project were the morning standups. During these standups, the whole team gathers in an online meeting to explain what they've achieved yesterday and plan to achieve today. These standups enabled two things for me; the obvious reason of seeing your colleagues on a daily basis while remote working, as well as knowing you can fall back on the team when bumping into an obstacle. Time and time again, I've had questions or information which the whole team helped me find answers for. The Innovation Hub made me realise that Innovation is not a one-man job, but a team effort, which they preach everyday.

Victor Verboog, Graduate Intern Sustainable Aviation

Bonjour! I am Pauline, a French student from Wageningen University & Research where I followed a master’s in environmental sciences specialized in Air quality. I joined the Healthy environments department of the Innovation Hub in September 2020, during corona time. Being a non-Dutch speaker studying from home was a bit scary at first, but I am surprised by how well I was welcomed and included in the Hub, even online. The team is young, open-minded, and dedicated to help Schiphol Airport developing in a sustainable way. As an intern, I was included in important environmental projects and had the chance to go on airside even when there was a restricted amount of people allowed.

Don’t think twice! In addition to learning how such a big company operates, it is going to be an interesting experience and you will be joining a great team that will give you all the resources necessary for you to succeed!

Pauline Olivier, Intern Healthy Environments

As fourth year Aviation Logistics student, I was triggered to find myself a challenging and interesting graduation research and reached out to the Innovation Hub. Despite the difficult times, the Innovation Hub embraced me as graduate research intern to research the desirability of autonomous technologies in relation to the baggage capacity.

What I find enormously motivating, is that you do not feel like ‘the intern’ but like the young-professional that can make a real difference. Every colleague at the Innovation Hub has a lot of valuable expertise and together, beautiful innovations are created. The team taught me to step out of my comfort zone and think outside of all the boxes. They also taught me how to change my perspective to a positive one, for everything! Nothing is seen as a failure; everything is a step towards the goal. I am very proud that I can call myself an innovator and that I may be part of this amazing team. At the Innovation Hub, you will experience a refreshing way of working where the sky is the limit!

Lonneke van Wieren, Graduate Intern Autonomous Airside & Future Baggage

Still curious?

Please contact one of our Innovation Leads and we’ll launch a meeting to explore possibilities with you!

Jan Zekveld – Jan.Zekveld@schiphol.nl
Larissa Plink – Larissa.plink@schiphol.nl

Read the previous blogs

  • Testing an Autonomous Baggage Vehicle

    Schiphol and KLM are testing Auto-DollyTug. This vehicle will separate the baggage of passengers with long transfer times from those with short transfer times.

    Read more about this test 

  • Monitoring APU usage to reduce emissions

    Various sector partners at Schiphol are committed to reduce aircraft APU usage at Schiphol. To achieve this we are trying different things.

    Read more about these initiatives 

  • Tap and go with your Digital Travel Credential!

    Can you board and cross the border faster with a digital travel document? At the request of the EU, we are testing a DTC together with the government and KLM.

    Read more about this solution