Meet the Innovator | The tremendous growth of Heerema Engineering Solutions (HES)
Heerema Engineering Solutions (HES), a rapidly growing scale-up based at Buccaneer Delft, celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. This milestone offered a perfect opportunity to reflect on their journey from a small, new subsidiary of the Heerema group to a full-fledged engineering partner for the latest projects in the offshore wind sector. We talked with Ivan van Winsen, managing director of HES, about their journey.
Heerema Engineering Solutions (HES), founded in 2019, is the youngest member of the Heerema Group. They provide high-end engineering and consultancy services for the offshore renewable industry with a focus on engineering automation, accelerating the world’s transition to green energy. With their in-house expertise they can support on topics like marine analyses, weather risk assessments, and perform logistical analysis for the construction of renewable projects offshore.
HES: the perfect place for Ivan
For Ivan, HES was the ideal place to advance his career after his experience with Heerema Marine Contractors and Our Oceans Challenge. “A great new challenge awaited. HES was founded as a new standalone subsidiary in the Heerema Group to develop automation solutions for offshore engineering. This initiative extended beyond Heerema Marine Contractors, with HES becoming an independent venture working for the offshore renewable industry.”
“It combined my passion for engineering with a focus on innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship and offered me possibilities to grow. First as a manager leading the development of a motion compensated gripper frame, and later as the managing director of HES.”
Growing underneath the wings of the Heerema Group
HES is not a typical startup due to its link with the Heerema group, but the construction had its pros and cons when scaling up. “With expertise from within the offshore sector, we support the development and installation of offshore renewable projects. As part of the Heerema Group, we hold a unique position. We can assist projects early on with our in-house expertise and capabilities and combine our theoretical knowledge with the extensive offshore transport and installation experience we have here at HES.”
“However, there was also a downside. Being associated with Heerema makes potential external clients more cautious. Therefore it was crucial for us to gain the trust of both developers and contractors in the offshore wind sector and position ourselves as a young, fresh and independent entity.”
Ivan van Winsen is not your typical entrepreneur, but he has successfully led a rapidly growing scale-up for two and a half years. As a child, he was passionate about water and nature, later studying shipbuilding at TU Delft. He graduated with Heerema Marine Contractors and started as a junior engineer. With a passion for sustainability, he volunteered for Our Ocean’s Challenge and in 2019 joined HES to lead the development of the Motion Compensation Gripper. Since 2022, he has led the HES team alongside Silvan Slijpen (Commercial Manager) and Henk Smienk (Engineering Manager), growing it into a now successful scaleup.
Exponential growth
HES has experienced tremendous growth, expanding from five employees at its start in 2019 to 25 in 2022, and now manage around 50 talented individuals. “Our success largely stems from the team and the culture we’ve created within HES. A culture of hard work, mutual support, and a shared vision for building something remarkable.”
“We have an accurate selection process, seeking talent that complements the team. Sometimes we need more seniority in specific areas, or give someone the chance to grow into a senior role. It’s our philosophy to empower individuals, optimizing their strengths, which requires an open and honest culture.”
HES also promotes this inclusive culture through its feedback policy, giving employees significant input. “We conduct reflection & adapt sessions to review projects, identifying successes and areas for improvement. These sessions are unique because they are led by the staff, not management, which increases individual involvement and reduces management’s imprint on discussions.”
Future ambitions
Whether the exponential growth continues is uncertain, but Ivan has clear ambitions for HES. “We see huge opportunities in the United States. Last year, we participated in a cohort of the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub, gaining valuable contacts with companies like BP and Equinor. We’ve also learned about the American business culture. We’re working hard to raise our profile in the US and Oceania, attending many conferences and engaging with potential customers, aiming to play a larger role in offshore wind projects in these regions.”
HES also aims to expand its role within offshore wind projects. “Last year, we successfully supported a major offshore wind project in Taiwan during its installation phase, which had encountered problems. The project is now successfully completed, demonstrating our ability to tackle complex issues. In the future, we want to be involved in project development from day one, identifying and solving problems early on.”
Learning and sharing
“Be brave, passionate and dare to engage in conversations with customers and partners. Be a little stubborn & open to the outside world.”
– Ivan van Winsen, Managing Director Heerema Engineering Solutions
Since its founding, HES has been located at Buccaneer Delft, a place that has always facilitated its growth. “Besides the beautiful location, the interaction with other founders has been incredibly helpful in our scaling phase. They, like HES, go through various phases with their companies. It’s valuable to see how other companies handle specific issues and learn from them.”
As an accelerator, Buccaneer Delft proudly supports innovative companies in the ever-evolving energy & maritime sector. We accelerate growth, connect, inspire & help realize potential. Our community impacts the energy transition with technological innovations transforming the industry, will you be next?