Some individuals stand out in high-tech innovation for their exceptional contributions and dedication. One among those is Brigit van Dijk – van de Reijt, the Director of Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM).
Recently, Brigit emerged as the big winner at the seventh edition of the Gerard & Anton High Tech Piek Awards.
The ceremony was held at the Philips Museum, where the winners were presented with their prizes by Beatrix Bos and Bert-Jan Woertman, along with Stijn Steenbakkers, the chairman of the jury.
Gerard & Anton High Tech Piek Awards
The Gerard & Anton High Tech Piek Awards is an annual event that celebrates the achievements of individuals who have made a significant mark in the Eindhoven high-tech world.
The awards are divided into three categories — Stars, Bangers, and Piek.
- The Stars category highlights individuals who have made notable contributions to the high-tech and startup scene in the past year.
- The Bangers category highlights individuals from whom much can be expected in the coming year.
- The Piek category honours individuals who have made a structural contribution to the Eindhoven ecosystem year after year, deserving a lifetime award.
Four individuals have been chosen in both the Star and Bangers categories, while the Piek category features only one individual. The jury, comprised of experts within the Eindhoven innovative ecosystem, evaluated nominations to select the winners.
Previous recipients of the Piek Award include notable figures such as Guus Frericks, Rob van Gijzel, Maarten Steinbuch, Staf Depla, Steef Blok, Naomie Verstraeten, and Lucas van Grinsven.
The High Tech Piek Awards initiative, spearheaded by Innovation Origins, received support from partners, including High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Municipality of Eindhoven, EY, VO, Kadans, Twice, Goevaerts Bouw, and Holland Innovative.
The list of winners and the jury’s verdict is as follows:
Stars 2023:
- John Bell: Star award
- Fred Roozeboom: Star Award
- René Paré: Star Award
- Sonja Vos: Star Award
Bangers 2024:
- Katja Pahnke: Banger Award
- Bob van der Meulen: Banger Award
- Janne Brok: Banger Award
- Patricia Dankers: Banger Award
Piek 2023:
- Brigit van Dijk – Van de Reijt: Gerard & Anton High Tech Piek Award
As the Director of BOM, van Dijk played a crucial role in driving regional innovation and collaboration, says the jury.
The Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and was also recently recognized as the most active investor in the Netherlands.
Brigit says, “This Piek Award is, of course, a great honor, and it illustrates the special bond between BOM and Brainport. We do it together. Whether it concerns challenges such as grid congestion, investing in high-profile startups and scale-ups, or the positioning of Brainport and our high-tech sector abroad, we go for it. And there’s still a lot to do; we like to tackle that together!”
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