Demcon

Demcon operates as a high-end technology supplier and system engineering firm, originating from the shared passion of its founders for addressing complex technological and societal challenges. The company was established in 1993 by Dennis Schipper and Peter Rutgers as a mechatronics design firm in a small office at the University of Twente, Netherlands. Schipper, the entrepreneurial force and CEO, and Rutgers, recognized as the technical authority, both emerged from their doctoral studies at the university to launch the venture. Their complementary skills, with Schipper driving the business and Rutgers providing the technical depth, were acknowledged with the Van den Kroonenberg Award for young entrepreneurship in 2002.

The firm's business model is centered on being a full-service system supplier, managing projects from initial concept and prototyping through to industrialization and series production. Revenue is generated by providing contract R&D and manufacturing services to a diverse client base, which includes startups, scale-ups, and major international OEMs. Demcon also invests in and supports technology startups, sometimes acting as an incubator. The company's core competency lies in mechatronics—a multidisciplinary field combining mechanical, electrical, and software engineering with robotics and other specialisms to create sophisticated systems. This integrated approach allows Demcon to serve a wide array of markets, including healthcare, life sciences, aerospace, defense, energy, agriculture, and communication.

Demcon has developed and manufactured notable products with significant societal impact. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it rapidly engineered 'Demcair', a complete respiratory system for intensive care units to address critical shortages. Another key product is the 'In Ovo Sampler', an autonomous machine that can determine the gender of a chick embryo within the egg, aiming to prevent the culling of male chicks. The company operates as the Demcon group, a collection of over 20 synergistic companies. This structure supports its one-stop-shop approach, providing comprehensive in-house expertise. Having grown to over 1,200 employees, the group maintains a global presence with offices in key international hubs like Germany, Japan, and Singapore, serving clients worldwide.

Keywords: mechatronics engineering, high-tech systems, technology supplier, system integration, contract R&D, product development, industrial systems, medical devices, life sciences technology, aerospace engineering, sustainable energy solutions, agritech, food technology, contract manufacturing, prototyping, series production, robotics, high-tech systems, Dennis Schipper, Peter Rutgers, University of Twente spin-off