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Join us after the summer at our Contactmeetings!

Summer is just around the corner and, fortunately, the weather is already showing its best side. We hope you are enjoying the sunny days and making the most of the season.

After the summer, we look forward to welcoming you again at our NAP events. On 24 September, we will host an inspiring contact meeting on Artificial Intelligence (AI), exploring the opportunities, applications and challenges of AI within the process industry. On 19 November, we will celebrate a special milestone: the 65th anniversary of NAP. A wonderful opportunity to reflect on our achievements, look ahead to the future and strengthen our network.

We hope to welcome you to both events. Have you not registered yet? Save the dates in your calendar and sign up via the NAP website. We look forward to seeing you again after the summer!

Celebrating 65 Years of NAP

On 19 November 2026, we will celebrate a special milestone at the NAP Jubilee Conference: 65 years of NAP. A moment to reflect on our shared history and look ahead to the future of the sector.

In a rapidly changing world, connection is more important than ever. This afternoon and evening will bring together professionals from the process industry to exchange insights, inspire one another, and explore new collaborations.

Three speakers will share their perspectives on a changing world:

• Diederik Samsom will address geopolitical developments and their impact on Dutch and European industry.
• Hella Schmidt (dsm-firmenich) will discuss the implications of major transitions for people, organisations, and collaboration.
• Richard Braal (TNO) will translate global developments into technological innovations such as new energy systems and biotechnology.

Would you like to gain fresh insights, expand your network, and help shape the future of the process industry? Then be sure to register and join us in celebrating this special milestone.

Join the competition on the occasion of NAP’s 65th jubilee

The Dutch process industry is facing major challenges, including grid congestion, stricter environmental regulations, changing customer needs, and increasing sustainability demands. At the same time, technological innovation, geopolitical developments, and shifting societal expectations are rapidly reshaping the sector. These developments call for fresh ideas, innovative thinking, and stronger collaboration across the value chain.

To celebrate its 65th anniversary, NAP invites companies, knowledge institutions, students, and professionals to participate in a special competition. This is your opportunity to showcase an innovative concept, product, service, or collaborative approach that can help shape the future of the Dutch process industry.

We are looking for inspiring examples that address today’s challenges while creating opportunities for tomorrow. Whether your idea is already being applied in practice or is still in development, we encourage you to share it and inspire others.

Submit your entry, including a short description, to NAP before 15 June. We look forward to discovering your ideas!

NAP Contact Meeting Recap: Exploring the Future of SMRs

We look back on a successful and inspiring NAP Contact Meeting on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Houten.

SMRs are compact, modular nuclear reactors that can play an important role in a future-proof, low-carbon energy system. In addition to generating electricity, they also offer promising opportunities for supplying industrial heat to the process industry.

During the meeting, Gertjan Dahm (Haskoning) and Paul Glaubitz (Thorizon) shared their insights into the latest developments, opportunities and challenges surrounding SMR technology. Gertjan Dahm explored the potential role of SMRs in addressing the Dutch energy challenge, covering topics such as current developments, licensing procedures, costs and their impact on the process industry. Paul Glaubitz provided an introduction to Thorizon’s Generation IV SMR technology and demonstrated how innovative molten salt reactors could contribute to a safe, flexible and sustainable energy supply for industry.

We would like to thank our speakers for their valuable contributions and all attendees for their engagement, active participation and the many interesting discussions. Together, we continue to strengthen knowledge sharing and innovation within the process industry.

Curious to learn more? Read the full meeting report here.

SIG Project Management meeting: the two-phase approach

On 10 April 2026, the NAP SIG Project Management group gathered at TU Delft for an engaging session led by facilitator Wijnand Veeneman, with Noud Prast as guest speaker.

The meeting focused on the two-phase approach, a project delivery method that is gaining traction within the Dutch infrastructure sector. Developed in response to increasingly complex projects, the approach encourages early collaboration between clients and contractors on project design, risk analysis and preparation. By jointly identifying risks and determining the final project price at a later stage, it aims to improve transparency, collaboration and predictability.

Participants discussed both the opportunities and challenges of this approach. Benefits include lower tendering costs, fewer disputes during project execution and improved risk management. At the same time, successful implementation requires sufficient expertise, capacity and governance on the client side.

The overall conclusion was that the two-phase approach offers significant potential for complex projects with a high degree of uncertainty. While it is not suitable for every situation, it can be a valuable tool for strengthening collaboration and improving project delivery.

Interested in learning more? The PowerPoint presentation is available on the NAP website.

New: SIG AI

On 7 May, the relaunch of the AI@NAP Special Interest Group (SIG) was officially announced. The NAP Contact Meeting on 24 September 2026 will be fully dedicated to AI, featuring inspiring use cases from the process industry and related sectors.

Femke de Jager will chair the SIG and, in the coming weeks, will engage with NAP members to gather successful applications, best practices and key lessons learned in the field of AI. Particular attention will be given to collaboration across the value chain and the opportunities AI offers to strengthen these partnerships.

The full SIG programme will be announced later this year, including details on how to join SIG AI@NAP. Stay tuned via the NAP website.

The importance of knowledge sharing

Both Werner van Acker and I (Jaap Reijntjes) understand the importance of knowledge as well as connections. Knowledge can be transferred and captured in books, systems, films, and training, but networks are far less tangible. They are shaped by personality, drive, and the environment in which you operate. As a result, when someone leaves an organisation, their network often disappears with them.

This idea, combined with the retirement of a former colleague, prompted us to reconnect. Werner and I know each other from the 2004–2010 period, when we worked together at Stork’s asset management consultancy. We collaborated on national and international projects, where sharing knowledge and learning from one another were essential, principles we also passed on to our clients and partners.

The NAP community places great value on networking and knowledge sharing, something that is embedded in Werner’s DNA. This made it all the more worthwhile to sit down with him and reflect on his approach over the years. According to Werner, everything starts with mindset: “Knowledge is not power; it is something to be shared so that we can move forward together.” This is evident in his long-standing involvement in networks such as BEMAS, NVDO, WCM, and various training programmes, as well as his engagement with the NAP Foundation, where professionals exchange knowledge and best practices.

Organisations that host learning networks (such as recent NAP gatherings at Shell, Gasunie, and Haskoning) lower barriers for their employees and position themselves as environments where knowledge truly matters. This leads to three tangible outcomes: faster learning by adopting proven solutions, keeping networks active as relationships become routine, and improving processes through comparison.

The full article is available in Dutch.

DACE Course: Leadership for Cost Engineers

Would you like to increase your impact as a cost engineer within projects and organisations? The DACE Leadership for Cost Engineers course is designed to complement your technical expertise with essential leadership skills.

During this three-day programme, you will develop practical skills to enhance collaboration, strengthen your influence and operate more effectively in complex project environments.

The course will take place on 7 and 8 October and 11 November 2026. As a NAP participant, you are automatically a member of DACE and can benefit from its wide range of training courses, educational programmes and knowledge-sharing activities.

For more information and registration, please visit the DACE website.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Would you like to learn more and stay up to date with the latest news? Visit our LinkedIn page for recent updates. Here, you can follow not only NAP, but als DACE!

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