The Boards of the Histechnica Association and of the KIVI SectionHistoryof Engineering are pleased to invite you to attend a lecture to be given by Mr ing. K.L. Raven with the title:

Failure is a good motivator for innovation

on Saturday, 14 September 2024, starting at 11:00 am.

Location: Science Centre, Bouwcampus 26, entrance 'C', Van der Burghweg 1, 2628 CS Delft.

Entrance is from the car park behind the high-rise building; access to the car park is by driving licence or debit card.

Programme

10.30:00: Walk-in with coffee and tea

11:00: Welcome and introduction

11.05:00: Lecture by Mr Karel Raven

12:00: Break

12:15: Continuation of lecture and closing discussion

12:45: End of meeting.

Summary of the lecture

Karel Raven had been asked to have a lecture ready in connection with the past lustrum of Histechnica in case a speaker turned out to be indisposed at the last minute. Karel took great pleasure in doing so. Now he can tell his story. This talk is based on the speaker's personal experience during his career as a commercial project manager from 1967 to 2022.

His presentation covers a number of examples within which new "challenges" arose, as a result of the failure of planned techniques. These techniques proved ...........

1) ........ not to work because conditions were different from what was envisaged (and thus alternatives had to be devised under great pressure).
2) ........ not to be used because the market in question was in the hands of monopolists, who prevented innovation. This was solved by mobilising buyers.
3) ........ to be assessed as too complex by large companies vs the risk (cost and size of the potential market). Niche players sometimes dared to do this, but ran the same risks in the process!

Information about the speaker

From 1967 to 2022, Karel Raven worked successively at Siemens Netherlands, Vitel Telecommunications and then as entrepreneur and (co-)owner of You/Com (Telecom and -Audio Communications) and Solutions Radio.

Initially, Karel was involved in extensive projects at Siemens, where the professional application of image, sound, security and communication systems played an important role; this was at the time of analogue technology.
Later, he was involved in setting up systems, where large numbers of special end-user devices were deployed. This also involved image, sound and communication technology (now, however, in the digital domain). The end-user devices were developed and produced in-house.

Please register to attend this lecture:

  • KIVI members can register via the KIVI website
  • Members of Histechnica can register through the secretary hotzeboonstra@gmail.com
  • Interested parties who are not members can also register through the above channels. There will then be a charge of ā‚¬5.00.

The lecture will be broadcast live; you should also register for this through the above channels. There is no charge for this.

Upcoming activities in the Science Center Delft

  • Saturday 26 October 2024 at 11:00 lecture by Drs G. Moeyes: "Establishments for experimental maritime hydrodynamic model research in the Netherlands, from the 18th century to the present"
  • Saturday 16 November 2024 at 11:00 a.m. lecture by Prof D. Stapersma: "Opportunities and threats for the early maritime diesel engine"
  • Saturday 14 December 2024 at 11:00 a.m. lecture by drs M.J.M. van der Meer: "Plans regarding the Science Centre"

Study trip Basque Country from 25 September 2024: The trip is fully booked.

On the occasion of the 175th anniversary of KIVI in 2022, the History of Engineering Department has published a book highlighting the three founders of KIVI in the times in which they lived. The book will be available free of charge during the lecture for members of Histechnica and for members of the KIVI Department of History of Engineering.

On the occasion of Histechnica's 50th anniversary, a book "Uit Falen Vooruitgang Halen" was published on Saturday 20 April last. The book will be available free of charge during the lecture.

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