Headlines November
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Companies are not preparing sufficiently for threats: ‘Protect your crown jewels’
Espionage, export bans, and trade wars. Increased geopolitical threats also mean increased risks for companies. Yet companies are not doing enough to protect themselves against these risks, according to research by the Clingendael Institute. The researchers looked at how companies deal with economic security. “That means being resilient to risks arising from geopolitical threats,” says researcher Maaike Okano-Heijmans of Clingendael. “Think of President Trump suddenly imposing tariffs, or components no longer being supplied, as we saw with Nexperia.”
Where do things come from?
The researchers looked at companies with so-called key technologies, for example in the chip industry, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. Although nine out of ten companies say they see risks to their economic security, not all of them are taking measures. For example, 61 percent of companies say their supply chains are vulnerable. In the event of a war or trade conflict, a company may no longer be able to obtain important components. Yet only 38 percent of the companies surveyed have taken measures to reduce that risk. Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a wise idea, and certainly not in this geopolitical situation.
Maaike Okano-Heijmans, researcher at Clingendael
“All these supply chains are extremely complex,” says Okano-Heijmans. “Companies could look at where they source their materials and ensure that they come from different countries. Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a wise idea, and certainly not in this geopolitical situation.” According to the researchers, companies also talk too little about the risks. “Once a month is not enough in this day and age.”
'It's ingrained in us'
One company that does deal with economic security on a daily basis is Quantware in Delft. This company designs and manufactures chips for quantum computers. “Quantum computers can calculate things that ordinary computers cannot,” says CEO Matthijs Rijlaarsdam. “This makes it possible to produce more powerful batteries and improve chemical processes, but there are also many national security applications.” The company was founded 4.5 years ago. “It's ingrained in us because the risks started to increase when we started. Ten years ago, this was much less of an issue. In addition, we make highly sensitive technology. Protecting our knowledge has been a very important issue for us from day one.” For security reasons, Rijlaarsdam cannot disclose the specific measures the company is taking. “But it concerns everything: who we sell our products to, training our staff, how we store data.”
Competitive position
Economic security also plays a major role in the question of where to build their new factory, he says. “For example, we only want to do that in a country where the rules on intellectual property rights are comparable to those in the Netherlands.” When you've just started out, you'd rather not invest your money in cybersecurity or other measures.
Spokesperson for the Economic Security Business Desk
Despite the risks, Rijlaarsdam believes it is particularly important to allow these types of companies to grow. “Economic security is mainly about the competitive position of the Netherlands. Ultimately, we need to have something to protect.” There are also companies that have been working on risk protection for some time. Drinking water companies, for example. “As a vital sector, we have always had to be prepared for the worst,” says a spokesperson for the industry organization. Drinking water companies are prepared and have plans in place to ensure that water always comes out of the tap, she says.
Dozens of questions
However, the study shows that not all companies are prepared, and often companies do not know where to find information about economic security. In 2023, the Ministry of Economic Affairs therefore set up the Economic Security Business Desk, where companies can go with their questions. However, according to the study, only a third of the companies surveyed are aware of its existence. This is also evident from the number of companies that the desk has helped: dozens of questions have been received since its establishment. “There is always room for improvement; there is definitely still a lot to be gained,” says a spokesperson. The questions they receive are often specific and come from sectors with high-tech technology. “For example, a company has a meeting in a certain country and the question is whether they are allowed to bring equipment with them.”
Tax benefits
It is often—unjustifiably—not a priority, according to the business desk, although awareness is growing. "Many companies in these sectors are start-ups. When you've just started, you'd rather n
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2589983-bedrijven-bereiden-zich-te-weinig-voor-op-dreigingen-bescherm-je-kroonjuwelen
Toxic work environment at Rotterdam climate center: 'Run by jerks'
Shouting by managers, public humiliation of employees, and internationally renowned politicians used as leverage to silence staff. The working atmosphere at the Rotterdam climate center GCA has been so toxic in recent years that many employees quickly left. This is evident from dozens of interviews conducted by the NOS with more than twenty former employees and other parties involved. Many former employees describe the culture to the NOS as “toxic.” According to some, the agency is run by “cocky guys,” “alpha males,” or even “pure jerks.” The center itself denies that the culture is so bad, although director Patrick Verkooijen does say that he can be sharp-tongued.
Big names
The Netherlands proudly welcomed the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in 2017: the center would link knowledge about climate change to practice and thus help the world prepare for the changing climate. The project was largely funded by subsidies from the Dutch government and countries such as Norway, France, and Denmark. Big names such as former Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are associated with the center. When it was founded, the idea was that Dutch institutions would benefit from the center's presence. However, collaborations with Dutch organizations usually came to nothing. Institutions such as the KNMI, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, and Wageningen University did try, but almost all collaborations failed to get off the ground or ended in failure. One of the reasons for this was the high turnover of staff at GCA.
Investigation into GCA
The NOS has published two articles about GCA in recent weeks. The first was about the center no longer receiving subsidies from the Netherlands from 2027 onwards and its controversial reputation in recent years. The second described how GCA exaggerated its own influence in recent years and claimed to be collaborating on at least one project in which it was not actually involved. This is the final part of the investigation for the time being. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management even stopped subsidizing GCA after a collaboration with the Deltares knowledge institute had stalled. Partly because of that decision, the climate center could be lost to the Netherlands, as GCA is threatening to move to Kenya if the Netherlands does not decide to resume subsidies. “Working at GCA led to me suffering from burnout,” says former employee Sander Chan. He is now a researcher at Radboud University. “I have worked under high pressure at other organizations, which wasn't the problem, but the way pressure was put on you at GCA was far too much.” “When I look at the GCA website now, I see almost no one who was working there when I was,” says scientist Shuaib Lwasa. He is now a professor at Erasmus University, but he came to the Netherlands to work for GCA. Chan and Lwasa were the only ones willing to speak openly about their experiences. Others fear that Verkooijen and his direct advisors will attempt to damage their careers if they speak out. The two former employees talk about, among other things, the condescending tone within GCA about African countries or organizations:
Former employees talk about their time at GCA
“You can last six months, then you're dead,” says a former employee who held a senior position at GCA. He describes a pattern in which director Verkooijen or members of senior management undermined subordinates, for example by assigning tasks that were unachievable from the outset. When the task indeed proved impossible, the employee was severely reprimanded. These reprimands could be very public. Several former employees say that colleagues were “finished off” if their work did not meet the standards of the director or his closest advisors. Their qualities were constantly questioned and employees were humiliated or intimidated. Working at GCA “grinds you down mentally,” says a former employee. “It costs you all your self-confidence.”
Top diplomat Ban Ki-moon, on the other hand, calls the GCA director the most extraordinary person he has ever met:
Ban Ki-moon on Patrick Verkooijen
Verkooijen, former employees told the NOS, used his good relationship with former UN chief Ban Ki-moon to put pressure on subordinates and other organizations. “Verkooijen used Ban Ki-moon's name as a sword and shield,” says one source. The NOS has seen WhatsApp messages in which Verkooijen, after an argument with an employee, informs that person that they are now on their own. He ends the conversation by making it clear that Ban Ki-moon is on his side. “And this conversation between us is now over.” The employee who was threatened has since written in a statement provided by GCA that the messages were “unlawfully shared” with the NOS. He speaks of an “incorrect and misleading picture.” “The disagreement was fully expressed and resolved at the time, with apologies made on both sides. I subsequently joined GCA in a senior management position because I have complete confidence in Mr. Verkooijen's leadership.” However, former employees interviewed by the NOS say that these kinds of conversations are indicative of the atmosphere within GCA. One of them forwarded an internal survey from 2022. In it, more than half of the employees say that they find the company's management autocratic, that decisions are made without involving the staff, and that dissent is undesirable. GCA considers the autocratic culture that was identified more than four years after its establishment to be “a characterization that was appropriate for the start-up phase, when direction and structure were essential.” Since then, GCA has developed “a coaching and inclusive working method.” Numerous big names have been associated with the center: Jan Peter Balkenende, Ban Ki-moon, Feike Sijbesma, Carola Schouten, Kristalina Georgieva, Patrick Verkooijen.
People who recently worked at GCA see things differently. “When Patrick was present, there was tension in the building,” says one of them. “He often shouted in meetings, and you could hear it in the hallways.” “It was the most terrible professional experience I've ever had,” says another. “If you disagree with him about something he considers very important, you're simply finished at the center. You're no longer interesting,” says a former GCA employee who wishes to remain anonymous. “He destroys your life within the center. No one is allowed to talk to you, and you are no longer allowed to attend events or meetings.”
'Harsh tone'
In a response, GCA refers to “suggestions and insinuations made by the NOS.” At the same time, director Verkooijen says that the descriptions of former employees affect him. He acknowledges that he demands a lot “from myself and those around me” and calls his position “not a job, but a calling.”
“We work with urgency, under great pressure, and sometimes have heated discussions,” he writes. "However, this should never be at the expense of a safe and respectful working environment. I know that my tone can sometimes be sharp. This stems from my strong commitment and results-driven way of working. I am passionate about our mission and believe that ambition and speed are necessary to make a difference. At the same time, I realize that this sharp tone can be perceived by some as fierce or too direct."
No intervention
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management established the GCA foundation in 2017, and several IenW officials have worked at the center since then. IenW must therefore have been aware of the poor working atmosphere, say officials who spoke to the NOS. Yet no one intervened. Sander Chan finds this incomprehensible, because, according to him, it was well known in the community how things were going at GCA. “Even though it's not entirely public knowledge, people talk, and those who work in this field know what's going on at GCA.” The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure and Water Management have stated that, through informal contacts at the civil service level, there were a limited number of signals “about the dominant role of the CEO within the organization.” “These were not such that action was taken against GCA.”
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2588742-verziekte-werksfeer-bij-rotterdams-klimaatcentrum-gerund-door-bokito-s
Crane falls on Cadier en Keer care facility, causing major damage to roof
In Cadier en Keer, near Maastricht, a crane fell on a youth care facility. The roof of the building was severely damaged. Police and firefighters told Limburg broadcaster L1 that no one was injured. The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. The crane operator was attempting to lift a work vehicle over the building and lost stability, according to a spokesperson for the South Limburg Safety Region. “The crane tilted, causing it to land partially on the roof of the building. Fortunately, no one was injured, including the crane operator.” Emergency services are on site with multiple units. The building has been evacuated and people are being accommodated in other buildings in the vicinity. According to the safety region, the emergency services are assessing the stability of the crane. “We now need to determine how to proceed, which requires a plan to be made,” said the spokesperson.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2589023-hijskraan-valt-op-zorginstelling-cadier-en-keer-grote-schade-aan-dak
Companies in Utrecht ask staff to bring water or work from home
Several companies in Utrecht have asked their staff to bring their own drinking water to the office after bacteria were found in the water last weekend. Some companies are even asking their employees to work from home.
Rabobank and ASR have asked their employees to work from home on Monday. Rabobank's offices in Utrecht are open, however. Events will go ahead with modified catering, a Rabobank spokesperson told the ANP. Insurance company ASR has made a similar request. Staff who do want to come to the office must bring their own drinking water. Certain occasions, such as job interviews, can go ahead as usual. The company restaurant will also be open on Monday. ASN Bank and NS, which also have their headquarters in Utrecht, have not issued any explicit advice to work from home. However, the companies have warned their employees about the drinking water.
Childcare appeals to parents
Childcare provider BLOS advises parents to bring a bottle or pack of drinking water for their children. The organization is doing its best to stock up on sufficient drinking water, but also realizes that demand for drinking water in the area is high. The University of Utrecht has announced that coffee and tea from the vending machines are currently unsafe. The university is therefore asking employees and students to bring sufficient (boiled) water with them when they come to work or study. In addition, the university recommends bringing your own food, as it is still unclear whether the canteens will be open.
At the Princess Máxima Center, parents and children can safely drink water from the tap. The hospital has a water bag from which clean drinking water is pumped into the building. However, the hospital reports that supplies are limited and asks people to use water sparingly. In the Utrecht region, the advice to boil water will remain in effect until at least Tuesday, because the bacterium enterococcus has been found in the drinking water. Households are advised to boil water for three minutes before use.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6374628/bedrijven-in-utrecht-vragen-personeel-water-mee-te-nemen-of-thuis-te-werken.html
Factories belonging to major car brands are at risk of grinding to a halt due to a shortage of chips from the Nijmegen-based company Nexperia.
China has been blocking exports of these chips for a month, leaving some car manufacturers with only a few days' worth of stock, says Sigrid de Vries of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Volkswagen, Nissan, and Honda are feeling the pressure. Japanese business newspaper Nikkei reports that Honda shut down a factory in Mexico last week. Nexperia has its headquarters in Nijmegen, but most of its chips come from Chinese factories. Exports have been halted since the Dutch government intervened at Nexperia at the end of September due to mismanagement by the Chinese management.
Shortage with major consequences
“These chips are used in many different components,” Sigrid de Vries told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “As a result, a shortage of a single component or from a single supplier can have major consequences.” According to Richard Holleman of electric car manufacturer Carice, the small Nexperia chips are indispensable. “They enable the car to start, the dashboard to work, and the headlights to turn on and off, for example.” “Just like the big car manufacturers, we use these simple chips,” says Holleman. “If you run out of stock, as a car manufacturer you're not just in a bit of trouble, you're in huge trouble.
”Hardly any alternatives available
There are hardly any alternatives, says De Vries. “Even if you find another supplier, the question is whether they can deliver the same large quantities. You can't arrange that in a few weeks or months.” Replacement is also difficult from a technical point of view, explains Holleman: “You could replace an Nexperia chip with another chip that looks quite similar, but every technician knows that it doesn't work that way. On a circuit board like that, it can cause a whole series of problems.”
Uncertainty remains
De Vries sees only one quick solution: for China to resume exporting the chips. A message from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce offers hope: companies in need can apply for an exemption. But, says De Vries: “What conditions must the companies meet? The paperwork can also take weeks. The uncertainty is far from over.” If the chips do not arrive this week, some car manufacturers will still have to reduce or halt production, says De Vries. “We don't need the Nexperia chips now, we needed them yesterday.”
Source: https://www.gld.nl/nieuws/8388882/tijd-dringt-voor-autofabrikanten-zonder-nexperia-chips
RTV Noord hacked, consequences for broadcasts and all platforms
RTV Noord has been hacked, according to the regional broadcaster itself. The hack “has major consequences for broadcasts and publications on all our platforms,” according to the broadcaster. The hack was discovered by the broadcaster's IT department. The unknown hackers left a message on the server. The broadcaster has not commented on the content of the message. The broadcaster from the province of Groningen has been experiencing problems with all its editorial systems since this morning. Messages can be published on the app and website with a lot of extra steps.
Radio broadcasts can still go ahead, writes RTV Noord. The station is playing CDs and has even put an LP from the set on the turntable. All music is started manually. “The first priority is to get the systems up and running again,” says news editor-in-chief Cunera van Selm. According to the editor-in-chief, tonight's TV broadcast seems to be able to continue with some ingenuity. It is still unclear when the editorial systems will be functioning normally again.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2589418-rtv-noord-gehackt-gevolgen-voor-uitzendingen-en-alle-platforms
Espionage, export bans, and trade wars. Increased geopolitical threats also mean increased risks for companies. Yet companies are not doing enough to protect themselves against these risks, according to research by the Clingendael Institute. The researchers looked at how companies deal with economic security. “That means being resilient to risks arising from geopolitical threats,” says researcher Maaike Okano-Heijmans of Clingendael. “Think of President Trump suddenly imposing tariffs, or components no longer being supplied, as we saw with Nexperia.”
Where do things come from?
The researchers looked at companies with so-called key technologies, for example in the chip industry, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. Although nine out of ten companies say they see risks to their economic security, not all of them are taking measures. For example, 61 percent of companies say their supply chains are vulnerable. In the event of a war or trade conflict, a company may no longer be able to obtain important components. Yet only 38 percent of the companies surveyed have taken measures to reduce that risk. Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a wise idea, and certainly not in this geopolitical situation.
Maaike Okano-Heijmans, researcher at Clingendael
“All these supply chains are extremely complex,” says Okano-Heijmans. “Companies could look at where they source their materials and ensure that they come from different countries. Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a wise idea, and certainly not in this geopolitical situation.” According to the researchers, companies also talk too little about the risks. “Once a month is not enough in this day and age.”
'It's ingrained in us'
One company that does deal with economic security on a daily basis is Quantware in Delft. This company designs and manufactures chips for quantum computers. “Quantum computers can calculate things that ordinary computers cannot,” says CEO Matthijs Rijlaarsdam. “This makes it possible to produce more powerful batteries and improve chemical processes, but there are also many national security applications.” The company was founded 4.5 years ago. “It's ingrained in us because the risks started to increase when we started. Ten years ago, this was much less of an issue. In addition, we make highly sensitive technology. Protecting our knowledge has been a very important issue for us from day one.” For security reasons, Rijlaarsdam cannot disclose the specific measures the company is taking. “But it concerns everything: who we sell our products to, training our staff, how we store data.”
Competitive position
Economic security also plays a major role in the question of where to build their new factory, he says. “For example, we only want to do that in a country where the rules on intellectual property rights are comparable to those in the Netherlands.” When you've just started out, you'd rather not invest your money in cybersecurity or other measures.
Spokesperson for the Economic Security Business Desk
Despite the risks, Rijlaarsdam believes it is particularly important to allow these types of companies to grow. “Economic security is mainly about the competitive position of the Netherlands. Ultimately, we need to have something to protect.” There are also companies that have been working on risk protection for some time. Drinking water companies, for example. “As a vital sector, we have always had to be prepared for the worst,” says a spokesperson for the industry organization. Drinking water companies are prepared and have plans in place to ensure that water always comes out of the tap, she says.
Dozens of questions
However, the study shows that not all companies are prepared, and often companies do not know where to find information about economic security. In 2023, the Ministry of Economic Affairs therefore set up the Economic Security Business Desk, where companies can go with their questions. However, according to the study, only a third of the companies surveyed are aware of its existence. This is also evident from the number of companies that the desk has helped: dozens of questions have been received since its establishment. “There is always room for improvement; there is definitely still a lot to be gained,” says a spokesperson. The questions they receive are often specific and come from sectors with high-tech technology. “For example, a company has a meeting in a certain country and the question is whether they are allowed to bring equipment with them.”
Tax benefits
It is often—unjustifiably—not a priority, according to the business desk, although awareness is growing. "Many companies in these sectors are start-ups. When you've just started, you'd rather n
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2589983-bedrijven-bereiden-zich-te-weinig-voor-op-dreigingen-bescherm-je-kroonjuwelen
Toxic work environment at Rotterdam climate center: 'Run by jerks'
Shouting by managers, public humiliation of employees, and internationally renowned politicians used as leverage to silence staff. The working atmosphere at the Rotterdam climate center GCA has been so toxic in recent years that many employees quickly left. This is evident from dozens of interviews conducted by the NOS with more than twenty former employees and other parties involved. Many former employees describe the culture to the NOS as “toxic.” According to some, the agency is run by “cocky guys,” “alpha males,” or even “pure jerks.” The center itself denies that the culture is so bad, although director Patrick Verkooijen does say that he can be sharp-tongued.
Big names
The Netherlands proudly welcomed the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in 2017: the center would link knowledge about climate change to practice and thus help the world prepare for the changing climate. The project was largely funded by subsidies from the Dutch government and countries such as Norway, France, and Denmark. Big names such as former Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are associated with the center. When it was founded, the idea was that Dutch institutions would benefit from the center's presence. However, collaborations with Dutch organizations usually came to nothing. Institutions such as the KNMI, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, and Wageningen University did try, but almost all collaborations failed to get off the ground or ended in failure. One of the reasons for this was the high turnover of staff at GCA.
Investigation into GCA
The NOS has published two articles about GCA in recent weeks. The first was about the center no longer receiving subsidies from the Netherlands from 2027 onwards and its controversial reputation in recent years. The second described how GCA exaggerated its own influence in recent years and claimed to be collaborating on at least one project in which it was not actually involved. This is the final part of the investigation for the time being. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management even stopped subsidizing GCA after a collaboration with the Deltares knowledge institute had stalled. Partly because of that decision, the climate center could be lost to the Netherlands, as GCA is threatening to move to Kenya if the Netherlands does not decide to resume subsidies. “Working at GCA led to me suffering from burnout,” says former employee Sander Chan. He is now a researcher at Radboud University. “I have worked under high pressure at other organizations, which wasn't the problem, but the way pressure was put on you at GCA was far too much.” “When I look at the GCA website now, I see almost no one who was working there when I was,” says scientist Shuaib Lwasa. He is now a professor at Erasmus University, but he came to the Netherlands to work for GCA. Chan and Lwasa were the only ones willing to speak openly about their experiences. Others fear that Verkooijen and his direct advisors will attempt to damage their careers if they speak out. The two former employees talk about, among other things, the condescending tone within GCA about African countries or organizations:
Former employees talk about their time at GCA
“You can last six months, then you're dead,” says a former employee who held a senior position at GCA. He describes a pattern in which director Verkooijen or members of senior management undermined subordinates, for example by assigning tasks that were unachievable from the outset. When the task indeed proved impossible, the employee was severely reprimanded. These reprimands could be very public. Several former employees say that colleagues were “finished off” if their work did not meet the standards of the director or his closest advisors. Their qualities were constantly questioned and employees were humiliated or intimidated. Working at GCA “grinds you down mentally,” says a former employee. “It costs you all your self-confidence.”
Top diplomat Ban Ki-moon, on the other hand, calls the GCA director the most extraordinary person he has ever met:
Ban Ki-moon on Patrick Verkooijen
Verkooijen, former employees told the NOS, used his good relationship with former UN chief Ban Ki-moon to put pressure on subordinates and other organizations. “Verkooijen used Ban Ki-moon's name as a sword and shield,” says one source. The NOS has seen WhatsApp messages in which Verkooijen, after an argument with an employee, informs that person that they are now on their own. He ends the conversation by making it clear that Ban Ki-moon is on his side. “And this conversation between us is now over.” The employee who was threatened has since written in a statement provided by GCA that the messages were “unlawfully shared” with the NOS. He speaks of an “incorrect and misleading picture.” “The disagreement was fully expressed and resolved at the time, with apologies made on both sides. I subsequently joined GCA in a senior management position because I have complete confidence in Mr. Verkooijen's leadership.” However, former employees interviewed by the NOS say that these kinds of conversations are indicative of the atmosphere within GCA. One of them forwarded an internal survey from 2022. In it, more than half of the employees say that they find the company's management autocratic, that decisions are made without involving the staff, and that dissent is undesirable. GCA considers the autocratic culture that was identified more than four years after its establishment to be “a characterization that was appropriate for the start-up phase, when direction and structure were essential.” Since then, GCA has developed “a coaching and inclusive working method.” Numerous big names have been associated with the center: Jan Peter Balkenende, Ban Ki-moon, Feike Sijbesma, Carola Schouten, Kristalina Georgieva, Patrick Verkooijen.
People who recently worked at GCA see things differently. “When Patrick was present, there was tension in the building,” says one of them. “He often shouted in meetings, and you could hear it in the hallways.” “It was the most terrible professional experience I've ever had,” says another. “If you disagree with him about something he considers very important, you're simply finished at the center. You're no longer interesting,” says a former GCA employee who wishes to remain anonymous. “He destroys your life within the center. No one is allowed to talk to you, and you are no longer allowed to attend events or meetings.”
'Harsh tone'
In a response, GCA refers to “suggestions and insinuations made by the NOS.” At the same time, director Verkooijen says that the descriptions of former employees affect him. He acknowledges that he demands a lot “from myself and those around me” and calls his position “not a job, but a calling.”
“We work with urgency, under great pressure, and sometimes have heated discussions,” he writes. "However, this should never be at the expense of a safe and respectful working environment. I know that my tone can sometimes be sharp. This stems from my strong commitment and results-driven way of working. I am passionate about our mission and believe that ambition and speed are necessary to make a difference. At the same time, I realize that this sharp tone can be perceived by some as fierce or too direct."
No intervention
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management established the GCA foundation in 2017, and several IenW officials have worked at the center since then. IenW must therefore have been aware of the poor working atmosphere, say officials who spoke to the NOS. Yet no one intervened. Sander Chan finds this incomprehensible, because, according to him, it was well known in the community how things were going at GCA. “Even though it's not entirely public knowledge, people talk, and those who work in this field know what's going on at GCA.” The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure and Water Management have stated that, through informal contacts at the civil service level, there were a limited number of signals “about the dominant role of the CEO within the organization.” “These were not such that action was taken against GCA.”
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2588742-verziekte-werksfeer-bij-rotterdams-klimaatcentrum-gerund-door-bokito-s
Crane falls on Cadier en Keer care facility, causing major damage to roof
In Cadier en Keer, near Maastricht, a crane fell on a youth care facility. The roof of the building was severely damaged. Police and firefighters told Limburg broadcaster L1 that no one was injured. The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. The crane operator was attempting to lift a work vehicle over the building and lost stability, according to a spokesperson for the South Limburg Safety Region. “The crane tilted, causing it to land partially on the roof of the building. Fortunately, no one was injured, including the crane operator.” Emergency services are on site with multiple units. The building has been evacuated and people are being accommodated in other buildings in the vicinity. According to the safety region, the emergency services are assessing the stability of the crane. “We now need to determine how to proceed, which requires a plan to be made,” said the spokesperson.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2589023-hijskraan-valt-op-zorginstelling-cadier-en-keer-grote-schade-aan-dak
Companies in Utrecht ask staff to bring water or work from home
Several companies in Utrecht have asked their staff to bring their own drinking water to the office after bacteria were found in the water last weekend. Some companies are even asking their employees to work from home.
Rabobank and ASR have asked their employees to work from home on Monday. Rabobank's offices in Utrecht are open, however. Events will go ahead with modified catering, a Rabobank spokesperson told the ANP. Insurance company ASR has made a similar request. Staff who do want to come to the office must bring their own drinking water. Certain occasions, such as job interviews, can go ahead as usual. The company restaurant will also be open on Monday. ASN Bank and NS, which also have their headquarters in Utrecht, have not issued any explicit advice to work from home. However, the companies have warned their employees about the drinking water.
Childcare appeals to parents
Childcare provider BLOS advises parents to bring a bottle or pack of drinking water for their children. The organization is doing its best to stock up on sufficient drinking water, but also realizes that demand for drinking water in the area is high. The University of Utrecht has announced that coffee and tea from the vending machines are currently unsafe. The university is therefore asking employees and students to bring sufficient (boiled) water with them when they come to work or study. In addition, the university recommends bringing your own food, as it is still unclear whether the canteens will be open.
At the Princess Máxima Center, parents and children can safely drink water from the tap. The hospital has a water bag from which clean drinking water is pumped into the building. However, the hospital reports that supplies are limited and asks people to use water sparingly. In the Utrecht region, the advice to boil water will remain in effect until at least Tuesday, because the bacterium enterococcus has been found in the drinking water. Households are advised to boil water for three minutes before use.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6374628/bedrijven-in-utrecht-vragen-personeel-water-mee-te-nemen-of-thuis-te-werken.html
Factories belonging to major car brands are at risk of grinding to a halt due to a shortage of chips from the Nijmegen-based company Nexperia.
China has been blocking exports of these chips for a month, leaving some car manufacturers with only a few days' worth of stock, says Sigrid de Vries of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Volkswagen, Nissan, and Honda are feeling the pressure. Japanese business newspaper Nikkei reports that Honda shut down a factory in Mexico last week. Nexperia has its headquarters in Nijmegen, but most of its chips come from Chinese factories. Exports have been halted since the Dutch government intervened at Nexperia at the end of September due to mismanagement by the Chinese management.
Shortage with major consequences
“These chips are used in many different components,” Sigrid de Vries told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “As a result, a shortage of a single component or from a single supplier can have major consequences.” According to Richard Holleman of electric car manufacturer Carice, the small Nexperia chips are indispensable. “They enable the car to start, the dashboard to work, and the headlights to turn on and off, for example.” “Just like the big car manufacturers, we use these simple chips,” says Holleman. “If you run out of stock, as a car manufacturer you're not just in a bit of trouble, you're in huge trouble.
”Hardly any alternatives available
There are hardly any alternatives, says De Vries. “Even if you find another supplier, the question is whether they can deliver the same large quantities. You can't arrange that in a few weeks or months.” Replacement is also difficult from a technical point of view, explains Holleman: “You could replace an Nexperia chip with another chip that looks quite similar, but every technician knows that it doesn't work that way. On a circuit board like that, it can cause a whole series of problems.”
Uncertainty remains
De Vries sees only one quick solution: for China to resume exporting the chips. A message from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce offers hope: companies in need can apply for an exemption. But, says De Vries: “What conditions must the companies meet? The paperwork can also take weeks. The uncertainty is far from over.” If the chips do not arrive this week, some car manufacturers will still have to reduce or halt production, says De Vries. “We don't need the Nexperia chips now, we needed them yesterday.”
Source: https://www.gld.nl/nieuws/8388882/tijd-dringt-voor-autofabrikanten-zonder-nexperia-chips
RTV Noord hacked, consequences for broadcasts and all platforms
RTV Noord has been hacked, according to the regional broadcaster itself. The hack “has major consequences for broadcasts and publications on all our platforms,” according to the broadcaster. The hack was discovered by the broadcaster's IT department. The unknown hackers left a message on the server. The broadcaster has not commented on the content of the message. The broadcaster from the province of Groningen has been experiencing problems with all its editorial systems since this morning. Messages can be published on the app and website with a lot of extra steps.
Radio broadcasts can still go ahead, writes RTV Noord. The station is playing CDs and has even put an LP from the set on the turntable. All music is started manually. “The first priority is to get the systems up and running again,” says news editor-in-chief Cunera van Selm. According to the editor-in-chief, tonight's TV broadcast seems to be able to continue with some ingenuity. It is still unclear when the editorial systems will be functioning normally again.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2589418-rtv-noord-gehackt-gevolgen-voor-uitzendingen-en-alle-platforms
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate