By Philip van Slooten – AI editor

What will the arrival of AI hub The Stack mean for Oostenburg? How many people will work there, and will residents still be able to walk in? Stichting Over de Brug organised an afternoon gathering at the Buurtkamer to discuss plans for the former INIT building. Host Eddy led the conversation between local residents, Jan-Jaap van Klompenburg of Aroundtown and Marius Woldberg of The Stack.

Aroundtown owns the building. Jan-Jaap van Klompenburg outlined the renovation and interior plans. Marius Woldberg then explained what The Stack aims to create there: a place where young companies work together on applications of artificial intelligence, or AI.

An AI hub in Oostenburg: what is planned?

The Stack wants to provide young technology companies with workspaces where they can share knowledge and develop products together. These could include AI applications for healthcare and manufacturing. There are also ideas for labs where entrepreneurs can test robots and other prototypes. These plans are still taking shape.

The founders want to help companies grow in the Netherlands and Europe. They hope this will reduce the need for entrepreneurs to move to the United States to secure funding and expand their businesses.

Jan-Jaap van Klompenburg of real estate company Aroundtown, the owner of the former INIT building

How many people will work there?

One question from the audience concerned the scale of the project. The Stack aims to accommodate around 200 companies, ranging from one-person businesses to teams of up to approximately thirty people. Woldberg could not yet give a precise figure for how many people would work there each day.

According to his presentation, 215 applications had come in, with around 150 still under consideration. These are not confirmed tenants. The selection process looks at what companies are developing and what they can contribute to collaboration.

The building will come into use in stages. During the presentation, Woldberg named January as the target for the official opening.

Will local residents still be able to walk in?

Public access also came up in the discussion led by Eddy. Will people still be able to drop in for a sandwich or visit the café? Or will most of the building be closed to the public?

According to the explanation given, the café and some of the communal areas will remain open to the public. Access to workspaces will be restricted so that companies can protect their work. The parties involved are still discussing the exact division between public and private areas.

The organisation expects more visitors to the building. People coming to work there may also use shops, cafés, restaurants and other amenities in Oostenburg.

What kinds of events will take place?

Residents also asked about the extra visitors that events might attract. The Stack plans to have a large event space with a capacity of around 200 people.

Woldberg stressed that activities would mainly serve developers and the companies based there. These could include sessions where participants share knowledge or work together on a technical problem. External events will need to fit The Stack’s purpose.

How will the companies work together?

Another question at the Buurtkamer concerned the practical side: how do you prevent everyone from focusing solely on their own business?

The Stack expects participants to contribute something. This might mean sharing knowledge, helping other entrepreneurs or joining a group activity. Woldberg gave the example of a pizza evening where developers work together on a problem faced by one of the companies.

The organisation wants participating companies to have a role in selection and programming through a cooperative. The details are still being developed.

Woldberg acknowledged that maintaining this collaboration over the long term will require attention. After three or four years, there should still be an active community that works together and stays connected with the neighbourhood.

Marius Woldberg of The Stack

Will there be collaboration with the Marineterrein?

Someone in the audience asked whether The Stack would work with innovation initiatives at the Marineterrein. Woldberg said he was keen to explore those connections. He did not present any concrete collaboration agreements at the meeting.

There are also plans for exchanges with similar places in Paris and Berlin. These would allow young companies to work temporarily at another location, share knowledge and build contacts.

A look inside The Stack

During the gathering, Woldberg invited residents to come and take a look once the renovation is further along. A tour could give people a clearer picture of the building and the companies working there.

Another idea was to hold a session where entrepreneurs demonstrate their AI applications. What problem are they solving? What does their application do in practice? And what questions do residents have about it?

No specific dates have been announced for these follow-up activities. The afternoon organised by Stichting Over de Brug at the Buurtkamer offers a starting point for continuing the conversation between The Stack and the neighbourhood.