Jos van Sas

Casual coffee moments

Jos finds his role in ITEA very appealing “because it’s bottom-up, industry driven and very flexible in the sense of bringing people together during events like the ITEA PO Days.” Jos is disappointed he was unable to make the ITEA PO Days in Helsinki this September due to the contraction of COVID within his family. “On the other hand, the COVID-19 ‘era’ has also shown us how we can adapt. Meetings have been able to go ahead, albeit online, and goals have been achieved. This is true for our industry in general and of microelectronics in particular – and within ITEA. The collaborative spirit is still going strong although it's the casual moments – at dinner and the coffee machine – that are prominent by their absence. These are the moments when ideas are sometimes generated, and relationships cemented. It’s no secret that, despite all the travel restriction gains for the environment and the wallet, we all miss these moments.”

Changes are inevitable

Over the past 20 years Jos has seen many changes at ITEA, first and foremost in respect of the professionalisation that has taken place in the processes and procedures. “In the beginning the evaluation process, for example, was rather lightweight, with just a matter of six or seven criteria and no more than a couple of A4s. With Philippe Letellier as Vicechairman for an extended period came the development of a more rigorous and refined process. Another change I have witnessed,” Jos says, “is the expansion of the ‘family’, with quite a lot of comings and goings. At least I have good company in Medur Sridharan who, like myself, has been around for more or less the same time. But every organisation needs fresh impetus, new visions and perspectives to maintain its dynamic. So, in that sense, change is a good thing. It provides a nice and necessary healthy internal balance. Then there’s the funding, or rather the streamlining of the funding decisions. Not something that ITEA can really influence but it is worrying to see how certain countries and companies that were strong participants early on have become absentees due to a lack of public funding. Of course, two highly visible changes have taken place in recent years – the new Cluster Programme format and geographical expansion beyond Europe., like the Eureka Clusters AI Call and the integration of project participants from Canada to South Korea. This expansion has led to real win-win situations, from both a cultural and technological perspective.”

Serious hobby

It’s certainly a much-changed landscape from 2002 and managing that complexity is a real challenge! But I can also say that I have had a lot of pleasure from ITEA in these two decades. Being on the edge of the corporate circle rather than inside it in my capacity as Director of External Affairs,” Jos explains, “has given me the opportunity to interact with the ‘outside world’. Going to other parties and players to see how they work and learn from them. ‘Not invented here’ is my motto. It brought me to ITEA in the first place and not only has it enriched me personally but my organisation, too. It also keeps me at the forefront of the latest state-of-the-art. I see my Steering Committee role as a serious hobby, borne out of desire not necessity.” Long may it continue.