Cora, you're the person who can tell us everything about the communication around MindLabs. Fire away: what are we talking about specifically?
MindLabs communication involves issues such as the positioning of MindLabs in the world of AI and beyond, and the development of communication strategies. A good website and house style are indispensable for this. That's why I started working on that first. But part of my portfolio also covers the writing and designing of newsletters, communication around events and the social media pages.

By the way, as communications manager, I am not the one actually doing this. Like a kind of spider spinning a web, my main job is to maintain an overview and coordinate things. External people deal with the actual implementation because we are still too small to have a real communication department. When developing our new house style and website, for example, I thought about the how and the what; what image does MindLabs want to radiate and what form is appropriate for that? Once an idea is in place, I let others put it into practice.

Why is this so important for MindLabs?
MindLabs is an initiative; there is no tangible product. The services we offer are our wonderful network of knowledge institutions and entrepreneurs, our ability to connect them in an accessible way (during knowledge sessions, for example) and the fact that we know our way around the world of subsidies. But at the moment, we still need more size to be able to take major steps forward. And so we must present ourselves to the outside world in order to attract the enterprising and innovative frontrunners, for example. We like to feature these companies and organisations frequently and extensively in our communications. In this way, we are creating a flywheel effect and connecting new parties to us. After all, you need certain magnitude to make real progress. And a good story as well, to help build confidence. And enthusiasm – for which we are well-known, by the way – to infect others with. Solid communication is now extremely important for several reasons.

Which parties do you work with? And what is their role in the thing as a whole?
My strength lies in making something out of nothing. I am renovating the shop, as it were, but I prefer to leave keeping it open to others. As I said, at the moment I'm working almost exclusively with externals. I buy their services in. Communications agency Strooploos, for example, provides our newsletters and social media messages. We work with a website builder and with external designers. For instance, our house style was developed by Beelenkamp Ontwerpers. And I outsource major events. In fact, as a generalist, I gather around me true specialists who are great in their own field of expertise. I'm convinced that this is the best recipe for success.

In the future, I would like to work even more with our MindLabs partners in the field of communications. To create a win-win situation. By having one of our partners subtitle and translate our films and streams 'live', for example; from speech to text. This technology is still in its infancy. And I would like to hand over our social media to students. Then I stay on top of things, but 'learning by doing' becomes very concrete. MindLabs wants to be a kind of sandbox and testing ground. We take our social responsibility seriously. By actually acting as a sandbox for the new generation, we are giving back to society.

What are the ideal results of your efforts in this area?
That all and sundry know what MindLabs is. In Tilburg and its surroundings, but preferably also at a national and European level. That you can really show what's happening at MindLabs, especially when you walk past the new building. That makes people think: Wow, what are they doing in there!? This awareness is also necessary to bind good people to us and to keep knowledge in the region. And to get companies even more interested. We want them to know that very cool things are happening in their backyard. And that they can get wonderful opportunities through us. This is how we go for the domino effect.

And if we can get to do physical events again, I want to continue working on making them special. So that you think: a MindLabs event? I want to be there.

What do you especially like to outsource?
I have a bit of a problem with that: I like a lot of things and it's hard for me to choose. But I prefer to chew on things; I'm an endurance runner, not a sprinter. I want to think up things, turn them over in my mind and unearth connections. In the past, I also did press briefings, but I don't care much for the hullabaloo. For example, I'm delighted that I was able to outsource MindLabs' social media. The speed of it doesn't suit me, I'm more into the long term and the long view.

I'm sure you have already experienced some highlights in MindLabs communication. Could you single out a nice one?
I'm proud of the new website we've launched, our visibility on social media and the webinars during this pandemic. And our new house style is also a real highlight. The old one was a bit too well-behaved for my liking and didn't suit the ambitions of MindLabs. MindLabs doesn't do what everyone else is doing. MindLabs is about being surprising. And that's what the house style does now. It may also introduce some friction here and there...

Have you noticed any results from the new communication strategy?
Yes. In 2020, we focused mainly on visibility. Because too often we were getting comments that we didn't have visibility. In 2021, it is a matter of consolidating and perfecting what we have. This is bearing fruit. I notice it even in my own circle of friends; more and more people know what MindLabs is. Whereas I used to have to explain every time the name was mentioned, that is now becoming increasingly unnecessary.

How do you celebrate milestones like a new website or house style? Are there any creative ideas about this?
We do celebrate it, but in a rather modest way at the moment. Everything happens via screens. With a petit-four maybe, but that's about it. That's a pity because if you really want to bring people into contact with each other, a face-to-face meeting is the best method by far. But it is what it is.

Let's round this off. Then you get on with it. What are you going to do now? Full-on communicating again? Or will it be a cup of coffee or something stronger first?
I don't drink coffee. Although I sometimes make an exception for a good cappuccino. But it will be a cup of tea, I think!