In our ‘Internship Stories’ section, we chat with interns from various departments and share their experiences during their internship at Bredenoord. Meet Hasan, a 22-year-old Electrical Engineering student at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem, who has successfully completed his final-year internship at Bredenoord and thereby obtained his degree. We spoke to Hasan about his highlights and learning moments, and asked him for tips for future interns.
Hasan is very interested in renewable energy, but that’s not the only thing he’s involved in. Alongside his studies, Hasan has a passion for archery and enjoys watching films and spending time with friends. He lives in Apeldoorn, which gave him the perfect opportunity to apply to Bredenoord, a company he was already familiar with from his hometown and a visit to the Brabanthallen trade fair. Hasan says of his application process: “When I was looking at various companies, I saw that Bredenoord had an open application process. And I thought, I might as well give it a go.”
Bredenoord’s versatility and innovative projects, such as hydrogen and Battery Boxes, immediately appealed to Hasan. Bredenoord’s open and flexible approach to finding a suitable internship assignment also played a crucial role in his decision. Hasan emphasises: “Renewable energy was quite a major area of interest for me. And I found the assignment I was given very interesting. It was quite open-ended.”
The assignment
Bredenoord worked closely with Hasan to devise a project that aligned with his interests. And they succeeded: during his internship, Hasan worked on a solution for charging battery boxes via the grid. The aim of this solution was to support lower grid connections, relax standards in Germany and compensate for poor grid connections. It was a challenging and research-based assignment that gave him the opportunity to carry out both theoretical and practical work. Hasan explains: “One of the benefits would be that a lower standard would apply in Germany. And if there was a poor grid connection, it would eliminate that poor grid connection.”
Hasan noted that working with new design tools, such as EPLAN, was one of the biggest challenges. He had little experience with this programme, but thanks to the guidance of colleagues and assigned mentors such as João, he managed to overcome these challenges. “I found it particularly educational. But the difficulty lay more in the fact that it was new,” says Hasan.
"For nine out of ten students I would highly recommend Bredenoord."
Hasan, technology intern
Informal corporate culture
Hasan praises the close-knit teams and the informal corporate culture at Bredenoord. The connection between different departments was much stronger compared to his previous work placements. This made it easier to get help and answers quickly, which benefited both efficiency and the learning experience. He notes: “At other companies, I noticed that lots of ‘silos’ formed. For example, the rental department and the assembly department were completely separate. Here, if you have a question for a technician, you can just walk into the workshop.”
Independence
Hasan’s internship supervisor, Martin Bresser, offered him the right balance between guidance and independence. He gave Hasan the space to figure things out for himself and even learnt new things from Hasan’s findings. Following his internship at Bredenoord, Hasan plans to continue his studies at Eindhoven University to specialise as a systems engineer in renewable energy. Hasan explains: “I would like to continue my studies and develop myself into a systems engineer.”
Highly recommended
Hasan looks back positively on his time at Bredenoord. He values the flexibility, the opportunities for development and the practical experience he has gained. He has a few tips for future interns, such as preparing thoroughly for the start-up programmes you’ll be working on and building contacts within the company. You also need to dare to take the initiative yourself. Speaking about the overall experience, Hasan says: “For 9 out of 10 students, Bredenoord is highly recommended.”
Best moment
As well as the project Hasan was able to work on, there were other highlights during his internship. When we ask him about his best moment, Hasan refers to the Hannover Messe in Germany. Hasan was absolutely amazed by it. “It’s a massive industrial trade fair where you get to meet companies from all over the world. Very impressive.”
Hasan’s internship at Bredenoord has not only expanded his knowledge and skills, but has also given him a clearer picture of his future career path. In his view, his experiences and the positive corporate culture at Bredenoord make it an ideal place for students who want to gain both theoretical and practical experience in the world of renewable energy.