Nobleo felt different from other consultancy firms

Jeroen Willems faced a common dilemma after obtaining a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Eindhoven University of Technology nearly nine years ago. He knew he loved technology but was unsure which specific direction to pursue. “I didn’t have a specific company in mind yet, but I did know I wanted to start in the direction of Mechatronics and Dynamics & Control, since that’s also what I specialised in during my master’s.” Jeroen reflects. So when Nobleo, which was mainly a consultancy firm at the time, approached him via LinkedIn and proposed to meet over coffee to discuss the options, he was immediately triggered.

What attracted him most was how different Nobleo felt from other consultancy firms. It had a more welcoming, family-like atmosphere where colleagues genuinely knew each other -something harder to find in larger firms.”I really liked that cozy vibe and the fact that there is very little hierarchy. Everyone is very approachable, even our CEO and CTO,” Jeroen explains. “But I didn’t want to compromise on technical excellence. And I found that at Nobleo I could have both. From the very first meeting it was clear that the discussions were on a remarkably high technical level. This gave me the confidence that I had found a place where I could truly challenge myself while still enjoying that welcoming, down-to-earth atmosphere.”

A combination of academic research and practical application

Nobleo connected Jeroen with Flanders Make, a Belgian research centre focused on the Flemish manufacturing industry. What was intended as the start of a typical secondment trajectory, became an eight-year deep dive into control systems and dynamics across diverse industrial applications. “We worked on research projects ranging from weaving machines to autonomous vehicles and smart energy systems for battery management on boats – really broad and diverse,” he describes. The role perfectly combined academic research with practical application, exactly the balance Jeroen was looking for.

“We conducted multi-year research, building our own experimental setups and developing new control algorithms for those setups, which we would then publish in academic papers,” he describes. “That was the exciting part – starting from scratch, building a system, validating the technology. To finally present it at conferences or at symposia to give fellow engineers, as well as managers and CTOs of various Flemish companies a sense of what was possible.” In addition, Jeroen also provided one-on-one consultancy to companies needing improved control systems. Allowing him to directly use the knowledge gained through research to help those companies.

Transitioning to internal projects

After the assignment at Flanders Make had ended, Jeroen transitioned to Nobleo’s internal projects division, which had significantly grown since he started working at Flanders Make. “The timing proved perfect as I was ready for something new. New energy, new ideas, new inspiration.” There, he also found the freedom to contribute to a variety of projects, each with its own technical challenges. This allowed him to continue to build a versatile toolbox of techniques and insights that he could ‘carry’ from one project to the next, making his knowledge broadly applicable across different domains, and even at home.

Engineering mindset at home

Jeroen doesn’t solely use his analytical approach for professional purposes. Recently buying a new home with his girlfriend, he applied the same methodical research to renovating the house. “I spend evenings reading forums about everything from pipe thickness to floor heating to electricity – the same way I read papers for work because I find it interesting to understand how people solve certain problems.”

The renovation became a smart home project, complete with automated lighting, humidity control, and environmental monitoring. “For me it wasn’t just about making everything high-tech, but also about keeping it intuitive and workable. My girlfriend was fine with me installing all that technology but kept reminding me not to get too carried away and to focus on ease of use,” he laughs.

The Nobleo Explorers difference

What distinguishes Nobleo’s consultancy approach, according to Jeroen, is the genuine investment in employee development. “The coaching, the competency groups, the internal training opportunities – you are given every opportunity to grow in the areas you are interested in. and there is absolutely no micromanagement here at Nobleo. You are hired because of your skills, and you are trusted to do your job well. That works really well for me.”

Working alongside like-minded colleagues adds another dimension to the experience. “Whether you’re diving deep into complex control algorithms or discussing the latest home automation project, everyone here speaks the same technical language and is willing to help with tips and advice.” That combination of small-company culture with access to complex, cutting-edge projects creates what Jeroen calls ‘the best of both worlds’ – close collaborations with world-class technical challenges.