Spectro-AG vs. Cas Bolwerk: trust in IT-talent

We say it for a reason: Push IT to the limit! In our search for companies in Twente that push the boundaries in the field of IT, we found Spectro-AG. A start-up from Bentelo that specialises in hyperspectral and multispectral sensors for UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) systems. With the help of IT talent, Spectro-AG gains new insights, helps develop talent and increases the support for AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the industrial sector.

Using advanced technology Spectro-AG makes it possible to detect the quality of grass fields, downy mildew in vineyards, weeds, risk of mice infestation, unhealthy trees in forest areas, beaver tunnels or processionary caterpillar nests. Furthermore, they make 3D surface drawings using vegetation indices techniques and can recognise objects from space in satellite images. We spoke with founder Dr. Ir. Hamed Mehdipoor: “We focus on the research and development of the digitisation and automation of AI modelling and remote sensing workflows for drone and satellite data, especially for industrial sectors in the Twente region.” 

The company is growing fast, so they are always on the lookout for new IT talent: “Spectro-AG is growing and needs talented young developers with a high level of expertise for its projects, but we also want to help talent make progress in their careers. Finding the right developers is challenging for us. Fortunately, we have found TalentIT to take on exactly this challenge. AI automation is relatively new and there are few high-quality developers. The cooperation between Spectro-AG and TalentIT will help improve this,” says Hamed.

“Finding the right developers is challenging for us. Fortunately, we have found TalentIT to take on exactly this challenge.” – Dr. Ir. Hamed Mehdipoor

Two of the IT talents working at Spectro-AG are Cas Bolwerk and Emiel Steerneman. They study AI at Utrecht University and Robotics in University of Twente, but are currently working on a professional network in the region of Twente. “I finished my internship at Spectro-AG last week. The match went well, because it quickly became clear that we had a mutual connection. I will be staying on to work there part-time as well! The work consists, among other things, of programming systems that make use of AI. My internship project was about the object detection of weeds. We ended up testing it successfully through a drone flight.” Says Cas. 

His internship went very smoothly, but he also gained new experiences: “The work I was asked to do corresponded to my own expectations. It is very challenging and I often deal with technology that is brand new. When working in a start-up like Spectro-AG I sometimes have to tackle work that goes beyond my focus. This can be more than expected at times, but now I do have a better orientation of the company culture.”

“The match went well, because it quickly became clear that we had a mutual connection. I will be staying on to work there part-time as well!” – Cas Bolwerk

In a brief reflection and anticipation of his future career, Cas is very clear: “The best moment was presenting another project for Drone2Go, a drone event. Now I would like to move on to the technical side of AI, so I can focus on reducing the complexity. Then we can start deploying our models for everyday use.” 

Hamed Mehdipoor is also very positive about the IT talent: “We have had a very good experience with the three students who were introduced to us.” He says. “We have no hierarchy and we are all members of a team that will not stop learning, regardless of age. The young but experienced Spectro-AG team works with confidence in the talents of its team members. We make sure that team members enjoy what they do while advancing their careers. Our team is always open to new ideas and skills.”

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