At ICT Group, it is not unusual for employees to combine a variety of roles. Senior consultant Jurg Bremmer explains just how broad those opportunities can be. In the more than twenty years he has been working at ICT Group, he has grown from engineer to architect, tender specialist, knowledge sharer and strategic advisor, and sometimes he is all of those at once.
“As a consultant within the Water, Infrastructure and Energy division, I basically do everything I enjoy,” Jurg begins, “and because that also benefits the organisation, I’m given plenty of freedom to do so.”
Jurg studied Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology. He specialised in process technology, with a particular interest in chemical installations and industrial processes. Ever since childhood, he had also been fascinated by computers.
When he entered the labour market in the late 1990s, automation was booming. “It was difficult to find work in the process industry, but in automation companies were desperate for people. I thought: I’ll give it a try for a year.” He first worked at another organisation, but soon chose Procos, which was acquired by ICT Group a few years later. “And before you know it, you’ve been there for twenty years,” he laughs.
Large infrastructure projects
One of Jurg’s first major projects at ICT Group was the automation of a drinking water installation in Ridderkerk, where he was technical lead. “We built a complete automation system there. All processes, from pumps to sensors, were digitally controlled and monitored from then on.”
This was followed by an even larger assignment: the automation of several wastewater treatment plants for a regional water authority. “It involved nine treatment plants and nearly thirty pumping stations,” Jurg explains. “Everything was connected to one central control system. We designed a standard architecture and rolled it out over several years.”
Standardisation is essential in industrial automation. Installations are generally expected to last at least fifteen years and remain continuously available. “The process automation system is the tool operators work with 24/7,” Jurg explains. “If it fits their day-to-day practice well, they’ll benefit from our work for years. If it doesn’t, they’ll curse you for just as long.”
Looking beyond business units
What sets Jurg apart is his combination of OT knowledge, IT knowledge and process expertise.
“I’m someone who can look beyond just the software. I also understand how an installation works and why certain steps in a process are necessary.”
That combination often makes him a bridge between disciplines such as operators, process engineers, and software developers. A process technologist once said to me: “I really enjoy brainstorming with you because you understand what I do.” I think that’s one of my strengths.
Within a large organisation like ICT Group, there are various business units, each with its own specialism. Jurg mainly sees that structure as a support mechanism, not a boundary.
“Each unit has its own domain expertise and market positioning,” he explains, “but there are no walls between them.” That mindset means he is involved in many different projects and activities in a wide range of roles: from engineering and architecture to tender processes and knowledge development.
That is also why he deliberately maintains a hybrid working week. “On average, I spend three days working on my regular projects,” he says. “In addition, I spend time on tenders, knowledge clusters, preparing presentations and supporting colleagues. That way I can make full use of my broad knowledge and skills, and the work stays varied.”
If you are proactive and do your job well, ICT Group gives you a great deal of freedom to shape your own path
Wind energy on a North Sea scale
Since 2020, Jurg has also been involved in one of Europe’s largest sustainable energy projects: TenneT’s 2-gigawatt programme (2GW) for offshore wind energy. On platforms in the North Sea, multiple wind farms are connected together. The generated electricity is received there and transported to shore via high-voltage cables.
“This grid connection will eventually provide around two gigawatts of transmission capacity,” Jurg explains. “That’s enough electricity for approximately two million households.”
His role? Helping to develop the strategy and standardisation for the automation and networks of these offshore systems. “We help ensure that the software, networks and control systems are reliable. If the software quality is not good enough, it can directly affect the availability of such an installation.”
Sharing knowledge
Alongside his work on all these different projects, Jurg regularly gives presentations and webinars on topics such as standardisation and IT/OT integration.
After more than two decades at ICT Group, he is still enthusiastic about his work. “I see my work as one big technical playground. There is so much interesting and innovative technology involved, and there are so many topics to explore. The freedom to combine different roles is exactly what makes the work interesting. If you are proactive and do your job well, ICT Group gives you a great deal of freedom to shape your own path,” Jurg concludes.
