10 questions for Falco Hoog Stoevenbeld

Breda, 2 October 2023

Meet our Installation Engineer: Falco Hoog Stoevenbeld! The interview below identifies his motives, challenges and vision when performing his installation activities. So grab yourself a cup of coffee, and learn more about Falco via the ten interesting questions below. Falco, take it away!

1. What do you love most about your job?
The fact that there are always new technological developments, because each customer presents another specific challenge. We work with a very wide range of machines, and it is interesting to examine the best way to connect these machines to our platforms. I really enjoy puzzles, and working with technology is just like solving a large puzzle. In addition, I like being able to contribute to laboratory research, which plays an essential role in human progress.  

2. What is your most important core value?
That I am a good person. I have a very profound need to help others and to be friendly, in order to have a positive impact on people's lives. That is one of the reasons why I enjoy my work so much, but also because it offers the chance to be involved in laboratory research, and in that way to help others. 

3. What is your passion?
My biggest passion is music. I regularly enjoy attending concerts, and also play the guitar. As a child, it was my dream to become a famous musician. In addition, I am very passionate about a wide range of technical subjects, including electronics, mechanical engineering, control technology and communication technology.

4. Who do you look up to and why?
Firstly, I look up to various famous musicians, because it was my childhood dream to achieve what they have achieved. Other than that, I have great admiration for Nikola Tesla, the founder of electricity as we know it. For instance, Tesla ensured that alternating current was accepted as the social standard worldwide, which means electricity can be transported a lot safer and efficiently over longer distances. 

5. What do you think is a complete waste of time?
I have mixed feelings about gyms. I realise that they allow people to work on their bodies and health, but at the same time, I think it is quite pointless to repeatedly push a piece of metal back and forth. From a sustainability perspective, I think it would be wiser to install batteries in gyms, so that electricity could be generated at the same time. I don't have anything against sports as such; football, basketball, athletics, etc. I prefer interactive and dynamic forms of physical exercise. 

6. What is your definition of success?
I think a good definition of success is to be satisfied and happy with what you have, without continuously worrying. Society places great pressure on external performance and material well-being, but the art is to find inner satisfaction irrespective of the circumstances. If you can simply be happy and satisfied with yourself, and what you have, then you are successful in my eyes. 

7. What is your motto in life?
A day without laughter is a day wasted. It's a bit of a cliché, but this is actually why I enjoy being at Lab Services so much. I have a lot of fun with the guys in the workshop. Besides working hard, we can all have a good laugh, and this makes it a very pleasant working environment.  

8. When was the last time you did something outside your comfort zone and how did it feel?
Around four years ago, I performed as the lead singer in a band. After having singing lessons for two years, I took part in a workshop where all the students had to form bands. I became the singer in one of these bands. During the first performance, I was so nervous that I thought I would have a heart attack when I ran on stage. The adrenaline and excitement that rushes through your body is really overwhelming. The audience was also much bigger than I had expected; there were around 400 people. I sang five songs, and I felt the nerves subside half-way through the first song. The five songs flew by, and I would actually have liked to stay longer on stage I still often think about that experience with great pleasure. 

9. What motivates you?
As I stated earlier, my work is a source of great motivation for me, because it allows me to contribute to laboratory research, and therefore society. I am also able to fully express my passion for technology in my work. I feel invigorated when learning about topics that interest me. I often learn new techniques on my guitar, and I can also spend hours watching documentaries about Greek mythology. I am motivated by passion, curiosity and helping others. 

10. If you could improve something about the world, what would it be?
If I was able to improve something in the world, I would like to create more equality, equal opportunities and equal rights for everyone.