Corda Connect: “We are part of the community here. Not just an item on an invoice.”

Recently moved to Corda: Jan Stryckers of Raw Stadia, a niche player that sits at the interface between sport, science and IT. Despite having only just moved in, the company already feels completely at home on the Kempische Steenweg. Jan Stryckers doesn’t hide his enthusiasm.

Your company name, Raw Stadia, doesn’t give a lot away about what you actually do. So what do you do?

“We are the first and only company in the world to chart the impact of the surface on the player’s or athlete’s performance. Nevertheless it is very important, given the value of the capital at stake. Imagine you are going running on the beach: you can’t feel the surface but you have to work hard to make progress and you tire quickly. And you can’t reach top speed so there’s no point pushing. But on a hard surface, you can run quickly so the impact on your body is much greater. So the question is, how much are you going to invest to keep the risk of injury under control? That’s our technical niche where we support physical coaches and individual elite sportspeople at international level.”

Why is your business based in Hasselt, and not in London, New York or Tokyo?

“At the end of last year, my international colleagues and I started to look for an office. As I am from Limburg myself, I had chosen Corda Campus as a possible option. My foreign partners were impressed and quickly voted to set up shop here. The dynamic presence of young people with a creative mindset was really attractive. And also the fact that Raf Degens, Corda’s director, strongly believed in us and immediately promised us his support.”

And have you been able to enjoy something of your new workspace despite the coronavirus crisis?

“Absolutely. We are not just renting an office and a room, we are also making use of the services on offer here. The noise-free, one-to-one units where you can hold meetings and make phone calls in complete peace and quiet immediately spring to mind. Or the electric scooters for making short journeys. But the bars and restaurants and other meeting places are also nice. You meet new people straight away. That’s great for our team members too, because our colleagues often spend time abroad which means that there’s sometimes little opportunity for interaction within the walls of our own office. And then you’re just happy to be able to hold a conversation or attend an event ‘outside’.”

Is that useful for business too?

“Yes. The people I run into here ask me for ideas and I can also bounce new projects off local businesses with specific expertise.  That makes you feel involved in the community and you’re not simply a tenant representing just another line in the invoicing software. And business deals come out of this too. We hire our temporary staff via Randstand because they’re in the same building. We’re currently looking at doing research into our patents and IP with Gevers. We have good contacts with people at Cegeka and we go for lunch every now and then. We also have a very good relationship with Delta Blue, the partner that develops our IT platform. We’ve known a number of people in that team for a long time, so we know what suits us, and finally we’re also happy with the support we’ve had in various areas from LRM, which is giving our international business advice and assistance in the growth we’re planning.”

So you’re meeting contacts both big and small?

“Yes, and that’s the great strength of Corda Campus, I think. By accommodating both startups and scale-ups as well as major-league players such as Cegeka and Liminus, you get a great mix. You encounter a wide range of experience and expertise. And the family-like, sociable nature of the campus is further boosted by the diversity. Not that I would throw out anyone here, but it’s very interesting when the DNA of each newcomer fits in with the Corda concept.”

We can hear you thinking Corda director Raf Degens has a difficult job keeping everyone happy.

“Oh I’d still want his job if he were to call it a day… If I had an unlimited budget I’d deal with Building 7 like the fantastic Building 6. I’d keep the original industrial character of the site though. I would develop new activities on the vacant area. So not offices, but a multi-purpose building for indoor activities, for example. Such as a 1000-seat auditorium. I would focus on new multimedia and e-sports as a theme for conferences. I’m no stranger to the sector: people attend those activities on a massive scale from every corner of the world. It would be huge.”

Will we see Raw Stadia ever leave Corda?

“I don’t have a crystal ball but I’d prefer to stay here as long as possible. But if a second Corda should ever be built abroad, then make it London. This concept simply doesn’t exist anywhere there. Affordable and a lot of space: it’s ideal. And if not there, then Barcelona (laughs).”