Alumnus Diego van der Horst is greening airports
XYZ Dynamics Applies Automotive Expertise to a Unique Niche
Diego van der Horst
Diego van der Horst started his own small business when he was just sixteen. Entrepreneurship runs in his blood, and building a successful company has always been his ultimate goal. Today, he is at the helm of XYZ Dynamics together with his business partners Alex Pap and Laurens Westerdijk. They founded the company during Diego’s final year of the Automotive programme at Fontys.
Entrepreneurship Runs in the Family
“I grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs,” Diego says. It clearly inspired him, as he started his first business when he was just 16. After secondary school, Diego studied Mechatronics, a programme that brought together programming, hardware development and hands-on engineering. He then started working for an ICT company, but entrepreneurship remained his goal. That is why he eventually started his own ICT business.
Later, Diego enrolled in the Automotive programme at Fontys Engineering. During his final year, he founded XYZ Dynamics together with Alex Pap. Although running a business while studying is not easy, he encourages other students to do the same: “You’re still young and you have the energy for it!”
XYZ Dynamics
When Diego and Alex founded XYZ Dynamics, they initially focused on making buses more sustainable. “Our goal was to make the energy transition easier for commercial vehicles,” Diego explains. This quickly led them to buses. However, they soon decided to move away from this sector. It was a large market with a lot of competition. “We had to find our niche.”
They found that niche among ground handlers at airports, also known as Ground Support Equipment (GSE). This includes all the vehicles and equipment used at an airport, except for the aircraft themselves. Examples include passenger stairs, equipment used to load and unload baggage, and vehicles used to move aircraft.
GSE is expensive and has a long service life, meaning that the vehicles are not replaced very often. As a result, switching to more sustainable equipment is not always an attractive option. That is why XYZ Dynamics does not build new vehicles, but instead develops smart solutions to make existing equipment more sustainable.
Diego at an airport in Italy
Building Connections
The world of GSE companies is relatively small, and everyone knows everyone. Building a network of contacts was therefore an important step when XYZ Dynamics was getting started.
After completing a project with the company Viggo, Diego and Alex shared the results on LinkedIn. This quickly led to new contacts. They also attended trade shows and connected with other companies through their growing network. Today, XYZ Dynamics has built a strong network, including companies such as Aviaco GSE, its strategic partner within the GSE sector.
One of the major projects XYZ Dynamics is currently working on involves developing equipment to make GSE more sustainable at an airport in Italy. It is a major challenge: not only does the equipment need to work properly, but the airport employees also need to be able to install it themselves.
Diego recently visited the airport to discuss the possibilities. His work takes him to many different countries: “We work in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and England, among others. I spend a lot of time on planes!”
Diego in the workshop
Internships at XYZ Dynamics
Diego is responsible for the technical side of the company and leads the team. He also supervises interns working at XYZ Dynamics.
“I’ve always enjoyed teaching people new things. I completed a vocational education programme before starting my Automotive degree. That meant I was a little older than many of my fellow students and already had some practical knowledge. Even back then, I enjoyed sharing what I knew. For example, I taught the other students how to weld!”
Interns at XYZ Dynamics are given a lot of freedom to work on their own projects. Together with Diego, they work within the company on their school assignments.
“Everyone has their own product and responsibility. You create your own schedule. Communication is very important. If you need help or get stuck, we always help each other. Making mistakes is allowed — after all, that’s how you learn the most!”
Are you interested in an internship or graduation internship at XYZ Dynamics, or would you like to learn more about the company? Please contact Automotive lecturer Frank Steeghs at f.steeghs@fontys.nl.