
Quinten Schippers
Internship organic chemistry
‘As an intern, I worked on optimising the resin’
Quinten Schippers
‘As an intern, I worked on optimising the resin’
Student Quinten Schippers (26) looks back with a good feeling on his graduation internship at Plantics, from September 2023 to January 2024. ‘I was able to contribute to significant steps in the further development of the Plantics resin.’
In the search for an internship, Plantics was one of the options. And in retrospect, Quinten is very glad he chose that option. ‘The Plantics’ lab is different from many other labs. For example, during my internship I was not only involved in chemistry, but also in materials science. It gave extra depth to my education to see what effects the chemical reactions have on the material, i.e. the application of the reaction.’
No toxic substances
‘Plantics makes a resin that contains no toxins. So that means you don’t work with hazardous substances in the lab. I found that to be another plus of my internship at Plantics. And with their natural product, they also contribute to making the earth a cleaner planet.’
Trying out a lot
Quinten was involved in a project to optimise the processing properties of the resin. ‘You think about what modification might work and immediately start trying it out. For example, I was allowed to do my own literature research and conduct new experiments based on that. We really made significant steps in the right direction, which makes me proud,’ Quinten says enthusiastically. ‘Because I had my “own” project, I learned a lot. I never got to try out so much before.’
Getting to know the whole company
‘During my internship at Plantics, I got to know the whole company. First, I was introduced to all the departments. That wasn’t the case with previous internships. Later in my internship, too, I visited all sorts of departments within Plantics. Of course I was in the lab a lot to make resin, but I was also allowed to visit the factory hall for impregnating fibre mats with the resin. You just get everywhere, which I really enjoyed.’
Independence
‘My internship supervisors gave me a lot of freedom. Every week after the R&D meeting, I had a regular consultation moment with my supervisor,’ Quinten explains. ‘But if I needed help, I could walk in any time. They always had time for me.’ He is happy with that freedom. ‘That gave me the chance to develop my independent working skills. I still benefit from that, even though I now work in a different profession.’
Great atmosphere
Quinten also looks back fondly on the atmosphere at Plantics. ‘The team is very connected. They do a lot of things together, even outside working hours, like having drinks after work. Many Plantics people also meet up at the weekend. I found that very special. I still enjoy talking about my internship at Plantics’.