For students

My name is Mechleen Abboud (student at FOntys Hogeschool).

The agrifood industry – agriculture in particular – is highly capital intensive. External financing becomes more and more important, as capital tie-up increases. Financing ecosystems can differ between regions, even more across national borders. In this project, the aim is to analyze the financing ecosystem in the Dutch-German border region Euregio Rhein-Maas-Nord.

Based on literature study, secondary data and own expert interviews – with interview partners from financing institutions and companies requesting financing – the financing process in the agrifood sector will be characterized and analyzed with regard to cross-border differences. The study shall provide advice to financing institutions, policymakers and companies in the agrifood industry and promote cross-border learning and cooperation. Results will be shared with the stakeholders in the region.

Contact: Mechleen Abboud, m.abboud@fontys.nl.

My name is Guus Beijers (student at Zuyd Hogeschool).

As part of my graduation internship at Cross-Border Business Development, I will research the motivations of entrepreneurs in the Venlo region for (not) operating in the Venlo-NRW Rhein cross-border region. I will make use of the Threshold of Indifference theory of Van Houtum as well as a survey. The goal of my research will be to get an understanding of the motivations and barriers that businesses have. With that information a communication plan can be set up that could help businesses navigate in operating in the cross-border area.

Contact: Guus Beijers, g.beijers@fontys.nl.

My name is Mel Grubben (student at Fontys Hogeschool).

During my graduation internship at CBBD, I will write my bachelor thesis about (im)mobility on the Dutch-German labour market. I will do this by looking at the staffing cycle and examining which push, pull, keep and repel factors influence the supply side of the labour market. A combination of desk research and primary research in the shape of interviews will provide input for my thesis. Based on this analysis, I will help design and think about a tool that the CBBD team can use to support job seekers in the future to better exploit opportunities on both sides of the border.

Contact: Mel Grubben, m.grubben@fontys.nl.

My name is Mark Hanraets (student at Radboud University).

In my research (graduation placement at CBBD), I examine how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) decide to engage across the Dutch-German border. My starting point is the fact that each business conducts cross-border business differently. Consequently, I zoom out and examine how each SME came to the same decision, namely the decision to go cross-border. I examine the factors that contributed to their decision and the consequential steps the entrepreneur undertook in order to realise the internationalization. Moreover, I explore how the entrepreneurs perceive the specific locational challenges and opportunities that business face in border regions. I will conduct interviews with cross-border SMEs in order to answer the research question. My research greatly contributes to the literature on SME internationalisation by applying a specific focus on SME in border regions and by emphasizing that borders are not merely barriers but also potentially provide opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Contact: Mark Hanraets, m.hanraets@fontys.nl.

Vacancy: Internship project Competency game development

We’re offering an exciting internship opportunity for a Research Intern in serious game development. As intern you will gather and analyse data on various job profiles for the competency game and providing valuable insights on competencies for our team.

Are you passionate about game development, data analysis, and cross-border business development? Do you enjoy diving into research and uncovering insights? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

A challenging research assignment

We are a dynamic and innovative research group from Fontys on the Dutch-German border. Our team is currently further developing a unique tool – a competency game that aims to provide players with a realistic and engaging way to explore various job profiles in the cross-border region. The Competency Game aims to facilitate discussions among participants about the behaviour behind competencies. It provides insights into key aspects of cross-border recruitment, the importance of specific competencies, education, and experience for a specific role, and their own choices regarding competencies and those of others (e.g., team members, foreign colleagues). By the end, participants will have formulated several concrete actions based on these insights.

Your task as an intern are as follows:

1.Creating Job Profiles: You will be responsible for creating job profiles for the competency game. This will involve researching various job roles and their associated competencies.

2.Web Scraping: You will use web scraping techniques to gather data about various job profiles. This could involve scraping job listing websites, company websites, or other relevant sources to gather information about the skills and competencies required for different job roles.

3.Data Analysis: You will analyse the data gathered through web scraping and other research methods to identify key competencies for each job profile. This analysis will be used to create the job profiles for the competency game.

4.Game Development: You will incorporate the job profiles into the competency game. This will provide players with a realistic and engaging way to explore various job profiles and gain insights into the competencies required for each role.

Participation in day-to-day business at the workplace

The research chair Cross-Border Business Development is an applied research and development institute that focuses on doing business in the Dutch-German border region. The research is always carried out in cooperation with and on behalf of the business community in the Dutch-German border region. Within this practice-oriented research, we answer questions that companies and entrepreneurs in the Dutch-German border region have. In addition, researchers from every Fontys International Business Studies bachelor program work within the research chair on cross-border business issues.

As an employer, Fontys gives you every opportunity to think along and work together proactively. You will be actively involved in the team and the organization. During your internship or graduation project at Fontys Venlo, you will come into contact with many nice companies and business clubs in the Euregion. You will be assigned concrete tasks and with that your own responsibility, for example in the field of event management and marketing. Of course, you will be given the space you need to work on your research.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a proactive student with strong communication skills. As we are working in the Dutch-German border region a good working knowledge of either Dutch or German is preferred. In addition, you should have good analytical skills and are quality driven.

What’s on offer?

We offer an attractive internship in a Dutch-German team with an internship remuneration.

How to apply?

Please send your application to Niklas Meisel, n.meisel@fontys.nl, consisting of a CV and motivation letter.

For questions about this vacancy, please contact Niklas Meisel (n.meisel@fontys.nl).

For questions about the process, please contact Ms. Ted Jonkers (t.jonkers@fontys.nl).