In the former industrial tower at De Noordkade in Veghel, Netherlands, a former feed processing plant has transformed an abandoned site into a technological playground called “the Chocolate Factory”. This fun and educational space brings together schools, students and businesses such as Actemium in a common purpose: to discover the technical talents of tomorrow.
In Veghel, Netherlands, a disused tower for feed processing in the former Noordkade has begun a second life. Having been abandoned for years, in early 2025, it became the Chocolate Factory, an educational venue for discovering technology while having fun. But you will find no chocolate production or culinary workshops here: the aim is to awaken technical vocations by immersing young people in an inspiring universe where play, industry and culture combine.
This project came in the wake of the Techniekpact, a 2013 Dutch government initiative with the aim of increasing the numbers of students drawn to technical careers, which brought together local authorities, educational establishments and technology businesses. One of the latter is Actemium, the VINCI Energies industry brand, which became involved from the earliest stages of the site’s renovation and which on the tower’s sixth floor, has installed the “chocolate sprinkles machine”, an automated three-robot installation that allows visitors to create their own virtual recipes.
“We set the assignments for the students and then provide the accompaniment they need to implement them,” says Peter de Wit, Brand Director at Actemium Nederland. “This allows us to carry out maintenance while developing innovations on the sprinkles machine.”
A place for training and experimentation
The Chocolate Factory adds to an already-rich training ecosystem based around Actemium’s Industrial Technology Centre and its Edulab in Veghel, where students are given the opportunity to start a job at Actemium after their graduation period.. This also makes the site ideal for further experimentation for courses, projects and apprenticeships. Actemium mobilised a dozen employees during the tower redevelopment works, and three people now run the space it operates.
“We set the assignments for the students and then provide the accompaniment they need to implement them”
The ambition is to gradually reach growing numbers of students, thanks to a model that combines immersive visits from Wednesday to Sunday with educational sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays. The students encounter specialists not only from Actemium, but also from partner companies including Mars, FrieslandCampina, Vanderlande Industries and QING.
A symbol of successful conversion
For Peter de Wit, this five-year partnership is part of a long-term vision of offering young people concrete experience in industrial careers while contributing to the site’s development. “It’s fantastic to see professionals and students working together to maintain, improve and innovate the tower!”
The first cohort of 20 students arrived in September 2025 and will stay until February 2026. A second group will then take their place until the summer holidays. The Chocolate Factory is already emerging as a symbol of successful conversion – from a forgotten industrial site to a vibrant laboratory where, floor by floor, tomorrow’s technical generation is taking shape.
02/16/2026
