Sander Van den dries

How do you turn an idea into a product? If anyone knows, it’s Sander Van den dries. He is co-owner of the Engineering & Design company Comate BV in Leuven. At this moment the team of Comate consists of 50 engineers and designers. They convert their ideas into a broad range of innovative products, from snow-blowing robots to isokinetic test systems.

After obtaining his Master's degree in Electromechanical Engineering (Ing.) and subsequently his Master's degree in Management, both at the KU Leuven, he started his career in 2010 as a Sales Engineer at the multibillion company GDF Suez (‘Engie’ nowadays).

Despite three interesting years of intensive on and off-the-job sales ‘training’, he didn’t hesitate when asked to join the team of Comate in 2013. Comate is a company that excels in the process of engineering and designing successful products and devices. After another three years and doubling the turnover and number of team members, Van den dries became a partner.

Being co-owner of a spin-off company in the pharma industry as well, and guest lecturer at KU Leuven, he is 100% focused on his passion: helping others to build successful hardware devices. At and& Leuven, discover his insights into how you can use your technical and creative skills to turn ideas into products.