This is Our Homebase: The story of Manon and Raf, Zenya
You can’t miss the sleek glass facade of Lucis One (Building HTC 91) from the highway. “It’s a real eye-catcher,” says Raf Stege, Executive Operations Specialist at Zenya. But for this growing healthcare software company and its team members, the newest building at High Tech Campus Eindhoven represents something more. It is a statement of identity, purpose and belonging at the center of Europe’s most vibrant open innovation ecosystem.
We’ll admit it: We’re quite proud of this building ourselves, but rather than telling you why it works so well for software and service companies, we believe it’s better to hear from the people who experience it every day. That’s why we turn to one of our residents, Zenya, and talked to Raf and Manon van Valenberg-Wijnhoven, one of Zenya’s three Human Performance Coaches.
The Zenya office at Lucis One: A modern workplace for modern innovators
After a year at Lucis One, Zenya has settled into its new home. The software company, which provides healthcare organizations with intelligent tools for quality and safety, occupies two beautifully designed floors in the 11-floor structure. There are sweeping views from the fifth and sixth floors, which you can also enjoy from the only private outdoor terrace in the building. It’s a nice perk on a sunny, warm afternoon.
“First of all, Lucis One as a building … it’s beautiful,” Raf says. The location offers easy access and “everything is new,” says Manon. “The impact on the team was immediate. Our employees say this is a much more inspiring environment. We want to come to the office more,” Manon said.
Zenya designed the space for growth. Currently at more than 100 employees, there is space to hire 10% more.
The amenities tell the story: muted, natural colors, perfect climate control and an eco-friendly design throughout. “These kinds of things, you don’t notice them anymore because you get used to them,” Raf explains. “But when you don’t have them, you feel it.”
Like many Dutch companies, Zenya offers flexible work plans, “but we also want to stimulate people to come here to, of course, have a more team feeling,” Manon says. Zenya employees are encouraged to experience all the spaces on the two floors. In fact, there are no dedicated desks. The “clean desk” policy means employees are not allowed to sit at the same desk day after day.
The newest office building at the dynamic High Tech Campus Eindhoven
Lucis One is like a small community within the larger HTCE “village.” Employees and visitors park across the street at the parking garage and walk the few paces to the reception area, where they are greeted warmly by the reception team.
Step outside Lucis One, and HTCE has everything else companies need to attract young talent. At The Strip are the wellness center and gym, international cuisine (fresh sushi and curry!), cafes, LOKL coffee (with fun baristas) and other food outlets. There are sports facilities for just about any sport you can imagine and footpaths across the entire square kilometer for employees to enjoy the natural beauty of the Campus.
How Zenya attracts young talent
Attracting young talent isn’t easy, but this shared sense of purpose, combined with beautiful office space and technical spaces, makes recruiting young talent easier.
“We want to invest in young people,” Manon says. “For example, AI is a hot topic. We want to attract people who know about AI and can bring us new ideas but also people who want to discover the whole AI world with us.”
The strategy is working. Zenya celebrated Marieke Kessels-Habraken’s nomination as Female Tech Hero of the Year at the Fe+male Tech Heroes Awards Show in December. The Zenya team was among the loudest at the awards show, cheering on their CEO before the winner was announced. This shows that, top down, Zenya is committed to developing diverse talent.
Raf, who is in his early 20s, was an intern at Zenya and helped with selecting Campus for the new office location. It was while he was visiting HTCE with the Zenya team that he became very interested in doing his graduate internship at HTCE Site Management.
Raf admits to being “a bit of a tech geek” drawn to the newest innovations and best technology. “I like seeing the newest of the new and the best of the best,” he says. “From the beginning, I knew this was happening here, but I didn’t realize there are so many companies doing so many cool things.”
After completing his thesis in, ironically, how HTCE can attract young talent and graduating from Fontys, he stepped over to the south side of Campus, where he joined the Zenya team full time as New Account Manager. In February 2026 he was promoted to Executive Operations Specialist.
Raf has seen innovation up close and seems to know what young talent looks for in a tech company. For them, a job is not just about salary and benefits, although those are important. They’re looking for a deeper purpose. They want to collaborate and innovate and ultimately develop products that benefit everyone.
Open innovation at High Tech Campus
So many companies doing such innovative work. That’s what sets HTCE apart. With more than 300 companies and the Netherlands’ top R&D institutions such as TNO, HTCE operates “the center of open innovation,” with amenities comparable to a city center but with the warmth of a small village.
“Other campuses lack cohesion,” Raf says. At HTCE, person-to-person interaction flourishes. For Zenya, being surrounded by like-minded innovators reinforces its mission. “We build our products to help people, not because we want to sell as much as we can,” Raf says. “Everyone in the company believes in that. And I think the same goes for other companies here on Campus. Everyone is building something new to create a better civilization.”
Being proud
That, and the pride of place. “You can see the building coming,” Raf says of his daily commute. “It feels like a proud moment when you drive over the highway. I can say to my girlfriend, ‘Hey, that’s where I work.’ It’s such a nice office.”
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