Wij Inholland award 2019: Vixed

Manufacturing composite materials is complex. It requires high-skilled labourers. And where do these high-skilled labourers come from? Learning how to master the skills needed for these processes is time-consuming and expensive. “So, that’s where we come in”, explains Moaaz Gendy, one of six initiators of the company Vixed . Their idea? Enabling companies to train their employees by means of virtual reality programmes. In short: Vixed offers hypermodern training sessions, which are coincidentally, “fun, fast, cheap and safe”.Who are the masterminds behind Vixed?

Different backgrounds. Similar principles. That is what binds Moaaz Gendy, Ayoub Elsheikh, Jonas Rieder, Koos Lobeé, Anne van der Meer and Kasra Amirani together. Six students of the four-year Aeronautical Engineering programme at Inholland Delft. “We are more like a family”, discloses Moaaz, “and we’re all very driven.” Another big plus is their unity in diversity: the students all bring their own particular bit of expertise to the table. “We are a multicultural and multidisciplinary team, so we all worked on that specific part of the project we enjoyed most.”

That sounds like a good start, but what drives these students? What is their purpose?
If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. And that is exactly how Vixed tackles their ambition. “Our plan is simple”, Moaaz continues, “we want to transform the industry.” Is it going to be difficult? For sure. Are they motivated? You bet. “We all knew we wanted to make a difference, and Vixed is going to do just that. Our virtual trainings have multiple benefits. Virtual trainings do not require space or the use of practice materials that result in non-recyclable waste. It’s a win-win for companies in the composite industry.” And the benefits do not stop there. Virtual trainings require no supervision, participants cannot hurt themselves and all trainings are recorded for further training purposes.

What are Vixed’s future plans?
“Eventually”, Moaaz continues, “we would like to move beyond composite materials, and focus solely on virtual reality.” The manufacturing of composite materials is Vixed’s first project. And Vixed is definitely on its way: “Inholland Alkmaar wants to use our virtual trainings for the new academic year. To train lab students in a safe environment before they start their actual training.” Even better, the road might be paved with opportunities, since the six students had a showcase at the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), earlier this year. “We want to make the Netherlands a leading player in virtual training.”

And last but not least: Does Moaaz have any advice for his fellow students?
He sure has. Moaaz: “Ideas are way more valuable than we think. Don’t be afraid. Write down every single idea that comes to mind. You don’t need all the knowledge in the world: it starts with a simple idea.” And that is exactly what the members of Vixed did: they believed in their own ideas. Moaaz and his crew are more than ready: “We are ready to start out dream.”