Vincent Lima

Vincent Lima

I am appealing for the job market because of how I have been able to develop here

Vincent Lima was born and brought up in Paris. Following his university studies and national service, he decided to do his PhD ‘somewhere in Europe’. Eindhoven University of Technology quickly entered his field of view. In 2001 Vincent began his PhD there. This was a period when he had regular contact with companies like DSM, Akzo and Océ. Even before his year-long PhD study came to an end, Océ offered Vincent a job. He is still working there. 

My employer gives me plenty of opportunities, also in terms of personal development

“Océ is a multinational that gives me plenty of opportunities, where I can set my own targets and reach them, also in terms of personal development. I want to see and do a lot of things.” A few months ago Vincent opted to make a career switch within Océ, moving from ‘early phase development R&D’ to ‘late phase follow-up research’, an engineering task that is geared to the development of new products. “Closer to customers, very tangible,” he explains. In his job Vincent is also co-responsible for several larger projects funded by the Dutch government. “Government and industry want to create a micro economy for inkjet technology applications,” Vincent says. “To achieve this, we are working with Philips, NXP and Chemelot. And so we accelerate ‘time to market’.” 

Name
Vincent Lima
Company
Océ
Function
Project Leader
Country
France
City
Roermond
Education
Coatings Technology
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Here you find the balance between work and private life

Vincent enjoys living and working in the Netherlands. “Here you find the balance between work and private life. In Southern Europe you are expected to work long days as an academic, and that affects family life. In the Netherlands time is organised better and colleagues understand that you may occasionally have to go home to attend to a sick child. I see this kind of flexibility and understanding as a kind of nice fringe benefit.”

Vincent also took a course in Dutch via Océ, which was necessary for his job. “At home my wife and I speak French, the kids Dutch.” Vincent’s wife also lives and works in Brainport. After a career in technology she re-educated and is now a high-school teacher of French. The internationally oriented couple previously lived for a short while in Philadelphia, in the United States. Watching American football is Vincent’s biggest hobby. During the Superbowl he is stuck to the TV all night. Music is also a passion of his. “I have never had any lessons but I have learned to play guitar, bass and piano and I play them regularly.”

Vincent and family live happily in Roermond. “The town has grown enormously in the past few years. It has plenty of amenities and the shops are open on Sundays. Commuting is good – I am at work in just 25 minutes and if we want to go to Paris, we can be there in just four hours. Our two kids of three and five years old also feel at home. We have a lot of friends here and are really settled. I can see us here for another ten years.” Vincent has a positive view of his professional prospects. “I am building my network through cooperation with people from other companies. And I am appealing for the job market because of how I have been able to develop here.”

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