Rob van Dijk
Director
Rob is a consultant with a passion for innovation and organizational development. He has 15 years of experience across a wide range of organizations and works with them to build future-proof, people-centered organizations.
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At Create the Future 2026, a powerful question was raised: how do we ensure that the greatest talent is committed to the most pressing challenges of our time? In a world where complex issues such as climate change, social inequality, and the energy transition are becoming increasingly urgent, it is essential that talented professionals use their skills to drive positive change.
In the expert session “The Future with Robotics: Why Scaling Starts with People, Not Technology,” Peter Boom (Haskoning, left) and Rob van Dijk (nlmtd, right) shared their insights into the role robotics can play, and why real impact depends not only on technology, but above all on people.
Urgency Is High, Willingness Is Low
In sectors such as healthcare, construction, transport, and energy, staff shortages are structural and continuing to grow. The adoption of robotics and AI in the Netherlands is still at an early stage, with most organizations remaining in pilot mode. Dutch Railways provides a stark example: there are only 45 specialists who can weld railway switches, work that has to be done at night. Robotic alternatives exist, but scaling is hindered by regulation, fragmented governance, and procurement structures that discourage long-term investment.
“We have now reached a stage where people know they can manipulate the robots.”
Don't force a robot into an old process
A central theme during the session was that organizations fail when they add a robot to an outdated process. One participant shared that when a baggage handling cobot was introduced, employees subtly began to resist it, not out of ill will, but because the process had never been redesigned for human machine collaboration. “We are now at a stage where people know they can manipulate the robots,” the speaker said. The lesson is clear: redesign the process first, then automate.
“We talk too much about technology and not enough about the people who have to work with it.”
People are the real scale factor
A clear consensus emerged from the interactive discussion that the biggest barrier to technology adoption is not technical, but human. Participants from organizations ranging from the Port of Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport to the cleaning industry shared similar experiences. Success stories, such as at Philips Healthcare where doctors became AI ambassadors, showed that peer-led adoption is more effective than top-down steering. Failures, such as an RPA project at a Dutch bank that was halted after 18 months, illustrate what happens when people are not included in the underlying reason for change.
Looking Ahead
The session ended with a clear call to action. Start with the people who are enthusiastic, invest in multidisciplinary training, update outdated job descriptions and most importantly design the robotic future with the workforce, not for them. Leaders who automate their own inbox before introducing robots on the work floor earn the credibility needed to bring others along in change. The technology is ready. The real question is whether organizations are willing to do the harder work of transforming themselves.
