GOMA pilot aims to make smart manufacturing accessible to SMEs across the Netherlands
Dutch MP Daniël van den Berg visits manufacturing facility in Hengelo during AI and energy pilot.
HENGELO (GELDERLAND), 9 October 2026 – Metalworking company GOMA in Hengelo is launching a pilot this week to demonstrate how Dutch manufacturers can use AI and energy data to make their production processes smarter and more efficient. The solution has been developed in collaboration with KickstartAI, with the involvement of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, FME and Koninklijke Metaalunie. Today, Dutch Member of Parliament Daniël van den Berg, spokesperson for Digital Affairs (JA21), is visiting the company. The ambition extends beyond GOMA itself: if the approach proves successful in practice, the knowledge and methodology gained should also be made available to other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Dutch manufacturing industry.
The pilot addresses a challenge faced by many manufacturing companies: high energy costs, limited electricity grid capacity and the need to produce more efficiently. At GOMA, the project will investigate whether production orders can be scheduled at more favourable times without compromising delivery deadlines or day-to-day operations.
GOMA is a family-owned metalworking company that has been operating in Hengelo since 1962. The company employs approximately 100 people. Three punching and laser machines have been selected for the pilot, together accounting for around 30% of the company's total energy consumption.
At the start of the project, GOMA did not have a precise understanding of how much energy individual machines and production orders consumed. Over the past few months, energy meters have therefore been installed and production data from different systems have been integrated. This now makes it possible to predict more accurately how much energy an upcoming production order will require.
Based on this information, the new system proposes a production schedule that takes into account expected energy consumption and electricity prices for the following day. Where rescheduling offers an advantage, an order can be moved to a more favourable time. GOMA's production planners remain in full control of the process.
Pilot objectives
The pilot aims to reduce total energy costs by 2% to 5%. In an energy-intensive manufacturing environment, this would represent substantial annual savings.
Simulations also indicate that electricity consumption during peak periods could potentially be reduced by approximately 4.3%. The pilot in October will determine whether these savings can actually be achieved on the factory floor.
Tom Kreunen, Managing Director of GOMA, says: "For us, what ultimately matters is how this works in practice. We want to find out whether we can use energy more efficiently without compromising production or delivery reliability. If we succeed, that will be valuable not only for GOMA, but also for other manufacturers facing similar challenges."
Erick Webbe, CEO of KickstartAI, says: "At KickstartAI, our goal is not just to develop knowledge, but above all to put it into practice and demonstrate what actually works. With GOMA, we can test this directly on the factory floor. If we can show that smarter production planning delivers real value, we can use those lessons to make AI accessible to other companies as well, helping SMEs across the Netherlands move forward."
Marco Workel, Managing Director of FME, says: "The Netherlands becomes stronger when we translate technological knowledge into practical solutions that deliver real value for businesses. This pilot demonstrates how that can be done: testing on the factory floor, proving what works and then making that knowledge available to a much wider group of SMEs. This is how we strengthen the Dutch manufacturing industry as a whole."
Daniël van den Berg, Member of the Dutch House of Representatives and spokesperson for Digital Affairs (JA21), says: "The Netherlands needs a strong manufacturing industry that can continue to produce and invest here. This contributes to our economic strength and productivity. It is encouraging to see a manufacturing company exploring in such a practical way how new technology can help it use energy more efficiently. SMEs in particular stand to benefit when these lessons are shared widely."