Made@MICS | SOCOCO: A coffee bar with big plans on MICS

Between high-tech machines and innovative businesses, you’ll find something unexpected: SOCOCO, the atmospheric coffee bar at the Mechatronics Innovation Campus Schiedam (MICS) in the ONS building. Small in size but big in ambition and with a remarkable story to tell. Ruth van der Greft and Conny Swaen, from SOCOCO, explain how this is more than just a bar with an espresso machine. It’s a place that creates new opportunities.

A place with potential

“We have a small space here, but one of our dreams is to grow alongside MICS,” says Ruth (site manager). That dream comes through in everything she shares. SOCOCO already serves the people working in the ONS building, but Ruth wants to go further. “We’re not just here for the people in ONS, but for the area as a whole. Many companies on the MICS campus don’t realise it yet, but you can just walk in.” In other words, SOCOCO wants to become a meeting place for the entire campus ecosystem and its surroundings.

Social, sustainable coffee: creating opportunities

What truly makes SOCOCO special is that it’s also a place where people distanced from the labour market can take part. Conny followed a SOCOCO programme and is now hostess of the coffee bar in the ONS building. She explains: “We provide space for people who find it hard to get work elsewhere, but here they’re given the chance to build routine, self-confidence and work experience.” Most of the SOCOCO team consists of people who work with extra support. In this way, every cup of coffee becomes an investment in social inclusion. What’s more, SOCOCO’s coffee beans are Fairtrade – good news for the local farmers who grow them. SOCOCO currently has seven locations in the Schiedam, Vlaardingen and Rotterdam area, and also provides catering.

More than coffee

Good coffee is essential – no one doubts that in a workplace full of tech talent. The filled rolls that SOCOCO supplies for events at MICS and other companies in the district are also a hit. But Ruth also sees SOCOCO as a link in a bigger picture. “We’re growing too,” she says. “To run a place like this well, it’s important to grow with MICS.” The coffee bar is therefore not just a canteen or catering service. It’s a space for meeting, conversation and connection between companies, visitors and campus residents. Its social mission fits perfectly with the MICS vision: like MICS, SOCOCO is a place where talent and knowledge can develop.

Plans for the future

Although summer brings calm to the campus, Conny and Ruth aren’t sitting still. “We’re already preparing for after the summer,” says Conny. Plans are underway to make SOCOCO more visible – both inside and outside the building. They want to attract more local businesses and help build a lively community. Armed with flyers, fresh coffee and energy, Conny goes out into the area to spread the word about this unique spot. The goal: to become a trusted place for everyone on the campus – and beyond. And SOCOCO is already working on it!

SOCOCO is more than a coffee bar

It’s a place where you come for an espresso but stay for the conversation. A coffee bar that gives social inclusion a face.