A new chapter in the world of stringed instruments begins today with the official founding of Atelier Duerinck. This innovative spin-off of HOGENT and UGent will be the first company in the world to produce and sell stringed instruments such as cellos and violins based on flax, a local and renewable crop.
Until now, musicians could choose between instruments made of wood or carbon fiber. However, flax offers the best of both worlds: it is more robust than wood, less sensitive to moisture and temperature fluctuations, but at the same time delivers a warmer sound and more natural feel than carbon. This unique combination makes flax instruments of particular interest to professional musicians from tropical climates, although customers from Belgium and neighboring countries come equally well. The Hawaiian Mana Music Quartet has even been touring with prototypes for several months . Moreover, flax is a strongly local product, with as much as 90% of world production in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. The production is also local: the spin-off will carry out the manufacturing entirely in-house at its facility in Ghent, from basic materials to finished instrument.
The switch from traditional materials to flax requires a completely new production process. Atelier Duerinck is therefore the result of years of research by Tim Duerinck, who during his doctoral research at the School of Arts of HOGENT and at UGent researched alternative materials for musical instruments. With the support of the Industrial Research Fund, he then developed an advanced production process using high-tech materials and techniques. His pioneering work has received several awards, including the Henry Van de Velde Award in 2021
"With Atelier Duerinck, we merge the age-old knowledge of craft with the power of innovation. You can only look to the future by drawing lessons from the past. Only then can you respond with contemporary technologies and insights." said Tim Duerinck.
Not only does Atelier Duerinck create a new spin-off based on research at HOGENT's School of Arts , the project also proves that craftsmanship and tradition can perfectly coexist with technological innovation and a commercial business model. The market is already confirming the potential: Atelier Duerinck already has a rapidly growing waiting list of customers from home and abroad - from Europe to Hawaii - who are eagerly awaiting their own "Duerinck."
Visit the website of Atelier Duerinck at https://www.atelierduerinck.com/