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Let’sBuild
Science
Port
Holland
DECEMBER 2013No. 3
A MAGAZINE ABOUT CREATING BUSINESS / SCIENCE / INSPIRATION / INNOVATION
DAAN ROOSEGAARDE
‘ LET’S BUILD
A SMART NEW WORLD’
Do read this:
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A bright futureis what Managing Director of Science Port Holland
Chris van Voorden foresees.
let’s build a smart new worldadvises the inspirational idea-machine Daan
Roosegaarde.
let’s Build Science Port HollandAn actual and future overview of developments
between Rotterdam, Delft en Leiden.
‘it’s time to be serious about our environment’claims founder Chintan Shah of technostarter
Tvilight.
‘the entire city of Delft has to breathe innovation’says deputy-mayor Pieter Guldemond looking at
the future of Delft.
Ornithopter: the fi rst man-made dragonfl yThe DelFly weighs just 3,07 grams and reaches a
speed of 5 meters per second.
Ambitious partners accelerate evolving marketsBoard member of Clean Tech Delta Ger van Ton-
geren and Business Development Engineer Erik
Büther from Ballast Nedam have great ambitions.
‘technopolis will work as a catalyst for us’That is what 3M’s Managing Director Patrick
Rogiers is convinced of.
labHotel for fl exible, innovative researchLabHotel co-founder and manager Marc
Schellekens provides medical innovators with
new opportunities.
Blue rises to the occasionSince 70 percent of all sunlight is absorbed by
the oceans technostarter Remi Blokker of Blu-
erise harnesses ocean power.
New, cool and brilliant…Young and ambitious technostarters solve
divergent problems with technological creativ-
ity. Have a look at their inventions.
ROM, new motor of innovative development‘We face the challenge of improving the capa-
bilities of the province of South Holland’, states
Managing Director Rinke Zonneveld of the new
Regional Development Agency Zuidvleugel.
‘Even great ideas need money to grow’According to YES!Delft interim Incubation &
Growth Manager Duke Urbanik it is extremely
important for technostarters to fi nd investors
at an early stage.
About Science Port HollandColophon
p. 24
p. 8
p. 14
p. 18
p. 16
p. 22
p. 4
p. 20
p. 8
p. 12
p. 5
p. 11p. 26
p. 23
It’s all about the future
2 3
Let’s Build Column
Let’s build a smart new
worldDAAN ROOSEGAARDE, pioneer, artist, entrepreneur and designer
SciENcE PORt HOllAND SHAREHOlDERS & PARtNERS
Let’s Build Coverstory
“the world as we know it is almost dead. We are building a new one,” says Daan Roosegaarde, owner of Studio Roosegaarde and an important architect of this so-called ‘new world’. He inspires not just government ministers, but almost the entire country with his progressive ideas. By connecting different disciplines, he creates mind-boggling practical and emotional works.
Some of his better-known ideas are the sustainable dance
floor, which generates electricity when people dance on it,
the interactive public landscape called Dune, which interacts
with human behavior and his beloved Lotus Dome, a living
dome made out of hundreds of smart flowers that fold open in
response to human behaviour. “This sensual, soft but powerful
creation comes right out of my heart. It brings Renaissance
architecture to modern times. For me that’s beauty for both
the imagination and emotion.”
n
S
We
4 5
delft.nl rotterdam.nl tudelft.nl
westholland.nl rotterdaminvest
mentagency.com
stadshavensrotterdam.nl kennisalliantie.nl
biotechcampusdelft.nl medicaldelta.nl cleantechdelta.nl vpdelta.nl
erasmusmc.nl yesdelft.nl rdmcampus.nl rdmmakerspace.nl
the Delft-Rotterdam region is flourishing! An increasing number
of innovative, high tech companies has chosen to set up business
here. For example, in December, Applikon Biotechnology will
officially open its brand new headquarters on technopolis Delft,
and so will the innovative anchor company 3M in the summer of
2014. New initiatives come to life, too. Such as the first European
labhotel, which has opened its doors in the Rotterdam Science
tower recently. And let’s not forget Biotech campus Delft,
which received the official cOci (center of chemical innovation)
and ilab (innovation lab) status from the Ministry of Economic
Affairs in November. With these – and more - activities going
on, the future of the region looks bright: becoming more and
more attractive for other companies and more initiatives are
expected to happen.
Science Port Holland is proud to have played a pivotal role in many
of these developments. Now, it is time for us to move on. We are
about to become a vital part of a new Regional Development
Agency devoted to strengthening the region of South Holland.
From January 1st 2014 this new organisation will be responsible
for the economic development of the Province of South Holland.
This Regional Development Agency will continue our work within
a larger area on a bigger scale.
Working with all our partners in Rotterdam and Delft – businesses
and local authorities alike – has been very constructive and
inspiring. We aim to continue these good relationships within the
new organisation which will be led by Rinke Zonneveld. We will
continue to contribute to new plans and successes under a fresh,
new flag!
Chris van Voorden
Managing Director Science Port Holland
A bright future
“In a sort of naive way, I want to better
the world with my creations. You can
do that rather poetically or in a super
practical way. My ideas pop up from the
irritation and fascination I experience
every day.” It fascinates Roosegaarde,
for instance, that things grow naturally,
but change when manipulated. “I fi nd it
very exciting to alter food, energy, cloth-
ing, mobility, healthcare et cetera to cre-
ate something new out of something old.
The big question is: is it useful?”
Dating not kissingRoosegaarde’s collaboration with road
builder Heijmans resulted in an extremely
useful design called the ‘Smart High-
way’. He sat down with the brightest
minds of the company to develop new
technologies and designs. This resulted
in the ‘Route 66’ of the future. It is a
booming success; it was just awarded
the INDEX award 2013 (also known as
the ‘Oscar’ for design) in Denmark. “We
worked like crazy to make roads more
sustainable and interactive using light,
energy and road signs that automatically
adapt to the traffi c conditions. Smart
paints, energy harvesting, sensors and
other media play a central role in our
design.”
This award he just won isn’t the only thing
showing that his ideas are being noticed;
there are advanced talks with authorities
in the United Kingdom to actually imple-
ment the Smart Highway in their road
network. This is quite remarkable con-
sidering that Roosegaarde is Dutch and
the Netherlands have not yet adopted
his idea. Roosegaarde believes that the
Netherlands wants to create conditions
to be a big player in the new world,
but fails to act accordingly. At least, it
doesn’t yet implement such progressive
ideas. Let’s put it this way: when it comes
to innovation and sustainability we are
dating, but not kissing yet.
“I really appreciate that some highly
placed politicians and many Dutch citi-
zens and companies believe in my ideas,
but we are falling behind. One thing that
holds us back is the indecisiveness of
politicians. They want new solutions for
very old prices. I’m astonished by the
top-down-mentality and how slow we
are in this country. We use terms like
innovation and sustainability over and
over again, but it’s time to give them a
real meaning.”
catching the energyLuckily, according to Roosegaarde there
is hope: “A whole new generation of peo-
ple won’t wait for the government, they
take matters into their own hands. The
‘Smart Highway’ is a good example of
this. We developed the concept without
a single euro of subsidy and with just
two entrepreneurs. A smart govern-
ment would try to support that, but I feel
hesitation within the Dutch authorities.
I don’t exactly know why. I can’t lay my
fi nger on it yet, but we will fi gure it out
soon.”
Roosegaarde believes in looking for
opportunities, thinking ahead and catch-
ing the energy that is around us. “That’s
why I can’t understand that Public Works
just turns off the lights along highways,
saying: sorry, we have to cut costs. Why
didn’t they form a think tank of the smart-
est minds in The Netherlands to create
the world’s fi rst energy-neutral light net-
work? Why don’t we catch the energy
present at universities, in ministries and
companies, look where we stand, where
we want to go and then design creative
and innovative solutions? This isn’t a uto-
pian dream; it’s realistically possible!”
Fauna phenomenonRoosegaarde defi nitely isn’t a pessimist,
but he points out that there is so much
more potential. “We invest in knowledge,
but don’t suffi ciently implement the out-
come. Everyone is protecting his own
interests at the expense of the bigger
picture. If we all focus on the future, we
can make an enormous impact world-
wide. For example, our latest ambition
is to produce light the same way fi refl ies
and jellyfi sh do. We dove into the world
of fauna to study this phenomenon in
order to reduce our use of energy. Imag-
ine how much energy we can save if we
light our streets the same way.”
For this project, Roosegaarde is working
with universities and other parties. One
of the people involved is Bob Ursem,
scientifi c director at Delft University of
Technology. “He’s a very capable man,”
Roosegaarde says, “but besides the Delft
University of Technology, I also work
with the universities of Wageningen
and Eindhoven. That collaboration also
includes internships for students study-
ing engineering and electronics. No, I
don’t ask them to bring me my coffee
(laughs). They share their insights and
add manpower to push our projects for-
ward. At the same time, their potential as
new employees grows. If I need to hire
new people, they have already grown
into the project. That’s very practical.”
Vital skills During their internships, the students
get to learn from his way of thinking
and working and his innovative ideas.
What skills do they need to rise to his
level, come up with his kind of ideas and
the ability to execute them? “Well, you
have to be a hybrid. Look at me: I have
no education in about 80 percent of the
disciplines I deal with every day. Further-
more, you have to be able to anticipate.
We created the ‘Smart Highway’ and
‘Lotus Dome’ simultaneously, and we
really needed all of those skills to pull it
through. I almost felt schizophrenic at
the time,” he jokes.
Roosegaarde, who has offi ces in Wad-
dinxveen and Shanghai, fl ies around the
world to spread his ideas. In doing so
he noticed that different countries with
different cultures also look at science in
different ways. The differences between
China and the Netherlands are exem-
plary in his opinion: “Here in our coun-
try, we take a lot of time to do research
and even more to implement the results.
In China, on the other hand, they often
act too fast. Their smog problem, for
instance, is due in large part to the fact
that they make and use things that liter-
ally destroy us because they rolled it out
on too large a scale and too fast. In my
opinion: in the Netherlands implementa-
tion could defi nitely be accelerated and
in China too often they just go ahead,
without any time for contemplation. A
balance between their way and our way
would be ideal.”
Let’s Build Coverstory
Roosegaarde’s advice to students
‘if you are an aspiring designer, artist, scientist, engineer or a student in
another discipline, i give you this advice: invest in your
dreams and accept the con-sequences that come along. there is a new world waiting
for you; claim it!’
‘My ideas pop up FroM the
irritation and Fascination i experience every day’
6 7
the concentration of educational establishments and knowledge-inten-
sive companies in the Delft-Rotterdam region is increasingly facilitated
through expansion of existing premises, new construction projects and
merging of scattered locations. these pages give an idea of the main
developments scheduled to take place from 2013 to 2015.
Under construction
November 2013 –
Deltares Delta Flume
Deltares is having a
large wave fl ume built
in Delft. The new fl ume
has a wave generator
driven by ingenious
motion machinery. The
fl ume will be used for
practical research of
weirs. The magnitude
and test options make
this delta fl ume unique
worldwide. Ballast
Nedam will take on the
civil engineering part
of the construction.
City: Delft
Located at: science
park Technopolis Delft
Spring 2014 - DSM
yeast Dryer
The Food Specialties
business group of DSM
is building a new dryer
for the production of
yeast extracts in Delft.
The new dryer is one of
the landmark buildings
on the DSM production
site in Delft. The dryer
is more energy effi cient
than the dryers that
were used up until now.
The dryer allows DFS to
control product qual-
ity, sustainability and
environmental impact
of yeast production to a
large extend. The dryer
will be offi cially opened
early 2014.
City: Delft
Located at: DSM
location Delft
June 2014 - 3M Nether-
lands Headquarters
3M has decided to
locate its new Dutch
headquarters in Delft.
The plan includes
4,700 sqm of total fl oor
area with an innova-
tion experience center
and research facilities.
The building is a design
by architectenbureau
Cepezed b.v. and is
situated near the A13 at
Science park Technop-
olis Delft. It is expected
that the building com-
pany ‘Cordeel Neder-
land b.v.’ will deliver the
building in June 2014.
City: Delft
Located at: science
park Technopolis Delft
2017 - Erasmus Mc
West section
A new hospital needs
more than a good
building. Therefore
Evidence Based Design
is used – design based
on developments that
have proved their
usefulness – and the
perspective of patients
and clients play an
important role in the
new building plans.
Trends and innovations
in health care are also
researched. Two of the
questions that might
be asked are: what
effect does a single
hospital room have on
a patient? And: how
do people experience
waiting rooms? In Janu-
ary 2012 they started
with the building activi-
ties of Unit West (1)
and after the demoli-
tion of the L-building,
they will start with the
construction of Build-
ing Unit West (2), this
is expected to be in the
beginning of 2014. The
expectation is that all
departments will move
to the new building at
the end of 2017.
City: Rotterdam
Located at: Hoboken
Completed
Let’s Build Science Port Holland
Dec 2012 - Erasmus Mc
– East section
The construction of the
2nd phase of the East
building and tower,
including the pharmacy,
has been completed.
It is expected that this
part of the new hospi-
tal will be operational
before the end of this
year. The currently
fragmented buildings
are being transformed
into a more compact
unit. The dynamics and
design of the public
spaces (squares, boule-
vards and avenues) will
now become a natural
component of the sur-
rounding city.
City: Rotterdam
Located at: Hoboken
Juli 2013 -
labHotel
Companies in the medi-
cal sector that are in
need of lab space for
a short period of time
can now turn to the
Science Tower in Rot-
terdam. From juli 2013
the LabHotel started,
as the fi rst company in
Europe, to offer a fully
operational laboratory
on a very fl exible basis.
The facility is acces-
sible without a lease.
Small-scale innovative
research in e.g. drug
development or medical
technology becomes
much cheaper and eas-
ily accessible. The Lab-
Hotel is located on the
18th fl oor of the Rotter-
dam Science Tower.
City: Rotterdam
Located at:
Merwe-Vierhavens
August 2013 – Applikon
Biotechnology
Applikon Biotechnol-
ogy, world leader in
the development and
supply of advanced
bioreactor systems
from laboratory to pro-
duction scale, moved
into its new facility in
august 2013. The offi -
cial opening of the new
facility will take place
on December 4th. The
new headquarters with
a fl oor area of 3.700 m2
provides Applikon with
a unique combination
of offi ce, laboratory
and production space
for around 100 people.
The building refl ects the
quality and advanced
technology of the
products that Applikon
Biotechnology brings to
the market, in a perfect
way. It was developed
by cepezed projects as
part of the Biotech
Campus concept and is
located at science park
Technopolis Delft. Spe-
cial attention was given
to make the building
both highly effi cient and
sustainable, for example
by use of a special ther-
mal storage system for
climate control. App-
likon expects that their
unique new location will
contribute to a stron-
ger cooperation with
biotech partners in the
region like TU Delft and
DSM.
City: Delft
Located at: Biotech
Campus Delft /
Technopolis Delft
September 2013 -
Deltares
new Headquarters
Deltares, world leader in
research and develop-
ment in the water sec-
tor, has built their new
headquarters at science
park Technopolis Delft,
which is designed by
Jeanne Dekkers Archi-
tectuur. It will become
the sole offi ce location
in Delft for Deltares.
The new offi ce is an
innovative sustainable
development, for exam-
ple by using a Blubble-
Deck fl oor. The Deltares
new headquarter was
opened on the 18th of
september 2013 by
minister Schultz.
City: Delft
Located at: science park
Technopolis Delft
Summer 2013Winter 2012 Winter 2013 Spring 2014 2017Under Construction
In the Delft-Rotterdam region, Science Port Holland
is active on the development of fi ve innovation cam-
puses organised around the highly advanced tech-
nological innovation clusters: Clean Technology &
Medical Technology. These campuses offer space
and facilities throughout the complete innovation
chain of R&D, experimentation, demonstration up
tot full-scale deployment.
8 9
April 2014 - Flood
Proof Holland
FloodProof Holland is
one of the experimental
research sites of the
Valorisation programme
Deltatechnology and
Water and was offi cially
opened in the spring of
2013. This fi rst season
numerous international
delegations have vis-
ited demonstrations.
Students have tested
various types of tem-
porary embankments
and experimented with
monitoring systems.
FloodProod Holland
adds value to the other
national programs, like
IJkdijk and Live Dijk,
by stimulating use and
implementation of tem-
porary embankments.
Currently the founding
fathers – SPH, VPdelta,
STOWA, BAM Infra and
GMB - are planning the
next phase of develop-
ment together with
additional partners.
Public-Private col-
laboration will be both
expanded with new
commercial partners
and extended with Civil-
Military participation.
Up until early Novem-
ber this year tests and
demonstrations are
planned. From April
2014 FloodProof Hol-
land will reopen after
rebuilding the research
site, enabling (1) the
development and use
of Innovative Tempo-
rary Embankments and
(2) cross pollination of
related domains.
City: Delft
Located at: science park
Technopolis Delft
2015 - tNW (Faculty
of Applied Sciences)
The Technical University
of Delft has decided to
develop a new building
to house the Biotech-
nology, Chemical Engi-
neering and Bio-Nano-
science departments of
the faculty of Applied
Sciences in the direct
vicinity of science park
Technopolis Delft. The
plan includes approxi-
mately 30,000sqm of
total fl oor area with
state of the art research
facilities. The construc-
tion starting date will be
somewhere around the
end of 2013.
City: Delft
Located at: Biotech
Campus Delft / Tech-
nopolis Delft
2015- Biotechnology
laboratory
DSM is preparing build-
ing activities for a new
laboratory on the site
Delft. This new building
will house some 300
employees of the DSM
Biotechnology Center
(DBC) working on state-
of-the-art research in
biotechnology. The
laboratory is part of the
new layout of the Delft
site which will be devel-
oped under the name of
Biotech Campus Delft,
for industrial and R&D
activities in the fi eld of
Biotechnology and Life
Sciences. The invest-
ments will have a major
impact on strengthen-
ing the Dutch knowl-
edge-based economy.
Opening of the new lab
is foreseen in 2015.
City: Delft
Located at: DSM loca-
tion Delft
2015
The simple fact that there must be a
smarter solution captured his mind. As
an alumnus of Delft University of Tech-
nology and curious aspiring engineer,
Shah investigated the environmental
and fi nancial consequences of this out-
dated way of lighting the streets and was
shocked.
“I did some research and discovered
that Europe pays ten billion euros a year
to light the streets. That accounts for
more than 40% of government energy
bills, which translates into 40 million
tons of CO2 emissions. That’s enough to
power 20 million cars. If we acknowledge
these facts, then why are we still burn-
ing streetlights at full power in desolated
areas?”, Shah wonders.
interactive street lights
It bothered him. So he decided to
improve the world, starting with street
lighting. Shah set himself to the task and
came up with a relatively simple yet bril-
liant idea which has had a huge impact
on the environment and fi nances. “The
CitySense is a smart plug and wireless
sensor which can be used with existing
and new streetlights. It has two main
functions: it dims the light when nobody
is around but when it detects any pres-
ence, for example a bicycle or car, all
the lights in the vicinity increase to full
brightness.”
To retain the safety and comfort which
the glowing lights give us today, Shah
introduced a communication element
between the streetlights. “I didn’t want
to create a spotlight effect”, he explains.
“So neighbouring lights will brighten up
as well to create a comfortable situation
for people. And this is just the basis.
We can use the lights in more ways. For
example, an ambulance or fi re engine
could communicate with the lamps to
make them fl icker red before they drive
through. People then know what’s com-
ing. That could save a few minutes and
therefore a life.”
the time has come
In a short space of time, attention for the
recently released ‘CitySense’ exploded.
Shah’s idea attracts interest from Malay-
sia to the United States and everything in
between. “It’s still brand new, but we’ve
had so many enquiries, it’s mind blow-
ing. To be honest, it isn’t a big shock.
The impact is huge. When implemented
in all streetlights, Europe could save 20
million euros a day and reduce energy
use by 80%.”
The nature of this solution and its ben-
efi ts for the environment and fi nances
totally refl ect his beliefs. “We must stop
wasting. I believe that the time has come
to be serious about the environment.
Streetlights are just one of the aspects.
With the insights and techniques we have
today, we can rapidly transform every
wasting technique into a more sustain-
able one.”
‘It’s time to be serious about our
environment’
cHiNtAN SHAH, Founder oF technostarter tvilight
in these innovative times, progressive ideas abound. However, only a few brilliant
ones explode worldwide. Safe to say, this is the case for chintan Shah’s ‘citySense’.
Whilst fl ying over Europe, the engineer looked down and saw a sea of streetlights.
Many of them were burning for no reason, as most areas were desolated. Without
him knowing it, that moment defi ned his future.
Let’s Build Ideas
Spring 2014Planned
concept House VillageConcept House Village is an initiative of Rotterdam Uni-
versity of Applied Sciences, Delft Technical University and
Woonbron and is based on Heijplaat, Rotterdam.
Concept House Village offers the possibility to develop,
test and demonstrate sustainable and innovative housing
concepts. The Concept Houses are all located on Heijplaat
and are being developed through different consortia.
All Concept Houses have to meet several criteria:
• The house has to be completely sustainable;
• The design, the development and the use of the house
are user centered;
• The design has to be suitable for education and
research;
• A sound business case has to be presented. The prin-
ciple has to be saleable.
In 2014 eight new Concept Houses should be developed:
• Concept House: CHIBB
• Concept House: Maskerade
• Concept House: G-House
• Concept House: Active ReUse House
• Concept House: Eco-Bio Kas
• Concept House: 2nd Skin
• Concept House: Happy System
• Concept House: Biobased Retrofi t House
(Take a look at the concept houses www.concepthousevillage.nl)
10 11
‘ The entire city of Delft has to breathe innovation’
deputy-Mayor PiEtER GUlDEMOND looks at the Future
Technopolis is located in the south-
east corner of the city of Delft and part
of the Delft University of Technology
campus. The area is surrounded by
the greenery of Midden-Delfl and on
the south side, the A13 motorway, TU
Delft in the north and the Schieoevers
industrial estate in the west. Delftech
Park, a High Tech industrial estate, is
situated nearby. These locations jointly
constitute the Technological Innovative
Complex of Delft, a spatial-economic
concept which the municipality of Delft
plans to develop and realize further in
the coming years. Science Port Holland
NV has made an active contribution
towards this.
Let’s Build Results
deputy-Mayor PiEtER GUlDEMOND looks at the Future
Only a top-class university in a city with a lot to offer can compete with the best universities in the world, according to Pieter Guldemond, Deputy Mayor of Delft with knowledge Economy and Spatial Planning in his portfolio. “Delft has these two conditional assets. But as a small city in a small country, we also need the strength of the region in order to be a global high-roller in the fi eld of science.”
Guldemond, born in the province of Lim-
burg, graduated from Delft University of
Technology and is politically involved
through the local political student party
STIP. He has promoted science and inno-
vation in Delft for the past three-and-a-
half years. After he cleared the building
restriction on the Delft University of
Technology campus, new universities of
applied sciences, facilities and infrastruc-
tural improvements raised the quality of
the area. At the same time, big high-tech
companies like 3M and Applikon moved
to Delft, incubator YES!Delft rapidly
became very successful and, last year, a
Bioprocess Pilot Facility (BPF) was cre-
ated on the grounds of DSM.
creating right conditions“Creating the conditions to make this
possible was perhaps the most impor-
tant development of all,” Guldemond
says. “We have created networks linking
knowledge-intensive companies, the
universities in this province, the city of
Delft and local entrepreneurs.” Although
encouraging knowledge improvement
isn’t a statutory duty, the Deputy Mayor
succeeded in his ambition to get struc-
tural fi nancing from the city of Delft to
encourage potential science projects.
“The coming years, the local govern-
ment will invest 1.25 million euros in that
cause.”
With his fresh insights, he plans to
enhance Delft’s strength as a ‘city of
knowledge’. “But,” he says, “it is not all my
doing. Science Port Holland has played a
big role in the development of this city.
They have spent lots of time and effort
attracting high-tech companies and tak-
ing care of the science-related branding
of the city as a center of knowledge. So,
they are really pivotal in the scientifi c
development of Delft.”
crowning gloryWith that said, it doesn’t come as a sur-
prise that Guldemond is member of the
supervisory board of Science Port Hol-
land. The Deputy Mayor, although happy
with the way Delft has developed over
the last few years, states that it is now
time for the next step: the formation of
a new regional development agency for
the province of South Holland. “That
is my crowning glory. With the whole
region connected, we can fi nally cash in
on the enormous potential we have. Let
me give you an example: our engineers
often come up with fantastic, sometimes
even mind-boggling ideas. But not every
engineer is a great entrepreneur. Some of
them can use some help from manage-
rial academics in Rotterdam. That way,
we can all benefi t from combining forces
and expertise.”
He continues, “To be honest, as an Deputy
Mayor I have had a few headaches; the
formation of a regional R&D cluster isn’t
easy. With cities like Leiden, The Hague,
Delft and Rotterdam participating, we
have to deal with different, sometimes
confl icting interests. It was a big chal-
lenge to get everyone on the same page,
but here we are. I expect a lot from the
new regional development society and I
have faith in the recently appointed man-
aging director, Rinke Zonneveld.”
Science in the streetscapeTalking about his vision of Delft’s future,
Guldemond says: “The fact that we are
participating in this regional network
doesn’t mean that we – the city of Delft –
can relax. The local government, the uni-
versities, high-tech companies and local
entrepreneurs will have to keep working
together to stay on top. Also we have to
make sure that innovative companies
that succeed with YES!Delft stay in Delft.
As they grow, their needs will change. In
order to accommodate them and meet
those needs, we have to build a centre
where they can reach new, higher levels
and become bigger companies with more
power.”
But that isn’t Guldemond’s only wish. He
would also like to see a more physical
connection between the science activi-
ties here and the centre of Delft; a direct
line between Delft University of Technol-
ogy and the old city. “To be a big player in
the high-tech world, we have to breathe
science,” the Deputy Mayor emphasises.
“To a certain extent, science has to defi ne
this city. Every visitor has to experience
that. The only way to achieve this goal is
to integrate science in the streetscape
of the centre, next to the other beautiful
aspects of this city. It would be amazing if
we could connect the impressive history
of Delft with futuristic science.”
‘it would Be aMaZing iF we
could connect the iMpressive
history oF delFt with Futuristic
science’
1312
We
h
ave
a
ll
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ard
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eam
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Let’s Build Inspiration
www.delfl y.nl
imp
oss
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orn
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14 15
Science Port Holland believes
that vibrant communities
foster the successful devel-
opment of its innovation
campuses. Therefore SPH is
working together with the
triple helix minded cluster
organisations Clean Tech
Delta and Medical Delta to
create and strengthen the
key elements of the innova-
tion ecosystem.
clean technology is key in the current transition towards a new economy. From that point of view a network of internationally operating companies, knowledge institutions and local governments, called clean tech Delta, set up progressive projects that contribute to evolving markets. thus the network strengthens the clean tech cluster between Delft and Rotterdam and stimulates the regional economy.
With their written ambition to be in
the top 3 of knowledge and innovation
regions of Europe, Clean Tech Delta set
the bar high. Ger van Tongeren, board
member of the consortium states: “What
makes us strong is the fact that we aren’t
a subsidised cooperation. Our partners
invest in the projects themselves. Within
Clean Tech Delta, they meet organisa-
tions with the same sustainable, progres-
sive ambitions as theirs.”
transition towards a sustainable futureLNG 24 (a subsidiary of Ballast Nedam)
is one of the partners with their eyes on
the future. With the Dutch government’s
recent National Energy Agreements, in
which mobility and fuel diversifi cation
play a big role, and the European man-
date to reduce the emissions of inland
shipping in mind, LNG 24 found partners
like the Port of Rotterdam and TNO in
the Clean Tech Delta network to promote
an alternative option for diesel fuel: Liq-
uefi ed Natural Gas (LNG). The goal of
this ‘LNG inland shipping’ project is to
provide information about the benefi ts
of LNG and future plans to convince fi fty
inland ships to switch to LNG within fi ve
years.
Business development manager Erik Büt-
hker from LNG 24 explains: “Inland ships
have always used diesel. Fuel diversifi ca-
tion is completely new for ship-owners,
but the situation needs to change now.
They can choose: use after-treatment to
meet national and European emission
standards or switch to the more sus-
tainable LNG. We all know that we have
major air quality problems and that it’s
a burden for cities like Rotterdam, Arn-
hem and Nijmegen. After-treatment only
gets you so far, so using diesel eventu-
ally will be untenable. LNG is cleaner and
can prepare ship-owners for the future.
More so, because there are initiatives
for making LNG more sustainable than
it already is.“
He continues: “A comparison can be
made with the transition in fuel for
regional buses, that switched to natural
gas several years ago. This switch pro-
vided an impulse to the development
of ‘green gas’, which is produced from
digestion of organic waste. Exactly the
same development is possible for LNG,
thus stimulating the production of the
renewable fuel LBM (Liquefi ed Bio Meth-
ane). This is the kind of information we
provide from the LNG inland shipping
project. But we also inform ship-owners
about bunker locations, the benefi ts of
the conversion to LNG as fuel and answer
any questions they have.”
creating a chainSo what are the concrete benefi ts of LNG
for the shipping industry? Van Tongeren:
“One thing most people don’t know is
that we’ve got enough gas for the com-
ing two hundred years. Gas can be found
anywhere, which makes the price stable.
It’s cheaper than diesel and we have it
ourselves in Groningen for example.
When you look at it in terms of sustain-
ability, the arguments for switching from
diesel to LNG are the signifi cant reduc-
tion in emissions, sound and vibrations.
There are still CO2 emissions, but signifi -
cantly less than diesel.”
These strong arguments can change
minds in the inland shipping industry,
but if they want to switch there must
be facilities to implement that change.
“These are partly in place”, Büthker says.
“We haven’t got a complete chain from
gas supply to the user yet. So LNG 24
is creating that chain as we speak. The
‘LNG inland shipping’ project is a small
but crucial piece in providing the facili-
ties that the big picture needs.”
the future of the harborVan Tongeren explains: “The port of Rot-
terdam is preparing for the future. Today,
they are an important harbor for fossil
fuels. Tomorrow they want to operate in
a more sustainable way and also want to
be an important hub for more sustain-
able fuels. Therefore, we are working on
new, low-CO2 and CO2-free energy fl ows
and products, with wind, biomass, low
carbon coal with CCS and of course gas.
Gas will be the most important fuel in the
fuel mix for power in Rotterdam.”
“We already have got enough of it for
ourselves, but the plan is to start import-
ing gas from other countries. It’s easy
to store, so we can create a position
in which we can become an important
hub. At the gate terminal of the Port of
Rotterdam, there are already three big
bunkers which can together store 12 bil-
lion cubic metres of gas. LNG 24 plans to
build a bunker station, so there’ll be pos-
sibilities to bunker ships and trucks. They
also work with parties outside Clean Tech
Delta to further develop other necessary
facilities around LNG.”
Providing impetuses“The Clean Tech Delta project provides
an impetus towards a more sustainable
inland shipping industry”, Van Ton-
geren continues. “The market itself has
to evolve the industries further. So with
LNG inland shipping, we contribute to
the bigger picture.. However, because of
the connecting character, we do make an
impact on the main goal. As we do with
every project.”
We are a private-driven triple helix membership based cooperationIn the current economic situation, the
time for transition is now. We believe
that clean tech is the key to adapt
to (and create) a new economy. The
region can be used as an Urban Living
Lab, a place where newly applied clean
tech solutions can be tested. This way
we can share the solutions and apply
them, on a large(r) scale, abroad.
We have an ambition to strengthen
the clean tech cluster in our region
and to make a signifi cant contribution
to the regional economy. In 2020 our
cluster will count 4.000 companies,
SME’s and start-up’s, which will provide
50.000 jobs. We will be in the top 3
of knowledge and innovation regions
within Europe.
‘the port oF rotterdaM is preparing For the Future. they want to operate in a
More sustainaBle way’
Board MeMBer oF clean tech delta, GER VAN tONGEREN and Business developMent engineer ERik BÜtHkER FroM lng 24 aBout the lng inland shipping proJectAmbitious partners
accelerate evolving markets clEAN tEcH DEltA NEtWORk
ERIK BÜTHKER
GER VAN TONGEREN
Let’s Build Network
16 17
BusinessWeek called them ‘Masters of innovation’, which is exactly what they are. they are proud of a range of about 55.000 products and 46 technology platforms. Forty percent of their revenue comes from new products in the last five years. According to plan they will be located at technopolis in Delft in June 2014. the name of this company: 3M.
Geoff Nicholson, a former VP at 3M, once
stated that research is the transforma-
tion of money into knowledge and inno-
vation the transformation of knowledge
into money. A simple but nevertheless
well thought out statement that touches
the heart of what 3M does and stands
for. Worldwide 3M invests about 1,6 bil-
lion euro in R&D every year. And every
year the company adds about 3000
new patents to its portfolio in sectors
like health care, industry, transport, elec-
tronics, telecommunications, safety and
graphics.
innovation drivenWhat was the second item that touched
the face of the moon in 1969? Only few
people know that Neil Armstrong walked
on the moon wearing space boots with
soles made with 3M Fluorel Elastomer.
Today it continues to be used in ultra-low
temperature applications in deep space,
as well as in earthbound applications.
“Innovation is what drives us”, says Man-
aging Director Benelux Patrick Rogiers.
“Innovation keeps us ahead of our com-
petitors and makes sure that people
can stay prosperous in a responsible
and sustainable way. To us, that is very
important. Our scientists – or should I
say ‘inventors’? – cooperate as one team
globally, sharing knowledge and ideas on
our technology platforms. We stimulate
their creativity by allowing them to pur-
sue their own ideas for fifteen percent
of their time. That’s only one example of
how we managed to stay on top for over
a hundred years.”
Preference for a science parkAt this very moment the contours of the
new 3M accommodation at Technopolis
are shaped and easily visible from high-
way A13 between Delft and Rotterdam.
Question is: why Delft? Rogiers has the
answer. “First of all, after thirty years
our accommodation in Zoeterwoude no
longer meets our needs as an innovative
company. When we moved there in the
80’s, we were mainly active in market-
ing, sales and distribution. Nowadays
we develop complete solutions for our
customers. That is a total different func-
tion and requires a total different accom-
modation.”
3M started looking for a new place to
stay and soon they learned that many
buildings where either too big or not
suitable for their purposes. Renovating
the old building in Zoeterwoude was no
option, nor was moving to an ‘anony-
mous’ industrial site with no other inno-
vative or scientific firms around. Thus
the preference was a science park and
Technopolis offered everything 3M was
looking for: enough space, a university of
technology and other companies active
in the knowledge industry nearby.
inspiring environment“We were looking for an environment
that inspires to create innovations and
that makes innovation possible”, says
Rogiers. “I expect Technopolis will work
as a catalyst for us. With scientists of all
kind of disciplines from the Delft Univer-
sity of Technology and of all the other
innovative companies in Delft, I foresee
that we will be able to develop new inno-
vative, technological solutions for our
clients even better than before. We will
all benefit from sharing information and
knowledge. As we always strive to be the
leader in every field, this offers us all an
important advantage.”
3M employs about a thousand people
in the Benelux. 260 Employees who are
currently stationed at Zoeterwoude, will
move to Delft next year. But that number
might grow, because, as they say at 3M,
innovation creates jobs. Rogiers: “The
Delft University of Technology educates
a lot of young, talented students with a
feeling for entrepreneurship. I would like
to attract that kind of high potentials.”
Most innovative companyThe new 3M building that is now being
constructed according to high sustain-
ability standards like BREEAM, will meet
every wish and demand related to the
goals 3M has set to achieve. This means
that the accommodation is not only
designed to develop new products, but
to directly test them as well. The choice
to build new thus supports 3M’s vision on
the future, as everything keeps revolv-
ing around one word: innovation. “We
want to be known as the most innova-
tive company in the Benelux; now and in
the future”, says Rogiers. “Therefore we
keep re-inventing ourselves.”
Let’s Build Results
‘ Technopolis will work as a catalyst for us’
Managing director 3M Benelux PAtRick ROGiERS
Technopolis is intended for knowledge-inten-
sive companies active in sectors relating to the
scientific research of TU Delft of which 3M is
a good example. The ambition is to transform
Technopolis into one of the top locations for
Research & Development in Europe.
Linked to the expertise of TU Delft, the area will
be developed into an engine for R&D activities
and High Tech production. The cooperation
between knowledge institutions and compa-
nies is central and will be actively promoted to
generate synergy. This is done in diverse ways,
including the creation of attractive meeting
places for the employees in the area.
18 19
‘innovation Makes sure that people can stay prosperous in a responsiBle
and sustainaBle way’
On the 18th fl oor of the Rotterdam Science tower, where the daily vista depicts Rotterdam’s industrial activities and the amazing waterways of the river Maas, the fi rst laboratorial hotel in Europe has recently opened its doors. this pilot makes small-scale innovative research onto drugs or medical devices more accessible than ever.
In the LabHotel, medical innovators
can rent a laboratory for a day, a week,
a month or a year; anything is possible.
Extra equipment (such as pipettes and
laminar fl ow cabinets), services (like ICT,
Wi-Fi and boardrooms) and even experi-
enced professional staff are available á la
carte. Of course the LabHotel also meets
all requirements for air handling and safety
and possesses the required permits for
Microbiological Laboratory class II.
New opportunitiesThe concept provides new opportuni-
ties for every company, from start-ups
to multinationals. “But starters will
probably benefi t the most from our ser-
vices,” says LabHotel co-founder and
manager, Marc Schellekens. “Our turn-
key laboratories reduce the investment
risks for young companies with medical
innovation ideas. Accommodation has
always been a bottleneck for this target
group. Renting or buying a laboratory is
extremely expensive.”
“During our research, we discovered that
bigger companies are potential renters
as well. For them it can be a cheap, quick
solution in terms of a suitable space to
educate and train sales teams, while the
normal work in their own laboratories
can continue uninterrupted. Our concept
also offers them the option to expand
their spatial capacity for new research,
without the big fi nancial risks they would
have to face otherwise.”
Raising the profi le of science in the regionSchellekens came up with this idea about
10 years ago, but waited for the perfect
time to implement it. “And that’s right
now, as the entire region stimulates the
knowledge economy. We live in an inter-
esting age that forms a challenging play-
ground for creative thinkers. Flexibility is
key nowadays, because it reduces risks,
so companies avoid long term commit-
ments. At the LabHotel we meet all their
needs in a fl exible way.”
“The city of Rotterdam and the Medical
Delta network, believe in the LabHotel’s
potential. After all, these kinds of ideas
encourage innovation. As soon as the
LabHotel is fully up and running, it will
increase the area’s attractive power. As
Let’s Build Results
laBhotel co-Founder and Manager, MARc ScHEllEkENS
an example of the support, Mayor-dep-
uty Jeannette Baljeu visited us during
her recess to ask if everything was going
according plan and if the city of Rotter-
dam could assist in further strengthening
the concept. That shows commitment
and is a typical example of true Rotter-
dam-like decisiveness.”
Decisiveness and collaboration will defi -
nitely be demonstrated in the LabHotel,
Schellekens believes. “We just opened
our doors and are negotiating with sev-
eral parties. Right now we have two labo-
ratories available, but we can expand. If
we need it, the whole 17th fl oor is avail-
able to us. As soon as the fi rst guests
check in, the interaction will begin, partly
because we created joint spaces like the
coffee corner and partly because it’s in
our nature to communicate with people
with similar dreams. I believe this inter-
action will contribute to the successes
people create in the LabHotel. You can
compare it to what happens in incuba-
tors like YES!Delft on Science Park Tech-
nopolis.”
complementary expertise The concept possesses different values
for the city and the target groups. When
asked, Schellekens is very clear about
the most valuable aspect of all: “We are
located at the Science Tower in Rotter-
dam. This boosts the potential in a huge
way. Underneath us, above us and next to
us there are complementary expertises.
With the Erasmus MC incubator II, the
successful ViroClinics, Bird Recruitment,
which scouts high-quality knowledge
workers for companies active in medical
biotechnology and the Erasmus Start-up
Campus, there truly is a wealth of experi-
ence, fresh ideas and knowledge around
us. We are literally a few steps away from
thousands of scientists.”
“Everyone recognises the power of the
Science Tower,” he continues. “The Lab-
Hotel fortifi es the tower. As soon as the
fi rst guests arrive, the city of Rotterdam
will roll out the red carpet, organise an
offi cial welcome and provide them with
free publicity. So you can safely say the
city of Rotterdam has embraced us.
The expectations are high, but we are
ready!”
The LabHotel is part of the Medical Delta
Multiplier, which belongs to the Medical
Delta – a consortium of top life sciences
and medical technology partners in the
Netherlands. The Medical Delta Multi-
plier encourages innovative research and
has a strong focus on the application of
research results (valorisation).
LabHotel for fl exible, innovative research
‘TO BE LOCATED AT THE SCIENCE
TOWER IN ROTTERDAM BOOSTS OUR
POTENTIAL IN A HUGE WAY’
Mark Schellekens’ LabHotel initiative
is a perfect example of how the Tri-
ple Helix is working for this region.
Business meets Science, and the
local government plays her impor-
tant facilitating role. This way, the
LabHotel acts as a showcase for the
region’s creativeness and innovative
business environment. Science Port
Holland is happy to make use of this
– and other – cases to promote the
region’s science parks and towers
off course.
20 21
What is the core business of Bluerise?Bluerise develops and implements sys-
tems to use the ocean for the production
of electricity, cooling and clean drink-
ing water. We use the marine renewable
energy technology that harnesses the
solar energy absorbed by the oceans,
called Ocean Thermal Energy Conver-
sion (OTEC). The technique is based on
exchanging heat from the warm water
of the ocean surface with the cold water
from the deep ocean. Tropical areas offer
the best conditions.
is this new?OTEC itself isn’t. Jacques-Arsène
d’Arsonval fi rst developed it in 1881. But
our OTEC developments, in combination
with the development of the off-shore
industry, create new opportunities. Even
aside from clean energy, it now has sev-
eral other benefi ts. Warm and cold sea-
water can produce clean drinking water
and make cooling possible. This can be
used to cool greenhouses, for example,
so agriculture can expand into dry, tropi-
cal areas. And by using cold deep sea-
water for aquaculture, it’s possible to
reduce the use of biocides and feed,
which is good for the fi sh, the environ-
mental impact and the economics of the
process.
Do you have any competition?That depends how you defi ne ‘compe-
tition’. We feel that the gas industry is
our biggest threat. There are other big
parties that focus on OTEC, but we see
them as partners. We can’t make a fi st
or get ocean energy on the agenda with-
out them. We would rather have a small
share of a big market than a big share
of a small market. Using the oceans as
an energy source will have an extremely
big, positive impact on the world. That’s
our goal.
How important is your location in Delft?Very important. With all the knowledge
around us and the extra facilities that
incubator YES!Delft provides, Delft is the
perfect place for technostarters. We also
have tight connections with Delft Uni-
versity of Technology. Together we have
developed a prototype platform that
generates electricity in an effi cient way.
But we also make use of fresh insights
from students. We have trainees walking
around the whole year through.
Where will Bluerise be in fi ve years?In fi ve years we will have realised our
fi rst big commercial energy platform on
one of the Caribbean islands. And I hope
that the Dutch will be world leaders in
this method of generating electricity.
We missed the boat with wind and solar
energy. We now have the opportunity to
conquer the world with blue energy.
Human activities are causing
the climate to change. the
pollution from fossil fuels is
way beyond what the Earth
can handle and it is very
unhealthy. that’s why we
explore clean energy sources
like the wind and the sun. And
since 70 percent of all sunlight
on earth is absorbed by the
oceans, Bluerise harnesses
ocean power.
We put fi ve questions to
founder Remi Blokker.
New, cool and
brilliant…
Fresh new ideas from young and ambitious technostarters will have an impact on our future. these young potentials apply their knowledge with great creativity to solve social and environmental problems. With complementary facili-ties and knowledge all around them, these starters rise to great heights. Some examples…
SolarWorks!Whether you live near the poles or in the tropics,
there will always be times when you don’t have
light or the power to charge your phone. How
can you solve that? With the Solar Kit Lithium.
SolarWorks! created this intelligent solution
which provides the necessary power by using the
sun or any other power source. Stay connected,
whenever and wherever you are.
Let’s Build GadgetsLet’s Build Future
The ambitions of technostarter Bluerise
REMi BlOkkER, Founder oF Bluerise
Blue rises to the occasion
PresenceDisplaysto stay active. PresenceDisplays uses ICT as a bridge for
interaction in situations where silence normally rules. It
enables people, with handicaps, immobility and/or mental
problems, to engage in social and health interactions
according to their personal preferences. In short: they bring
people closer together.
EXO-L Each year, over half a million people in the Nether-
lands deal with ankle injuries while braces and other
prevention materials do not prove to be suffi cient.
That’s why Exo-L designed something different: an
external ligament, customized by using 3D scan-
ning and 3D printing. This innovative and patented
example of bio mimicry provides effective support
of the ankle while maintaining an optimal feeling of
freedom. Gain without pain!
Holland Haptics A big breakthrough from Delft: the sensation of touch during an
online conversation. With Frebble, Holland Haptics introduces the
fi rst affordable computer accessory for human-to-human interac-
tion. This sounds like the future, but now, for instance, a child in
the hospital can hold his mother’s hand while she is at home. In
short: Frebble takes online interaction to another level.
Carice Cars Cars that drive on fossil fuels will be history one day.
We all know that. But one young company takes
energy-saving solutions for cars to a whole new
level: Carice Cars. With a focus on lightweight and
handling, they developed a sporty, electric con-
vertible – the ‘Carice MK1’. Here’s a sneak pre-
view of the car, which only weighs 300kg, uses
very little energy, is approved for use on
public roads and puts a smile on everyone’s
face. Offi cial sales start in spring 2014 but
there is a limited number of pre-launch
cars available now.
22 23
the province of South Holland has great potential when it comes to entrepreneurship and innovation, although currently not all of this potential is yet being exploited. “We face the challenge of improving the capabilities of the region” says Rinke Zonneveld, the managing director of the new Regional Development Agency (ROM Zuidvleugel), which will be launched on 1 January 2014.
For Zonneveld, with a background as an
economist, regional economic develop-
ment is familiar territory. In recent years he
has been the director of Entrepreneurship
Department at the Ministry of Economic
Affairs. This department has the task of
encouraging successful entrepreneurship
and creating a strong business climate in
the Netherlands. It is also responsible for
all government schemes for SME fi nance.
Zonneveld is therefore bringing a con-
siderable amount of useful experience to
the ROM Zuidvleugel, which is going to
include an investment fund worth 28 mil-
lion euros.
Business development“But let us not give the impression that
funding is going to be the only activity of
the ROM,” explains Zonneveld. The ROM
Zuidvleugel’s goal is to increase both the
innovative and the economic strength of
the region. “We will be combining fund-
ing with business development as well
as attracting new (foreign) businesses
through promotion and acquisition. Entre-
preneurship and innovation prosper best in
an environment in which new connections
are constantly being created – between
large and small businesses, knowledge
institutes, investors, and across the bound-
aries of different industries.
While at the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
he was able to experience how regional
development agencies, such as those
in Brabant and East Netherlands, have
become business accelerators for their
regions. They provide added value to
their regional economies, and they unlock
unused potential. “It was quite a while
before the region of South Holland rea-
lised that a regional development agency
is a necessary tool to be able to compete
more successfully with other regions,”
notes Zonneveld.
companies being tempted away“In the past the general opinion was that
you only needed a regional development
agency in areas with weaker economies.
South Holland, of course, does not fall into
that category, with its large numbers of
hightech businesses, the world port of
Rotterdam, the innovative horticultural
sector in the Westland area, technologi-
cal institutes like TNO and Deltares, two
state-of-the-art university hospitals, and
the three best universities in the country,
in Leiden, Delft, and Rotterdam.”
“But what we are seeing is that different
companies are being tempted away from
the region because there is a lack of risk
capital in the his region. With the new
regional development agency the ambi-
tion is that this trend is going to change.
However, if it is in a company’s best inter-
est to (re)locate to, for instance Wagenin-
gen or Tilburg, then I would urge them to
contact our regional counterparts. “In my
opinion regions should be able to compete
and work together at the same time”
Broad scopeROM Zuidvleugel will be assisting small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to
transfer their technological and organi-
sational ideas to high quality innovations
that contribute towards solving society’s
challenges. Although the focus will be on
SMEs including start-ups and fast growers,
the overall scope covered by the regional
development agency, with its Promotion
& Acquisition, Development & Innovation,
and Finance & Investment departments, is
much broader.
Putting the region of South Holland
firmly on the international map and
attracting foreign companies are also
important goals. There will be a particu-
lar focus on clusters with a great deal of
regional potential such as life sciences,
infrastructure and mobility, biotechnol-
ogy, delta technology, medical technol-
ogy, horticulture and security.
While talking about the creation of
ROM Zuidvleugel, Zonneveld eagerly
rubs his hands. He is clearly relishing
his new position: “Yes, isn’t it fantastic?
I am free to build this organisation from
scratch on the basis of my own ideas.
You only get an opportunity like this
once in a lifetime. We may have a large
number of stakeholders – the Ministry of
Economic Affairs, the province, all large
cities in the province, the universities
in Delft and Leiden, and the university
hospitals in Rotterdam and Leiden – but
they are keeping their distance and are
not interfering with operational matters.
As far as our actual tasks are concerned,
we therefore have a lot of freedom.”
creating valueHis strategy is to create real added
value in South Holland for those sectors
on which the ROM Zuidvleugel is focus-
ing its attention. He does not believe
in short term strategies: he is keen to
achieve long term dedication. He rea-
lises that this approach needs more
time in order to be visibly successful,
but at the same time is convinced that
this is how the region will become stron-
ger and more attractive. “I want to see
tangible results in the first year of our
existence, but my aim is for the Province
of South Holland to be the number one
in terms of innovative strength in the
Netherlands, and therefore in Europe,
by around 2020. We will then be able to
say: ‘We live, learn, work and do busi-
ness in a region that can count itself
among the very best!’”
Managing director RiNkE ZONNEVElD shares his thoughts
Let’s Build Beyond
‘ aMerican pharMaceutical coMpanies pay us to Be in the science tower!’
A vibrant start-up community is essential
for creating breakthrough innovations. The
incubators on the innovation campuses, like
DNAMO, YES!Delft, ErasmusMC Incubator
and the Rotterdam Science Tower, play an
important role as breeding ground for over
a hundred high-tech start-ups in the last fi ve
years.
‘OUR STRATEGY IS TO CREATE REAL ADDED VALUE IN SOUTH HOLLAND AND TO ACHIEVE
LONG TERM DEDICATION’
ROM, new motor of innovative development
24 25As of January 1st 2014 Science
Port Holland will become a crucial
part of the Regional Development
Agency Zuidvleugel (in short ROM
Zuidvleugel). Whereas Science Port
Holland developed the region on a
smaller scale – Delft and Rotterdam
- this new organisation will roughly
economically develop the region of
South Holland. For many years to
come the ROM Zuidvleugel is going
to be the binding factor to strengthen
the regional economy.
Science Port Holland aims to con-
tinue the good relationships that it
has experienced - working with all
partners in Rotterdam and Delft,
companies and local authorities alike
– within the new organisation.
science port holland is
a regional developMent
corporation Founded in
2008 By three shareholders:
the city oF delFt, the city
oF rotterdaM and the delFt
university oF technology. its
aMBition is to oFFer knowledge
intensive coMpanies an optiMal
investMent cliMate, Based on
knowledge and open innovation,
leading towards high iMpact
technological Breakthroughs
and tangiBle solutions. science
port holland is actively working
on strengthening the innovation
inFrastructure in the region with
a strong Focus on the BioBased
econoMy, energy & cliMate, water
& delta technology and Medical
technology. More inForMation on
WWW.SCIENCEPORTHOLLAND.NL.
colophonEditorsMalou Spruit – Science Port Holland NV
Chris van Voorden – Science Port Holland NV
Special thanks goes out to:the interviewees
the start-up companies at YES!Delft in this issue
Studio Roosegaarde
DelFly team
Liesbeth Clemens – 3M
Harald Blonk – Clean Tech Delta
Willemijn van Harinxma – Concept House Village
Astrid van Kleef – DSM
Jorn Douwstra – City of Delft
concept and DesignWijnand de Vries – Walvis & Mosmans
textHans Dalmeijer, Maxim Dalmeijer
– De TekstGroep
PhotographyIvo van der Bent
(page: 4-7, 12-13, 16, 19, 20-21, 25, 26)
‘ Even great ideas need money to grow’
Let’s Build Finance
Engineers from Delft University of technology often come up with brilliant ideas to solve technical, social and environmental problems. But they are not all great entrepreneurs. So it can be wise to team up with managerial experts from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. “Also, it is extremely important to find investors at an early stage,” says Duke Urbanik.
He knows what he’s talking about, as he
has been an informal investor or ‘busi-
ness angel’ himself. This was after he
sold the very successful IT company
he started as a mechanical engineer-
ing student. This was back when com-
puters didn’t have a hard drive yet,
just a program and a data floppy disk.
At the moment, he volunteers as the
interim Incubation & Growth manager
at YES!Delft. As he was already a busi-
ness consultant one day a week for the
young companies located in the incu-
bator, he is a well-known figure there.
learn to say ‘no’Urbanik: “A lot of these guys have great
ideas, but often it also costs a lot of
money to realise them, money they
don’t have, and banks are reluctant
to lend nowadays. On top of that, it
is often the case that they have some
money saved or borrowed from their
parents, so they can start working at
their plans. If you don’t include find-
ing investors in your schedule from the
start, sooner or later you’ll find yourself
in trouble.”
“And by that time you’re vulnerable.
Investors notice that immediately. So
if you start negotiating, some investors
might offer you, let’s say, 300,000 or
400,000 euros in exchange for some-
thing like a third of all your future prof-
its. At such a moment that amount of
money seems a lot, but if your service
or product proves to be a real money
maker, you’ll be sorry for the rest of
your life if you accept. So you have
yes!delFt interiM incuBation & growth Manager DUkE URBANik
to learn to say ‘no’ even when
times are tough. There is always
an escape to be found.”
Perfection comes laterAlthough he thinks that the qual-
ity of entrepreneurship among
young academics is generally
much better than it used to be,
there are still lots of dangerous
traps for start-ups. For instance,
the tendency to keep working at
an invention or mechanism until
it is perfect. You will most cer-
tainly run out of money, accord-
ing to Urbanik: “Of course your
service or product must be good
and ready to market, but perfec-
tion comes later.”
In the YES!Delft Launch Lab pro-
gramme, young entrepreneurs
can learn to focus on what is
important and how to make both
business and financial plans in a
relatively short period of time.
This gives them an advantage
and makes it easier for them to
negotiate with investors, who
are always critical and want
answers to all of their ques-
tions. “It is good advice to be
prepared, as informal investors
and small communities of busi-
ness angels working together
are crucial to the future of many
young technical companies,”
says Urbanik.
Access to public and pri-
vate funding is key to
success for any company
– including start-ups.
Therefore it is essential
for regional development.
Business angels play a sig-
nifi cant role, as they are
willing to fi nance and facili-
tate ideas and enterprises
in an early stage – provided
that the venture is promis-
ing and the organisation
sound.
26 27
WATER • •START-UPS • CANALS • OPEN INNOVATION KNOWLEDGE • NETWORK • UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCI-
CAMPUS • INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY • MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY • MEDICAL CENTRES • GREEN ENERGY
GATEWAY TO EUROPE • DELTA • HIGH TECH • SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER • FOCUS • CLUSTERS
• SOFT LANDING PROGRAM • SEAPORT • INTERNA-• HIGHTECH • KEY INNOVATION • REGION • KNOWL-
EDGE EXCHANGE • KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTES • LOGISTIC HUB BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART ARCHI-
TECTURE • TECHNOLOGY • SYNERGY • DELTA • INNOVATION • CONNECTING PEOPLE & BUSINESS • RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT • PUBLIC TRANSPORT • GREEN ENVIRONMENT WATER • HISTORY • BUSINESS • START-UPS
NOVATION • KNOWLEDGE • NETWORK • UNIVERSITIES OF AP-PLIED SCIENCES • CAMPUS • INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY FUTURE • GREEN ENERGY • FUTURE • GATEWAY TO EUROPE
• HIGHTECH • TRANSFER • SCIENCE PARK • FOCUS CLUSTERS • INCUBATOR • SOFT LANDING PROGRAM SEAPORT • INTERNATIONAL • HIGHTECH • KEY INNOVATION
• KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE • KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTES LOGISTIC HUB • BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • STATE-OF-THE-
ART FACILITIES • ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT • BUSINESS DE-VELOPMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES • ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART ARCHITECTURE NOLOGY • SYNERGY • INNOVATION • PEOPLE • CONNECTING PEOPLE & BUSINESS • RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LIC TRANSPORT • GREEN ENVIRONMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART ARCHITECTURE • TECHNOLOGY • SYNERGY • INNOVATION
• CONNECTING PEOPLE & BUSINESS • RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT R&D • DELTA • GREEN ENVIRONMENT DELFT WATER • HISTORY • BUSINESS • START-UPS • CANALS
INNOVATION KNOWLEDGE • NETWORK • UNIVERSITIES OF AP-PLIED SCIENCES • CAMPUS • INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY • MEDICAL CENTRES • GREEN
GATEWAY TO EUROPE • DELTA • HIGH TECH • KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER • LANDSCAPE • CLUSTERS
INCUBATOR • SOFT LANDING PROGRAM • SEAPORT NATIONAL • HIGHTECH • KEY INNOVATION REGION KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE • KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTES TIC HUB • BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART FA-CILITIES • ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENT • STATE-OF-THE-ART ARCHITECTURE • DUTCH LANDSCAPING • TECHNOLOGY
INNOVATION • PEOPLE • CONNECTING PEOPLE & BUSI-
Postal address
P.O. Box 5013
2600 GA Delft
The Netherlands
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone : +31 (0) 15 – 27 88 88 6
www.scienceportholland.nl
Let’s build
Our new head offi ce
from January 2014
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Prinses Margrietplantsoen
2595 AM The Hague
The Netherlands