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’

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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

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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

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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.”

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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: info@scienceportholland.nl

Telephone : +31 (0) 15 – 27 88 88 6

www.scienceportholland.nl

Let’s build

Our new head offi ce

from January 2014

WTC The Hague

Prinses Margrietplantsoen

2595 AM The Hague

The Netherlands