Claire Sleijffers

Out of more than 180 international submissions, 35 appealing innovations have been selected. These finalists stand a chance to be used by the two million visitors the Johan Cruijff ArenA hosts each year.

In collaboration with Ajax, the KNVB and ID&T, the Johan Cruijff ArenA mounted the Change the Game Challenge to develop new, innovative services for visitors. Companies from all over the world have submitted a variety of products and services designed to enhance the visitor’s experience.

De Johan Cruijff ArenA gaat, in samenwerking met Ajax en de KNVB, nieuwe, innovatieve diensten voor bezoekers ontwikkelen. Slimme innovaties moeten onder anderen zorgen voor extra beleving zoals exclusieve content bij een event, de kortste wachtrijen in het stadion tonen en de snelste weg naar je stoel wijzen. Bedrijven worden daarom uitgedaagd hun stadionoplossingen aan te melden. De meest aansprekende, state of-the-art concepten worden in de ArenA getest en vanaf 2019 aan bezoekers aangeboden.

De ArenA wil dat bezoekers optimaal en intensief kunnen genieten van een wedstrijd of event, ook op een afstand. Gedacht kan worden aan informatie op maat over het event, kaartverkoop, een zorgeloze reis en activiteiten voorafgaand en na een wedstrijd. Of een virtuele omgeving tijdens een event waar bezoekers ervaringen delen.

Een deel van de wedstrijden van het Nederlands elftal wordt in de ArenA gespeeld en de KNVB wil dat bezoekers, ook tijdens EURO 2020, een topavond hebben. Maar ook dat de kennis die wordt opgedaan ten goede komt aan de andere voetbalclubs in Nederland.

Naast de voordelen voor de bezoeker kunnen dergelijke diensten ook zorgen voor een efficiëntere en rendabele bedrijfsvoering zoals een optimale stoelbezetting, het sneller kunnen helpen van bezoekers en de ondersteuning van crowd-management. De geselecteerde oplossingen worden in een fieldlab-opzet met de verschillende partners in 2019 en 2020 geïmplementeerd en verder ontwikkeld in de ArenA.

Change the Game is een initiatief van de Johan Cruijff ArenA, Media Perspectives, Hogeschool van Amsterdam en TNO en mede gesubsidieerd door het Europese Fonds voor Regionale Ontwikkeling van de Europese Unie. Als innovatiepartner is dit programma powered by KPMG. Innovatieve partijen kunnen zich tot eind maart 2019 aanmelden op www.changethegame.eu.

Today the largest European energy storage system using second-life and new electric vehicle batteries in a commercial building was made live. Amsterdam Alderman Udo Kock, deputy mayor for Finance and Economic Affairs (Amsterdam) conducted the official opening ceremony.

This unique project is the result of collaboration between Nissan, Eaton, BAM, The Mobility House and the Johan Cruijff ArenA, supported by the Amsterdam Climate and Energy Fund (AKEF) and Interreg.

The 3 megawatt storage system provides a more reliable and efficient energy supply and usage for the stadium, its visitors, neighbors and the Dutch energy grid. Combining Eaton power conversion units and the equivalent of 148 Nissan LEAF batteries, the energy storage system not only enables a more sustainable energy system, it also creates a circular economy for electric vehicle batteries.

“Thanks to this energy storage system, the stadium will be able to use its own sustainable energy more intelligently and, as Amsterdam Energy ArenA BV, it can trade in the batteries’ available storage capacity.” says Henk van Raan, director of innovation at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. “The ArenA is assured of a considerable amount of power, even during an outage. As a result, the stadium will contribute to a stable Dutch energy grid. The Johan Cruijff ArenA is one of the most sustainable stadiums in the world and leads the way in introducing smart innovations like this unique energy storage system.”

Flexible storage capacity
The energy storage system plays an important role in balancing supply and demand of energy in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. The storage system has a total capacity of 3 megawatt, enough to power several thousand households. This capacity also means that the energy produced by the 4,200 solar panels on the roof of the ArenA can also be stored and used optimally. The energy storage system will provide back-up power, reducing the use of diesel generators, and provide relief to the energy grid by flattening the peaks that occur during concerts.

Johan Cruijff ArenA
Johan Cruijff ArenA is an important player in the top league of international, multi-purpose stadiums. It is the home of AFC Ajax and the stage for the Dutch national team, big concerts, dance events and business meetings. Johan Cruijff ArenA welcomes more than two million visitors annually. Johan Cruijff ArenA makes it all about the audience experience. Together with its partners, Johan Cruijff ArenA offers top-level services and facilities, and is constantly working on creating an optimal fan experience in and around the stadium.

Amsterdam Innovation Arena
The stadium’s new energy storage system and related company, Amsterdam Energy ArenA BV, are concrete results of the innovation program managed by Amsterdam Innovation Arena, in which knowledge institutions, governments and companies such as BAM, Nissan, Eaton and The Mobility House are working on the stadium of the future.
The stadium and neighboring area function as a Living Lab; a hotspot for testing innovations in practice. Innovative concepts and ideas as well as proven solutions in the field of stadium construction, management and exploitation will find their way to stadiums, sports and recreational areas throughout the world via Johan Cruijff ArenA International. The partners in Amsterdam Innovation Arena are: Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam City Council, Amsterdam Smart City, TNO, KPN, KPMG, Huawei, Microsoft, Signify, Nissan, Eaton, Honeywell and BAM.

Amsterdam Innovation Arena partners Huawei and KPN launched a drone-taxi for the first time in Europe on the specially adapted mobile 4G network in the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

The Amsterdam ArenA is present at the RAI from September 14th until September 19th, at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), the world’s largest exhibition in the field of media and entertainment. Here the stadium together with partners demonstrates new technology, which provides additional experience for TeV viewers and stadium visitors during live events, such as football matches and concerts.

Read more: http://www.amsterdamarena.nl/default-showon-page/amsterdam-arena-introduces-new-technology-during-ibc-2017-1.htm

Our Energy Storage System Project has been nominated for the Accenture Innovation Award! Vote for our innovation at https://innovation-awards.nl/innovation/energy-storage-system/. The winner will be announced in October 2017.

By repurposing batteries from previously used electric vehicles, the xStorage Buildings system can draw energy from the grid, providing businesses with more control, better value and a more sustainable choice for their energy consumption.

Using 280 Nissan LEAF batteries, the system designed for the Amsterdam ArenA will be the largest energy storage system powered by second-life batteries used by a commercial business in Europe and will have four Megawatts of power and four Megawatts of storage capacity.

As well as providing vital back-up power services to the ArenA, xStorage Buildings also enables the Amsterdam ArenA to power the surrounding neighbourhood when necessary and protect the grid. The Mobility House, a technology company, will operate the xStorage Buildings system integrated at the Amsterdam ArenA. It will perform various energy services strengthening local grid stability while generating additional value for the Amsterdam ArenA.