#Business models

Ondervind je obstakels bij het ondernemen, wil je het totaal anders aanpakken óf wil je vooruit in je huidige business? Dan kan jij wel een Frisse Blik gebruiken!

Schrijf je in voor de workshop een [Frisse Blik - Storytelling](Meld je aan & meer informatie via de website van Groen & Gezond Almere! ). Tijdens de workshop neemt Elisabeth van der Spek, Strategy & Business Development Director bij REGGS je mee om van een Fixed Mindset naar een Open Mindset te gaan. Samen met Ingrid Zeegers van PRICE, leer je hoe je jouw verhaal verder kunt uitdenken en hiermee nieuwe partners aan je onderneming kunt verbinden.

Tijdens de workshop gaan we na hoe je van dromen naar doen kunt gaan én hoe je een idee naar een business vormt.

💡Je leert hoe je je innerlijke criticus uitzet.
💡Er zijn meer mogelijkheden dan problemen.
💡Er is niets dat jou stopt om je doel te bereiken.

Met deze workshop kan je aan de slag om je ondernemersverhaal te verbeteren en je te verbinden met jouw droompartners. Reserveer je plek voor 3 november op het Upcyclecentrum via de website van Groen & Gezond Almere!

Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) is the international leading event for cities held in Barcelona since 2011. The mission is to empower cities and collectivize urban innovation across the globe. Through promoting social innovation, establishing partnerships and identifying business opportunities, the event is dedicated to creating a better future for cities and their citizens.

The Netherlands will join the Expo with a trade mission. Dutch companies working in the smart city field are welcome to join a business event with The Nordics, get a role in the program on the Expo, contribute to matchmaking events and join a big amount of other side events!

Be quick and sign up for this trade mission before the 7th of October!

Not a company, but planning to go to Barcelona for knowledge exchange, inspiration and networking? Let us know! There will be programs for non-companies as well!

More information about the Smart City Expo: https://www.smartcityexpo.com/the-event/
More information about the Dutch trade mission to the Smart City Expo: https://www.rvo.nl/actueel/evenementen/smart-city-missie-naar-smart-city-expo-world-congress-barcelona

JOUW ROL

We zoeken iemand die deze business development ondersteunt. Je identificeert trends, kansen en behoeftes, breidt de sales funnel uit en schrijft sterke offertes. Je werkt nauw samen met de verschillende team leads in het uitvoeren en versterken van de commerciële strategie gericht op bestaande en nieuwe klanten.

Je bent zowel praktisch als strategisch en analytisch ingesteld. Je vindt het leuk om nieuwe relaties op te bouwen met klanten en partners. Je duikt in de diverse impact thema’s waar Impact Hub zich mee bezighoudt en ontwikkelt daar nieuwe kansen voor. Ervaring en een netwerk op het gebied van circulaire economie, duurzaam voedsel, sociale inclusie of duurzame mode is een pré.

VERANTWOORDELIJKHEDEN

• Nieuwe leads verzamelen, analyseren en contact mee leggen, mogelijkheden voor diensten zien en hier voorstellen voor ontwikkelen. 
• Versterken en vullen van de sales funnel, en versterken van de outbound sales activiteiten
• Offertes inhoudelijk en financieel uitwerken, op basis van RFP voorwaarden en input vanuit relevante bronnen
• Marketing van onze diensten versterken 
• Sales proces beheren

VEREISTEN

• 3+ jaar ervaring in business development en B2B sales; werken met MKB en corporates en (duidelijke interesse in) impact startups
• ervaring met lead generation en gedreven door hoge kwaliteit in de uitvoering
• ervaring in het vergroten van conversieratio’s
• ervaring in het schakelen tussen startup en corporate jargon
• ervaring met het schrijven van winnende offertes, inclusief budgetten
• gemotiveerd door het werken in een snelle, ondernemende omgeving en het aangaan van gesprekken met nieuwe contacten
• in staat om onder druk en met deadlines te werken
• bewezen netwerk van (impact) bedrijven en financieringslandschap in Nederland
• vloeiend Nederlands en Engels spreken en schrijven.

FUNCTIE SPECIFICATIES

• Beschikbaar voor 24-32 uur per week 
• Salaris is marktconform, gebaseerd op ervaring en capaciteiten
• Contract: we beginnen met een zes maanden contract, met de intentie om dit te verlengen op basis van de gerealiseerde prestaties
• Leidinggevende: CFO, je maakt onderdeel uit van het ‘business team’.

Impact Hub Amsterdam staat voor gelijke kansen; diversiteit en inclusie zijn integraal onderdeel van onze strategie. In ons team staat samenwerking en ondersteuning voorop en we bieden ruimte voor groei en het ontwikkelen van initiatieven.

SOLLICITATIEPROCES

Stuur je sollicitatie naar amsterdam.admin@impacthub.net!

• Curriculum Vitae
• Brief waarin je uitlegt waarom jij en Impact Hub Amsterdam voor elkaar zijn voorbestemd
• Een voorbeeld van jouw werk; een pitch of voorstel dat je hebt geschreven (specifieke details mag je verbergen)

In the recent past, the value of startups in Amsterdam Delta (Amsterdam metropolitan region) has taken a giant leap. In 2015, Amsterdam startups were valued at $11.1 billion. Today, Europe's number 3 ecosystem is worth $83.3 billion. The extraordinary success stories of Adyen and Takeaway have been a major contributor to this success, but its base is much broader. On the annually published Global Startup Ecosystem ranking Amsterdam Delta rose from the 19th place in 2015 to 12th place in 2020. Everyone was curious about the 2021 ranking. Well, as the table shows, Amsterdam Delta has been overtaken by Paris and Tokyo, but only lost one place due to a significant drop in Stockholm.

The value of rankings is easily overestimated. However, the value of startups should not be underestimated. More than 30% of the 4000 startups in the Netherlands are located in the Amsterdam metropolitan region. Together, the Dutch startups have created more than 100,000 jobs and are responsible for 60% of the annual job growth.

Globally, 2020 and 2021 were amazing years for startups as the pandemic fueled technology. According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021, Internet capacity increased by 35% and global broadband traffic by 51%. Consumers bought 30% more food online. Global venture capital funding nearly doubled to $288 billion in the first half of 2021, compared to the first half of 2020. Startups have benefited from the explosive technology market, supported by significant government support. Following China and the US, the European Union has been generous to startups, and the same goes for its member states. The Dutch government offers tax credits to innovative companies and environmentally friendly investments. The city of Amsterdam promotes startups that support inclusive growth and diversity, for example by subsidizing female entrepreneurs.

The Amsterdam Delta startup ecosystem can be characterized as vibrant. Still other ecosystems in the world are growing faster, including those in some European cities. In the global top ten emerging ecosystems, we find Copenhagen in second place and Barcelona, Madrid, and Zurich in places 5, 8 and 9.

To detect possible vulnerabilities in the Amsterdam Delta startup ecosystem, analyzing of success factors of the 30 highest-ranked ecosystems in the report is informative. In terms of performance, Amsterdam's composite score is in a middle position (6 out of 10 points). In terms of funding, the position is good (8). In terms of market reach, the overall score is satisfactory (7): The Amsterdam Delta startups are primarily focused on global markets and score low on the local market. Like most European ecosystems, Amsterdam Delta scores excellent (9) in connectedness, which is related to its strength on the global market. In terms of talent, the overall score is satisfactory (7), but the components differ considerably. The quality of technology students and graduates is good, but their number is insufficient, resulting in high salary costs. The scalability of the Amsterdam startup ecosystem is also insufficient, due to a lack of experience, which keeps many startups small. The overall knowledge success is assessed as poor (1) because the number of life science patents is disappointing.

When assessing the success factors, it should be considered that the population of Amsterdam Delta is about 10% of the population of London, and in this perspective the need to improve the global 13th place is not urgent. On the contrary, understanding why the Amsterdam Delta is performing so well is more relevant than looking for opportunities to improve it.

The explanation of Amsterdam's success has its roots in the fundamental strength of the Netherlands as a whole, which has at least ten other vibrant startup ecosystems. Against this background, one might be curious about the Global Startup Ecosystem ranking of the Randstad, including Eindhoven as a whole. According to the report, the strength of the Netherlands is its well-educated population, international orientation and English proficiency, excellent infrastructure, an 'extremely high quality of life' and business-friendly laws. Amsterdam is also the headquarters of many international companies, a large pool of potential startup founders.

In a next post, I will focus on Amsterdam's policy towards startups and evaluate whether a higher ranking is within reach or whether more qualitative objectives are preferable, taken into account the considerations in a former post on the Amsterdam Smart City website.

I will regularly share ‘snapshots’ of the challenge of bringing socially and ecologically sustainable cities closer using technology if useful. These posts represent findings, updates, and additions to my e-book Humane cities. Always humane. Smart if helpful. The English version of this book can be downloaded for free below.

UPALMERE!, PRICE en Innofest slaan de handen ineen voor een nieuwe editie van Innofest Test Teevee. Drie start en/of scale-ups die zich bezighouden met circulariteit in de bouw en/of ICT & Tech kunnen zich nu aanmelden voor de volgende editie.

Bij Innofest Test Teevee gaan ondernemers onder leiding van de innovatie-experts in gesprek met een online testpanel. De panelleden kunnen op verschillende onderdelen van de innovatie feedback leveren: van het verhaal achter je product tot de smaak en de verpakking. Zo halen ondernemers in korte tijd veel waardevolle data op, die zij kunnen gebruiken om hun product verder te ontwikkelen.

Om deel te kunnen nemen aan deze editie van Test Teevee, dien je aan de volgende voorwaarden te voldoen:

1. Je prototype is innovatief
2. Je innovatie is circulair en richt zich op een van de volgende sectoren: bouw en/of ict/tech
3. Je onderneming heeft de ambitie om te groeien en veel impact te maken
4. Je hebt nu (scale-ups) of in de toekomst (start-ups) een business case
5. Je haalt duidelijke meerwaarde uit het testen met Innofest Test Teevee
6. Je onderneming is gevestigd in de gemeente Almere of gaat dit in de toekomst doen

De deadline voor het aanmelden is 30 september! Nieuwsgierig naar de Test Teevee? Meld je hier aan of lees er meer over op de website!

BLUNDER BREAKFAST - Circulaire ondernemers uit Almere geven je concrete voorbeelden van hoe circulair ondernemen er uit kan zien en vertellen over de dingen waar zij tegenaan zijn gelopen.

Na een eerste editie eerder dit jaar, gaan we verder met een tweede reeks workshops over circulair ondernemen. In de eerste sessie horen we de verhalen van Almeerse ondernemers die hun blunders en successen met ons delen. Welke keuzes hebben zij gemaakt en wat zouden zij anders hebben gedaan?

Wat kun je verwachten?
•    Een informele bijeenkomst met leuke verhalen en leerzame ervaringen uit het Almeerse duurzame bedrijfsleven
•    Netwerken met andere Almeerse ondernemers
•    Leuke start van een boeiende reeks onder het genot van een kopje koffie en zoete broodjes om je dag mee te beginnen!

De Blunder Breakfast  is onderdeel van een reeks bijeenkomsten, georganiseerd door Van Loof in opdracht van de Gemeente Almere. Deze bijeenkomst is op woensdag 22 september en duurt van 10:00 tot 12:00, in het World Trade Center in Almere. Het adres is P.J. Oudweg 4, 1314 CH, Almere. Het WTC ligt naast het station en is daarom makkelijk bereikbaar met het openbaar vervoer, er zijn ook diverse parkeergarages in de buurt.

Zien we je daar? Meld je aan of lees meer via de link!

The time to make a change is now. The world is in motion: COVID19 lockdowns changed our perspectives on life as we know it, the cities we live in are exposed to devastating nature extremes this summer and the IPCC report fast-forwarded our sense of urgency. Do you have an awesome idea that can make an impact, then join the AMS Startup Booster to fast-track your idea. Deadline for applications is extended till September 12.

Are you wondering if the AMS Startup Booster can help you turn your business into a successful business. Then please get inspired by the stories of Mublio and Swugo.

Mublio bootstrapped their business and a year later they're selling their first product! Their first product is tailor-made, affordable, built-in cupboards to make efficient use of the space underneath your stairs.

Swugo wants to help reduce CO2 emissions in our urban environment and attribute to getting Amsterdam car-free by electrifying bikes. The Booster helped them to gain access to a European Mobility accelerator where they have extended their potential client base to other European cities.

Masterclass Growth Mindset / Scale-Up DNA

Deze Masterclass is voor startups en innovatieve MKB-bedrijven die zich met hun baanbrekende innovaties in de groeifase bevinden. Zij hebben al tractie door omzet uit klanten en/of pilots. Ondernemers maken kennis met de succesvoorwaarden voor groei. Denk hierbij aan focus op herhaalbaarheid en schaalbaarheid van product/service, businessmodel, team, infrastructuur, verkoop en organisatie.

Tijdens de Masterclasses en introductiebijeenkomsten kom je meer te weten over GO!-NH en leer je wat de verschillen tussen de 3 programma’s (Accelerator, Growth en Scale). Vaak zijn de bijeenkomsten aansluitend aan één van onze masterclasses of events.

Meer informatie en aanmelden via de GO!-NH Website: https://go-nh.nl/programmas/academy-21/

GO!-NH Workshop Innovatieversneller (Lean Startup)

Een intensieve en hands-on workshop waarin de mindset, skillset en toolset wordt geleerd van het versneld innoveren. We gebruiken een playbook, een gestructureerd proces en best practices uit de markt en uit jullie eigen praktijk; om zo de risico’s aanzienlijk te verminderen en de kans op succes te vergroten.

Aansluitend op de werksessie maak je kennis met het GO!-NH programma en ondernemers (oud deelnemers van GO!-NH) die met baanbrekende innovaties en vernieuwende businessmodellen de markt veroveren. Zij vertellen over hun ervaringen, leermomenten en successen van hun innovaties en ondernemingen.

Tijdens de Masterclasses en introductiebijeenkomsten kom je meer te weten over GO!-NH en leer je wat de verschillen tussen de 3 programma’s (Accelerator, Growth en Scale). Vaak zijn de bijeenkomsten aansluitend aan één van onze masterclasses of events.

Meer informatie en aanmelden via de website van GO!-NH: https://go-nh.nl/programmas/academy-21/

GO!-NH Workshop Innovatieversneller (Lean Startup)

Een intensieve en hands-on workshop waarin de mindset, skillset en toolset wordt geleerd van het versneld innoveren. We gebruiken een playbook, een gestructureerd proces en best practices uit de markt en uit jullie eigen praktijk; om zo de risico’s aanzienlijk te verminderen en de kans op succes te vergroten.

Aansluitend op de werksessie maak je kennis met het GO!-NH programma en ondernemers (oud deelnemers van GO!-NH) die met baanbrekende innovaties en vernieuwende businessmodellen de markt veroveren. Zij vertellen over hun ervaringen, leermomenten en successen van hun innovaties en ondernemingen.

Tijdens de Masterclasses en introductiebijeenkomsten kom je meer te weten over GO!-NH en leer je wat de verschillen tussen de 3 programma’s (Accelerator, Growth en Scale). Vaak zijn de bijeenkomsten aansluitend aan één van onze masterclasses of events.

Aanmelden kan via de website van GO!-NH: https://go-nh.nl/programmas/academy-21/

Het GO!-NH Scale traject is speciaal gericht op startups, scale-ups en MKB’ers die goed ontwikkeld zijn in hun huidige markt en klaar zijn om hun innovatie op te schalen naar nieuwe markten of gebieden. In dit GO!-NH Scale traject ga jij ontdekken welke nieuwe markten je gaat aanboren en wat je daarvoor moet ondernemen. We bereiden de organisatie voor om daadwerkelijk flinke groeisprongen te gaan maken, door het uitwerken van een goede ‘go-to-market’ strategie en individuele begeleiding door experts.

Het GO!-NH Scale programma duurt 6 maanden. De inschrijving sluit zondag 5 september 23.59u.

Meer informatie via https://go-nh.nl/programmas/scale-21/

Mission-driven ventures are a big part of the transition towards a circular economy. However, unlike conventional startups, these ventures face an important challenge: how can they prioritize purpose over profit, while also overcoming the hurdles of venture-building?

Part of the answer lies in rethinking ownership, to welcome investment without compromising long-term impact. Metabolic has recently written an article explaining the concept of "steward ownership" and we'd love to hear your thoughts!

More of a webinar person? Take a look at this Fresh Talk instead: https://lnkd.in/dNJDXVSY

For centuries, entrepreneurship was linked to art and craft and rewarded by personal fulfilment, satisfied customers, and a good life. The term entrepreneur is still associated with giving direction, shape and content to new activities based on personal motivation and skills and thereby creating socially approved value. A description that applies to the self-employed, business entrepreneurs, franchisees or intrapreneurs and includes both commercial, institutional, and artistic activities.
However, there are two problems. Overcoming them opens the way to become a better business.

The plunder of the earth

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has warned that the creative power of entrepreneurship can easily become destructive. A 'maker' becomes a 'taker' once creating value becomes making money in the first place. Indeed, for centuries, companies have robbed resources around the world, destroyed nature, traded millions of slaves and exploited domestic workers, creating the divide between rich and poor countries.
The creative power of entrepreneurship can also be aimed at sustainable prosperity, for their employees, the country, and the world. In that case, the “purpose” of a company precedes the pursuit of profit. Unfortunately, still a minority of all companies are moving in this direction while others pretending.

The decline of engagement and passion within the workforce

There is more. In developed countries, the blatant exploitation of labour has disappeared. Instead, the majority of employment relegates into low strain jobs. Research by Gallup and Deloite has shown over consecutive years that over 64% of all employees worldwide are not engaged or passionate. Find John Hagel explain this in a short video. The reason is clear. 20th century companies have organized their production according to principles of scalable efficiency and have top-down planning and control.  Room for initiative is therefore neither expected nor desired. Moreover, detailed protocols and regulations limit employment for people at a distance from the labour market.
In a rapidly changing world, companies must be adaptive and innovative. They therefore need flexible, interdisciplinary teams with a high degree of self-government and less pay differentials. According to recent research in 17 countries, this type of organizations (8%) outperforms in all respects.

Summarizing, to become a better business requires a double challenge:
·  Replacing the dominance of the pursuit of money with a social and environmental purpose.
·  Mobilizing the entrepreneurial and other capacities of their whole work force by forms of self-organization and shared leadership.

Why focussing on startups?

As only a limited number of companies meet these conditions, employees consider starting their own business. In the US alone, approximately two million workers give up well-paying jobs every year and become self-employed. 127,000 starters were registered in the Netherlands in 2018.  Of them, only a minority will become a startup, which means that they will successfully commercialize a promising technological innovation and grow rapidly on an international level.

Start-ups are potential engines of growth and innovation. In the US, their steady growth is compensating for job losses in the rest of the economy. Dutch startups created 20.000 of jobs in 2018 and 2019. A recent reportoffers excellent documentation of the identity, growth and potential of the 4,311 Dutch startups in 2019, most of which have fewer than 10 employees. 34% of Dutch startups can found in the Amsterdam metropolitan area.

The hope is that start-ups will rise to both challenges by nurturing their social and environmental purpose end fueling the commitment and passion of each employee, and thereby become a better business.

Yet, like any other businesses, startups risk becoming takers rather than makers, trading their social and environmental purpose for the pursuit of money and losing the engagement and passion of their employees. Fortunately, they can prevent this.

Eleven ways to become or stay a better business

1.  Embrace self-organization and shared leadership.
2.  Involve all employees in the continuous strengthening of the social and environmental purpose of the company.
3.  Enable all employees to become shareholders or even better co-owners.
4.  Cherish diversity within the employees.
5. Secure shares in a foundation while enabling shareholders to support the purpose of the company.
6.  Cap the profit to a level that guarantees the continuity of the company.
7.  Ban greed, cancel bonuses, or at most pay a limited and equal allowance to all employees.
8.  Place surplus profits in a foundation that spends money in accordance with the purpose of the company.
9.  Being a fair taxpayer who refrains from tax avoidance practices.
10.Create a supervisory board to monitor the purpose of the company.
11.Focus the founder/director/CEO role on monitoring the purpose of the company and the commitment of all employees and on fueling the discussion on how to deal with changing external conditions.

Rapid societal changes require a reinventing the concept of entrepreneurship. Because of their flexibility and commitment, startups are apt to embrace the dual ambition of pursuing a social and environmental purpose and of mobilizing all employee’s engagement and passion.

My next post will look at how cities can help start-ups to settle, grow and become better businesses. The history of entrepreneurship, its growing distance from ‘makership’ and its possible revival by start-ups is documented in chapter 4 of my e-book Humane cities. Always humane. Smart if helpful. The English version of this book can be downloaded for free below.

The impact of circular principles on the construction sector will be large and beneficial because buildings are responsible for more than 50% of the total use of materials on earth, including valuable specimen such as steel, copper, aluminium and zinc.

The picture above – the interior of the Circle pavilion of the ABN-AMRO bank in Amsterdam is an example of a new building that uses as many existing components as possible and new components of the building are designed to be reused. Think of:

• 1200 m2 of wooden floors
• Partition walls of a demolished building
• 16.000 garments of employees for isolation purposes

By circular construction we mean designing, building and demolishing a building in such a way that, in addition to the high-quality reuse of materials, justice is done to sustainability ambitions in the field of energy, water, and biodiversity and ecosystems.

New materials are often more expensive than new ones
In case of demolishment, nowadays many components are already reused, but at a very low level, for instance concrete and stones as the foundation of new roads. Apart from the limited necessity to construct many new roads, this type of recycling destroys the intrinsic quality of materials and does not diminish the use of new materials. The biggest problem is that recycled materials are often more expensive than new ones.

Evidently, progress can be made by planning, designing, developing, and building circular buildings. A number of options are mentioned below.

Dedicated urban planning
Challenges for planning are the use of inner-city vacant land and issuing mandatory requirements regarding the construction of new buildings, for instance the use of less cement, glass and steel, the mandatory application of a certain percentage of reused materials, and becoming energy positive or at least energy-neutral. Switching to sustainable timber is an option for 90% of homes and 70% of offices being built.

Mandatory reuse of existing components
Reuse of existing materials means that glass is reused as glass and concrete pillars as pillars. The same applies to doors, frames, carpets, wall-cladding materials and so on. To start with, after demolishment all materials must be selected, cleaned, registered, and stored in new-to-develop warehouses. A materials passport, which contains an overview of all materials and components that are used to construct of a house or building, is a useful tool as well. The obligation to reuse a large percentage of existing components has far-reaching consequences for the design and construction of new houses.

Industrial production and 3D printing
Construction of components in factories, deploying industrial processes, will reduce costs by 30 percent and the delivery time by at least 50 percent. In 2014, the Chinese company WinSun printed and assembled ten houses, each 195 square meters, in 24 hours, for an amount of €5,000 per house[1]. The company used 30 - 60 percent less material than in traditional construction. The “ink” for their 3D printers is a mixture of dry cement and construction waste. WinSun plans to open 100 recycling plants in China to convert waste into cost-efficient ink. This video below demonstrates the printing activities of WinSun

Sharing space
The size of apartments will decrease, partly due to costs, but also because of the presence of shared guest rooms, lounge areas and terraces for working and socializing, spaces for washing and drying laundry. The need for office space will decrease rapidly due to sharing space and working home. Already now, IBM has only one desk available for 12 employees. Given the presence of 300,000 employees, this has led worldwide to savings on real estate of around € 1 billion in the past 10 years.

Modularity and durability
A key barrier for better use of floor space is the lack of flexibility in the design of buildings and room configurations. A modular design, which provides for easy replacement of partitions and placement of complete pre-fab units (kitchens and bathrooms, walls, and roofs as well) facilitates adjustments in case of new construction or as the use of a building changes. DIRTT builds interior components that are modular and standardized and offer maximum interchangeability in both existing and new buildings[2]. This video gives an impression of the production and application of these flexible and inexpensive solutions.

Forget new construction at all
Anyway, a first step is more efficient use of existing buildings and houses.
As families become smaller and offices need less space, existing space becomes underused. Many thousands of one family houses can be transformed in apartments. Well-thought adjustments to the lay-out of existing houses and buildings can improve their efficiency without reducing their functionality and amenity. Look here for inspiring examples.

I will regularly share with you ‘snapshots’ of the challenge to bring social and ecological sustainable cities closer using technology if helpful. These posts represent findings, updates, and supplements of my e-book Humane cities. Always humane. Smart if helpful. The English version of this book can be downloaded for free below.

Note from ASC: What are your thoughts on this? Let Herman know bellow.

Over the coming months, the building of the Temporary Courthouse Amsterdam will be dismantled and completely reassembled on 'Kennispark Twente' (the area of Business & Science Park/Campus UT) in Enschede. There, it will have a new function as an office and research facility.

The temporary accommodation provided the Amsterdam judiciary continuity during the construction of the new permanent court. Now that this new home has been completed, the building will move as planned. At the time, the Central Government Real Estate Agency (RVB) tendered the assignment as a Design, Build, Maintain & Remove contract, which was realized by dpcp, a cooperation between cepezedprojects and Du Prie Bouw & Ontwikkeling. cepezed and cepezedinterior designed the building and Du Prie took care of the execution.

National Sustainability Award Steel after completion
Importantly because of its high degree of circularity, it won both the Amsterdam Architecture Prize (Golden AAP) and the National Sustainability Award Steel after completion. Also, in the report 'Circular Buildings – a measurement method for detachability' it scores the highest of all tested projects. The demountable construction and floors, which cepezed designed in close collaboration with IMd Consulting Engineers, play an important role in this.

Dismantling and reassembly with a 3D model
Yesterday saw the handover of the key from the RVB to dpcp, which heralds the new phase of the building. For the relocation, dpcp called in the expertise and experience of Lagemaat from Heerde, a company with a solid background in the dismantling and reassembly of buildings. Through a unique coding based on the 3D model and a 3D scan, the precise position of each part is known. Smaller elements are transported in containers and larger ones, such as the walkway, are loaded directly onto trucks. Lagemaat processes materials that are not reused in other projects. A minimal amount will be recycled in a high-quality manner. The dismantling period starts today already. The building is expected to be taken into use by the Overijssel Restructuring Company in early 2022.

Note from ASC: Would you like to know more? Let Menno know in the comments.

The AMS Startup Βooster is an idea validation program focusing on the creation of startups that want to make an impact on city life and solve metropolitan challenges.

Do you have, or know someone who has, a great idea on urban challenges and want(s) to fast-track it to the next level? Then join our team of sustainability experts and business enthusiasts and we will help you boost your idea into a business.

Open for applications until August 29
The application form will remain open until August 29. The first week of September, we will select our top teams to join our program and coaching sessions.

September 2021 – December 2021
The program consists of six sessions, accompanied by peer-to-peer discussions and coaching sessions. All sessions will take place on Monday afternoons. We aim to bring the start-ups to the level where they have eliminated uncertainties, done a thorough customer discovery, formed a strong team and can venture out with a solid pitch and a minimum viable product. The sessions will be primarily online due to the uncertainty of COVID19, but when possible we will also have some live sessions at our institute in Amsterdam.

Note from ASC: Have a question? Let’s hear it in the comments.

As a member of the Amsterdam Smart City community, I invite you to apply to the pilot offering of ‘Coaching for the Greater Good’. We are a group of colleagues who work with global companies to develop executives and high potential leaders. We are committed to bringing quality leadership coaching to individuals and teams in organisations such as charities, municipalities, and small businesses that provide socially or ecologically beneficial products or services. We aim to support leaders, who recognize the inherent interdependency of individuals, communities, and the environment, to strengthen their organization’s capacity for generating inclusive wellbeing. We will never let financial constraints get in the way of providing our services to those leaders who have a vision for making a difference in the world. We offer our services at significantly reduced rates as a gesture of our commitment to support work that will make a difference in the world. This offering begins with a simple application process that ensures that we have values alignment. A maximum of 10 applications will be accepted for the pilot offering, with full initiative (more coaches and coaching opportunities) launching 1 October. Application deadline 12 July. Visit our website to learn more and contact pam.fuhrmann@gmail.com to receive an application.

Climate change affects us all. As individuals and businesses, we have a key role to play. Therefore, ahead of the U.K. hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow this November, the British Embassy in the Hague are inviting Dutch businesses to a webinar focused on why sustainability matters and what we can do to make a difference.

When: Tuesday June 29th
What time: 10:30 - 12:00 CEST

This online event will:

• Explain the importance of the upcoming summit and its critical role in delivering climate ambitions
• Outline the role businesses can play by signing up to the ‘Race to Zero’
• Hear from leading Dutch businesses about their sustainability journey to date and why they joined the Race to Zero 
• Detail how the British government is looking to support business make the transition

Every year, more than 300 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide, half of which are for single use. Only 10% of all plastics are made from recycled material. Their production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and plastic waste threats our health.

It could have been otherwise, and it still can as plastics are versatile materials which can be valuable parts of a circular economy.

Unilever leads the way in integrating plastics in a circular economy. Better late than never. The company currently produces 700,000 tons of plastic packaging and it intends reducing this massive quantity by a not-very impressive 100,000 tons in 2025. Moreover, the company wants that all its plastic packaging becomes recyclable, compostable of reusable, and that at least 25% recycled plastic is used in the production of new plastic.

Easier said than done

Recycling is easier said than done. Preventing plastics from entering nature requires a labor-intensive and costly system for collecting and separating waste and technology for high-quality recycling of the collected plastic waste. New machines limit this unattractive work thanks to artificial intelligence. They are able to separate 20 different types of plastics. But consumers must be willing to collect used plastics first.

One of the biggest hurdles in recycling plastics is its pollution, for instance because of added dyes. The Dutch company Ioniqa (now part of Unilever) can chemically reduce PET waste to virgin PET. Large plastic users like Coca-Cola intent to co-operate with Ioniqa. This video shows how chemical recycling works.

Reusable high-quality products

If plastic had been designed for a circular economy from the start, the emphasis would undoubtedly have been on reusable high-quality products, in combination with substantial deposits. Together with Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble, Nestlé, Unilever has joined Loop, a platform that develops refillable packaging. Supermarkets that deliver products at home can easily include them in their range. This video shows how the system works.

The ultimate solution

What about using sustainable raw materials like biomass? Unfortunately, biomass from reliable sources is becoming increasingly scarce. Moreover, most bio-based plastics are not biodegradable. If they end up in litter, the effects are as harmful as those of other plastics. Some types of biobased plastics are compostable and might be thrown in the green waste. However, expecting consumers to be able to discern which are and which are not is too much to ask.

Biologically degradable plastics are the ultimate solution. These are biobased materials, which are safely broken down in nature in short time. PHA for example. Unfortunately, years of research have not yet resulted in any viable application.

Ban some types of plastic

A recently opened pilot factory in Almere that cycles plastic waste that otherwise would be burned is a promising step. However, the collection of plastic waste is still inadequate, and a large proportion ends up in nature as visual litter and returns to our food chain as toxic plastic soup. This applies in particular to plastic bags, cups, trays for snacks and soft drinks bottles without a deposit. A ban seems to be the only way-out awaiting a solid system of reuse based on substantial deposits and an advanced system of waste collection and separation and subsequent high-level reuse.

I will regularly share with you ‘snapshots’ of the challenges of us, earthlings, to bring social and ecological cities closer using technology if helpful. These posts represent findings, updates, and supplements of my e-book Humane cities. Always humane. Smart if helpful. The English version of this book can be downloaded for free below.

Making the right investments and introducing the right technology is of the essence for any companies trying to stay innovative. With the ever-increasing ways of investing in technology and innovations, there is a larger need for companies to strategize their use of capital. How can this be done to boost growth and competitiveness?

When: Tuesday, June 8th
What time: 10.00 - 11.30

A new report by Danske Bank shows that venture funds are considerably more impact-focused in the Nordics than in other regions. Simultaneously, in an article by Bloomberg is to read that Stockholm has bred more tech unicorns per capita than any other region in the world outside Silicon Valley. What’s the secret?

In this webinar we bring together experts and stakeholders to explore the dynamic evolvements in Venture Capital, Technology and the various ways companies can become investment ready or boost their innovation through tech investments. An important aspect for discussion purposes is to boost equality in VC and the diversity of funding by achieving better access to Venture Capital for female founders.