Can startups solve urban problems? An analysis of Amsterdam’s “Startup in Residence” programme

In the beginning of November, the Amsterdam InChange team and network visited the Smart City World Expo Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona. The yearly event is the place where companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, cities, and research institutions in the field of innovation and smart cities meet. Amsterdam InChange joined the Dutch delegation and collaborated on a broad programme together with various partners. Our days were filled with inspiration, international exchange and deeper connections. Curious to what we’ve been up in Barcelona? Read our recap below.

Alderman Charif El Idrissi Joins Amsterdam InChange and the Dutch Delegation

What made this year’s visit to Barcelona truly special is that Alderman Charif El Idrissi from the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer joined us not only as an ambassador for Amsterdam InChange but also as the mission leader for the Dutch delegation! Together with Alderwoman Eva Oosters from the Municipality of Utrecht, Charif led the group of Dutch participants and was the face of the Dutch delegation. On Sunday, Charif addressed the Dutch delegation with encouraging words at the kick-off, and on Tuesday, he officially opened the Dutch pavilion together with Eva Oosters and the Dutch Ambassador in Spain Roel Nieuwenkamp. Reflecting on the visit to SCEWC, Charif said: “It was an honor to lead Team NL and represent our nation on the global stage of digitalization and innovation. We’re excelling as a small country, and each year brings new connections and collaborative opportunities that only strengthen our position. And I look forward to bringing all insights and inspiration back to the municipality of Haarlemmermeer”

Connecting with Our Partners: Smart Ports Excursion with SPIE

On Monday, Amsterdam InChange co-organized an excursion to the Port of Barcelona with our partner SPIE. It brought back some nostalgic feelings, as it was here in Barcelona that we signed our partnership contract a year ago. The excursion focused primarily on knowledge exchange around smart energy, water, and infrastructure. The Port of Barcelona has set the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2030 and becoming an emissions-neutral port by 2050. Carles Rúa Costa, Head of Innovation at the Port of Barcelona, gave an insightful presentation highlighting the critical role ports play in the energy transition. To conclude this inspiring morning, we took a boat tour through the port, where Carles told us more about the port and its operations.

International Next Level Changemakers Dinner

On Monday evening, we hosted our own International Next Level Changemakers dinner, where we connected our Amsterdam InChange partners with our international network. It was a night filled with deep conversations, valuable insights, and genuine connections with fellow changemakers committed to building better streets, neighborhoods and cities.

International Delegations: Sharing Knowledge Across Borders

Amsterdam InChange hosted several outgoing missions from the Dutch Pavilion in collaboration with the DMI-Ecosystem. The purpose of these missions was to provide participants of the Dutch delegation opportunities to connect with international colleagues and to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration. The programme consisted of guided visits about topics such as “The Future of Mobility”, “Digital Twins” and “Net Zero Cities” to the pavilions of EIT Urban Mobility, Forum Virium (Helsinki), the European Commission and Catalonia.

Collaborating Internationally on a Regional Challenge: Zero-Emission Zones

On Tuesday, Pelle and Chris organized a session on zero-emission city logistics, bringing together representatives from cities like Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, München and Amsterdam. The conversation sparked a lively exchange on how the different cities are tackling urban transport emissions, sharing challenges and solutions for cleaner, sustainable streets. Everyone was genuinely enthusiastic about continuing the conversation after the expo, and they agreed to stay in touch so that we can keep learning from one another.

Amsterdam InChange Takes the Stage

Amsterdam InChange was well represented on stage this year in Barcelona. Leonie had the opportunity to elaborate on the Amsterdam InChange approach in an inspiring keynote. She spoke about our dedication to creating livable cities, emphasizing our commitment to tackling the transition challenges of our time. Leonie highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovations that make a genuinely positive impact on people’s lives, and our people-centered approach.

On Thursday, Francien joined the stage at the Thematic Roundtable: 'Collectively Moving Cities Forward'. She contributed to an international panel on mobilizing citizens, with a particular focus on engaging young people.

We look back on a great week in Barcelona and came back with a mind full of fresh ideas, valuable insights, deeper connections, and a notebook packed with follow-up actions! Do you have any questions or input for us? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our community manager Sophie via sophie@amsterdaminchange.com.

On October 10th, our network gathered for the 25th edition of our Demo Day. This time, the event took place at our partner AMS Institute, located right next to us at the Marineterrein! AMS is working on innovative solutions to make the metropolitan area livable, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive. They call this 'Reinventing the City.

In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of the Knowledge Session, Work Sessions and Pitches. Interested in learning more? Read the full reports by our team members Pelle, Sophie, Christine and Jill (linked below).

About our Demodays

The Demodays are one of the tools we use to stimulate innovation and encourage connection between our partners and community. The purpose of the Demodays is to present the progress of various innovation projects, ask for help, share dilemmas and involve more partners to take these projects to the next level. More information about the Demodays can be found here.

Knowledge Session: Boundary Spanners

Together with Dr. Gertjan de Groot, we explored the world of 'Boundary Spanners' — the bridge-builders who tackle societal challenges with creative solutions. How do you connect different worlds, break down barriers, and foster collaboration where obstacles seem to dominate? In an era where collaboration is essential, the role of the boundary spanner is more important than ever. Read Jill’s full report here.

Worksessions

Mobility | Scenarios for Smart Mobility

Guus Kruijssen and Rombout Huisman (Province of North Holland) led a working session on their recent scenario studies – Smart Mobility North Holland 2050. What do we actually mean by future visions and scenarios? What are the different types, and how can they be used? Read Pelle’s full report here.

Circular | A Marketplace for Used Assets

Alliander hosted a session, diving into the challenges and opportunities of creating a marketplace for used assets. What happens to industrial materials like transformers and switchgear once they’ve served their purpose? Can these essential components get a second life? Read Christine’s full report here.

Energy | Safety in the energy transition

During this work session Johan de Vries (Safety Region Amsterdam-Amstelland) and Tommy Borger (Municipality of Amsterdam) introduced the participants to the topic of safety in the energy transition. Together, we explored how to effectively integrate safety measures into energy transition projects, without slowing down critical progress. Read Sophie’s full report here.

General | The LCA Game

What do you actually need to make a shoe? And how can this production process be as sustainable and cost-efficient as possible? Cenex Netherlands organized a workshop aimed at testing and improving their ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ (LCA) game. Read Jill’s full report here.

Pitches

And of course, we enjoyed some inspiring pitches. Below are the topics presented.

Coding the Curbs | Smart Zones | Jaap Tjebbes
Coding the Curbs is the pioneer in Europe in the field of digital management of public spaces. Our platform offers an easy way for people to reserve and flexibly use public spaces — from a logistics hub in the morning to a cozy terrace in the afternoon.

Alderli | A camera that detects falls using AI | Jacob Vermeule and Stijn Vos
Alderli is an IoT system that detects falls in elderly people using an infrared camera. The product recognizes a fall and alerts caregivers without infringing on the privacy of the person who has fallen.

Droppie | Cash for separated waste | Natascha Hermsen and Stef Traa
Droppie encourages consumers to separate recyclables at home and bring clean materials to the Droppie waste lab. In exchange, they receive a payment per kilogram of waste. This model ensures that waste processing becomes not only more environmentally friendly but also financially attractive for participants.

Our last Demoday of 2024 will take place on December 12.

The energy transition is well underway, integrating electric vehicles, solar panels, battery storage, and other innovations into our daily lives. However, this shift also introduces new and unfamiliar safety challenges. For example, electric vehicle fires require specialized extinguishing methods. Unfortunately, these safety risks are often overlooked within energy transition projects or addressed only in hindsight. To address this issue, Johan de Vries (Safety Region Amsterdam-Amstelland) and Tommy Borger (Municipality of Amsterdam) introduced the participants to the topic of safety in the energy transition during this work session on Demoday #25. Together, we explored how to effectively integrate safety measures into energy transition projects, without slowing down critical progress.

Introduction to safety in the energy transition

Johan opened the session by explaining why the fire department and safety region are directly involved in the energy transition. “When things go wrong, the fire department is called in,” he explained. Even with their preparedness for emerging dangers, the fire department faces growing challenges with electrification and batteries. For example, as the number of emission-free vehicles increases, so does the risk posed by (older) batteries, which can lead to fires in electric cars. Sustainable innovations, he emphasized, are not inherently safe innovations. Johan mentioned the Johan Cruijff ArenA as an example, home to Europe’s largest energy storage system using second-life electric vehicle batteries. While it is a sustainable solution, questions about its safety remain.

Collaboration and awareness is key!

The participants then engaged in discussions centered around two questions:

1. Can safety go hand in hand with speed in the energy transition?
2. Is collaboration in the energy transition a threat or an opportunity?

The group agreed that while speed is important when it comes to the energy transition, sometimes slowing down is necessary to avoid risks. Although not all dangers can be prevented, progress can be made by learning from experiences along the way. Although collaboration sometimes slows things down, it was seen as an important aspect when it comes to safety in the energy transition. Participants suggested that the fire department could work more closely with manufacturers, such as those producing electric vehicles, to make safety a shared responsibility. Additionally, the safety region could become a partner in regional innovation projects, such as ATELIER, to ensure safety is integrated from the start.

The session concluded with consensus on one pressing issue: there is a significant lack of awareness about safety in the energy transition. This blind spot often results in insufficient attention to safety risks in energy transition projects. One suggestion was to publish an article in a national newspaper to raise public awareness of these challenges. Through this session, we addressed the issue of safety in the energy transition in the Amsterdam InChange network. Johan gained valuable insights on collaborating with other parties in the Amsterdam Region and is looking into how the safety region can build on this session’s outcomes and give it a meaningful follow-up.

Would you like to learn more, or do you have any input for Johan? Leave a comment and I’ll connect you with Johan!