Waternet will implement a neighbourhood bio refinery, a small scale treatment unit in which raw materials and energy can be recovered from black waste water.
City-zen was an international consortium, a program stimulating learning-by-doing in Grenoble and Amsterdam between March 2014 and November 2019. The results can be found in a booklet or in detailed reports. http://www.cityzen-smartcity.eu/home/reporting/deliverables/
City-zen partner Waternet, public water company for the Amsterdam region, is involved in the development of ‘Circular Buiksloterham’, a new residential area in the north of Amsterdam. For this purpose the water company is developing a so-called ‘New Sanitation’ system: a system in which waste water streams are separated at source (in households) and processed locally.
Waternet will implement a neighbourhood bio refinery, a small scale treatment unit in which raw materials (nutrients such as phosphate) and energy (biogas) can be recovered from black waste water (waste water coming from toilets and possibly food grinders). The black water is captured through a vacuum sewer system.
Currently the grey waste water stream (coming from showers, washing machines and the kitchen) will not be collected and treated locally yet but the Buiksloterham system has the potential to do so in a later stage. For now, it will still be collected via a traditional sewer system. A local grey water treatment unit would facilitate the recycling of water and heat.
Waste water carries raw materials (like plant nutrients) and energy (heat and biogas). Most of these are lost in our current waste water systems. A good example is phosphate: it is essential to feeding the world, but its excessive use as a fertilizer has led to widespread pollution and eutrophication. A huge amount of phosphate is flushed out into the surface water by waste water treatment plants around the world. At the same time many of the world’s remaining phosphate reserves are starting to be depleted.
To recover minerals like phosphate we should change the way we handle our waste water, and treat it as a valuable resource. In practical terms this means that we should keep the different types of waste water separated to be able to recover energy and minerals efficiently.
Waternet
Powering the future
Sustainable solutions for our digital dependency
Cloud computing does not take place in the sky. Gigantic data centers are popping up all around us, home to new AI services and Bitcoin mining operations that consume more energy than the entire country of the Netherlands annually. Code using Python & Java (the most popular) can use up to 45x times as much energy as other programming languages. Whether you are a programmer or user, our dependence on all this processing power is creating a new energy competition between our homes / businesses and our digital lives. What are some examples for sustainable development? Join us April 18th where we talk to industry pioneers that are developing serious solutions to solve our addiction to energy.
AGENDA:
17:00 Welcome drinks - Welcome drinks to break the ice and network a bit with fellow attendees.
17:30 Opening and Welcome - Pinch / Appsterdam
17:35 Kick-off Speaker - Tom Moran - Technology and Sustainability Strategy Consultant. Tom has been working in sustainability for over 30 years and technology for over 20 years. Tom is going to talk about why “the cloud” is not more sustainable, carbon footprints don’t matter, net zero targets are meaningless and why you should be skeptical of the AI hype machine.
Tom will also talk about what IT people who care about the environmental impact of their work need to understand and do to make a difference.
18:15 Food is served
19:00 Luisa García Montoya - Product Manager DX at AMS-IX. Luisa is passionate about leveraging technology to drive meaningful change. Drawing from her experience interacting with a diverse array of ISPs, telecoms, cloud providers, content delivery networks, and other participants involved in the digital ecosystem, Luisa will delve into the urgency for more sustainable code. The rise of ChatGPT/AI has created significant challenges for energy consumption. Recent laws and regulations are beginning to enforce standards to counteract these challenges. What aspects will programming practices need to account for? In her talk, Luisa discusses these challenges and opportunities, sharing some hard realities and examples, such as how mutualized infrastructures and data sharing can help save energy and money while also encouraging creativity in programming.
20:00 Closing and networking drinks.
Ben jij thuis in de wereld van communicatie en event management? En gaat jouw hart sneller kloppen van duurzaamheid, stedelijke innovatie en netwerken?
Kom dan als junior Communicatie- en Programmamedewerker het team van Amsterdam Smart City versterken!
Amsterdam Smart City is een onafhankelijk innovatieplatform, dat innovatieve bedrijven, kennisinstellingen, maatschappelijke organisaties, overheden en proactieve bewoners samenbrengt en de stad van de toekomst vormgeeft. Amsterdam Smart City maakt als programma deel uit van Amsterdam Economic Board.
Samen met 29 partners werken wij aan een betere, duurzame en toekomstbestendige wereld. Daarnaast brengen we een internationale community samen van meer dan 9.000 innovatieprofessionals, studenten en geïnteresseerden. Zij ontmoeten elkaar rond verschillende thema’s en helpen elkaar verder. Door al deze partijen te verbinden, en met hen het gesprek te voeren over de grote uitdagingen in onze regio, komen we tot nieuwe verhalen en innovatieve oplossingen die bijdragen aan betere straten, buurten en steden. We richten ons met name op vier transitiethema’s: Mobiliteit, Digitaal, Energie en Circulair.
Hier staan wij voor
Iedereen is anders, en juist met verschillende mensen werken wij nog beter aan de metropool van morgen. We zijn nieuwsgierig naar jouw talenten, wat jou bijzonder maakt. We horen graag jouw ideeën en perspectieven. Dat helpt ons om samen nog meer impact te maken.
Je beheert onze online kanalen en je organiseert samen met het team evenementen. Met verslaglegging, enthousiasme en het maken van nieuwe connecties binnen ons netwerk versterk je ons regionale en internationale netwerk! Je werkt nauw samen met- en ondersteunt het hele Amsterdam Smart City team en de programmadirecteur. Dit zijn je taken:
Beheer en schrijven van onze wekelijkse nieuwsbrief en LinkedIn content. Je neemt initiatieven om de interactie en het bereik te vergroten.
Je houdt toezicht op de berichten op het online platform en je stimuleert leden om content te plaatsen
Beheer info mailbox (inkomende verzoeken, vragen etc.)
Ondersteuning inhoudelijke verslaglegging netwerkevenementen en werksessies, en het opmaken van presentaties
Praktische ondersteuning bij evenementen (locaties, uitnodigingen, communicatie)
Ondersteuning bij het organiseren van werksessies en het bouwen van coalities
Je hebt wo/hbo werk- en denkniveau, een opleiding in de richting van communicatie (of vergelijkbaar);
Je hebt 1-2 jaar werkervaring en ervaring op het gebied van online communicatie/community en/of event management
Je beheerst de Nederlandse en Engelse taal uitstekend in woord én geschrift
Je hebt affiniteit met duurzaamheid, innovatie en stedelijke ontwikkelingen en je vindt het belangrijk om met je werk maatschappelijke impact te maken.
Je beschikt over voldoende algemene kennis over bovenstaande en je kan hier helder over schrijven.
Je bent proactief en nieuwsgierig
Je bent sociaal, enthousiast en houdt van netwerken en verbinden.
Wij bieden je een fijne werkplek op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam, met een informele en collegiale sfeer. We zijn een klein team dat nauw met elkaar en onze partners samenwerkt.
Je wordt deel van een enorm divers en dynamisch netwerk van koplopers en pioniers in stedelijke innovatie van toonaangevende organisaties in de Metropool Amsterdam. Er is veel ruimte om te leren van collega’s en specialisten uit het netwerk en je te verdiepen in de thema’s die jou interesseren. Samen leren we door te doen!
Daarnaast bieden wij:
Een functie voor 32 uur per week;
Een half-jaar-contract met uitzicht op verlenging;
Salarisindicatie €3.300 - €3.500 bruto per maand (o.b.v. 40 uur), aangevuld met vakantie- en eindejaarstoeslag.
Ben je enthousiast? Dan horen we graag van je! Stuur je CV en een korte motivatie uiterlijk 4 april per mail aan solliciteren@amecboard.com. De eerste gesprekken vinden plaats op 10 en 12 april. Vervolggesprekken zijn in de ochtend van 19 april. Een schrijfopdracht maakt deel uit van de procedure. Neem voor meer informatie over de functie contact op met Pelle Menke. Hopelijk spreken we elkaar snel!
On Thursday December 14th, Amsterdam Smart City partners concluded 2023 with an afternoon full of inspiration, exchange and connections at our 22nd Demoday! Our partner Deloitte welcomed our network in The Garage, where their ‘Deloitte Studios’ department is located. In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of the Knowledge Session, Work Sessions and Pitches. Interesting in learning more? Read the full reports by our Programme Managers Noor, Pelle and Sophie (linked below).
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.
To kick-off our final Demoday of 2023, our brand-new partner Hieroo led an inspiring knowledge session about the change method they use for social innovation in the city: Theory U. Dorien Schneider and Maartje Krijnen taught us more about this methodology and how it can help us solve complex problems by shifting from ego to eco-thinking. Read the full report here.
After the plenary Knowledge Session we split up in different worksessions, each exploring regional innovation challenges. As always, we had set up the sessions’ topics and moderation in collaboration with our partners.
Mobility | Decision-making along the principles of Inclusive Prosperity – Jurhan Kwee (Municipality of Amsterdam)
In The Netherlands, the concept of ‘Inclusive Prosperity’ is on the rise. Policy makers are busy defining this concept, figuring out how to put this concept into practice and what it means for their decision-making process. Together with his colleagues at the Municipality of Amsterdam, Yurhan Kwee hosts sessions on decision-making along the principles of Inclusive Prosperity. With the input he gathers, he hopes to make the decisions needed for our Inclusive Prosperity ambitions more understandable and transparent, both for Amsterdam’s administrators and councillors as well as its citizens. Read Pelle’s recap article here.
Digital | Data Commons Collective: Using data for a liveable city – Lia Hsu (Amsterdam Economic Board) and Simone van der Burg (Waag)
In the big tech-dominated era, data has been commercially exploited for so long that it is now hard to imagine that data sharing might also benefit the community. Yet that is what a collective of businesses, governments, social institutions and residents in Amsterdam aim to do. Sharing more data to better care for the city. On behalf of the Data Commons Collective, Lia Hsu (Strategic Advisor at Amsterdam Economic Board) asked the Amsterdam Smart City network for input and feedback on their Data Commons initiative. Read Sophie's recap article here.
Energy | How can we continue to facilitate the homeowner in driving the energy transition? | Wouter van Rooijen (Alliander)
Wouter van Rooijen (Alliander) discussed the challenges related to grid congestion. From 2030 onwards, it is expected that a significant portion of the low-voltage network will experience both over- and under-voltage. While the network will be reinforced as quickly as possible, the lack of labour capacity is also prompting the consideration of alternative solutions.
The solution that emerged from Wouter's co-creation process was WijkWise. In this work session, Wouter aimed to validate the WijkWise concept and find parties that could contribute to its development and market implementation. Dave van Loon from Kennisland moderated the session. Read Noor’s recap article here.
Circular | Navigating eco-emotions: The impact of working in sustainability on your mental wellbeing| Marian Zandbergen (Hogeschool van Amsterdam)
This work session, led by Marian Zandbergen (CIRCOLLAB, HvA) and moderated by Mareille de Bloois (Royal HaskoningDHV), explored the challenges and opportunities associated with eco-emotions, both personally and within organizations. The key question addressed was: How can individuals and organisations constructively manage eco-emotions, and what implications does this have for organisations? Read Noor’s recap article here.
To end this festive afternoon and the year 2023 as a whole, we invited project owners and -members to present their progress and next steps on topics brought in during our events and deep-dives throughout 2023. The following projects were presented. You can read more about these topics on their dedicated articles and project pages, linked below.
Local Energy Systems: Where we started, what we have achieved, and what are the next steps – Omar Shafqat (University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam)
Connecting the resource- and energy transition – Edwin Oskam (MRA)
ChatGPT and the government: Possibilities and impact on our work – Jeroen Silvis (Province of North Holland)
Floating urban districts: Future-proof living in the Metropolitan Region – Joke Dufourmont (AMS Institute)
Mobility Justice: Raising the topic of Mobility Poverty and the working group’s progress – Bas Gerbrandy (Province of North Holland)
Our next Demoday will take place in April. Do you have an inspiring story or project you want to pitch to the Amsterdam Smart City network? Let us know via sophie@amsterdamsmartcity.com
