Updates

The city of Helsinki releases all of its data as open data for anyone to use. What is special? Open data is more than public data. Open data is public data which has been been released for anyone to use freely as machine-readable, structured format, with open license and free of charge.

The city government has already released hundreds of public data sets via Helsinki Region Infoshare (HRI) service. Data which is constantly collected all around the city. Think of data about the urban environment, the use of public services, traffic noise levels, population projections etcetera.

Helsinki wants to make this data available to people, other than civil servants. They are making it freely available to the public, for everyone to use. Entrepreneurs, application developers, residents, journalists etc. Open data makes the government more transparent and promotes democracy. And it enables the creation of new services that make life easier for the citizens of Helsinki.

Read more about these services in the article below:

I'm moving from New Zealand to Amsterdam in October 2017 and am seeking employment opportunities within the urban planning and smart city community. Currently i'm employed at international consultancy firm Beca Ltd as a strategic planner and am currently leading research into urban growth strategies for the New Zealand government. Any known opportunities in the Netherlands area or advice would be greatly appreciated :) !

I am planning a 2-3 days-visit to Amsterdam for the city government to learn the development and result of smart city from your city. Would you please give us some recommendations of the itinerary.

Thanks,
Yu-Cheng Hsu
Tainan City Government, R.O.C. (Taiwan)

A couple of years ago, an initiative was taken to transform Chicago into a City of Learning. This project aims at making visible the uncountable opportunities to learn inside and - in particular - outside schools. Besides a lot of experience and fun, participants can earn so-called badges. Badges are standardised descriptions of competences that you have developed. These badges are supplementing (or even substituting) credits earned in schools. Other cities like Bristol, Dalles and Madrid followed this initiative and it was subsequently adopted by Unesco.

In my view becoming a City of Learning is an indispensable part of becoming a Smart City. Therefore, I wonder whether some volunteers are willing to explore the idea and possibly take an initiative accordingly.

Below you can enter the website of Chicago City of Learning. Those who want to kno more, typing 'city of learning' in your browser reveals many examples

This article about the unprecedented urban growth in China that is accompanied by growing income illustrates the strong role government has to play as a coordinator and a facilitator.

Why invent the smart city wheel by yourself, if others have already successfully done so? India has asked the South Korean Land & Housing corporation (LH) to build a brand new smart city in the state of Maharashtra. On April 6, the plans for this project were approved by the Indian local assembly. The name of the city will be New Kalyan Smart City.

The city will arise about 30 kilometres east of Mumbai, on land that is offered by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. 2.5 square kilometres will contain 15.000 houses. Building is aimed to start end of 2017, and the total worth of the project is 350 million dollars.

India is serious about smart city initiatives, as also in India, more and more people are moving into the city. Therefore, India is planning to build 100 similar smart cities.

Read more in the article below.

Do you play a role in the transition towards a circular economy? Do you have international ambitions? Take part in the international business opportunity study for the Dutch leaders in the Circular Economy.

The international potential of the Circular Economy
The circular economy offers international opportunities for Dutch business community. Our innovations can be marketed abroad through strategic international operations. The export of Dutch products and services, knowledge and expertise abroad can consolidate our leadership position internationally and contribute to the Dutch circular business models.

Objective and target group
Rijkswaterstaat wants to identify market opportunities for Dutch businesses, SMEs and research institutions that focus on the transition to the circular economy and who wish to foster their knowledge and skills abroad. Particularly, Rijkswaterstaat is looking for stakeholders from the construction, soil and civil engineering sectors (Grond, Wegen en Waterbouw, GWW). Pilot projects and showcases are also taken into account in this study. The initial regional focus of this study is Central and Eastern Europe.

In carrying out the analysis, Rijkswaterstaat aims to organize match-making sessions with stakeholders and support them in achieving their international ambitions.

Ambition
The study can lead to concrete economic diplomatic activities, such as: trade missions; the development of business cases; government-to-government (G2G), knowledge-to-knowledge (K2K) and business-to-business (B2B) support. This can result in ambitious public-private partnerships, which focus on specific opportunities and dilemmas in emerging markets and developing countries. Economic diplomacy is co-organized by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (rvo.nl) and the Dutch postal network (rijksoverheid.nl).

This international market opportunity study also contributes to the design of the Holland Circular Hotspot platform, which lends support for a strong international positioning of Dutch companies in the field of the circular economy.

Contact
Interested in knowing more about this study?
Please contact Jessica Reis Leffers, jessica.reisleffers@rws.nl, M+31652077663.

At this moment, I am doing a research about the possibilities to use urban greenhouses to make cities more circular, for instance by exchanging heath. Do you have any ideas what we may do with an urban greenhouse in relation with waste streams, smart grids, water streams or other domains? Or do you know existing projects with greenhouses in cities (all over the world)? I am very curious about your ideas/knowledge. Feel free to contact me: erik.bos@wur.nl

Kind regards,
Erik Bos
Wageningen University and Research

PeelPioneers, an organic refinery for citrus peels, has been located in Prodock since 1 March 2017. Each year, more than 250 million kilos of citrus peels are thrown away in the Netherlands and then incinerated or fermented. It’s a pity these processing methods are used because the peels actually contain lots of valuable raw materials.

PeelPioneers has developed a process that makes it possible to convert these peels into, for example, fibres and aromatic compounds. These raw materials are subsequently processed into end products in various industries including the food, packaging and cosmetics sectors. This is how PeelPioneers transforms waste into raw materials and helps bring about the circular economy.

Since opening in March, PeelPioneers in Prodock has processed more than 200 kilos of orange peels a day that come from the catering facilities at Amsterdam Central Station. The ultimate aim is to upscale and to become the leading peel processor of the twenty-first century.

https://www.peelpioneers.nl/

America is lagging behind on infrastructure. People are being priced out of the cities in which they want to live, employers have problems to find talent in the area, road congestions are a daily problem. There is an enormous need for fast, clean and efficient transportation. Hyperloop One wants to tackle this problem. They have a vision. And if the vision is there, the means will follow. The Hyperloop is real, and it is becoming a reality soon.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) rated US infrastructure with a D+, stating that surface transportation is the sector with the largest gap. The government understands that change is needed. In just a few months a ten year, 1 trillion dollar infrastructure plan will be launched by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. This plan will be a combination of public and private investments.

But what are the solutions of Hyperloop One? As said, Hyperloop has a vision. A vision with concrete solutions. Please read them in the article below.

How to grow plants and trees faster, and decrease 26 Million tons of CO2 per year.

Young peach tree with nanoclay grows 4x faster in a month.
Amsterdam garden clay soil, water, sun, offers 10-20 sqm CO2 absorption and juicy peaches in a few years 🤗

Amsterdam Smart City is receiving more requests from international delegations interested in exchanging experiences and establishing collaborations on smart city topics.

We are looking for experts, companies and start-ups in our community who would like to share their knowledge, expertise and services with these visiting delegations.

Amsterdam Smart City is receiving more requests from international delegations interested in exchanging experiences and establishing collaborations on smart city topics.

We are looking for experts, companies and start-ups in our community who would like to share their knowledge, expertise and services with these visiting delegations.

If you are interested then please email cornelia@amsterdamsmartcity.com with answers to the following questions:
1. Which delegation you would like to meet with?
2. Do you prefer to meet with the group at the Amsterdam Smart City location at the Marineterrein or at your office?
3. What times are you available to meet with the group?
4. A short description of your presentation / product and how this information will benefit the visiting delegation.

If you have any questions or would like further information about this program please email cornelia@amsterdamsmartcity.com.

Summary of requests:

1. Delegation overview: United Arab Emirates // e-Gov organization (3-5 senior civil servants) // Focus on smart government // Visit 24 & 25 April

Delegation summary: This delegation is focused on the transition from paper-based to electronic governmental services, for instance e-payments and online applications. The group is also interested in establishing a Living Lab focused on digital transformation of governmental services and is looking for inspiring examples of how this can be done.

2. Delegation overview: Malaysia // 10 smart city researchers // Focus on digital connectivity and smart energy // Visit 10 & 11 May

Delegation summary: Group consists of lecturers and researchers from a private university owed by TNB, the largest electricity power provider in Malaysia. Tasked with transforming their campus into a Smart Campus. Interested in developing a smart campus infrastructure and technology framework, smart city / campus mobile applications, cyber and data security topics.

3. Delegation overview: Australia // 2-3 smart city consultants // Focus on smart buildings // Visit 15-19 May

Delegation summary: This group has specified two key topics of interest:

• Smart buildings: How can sensor-based technologies improve comfort and well-being while reducing operational costs in buildings?
• Measurability: How can livability of a city be measured and monitored?

4. Delegation overview: Thailand // 20 energy professionals from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand // smart energy // Visit 15-16 May

Delegation summary: This delegation is interested in understanding (smart) energy developments in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

5. Delegation overview: China// 5 high level officials from China Light and Power (CLP) // smart energy // Visit 24 or 26 May

Delegation summary: CLP is interested to learn from leading smart energy projects with a focus on smart grids, smart metering and electric mobility.

6. Delegation overview: Norway// ~20 leaders from public and private sector // focus on public-private partnerships & innovation // Visit 29 & 30 May

Delegation summary: This public-private partnership between industry, knowledge companies and municipalities seeks to foster innovations and ensure the creation of an attractive and sustainable business environment. Interested in Amsterdam’s approach to fostering public-private partnerships and innovation ecosystems. Would like to learn from case studies in two fields: c****ircular economy and energy & environment.

7. Delegation overview: Lybia// 5-10 telecom professionals // digital connectivity // Visit first week of July

Delegation summary: Request for 2-5 day program for Telecom Operator involved in building the national 2020 Strategy "Smart country, smart government & smart city"

Wen we talk about drones, people think about flying objects. But since April 5, small boats are floating through the Port of Amsterdam. Aquatic drones, which are able to film under water. Port of Amsterdam seeks to drive innovation, as aquatic drones may contribute to a safer, smarter, more efficient and cleaner Port in the future. These types of drones could be used, for example, for inspections of ships or piers below the waterline.

Read full article and see an explanatory video in the article below.

whichs not always in place unfortunately. Sad story from the US

De regulering van het autoverkeer in Gent (B) houdt de gemoederen bezig. De aanpak (zones die alleen via een ringweg bereikbaar zijn) roept veel herinneringen op aan het plan dat Groningen enkele decennia geleden invoerde. De belangrijkste vraag is of plannen die het autoverkeer niet terugdringen maar dat alleen aan banden leggen een oplossing bieden. Goed voor de discussie in Amsterdam

Eurelectric, the organisation representing the European electricity industry, is hosting its Annual Convention in Estoril, Portugal on the 19/20 of June.

The event, themed ‘Charged for the Future’ is expected to hear from Portugal’s Energy Minister, Vice-President of the European Commission, as well as CEOs of EDP, Ormazabal , Statkraft, Iberdrola, Enel, SSE, ENGIE, EDF, ESB and other major power sector companies. Event info here: http://www.eurelectric.org/estoril2017/

On Thursday, 20th April, the first Blockchain Meetup will be held in the K Space, one that focuses on Innovation in Digital Rights Management.

Blockchain Workspace (http://www.blockchainworkspace.com/) and A Lab (http://a-lab.nl) organize a new Blockchain Meetup every third Thursday of the month. The themes will vary from music to health care. Everybody is welcome to the event, whether you are new to the concept or a Blockchain expert. The first edition will discuss innovation in digital rights management, with plenty other topics to come.

What if:
Writers could sign their work and track it down, whenever it is copied anywhere in the world?
Creators could sell just 100 copies of a song / piece and prove to their customers that they did so?
You could always proof in the future that you are the original creator of a piece of art?
Who would be the intermediate party of the future that looks after IP and manage digital rights?

Two speakers have been confirmed so far for this meetup, more coming soon.

• Quirijn Meijnen (lawyer at Leopold Meijnen Oosterbaan) has done research into the area of blockchains and digital rights management in an early stage. In 2016 he wrote a blogpost (in Dutch) that summarized the field and added his opinion along the way. He will present the state of blockchains for digital rights management.
• Lykle de Vries will be speaking as well. Lykle is the co-creator of http://bitcoinproperly.org and writer of this article about Hardwell.

Program
• Blockchain basics - made simple
• Challenges and opportunities in Digital Rights Management with Quirijn Meijnen and Lykle de Vries.
• Questions & Answers from a distance - Lykle de Vries (co-creator of bitcoinproperly.org and writer of this article about Hardwell)
• Panel discussion

+ Please RSVP on the Meetup event: https://www.meetup.com/Permissionless-Society/events/238409221/.
We have limited space, as the event is almost full!

You can also attend the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/127399154459344/