Here`s Holland - Enterprise Europe Network

Here’s Holland
Here’s
Holland
English
Contents
2
Travelling to the Netherlands 4
Here’s my Holland 5
See Holland The secrets of Van Gogh ‘True strength lies in your own creativity’
Designing ships for use in real life
100% Mobile Fire Service
Blind faith in radar
Octopus as cabin boy Passion and pleasure
‘From motion to e-motion’
Sunlight 24/7
Architect to the rich and famous
Eternal fame Hurricane brings people together
‘Beyond bits’ technology
Ultra-modern container port Seagoing container with environmental label
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Hear Holland
Loading and unloading in silence
The artful exhibition
A passion for ultra-short-range communication
Calling on one solar cell Will it all fit? “Last call for passenger Smit”
“Simply the best”
Cultural ambassador Robots in the city of the future Cars with both power and style
Nintendo sounds Dutch Dancing gives you energy!
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Smell Holland The secret of Gamila
Green cleaning revolution
Golden fields
Fruit merchant to the world
Tree incubator
Flower magnate
Cool presentation
The end of smelly oil Opportunity for green gas
Explosive scent
Shave like a samurai
Grey water is clean again From frying fat to biodiesel
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Feel Holland
Prickly fashion
Free play
‘Informing the public is also a science’ Virus detection in 5 minutes
Creating water Farming from your ‘easy chair’ Hot-bed of innovation Amsterdam, the virtual hot spot Soft coastline with a 100-year lifespan Is it really a boat? Plastic fantastic solar cell Your wallet feels the difference 54
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Taste Holland The psychology of food
Lunch behaviour under the microscope
A tomato for connoisseurs
Food Valley
Dairy produce in a pill The true taste of chocolate
Authentic Dutch Morrisons’ flying Dutchman
Bols is back!
Chips, chips, chips everywhere
Safeguarding against drought
World’s first energy- generating greenhouse Freshness test for the entire supply chain 70
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Experience Holland Russian pride on the Amstel
Non-slavish renovation
Light distributor
Everyone uses SPIL for gaming
Climate-neutral revolving door
Guus and the Dutch way
Clean drinking water everywhere
Airport roof helps sustainability
A committed courier The hospital of the future
Dutch aerodynamics for Ferrari Deutsche Bank twice as sustainable
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3
Travelling to the Netherlands
Do you have a webcam handy, plus an
Internet connection and this booklet? If
so, you can leave for the Netherlands right
now – without even booking a plane ticket.
All you have to do is follow the instructions
given below, because travelling to the
Netherlands has never been easier:
1. Make sure you have a working webcam and
an Internet connection. Go to
www.hollandtrade.com/heresholland in your
web browser.
© Nick Franken
2. Open a page using one of the icons as shown
in the photograph, place the icon in front of
the camera and wait a moment
3. until the Netherlands of mega yachts,
healthy cows, delicious tomatoes and
modern airports unfolds before your eyes.
4. When you’ve seen enough, just click on
the next icon.
Here’s my Holland
Perhaps you’ve had the chance to
visit Holland (otherwise known as ‘the
Netherlands’). If so, then you’ve seen
for yourself how the green polders
stretch out across the low-lying delta
landscape. Even if you’ve never been
here, you’ve probably heard about how
it feels to cruise through the canals
of Amsterdam, or to smell the fresh
spring aroma of the flowers-fields.
www.hollandtrade.com/heresholland
Whether you have already experienced
Holland, or not, I would like to invite
you on a unique adventure through
the Netherlands that I, as Minister for
Foreign Trade, am so proud of.
4
My pride is further bolstereded by the
fact that the aromas and colours of the
Netherlands are not limited to the fields
of flowers and the polders, because they
are just as present in the typical Dutch
entrepreneurial spirit. Whether in
scientific research, technology or pure
commerce, the Dutch always look for the
smartest, fastest or most efficient way
of working – and always with a healthy
degree of level-headedness. The Dutch
are also very creative in their problem
solving, particularly during difficult
times, because they have already
overcome so many challenges in the past,
such as the country’s location below
sea level and , consequently, the water,
against which they have had to protect
themselves. From that small river delta,
Holland has risen to become the world’s
second-largest agricultural exporter.
Therefore, the Dutch don’t think so
much in terms of problems, but more
in terms of solutions, such as coastal
defences, abundant fresh vegetables and
clean drinking water.
Would you like more examples? In that
case, just keep reading and you will see,
hear, smell, taste, feel and experience
Dutch enterprise as you never have
before. Via this booklet, I take you on
a short trip to let you discover why
Holland has got what it takes – in words,
pictures and actions. If you prefer firm,
hard figures, look no further than this
booklet’s sister publication: ‘Holland
Compared’. Holland’s pioneers are ready
for the challenge.
Frank Heemskerk
Minister for Foreign Trade
www.hollandtrade.com
5
See Holland
For most visitors, viewing
the Netherlands begins
with a map. The country
takes a bit of finding
because of its size:
not much more than
300 kilometres from top
to bottom and nowhere
wider than 200 kilometres.
The Netherlands is located
in the north-western
corner of the European
mainland, wedged-in
between the rising North
Sea and its next-doorneighbour, Germany.
With a little imagination,
the outline of the Netherlands resembles a lion’s
head.
Armin van Buuren
Armin van Buuren
Kammer sind mit perforierten Aluminiumblechen verkleidet, die auf der Rück­seite mit Schaumstoff belegt
sind. Die Windmaschine ist ebenfalls komplett geräuschisoliert und mit einem Kühlsystem ausgestattet.
„Selbst wenn wir die maximale Windgeschwindigkeit von 250 km/h im Windkanal haben, können wir
keine Interferenzen seitens stellt Andre de Boerder Windmaschine messen“, stellt Andre de Boer, Professor
für Mechanik, fest. Die „tote“ bzw. „hallfreie“ Kammer hat eine Größe von sechs mal vier Metern. Es gibt
zwei mögliche Messanordnungen: eine bei ungehindertem Luftstrom durch die hallfreie Kammer, und eine
weitere, bei der der Luftstrom durch ein Rohr geführt und so am Messbereich vorbeigeleitet wird. Anlässlich
stellt Andre de Boer, Professor der Inbetriebnahme des Windkanals am.
Kammer sind mit perforierten Aluminiumblechen verkleidet, die auf der Rück­seite mit Schaumstoff belegt
sind. Die Windmaschine ist ebenfalls komplett geräuschisoliert und mit einem Kühlsystem ausgestattet.
„Selbst wenn wir die maximale Windgeschwindigkeit von 250 km/h im Windkanal haben, können wir
keine Interferenzen seitens stellt Andre de Boerder Windmaschine messen“, stellt Andre de Boer, Professor
für Mechanik, fest. Die „tote“ bzw. „hallfreie“ Kammer hat eine Größe von sechs mal vier Metern. Es gibt
zwei mögliche Messanordnungen: eine bei ungehindertem Luftstrom durch die hallfreie Kammer, und eine
weitere, bei der der Luftstrom durch ein Rohr geführt und so am Messbereich vorbeigeleitet wird. Anlässlich
stellt Andre de Boer, Professor der Inbetriebnahme des Windkanals am.
© Nick Franken
© Nick Franken
© ANP Photo
Excellent network
For many visitors, the first introduction to the
Netherlands comes from the air, where it is abundantly
obvious that water is the predominant feature. From the
south, you fly low over the imposing port of Rotterdam,
which is the largest port in Europe. The land is divided
into rectangular fingers, between which an endless
network of dead-straight canals and irrigation ditches
provides water for agriculture. Looking down on all of
this from the window of a plane, one wonders how the
residents of the Netherlands manage to keep their
feet dry.
It’s a fair question, because the battle against water is a
theme that runs throughout Dutch history. The Dutch
often refer to the Netherlands lovingly as a ‘damp little
country’ and they have indeed reclaimed a large portion
of their country from the sea, often in the face of nearimpossible odds. Dutch dredgers are put into action all
over the world whenever the job demands maximum
expertise. It was the Dutch that built the Palm Island in
Dubai, for example, as well as deepening the Panama
Canal and raising the sunken Russian submarine, the
Kursk.
Practical beauty
The plane has now landed safe and dry at Schiphol, the
country’s main international airport. It’s difficult to get
lost there. Since 1980, Schiphol has been crowned the best
airport in Europe, or the world more than 140 times. The
airport was designed with nervous travellers in mind,
with bright, clean terminals and colourful, intuitive
signs that leaves little room for misunderstandings.
8
This typically Dutch design, by the Mijksenaar design
agency, has been duplicated everywhere, from New York,
to Abu Dhabi. It’s not just the designers of Schiphol
airport who have a predilection for bright colours,
however, because the bright yellow trains that are such
a striking feature of the Dutch landscape stop directly
underneath Schiphol Airport. Are Dutch designers
excessively cheerful? Well, perhaps, but the actual
reason behind the colour combination is more practical:
an approaching bright yellow train can be seen from
further away and that is then a safer situation. It is a
good example of the functional aesthetics to which
Dutch Design owes its global fame.
Eye on the future
Looking out of the train window, a carefully organised
landscape glides past, with mediaeval windmills and
black-and-white cows sharing the landscape with
pioneering architecture. Sustainable construction is a
major principle of Dutch architecture. The country’s
diminutive size has resulted in Dutch people having a
delicate relationship with nature. In the Dutch way of
thinking, the key is to find a healthy balance between
social, economic, ecological and technological needs.
Of course, the solution should also look nice. This way
of thinking is increasingly being imitated abroad. Dutch
architects such as Rem Koolhaas, for example, travel all
over the world for prestigious construction projects.
The train stops amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
With more than 400 people per square kilometre,
the Netherlands is one of the world’s most densely
populated countries, a multicultural spectacle with
the bicycle as the main common denominator. From
businesspeople with their briefcases on the handlebars,
to mothers with children on the typically Dutch
‘bakfiets’ bicycle, students riding rusty old bicycles
and professional cyclists on streamlined racing bikes –
all of the Netherlands pedals from A to B in a stream of
bicycles. Of course, visitors can also join in by hiring a
bicycle, and don’t worry, because the special cycle paths
make the whole adventure far less perilous than it might
at first appear.
As the fashion-conscious visitor has already noticed,
Dutch people prefer a clothing style without too many
trimmings. There’s a good reason why the Dutch say ‘be
normal, because that’s crazy enough’. A growing group
of fashion designers is making a big impression on the
international stage with this independent style. In a
short period of time, Dutch jeans brands such as G-Star
and Gsus have conquered dozens of different countries.
As with Dutch Design, the unconventional perspective
of the Dutch is once again bearing fruit.
Limitless
You may see Dutch people on a picnic blanket in the
park or at one of the many sidewalk cafes in the city
centre, but not until they have finished their work.
The Dutch have a long tradition as an industrious and
enterprising people. The knowledge that, as a small
country, you have to achieve a lot just to keep up, is
deeply ingrained in the national psyche. Consequently,
the Netherlands has long been a land of traders and
service providers. There are large business estates on
the outskirts of cities in which plans are forged and
frontiers are pushed back. For centuries, foreign trade
has been the driving force behind the Dutch economy.
Not only large multinationals such as Shell, Philips,
Heineken or Akzo Nobel, but also small and mediumsized companies have traditionally set their sights on
foreign countries. Innovation is the key word in the
Netherlands’ international success. The Netherlands is
Are Dutch designers
excessively cheerful?
a land of ideas with a talent for original and pragmatic
solutions. After the Dutch fought back the sea, the word
‘no’ disappeared from their vocabulary.
In cycling, the term ‘false flat’ is sometimes used
to refer to a stretch of road that at first appears flat,
but then turns out to be an unexpected gradient.
Appearances can be deceiving, and the same might
be said for the Netherlands, which is a small, modest
country hidden in a corner of the large European
continent. You could easily overlook it, but once you
are there, a surprising reality opens up because the
Netherlands’ impressive achievements and global
influence seem not to fit in with the small size of the
country. The English say ‘what you see is what you get’.
The Dutch say ‘that’s often the case, but watch out for
the false flat’.
9
Creative Industry
‘True strength lies in your own
creativity’
The great driving force behind Big Brother,
the pioneering reality TV show broadcast
in forty different countries, is Dutchman
John de Mol. De Mol, who has been active
in the media world since 1975, develops
ideas for television shows through his
media company Talpa, tests the ideas in
the Netherlands and exports what works.
“De Mol believes in the creativity of his company, and he only looks for
similar geniuses. If you want to grow, therefore, the Netherlands soon
becomes too small,” says Thomas Notermans of Talpa.
The company has already been successful in countries such as France,
the United Kingdom and the United States, and is making headway in
China, India and Russia. In each country, De Mol decides whether to take
a majority interest in production companies or to start his own company.
However, Talpa doesn’t have to become the major player. “De Mol wants
to be the best at what he does. He’s focused on the quality of the idea.
True strength lies in your own creativity.”
www.talpa.tv | [email protected]
High-Tech Systems
The secrets of Van Gogh
“The unveiling of the portrait of a woman beneath Vincent van
Gogh’s painting Patch of Grass prompted millions of hits on Google
and Yahoo! Our X-ray technology revealed a previously hidden world
that gives art historians valuable information about the creation of a
painting. It can also play a decisive role in authenticity testing,” says
Joris Dik, materials expert at Delft University of Technology.
www.vangogh.ua.ac.be | [email protected]
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© Lex Verspeek/HH
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High-Tech Systems
Sportvelden van
100% Mobile Fire Service
100% natuurgras
In the event of an emergency, such as a fire, a good information
system is crucial. Questions include ‘where, and in what type
of environment is the fire?’; ‘what is the fastest route to the
fire?’; ‘are there hazardous substances present?’; and ‘are there
adjacent buildings or is the building where the fire is located
free-standing?’ With the complex ICT environment known
as ‘100% Mobile Fire Service’ [‘Brandweer 100% Mobiel’
in the original Dutch], the commander in the fire engine no
longer receives this information by radiotelephone from the
emergency switchboard. Instead, the commander can now read
all the information required in an integrated and conveniently
arranged format from a monitor in the vehicle. This reduces
the amount of voice traffic and the need to search in disaster
response plans, digital accessibility maps and plans of attack.
Turning out for a fire has never been so calm and orderly.
www.brandweermobiel.nl
High-Tech Systems | Transport and Logistics
“Many shipyards design their fast ships only for calm waters. Damen designs patrol
boats and fast work ships specifically for real-life uses, and therefore takes the worst
possible seas into account,” asserts Jaap Gelling, Product Director High Speed Craft at
Damen. Research and development in this area is done together with Delft University
Maritime
Blind faith in
radar
Octopus as
cabin boy
Rain and mist do not make the work of an air traffic
controller or a harbour traffic controller any easier. HITT,
therefore, supplies state-of-the-art traffic control systems
worldwide, that are safe and reliable in all circumstances.
“Our radar systems chart all vehicle movements down to the
last detail thanks to a link with a range of other information
systems. Traffic controllers must be able to have blind faith
in our system,” says sales manager Dick Langejan.
How often do we hear about ships losing containers in a storm?
To limit the damage caused by a sudden change in the weather,
Amarcon has developed a software system known as ‘Octopus’.
“It’s a kind of route planner for ships,” explains Amarcon’s
Managing Director, Leon Adegeest.
of Technology. “Our latest axe bow ships can continue to sail at full speed, even in
heavy seas, thanks to the shape of their hull. The nose cuts smoothly through the
water. In two years, we’ve already sold 23 of these ships,” Gelling states.
www.damen.nl | [email protected]
Marítim0
Designing ships for use
in real life
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After acquiring extensive experience in international
seaports, HITT now also supplies airports in South Korea,
Singapore, Russia and China. “We distinguish ourselves from
our competition in terms of performance and price, and our
international experience also gives us an advantage.”
www.hitt.nl | [email protected]
The software calculates how a ship can sail safely from A to
B using as little fuel as possible, taking into account its cargo
and the weather conditions. “A captain must know his ship
well to know how it will respond. Octopus takes over that
knowledge from the captain and then advises the captain on
which route, course and speed is the safest,” says Adegeest.
The Scandinavian countries, France and South Korea have
already embraced the Octopus system.
www.amarcon.com | [email protected]
13
“I am inquisitive by nature and I’m always
curious about what drives people,” admits
Corien Pompe, the Dutch designer at Volvo
Cars. In 1982, Volvo went in search of a
female designer for the colour and upholstery
programme, and in Pompe, a recent graduate
from the Design Academy Eindhoven
with a background in engineering, art and
architecture, they saw their ideal candidate.
She is now Chief Designer at Strategic Design and
is in charge of innovation and concepts over the
long term. “Design, these days, revolves around
‘e-motion’ and personalisation and that provides
the framework for the ideas and materials we
develop that are far ahead of their time and
focused, of course, on both people and the
environment. By being avant-garde, we create the
classics of the future.” Why is it that there are so
many Dutch people involved at the international
level in automotive design?
“They are valued for their clarity, conceptual
thinking, ability to speak several languages and
experience in dealing with foreign cultures,”
Pompe explains. Automotive design is all about
a fusion of various elements. A good car designer
anticipates macro-economic developments,
politics, architecture and lifestyle, but of course
also bears in mind feasibility. The Dutch are
innovative, original and creative, but also realistic
and straightforward,” explains Pompe.
www.volvocars.com
Automotive | Creative Industry
‘From motion to e-motion’
Passion and pleasure
“Architecture has been my great passion ever since I first set foot in the model room in the architecture
department at university.” Francine Houben’s biggest heroes are Charles and Ray Eames: “I can really
relate to the pleasure that they had in working together and the different layers that are typical of their
designs.” Since 1980, Houben has designed homes, libraries, laboratories, parks, schools, neighbourhoods,
skyscrapers, theatres and hotels, including a number of projects abroad since the year 2000. Take, for
example, her design for the new Birmingham Library in the UK, a glass building shrouded in a film of
fine, steel mesh in a tribute to Birmingham’s industrial heritage. “I’m not interested in style. My work is
www.mecanoo.nl
human, playful, technically innovative and extremely detailed.”
Creative Industry
sector
3 sector
3
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Sustainable Energy
Sunlight 24/7
© MVRDV
Creative Industry | Infrastructure
Architect to the rich and famous
Dynamic Dutch architecture can be found all
specially-geared towards the educational development of children and stimulating
At Sarkozy’s invitation, architect Winy Maas
of MVRDV created one of the ten future urban
design visions for a dynamic and sustainable
Paris. The city will be home to 15.6 million people
by 2030. Sarkozy’s invitation followed closely on
the heels of the request from the American actor
Brad Pitt to design 150 rental homes for uprooted
families whose homes had been destroyed when
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. MVRDV
delivered a design for flood-resistant homes that
was striking to say the least: the house has a kink,
which causes the front and back ends of the house
to rise upwards at an angle and remain above
floodwaters.
economic activity.
www.mvrdv.nl | [email protected]
around the world – from Beijing to New York
and from Stuttgart to Dubai. French President
Nicholas Sarkozy and Hollywood star Brad
Pitt would certainly agree, because these
two high-profile figures both came knocking
For some 1.6 billion people, doing homework or reading a book after sundown is
at the door of Rotterdam architectural firm
impossible. In fact, they often have no electricity, even though the sun shines brightly
MVRDV. The work carried out by MVRDV
during the day. For the African market, Philips has therefore developed ‘My Reading
focuses especially on social developments
Light’, which is a solar-powered LED reading light with a rechargeable battery that is
and climate change.
www.philips.com
sector
3
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© ANP Photo
Water
Hurricane brings people together
Eternal fame
The United States and the Netherlands have
been friends for centuries, and the disaster
It is said that only two man-made structures are visible from space: the 2,000-year-old, 6,400-kilometre-long
Great Wall of China and the 76-year-old, 32-kilometre-long Closure Dike (Afsluitdijk) in the Netherlands.
This is a myth. The Great Wall, while large and imposing, is not visible from space, but the relatively tiny
Closure Dike is. But that’s not why Cornelis Lely (1854-1929) designed the dike. Reclaiming land from the
sea and taming the unpredictable Zuider Sea was Lely’s life’s work. As a young engineer, Lely carried out
measurements on the wharfs of the port of Amsterdam. Café goers laughed at him, but nobody remembers
www.afsluitdijk.org
any of them. Lely is still held in great esteem and his Closure Dike is still there.
caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans
in 2005 was an unpleasant reason for the two
countries to become even closer. American
engineers and a highly diverse group of Dutch
engineers have joined forces to ensure that a
disaster like that never happens again.
Infrastructure
Aerial observation technology from the Dutch
company Fugro monitors the condition of the
levees (= dikes) along the Mississippi. Arcadis
is building two dams near New Orleans. Large
engineering firms such as Royal Haskoning,
WL Delft and HKV provided software that can
calculate the risk of flooding. The levees around
the city that these companies have contributed
to are designed to withstand a storm and
floodwaters that will occur once every hundred
years. The Dutch engineers are benefiting from
the Americans’ vast knowledge of climate
change. Given this combination of Dutch and
American expertise, it’s almost enough to say that
hurricanes have had their day.
www.waterland.net
© ANP Photo
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Transport and Logistics | High-Tech Systems
Ultra-modern container port
The new ECT Euromax Terminal in the Port of Rotterdam is
one of the world’s most highly-automated and sustainable
terminals. “It’s unique and ahead of its time,” asserts Rob
Bagchus of ECT. “Technologically, we are extremely automated
through a combination of employee skills and sustainable,
state-of-the-art technology. The crane operator, for example,
is no longer the driver, but the operator of the crane. It is an
interface – in fact, more of an interaction – between man and
machine.”
The terminal has an ultimate capacity of more than four
million twenty-feet equivalent units (TEU), which is a major
expansion. “The ECT Euromax Terminal is a major trump
card for Rotterdam in the battle to remain Europe’s largest
container port.”
www.ect.nl | [email protected]
© Hollandse-Hoogte
Logistics | High-Tech Materials
© www.ivarpel.nl
Seagoing container with
environmental label
High-Tech Systems
‘Beyond bits’ technology
“The Kavli Institute of Nanoscience in Delft is leading the world in the development of a supercomputer
based on quantum mechanics – an entirely new computing concept – that will be a billion times
faster than anything currently available. A PC has to compute much faster for heavy-duty tasks such as
weather forecasts and medical predictions. Quantum computing will make that possible,” claims Leo
Kouwenhoven, who is an associate professor at Delft University of Technology.
www.ns.tudelft.nl
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It seems impossible, but it’s in fact true: a seagoing container
– an enormous steel crate that carries all our consumer goods
around the world – that one person can fold up in thirty
seconds. As a result, there is no need to haul around an empty
container full of empty space, and a ship can take back four
empty containers instead of a single full container. “Cargoshell
is a collapsible composite container that is 400 kilograms
lighter than the traditional steel container and is suitable for
the current standardised transport chain. It makes transport
more environmentally-friendly – the CO2 reduction in
particular is significant – and the business costs are lower,”
claims Cargoshell inventor René Giesbers. Giesbers presented
his prototype in the Port of Rotterdam.
www.cargoshell.com |
[email protected]
© Hollandse-Hoogte
21
Hear Holland
The Dutch may not notice
it themselves, but their
language has a very
distinct sound to the ears of
foreigners.
The main reason for this
characteristically Dutch
sound is the hard ‘g’. It is a
mystery where and how this
sound entered the language,
because it is certainly
not the most logical
development. To make
the hard ‘g’, you have to
press the rear part of your
tongue against the roof
of your mouth, which is a
masterpiece of acrobatic
tongue-twisting that even
the most dedicated student
of Dutch often wrestles
with for years. Not that the
Dutch mind, because given
half a chance fluent foreign
languages will issue forth
from their mouths.
© Nick Franken
© Nick Franken
In fact, the willingness of the Dutch to speak
foreign languages is almost legendary. As an
expat in their country, you are barely afforded
the opportunity to learn their language, simply
because everyone immediately answers in fluent
English, or German, or French or Spanish. The
majority of Dutch people command at least two
foreign languages. This above-average linguistic
proficiency is a pleasant characteristic of the
open, outwardly-oriented Dutch culture. In other
words, to achieve success as a small country and
a trading nation, we basically have to speak these
languages. Of course, we don’t want to deny you
the fun of speaking a foreign language. So, if you
offer up a cheery ‘goedemorgen’ (good morning),
we will reply in kind.
The sound of the Netherlands has many forms. There
is a good chance that you are acquainted with one of
these forms in your own country as nightclubs in major
cities around the globe are always packed to overflowing
with people whenever Dutch DJs are on the bill. They
are the absolute rulers of the international dance
scene, and for years Armin van Buuren and Tiësto in
particular consistently topped the ratings. Dutch music
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can rightfully be called an export product. In 2007, it
generated almost 50 million euros and the trend – like
the number of people on the dance floor – is upwards.
It can always be quieter
Whereas the sound levels in the clubs can never be
loud enough, precisely the opposite is true out on the
streets. With one of the world’s highest population
densities, the Dutch have, of necessity, become experts
in noise reduction due to the experience they have built
up throughout the years. This experience is extremely
useful in the automotive sector, for example. Despite
the absence of a major Dutch carmaker, the automotive
sector’s annual turnover of 12 billion euros gives it both
power and influence. As a matter of fact, nearly every
car on earth contains at least one Dutch part. You might
not see the part or parts, however, because the Dutch
influence is not limited to car design, but often highly
technical and may be found under the bonnet, in the
wiring or deep in the control systems.
Some 250 suppliers of high-quality parts are the heart
of innovation in the automotive sector, the most wellknown of which is TomTom; the global market leader
in navigation systems. Dutch companies are also
trendsetters in less-obvious niches, such as sunroofs
(Inalfa Roof Systems), fasteners (Nedschroef) and
semiconductors (NXP). With support from the Dutch
government, technical universities and knowledge
institutes, these companies form the front line in
the search for the car of the future, in which safety,
© Nick Franken
sustainability and the environment are the guiding
principles, as is low-noise vehicle technology. So, here
is a warning for the future: don’t rely solely on your ears
when you want to cross the road!
Until the era of the low-noise car dawns, however,
there will still be friction between residential needs
and transportation requirements. For example, in the
densely populated Netherlands, reducing the amount
of noise generated by motorways is a hot topic. The
problem is being dealt with on two fronts, namely: a
low-noise road surface; and smart acoustic screens. It is
hardly surprising, then, that the Netherlands is playing
a pioneering role in both fields. Design agency Fabrique
has received several international awards for its
innovative system of modular acoustic screens. This is
another example of Dutch industrial design at its best:
innovative, functional and aesthetically stimulating.
Entrepreneurial buzz
One of the most frequently quoted sayings of Dutch
football legend, Johan Cruijff, is: “every disadvantage
has its advantage”. The aforementioned examples
illustrate just how on-the-ball he is. Out of necessity,
the Dutch became experts in noise reduction. Add
the Dutch business instinct into the equation and
wonderful things start to happen. It might not be
noise in the classical sense, but anyone who really
keeps their ear to the ground in the Netherlands will
hear a constant buzz. This buzz is perhaps the most
characteristic sound of the Netherlands: the sound of
the entrepreneurial spirit; the sound of opportunities
and plans.
There are a lot of small- and medium-sized enterprises
in the Netherlands. Every day, dozens of new
companies register with the Chamber of Commerce.
The majority of Dutch people can
make themselves understood in
at least two foreign languages
Many of these companies come into being because their
founders want to improve something. If something can
be better, then it must be better: the Dutch have little
tolerance for half-baked ideas. Call us perfectionists if
you will, but don’t forget that our attention to detail
always goes hand in hand with a pragmatic approach.
A recent study indicated that businesses become
more innovative as a country’s population grows in
size, and this is, perhaps, a positive consequence of
our high population density. Incidentally, anyone
wanting to participate in the buzz is very welcome to
do so, because Dutch business people are even more
enthusiastic when foreign business guests come for
a visit. They will even be happy to talk to you in a
language of your choice – but we already mentioned that.
25
Automotive | Transport and Logistics
Loading and unloading in silence
Anyone who lives near a shop knows the problem of vehicles loading and
unloading their contents waking you up in the morning at an ungodly hour.
But now that no longer needs to be the case, thanks to low-noise products
developed as part of the government programme ‘PIEK’.
The products include low-noise loading
platforms, rolling containers and cooling
systems. None of these products is louder than
60 dBa, which is about the level of a normal
conversation between two people.
“The advantage is that the suppliers can be
in and out of the city before rush hour really
starts, which saves time and money,” says
advisor Robert Goevaers of the Ministry
of Economic Affairs. London, Paris and
Dublin are now also convinced and will
be introducing the low-noise provisioning
system. The system will also be implemented
later this year in Australia, and pilots will
begin this year in Germany, Belgium and
Spain. The development work took off in
1998 with the emergence of the 24-hour
economy. “A 24-hour economy is great in
itself, but then you need a solution to noise
pollution in heavily populated areas such as
the Netherlands where we had to find smart
solutions,” states Goevaers.
www.piek.org
[email protected]
Creative Industry
The artful exhibition
“An exhibition in itself is an art form. Knowledge and experience converge in a mix
of disciplines, which is what we’re especially good at,” asserts Herman Kossmann, of
Kossmann.dejong; the exhibition architecture agency that designed the ‘Urbanian’
pavilion for World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. “It’s a three-dimensional spatial narrative
about the quality of life in the constant hustle and bustle of the city.”
www.kossmanndejong.nl | [email protected]
26
27
© ANP Photo
High-Tech Systems and Materials
Calling on one solar cell
A passion for ultra-short-range communication
Until recently, no one had ever been able
to obtain usable electricity from a single
Bluetooth is basically two electronic devices that are a short distance apart and one of the devices is the
transmitter and the other one is the receiver. The idea seems so simple, but in fact it’s anything but simple,
explains Jaap Haartsen, electrical engineer and joint inventor of Bluetooth. “It’s actually very complicated
– but still great – when two similar devices have to recognise each other and determine among themselves
which device will transmit and which will receive.” Haartsen has fond memories of his time at Swedish
telephone manufacturer Ericsson. His contributions yielded him a number of patents. Haartsen has been
back working in the Netherlands for years now. He is currently at the SonyEricsson research lab where new
Bluetooth technology is being integrated into new devices, such as headphones and watches, and countless
other possibilities still remain. His work is exciting and focuses on his favourite area of communication
www.sonyericsson.com | [email protected]
over ultra-short distances.
solar cell. The cells are generally linked
together in a series to supply energy.
However, the Dutch company ‘Intivation’
decided to investigate electronic solutions
that would make single cell solar power
viable.
The secret is in a chip designed by Intivation. “By placing this chip
between the solar cell and the battery of small, portable equipment,
you can now power equipment such as a mobile phone in a practical
way,” explains Rik Wuts, Marketing Manager at Intivation. The solar cell
is therefore an integral part of the phone. The invention of this type of
chip is a major step forward for areas with limited electricity, a growing
mobile phone market and sufficient sunlight. “Thanks to our invention,
people in Asia, Latin America and Africa can now make mobile phone
calls at any time because they will always have cheap electricity available
to charge their phones,” says Wuts. Intivation won this year’s GSM
Association Mobile Innovation Award for their invention.
www.intivation.nl | [email protected]
High-Tech Systems
© Nick Franken
29
High-Tech Systems | Transport and Logistics
Will it all fit?
It is a scientifically proven fact that no one
can pronounce the same word in precisely
the same way twice. A computer can, but
its pronunciation often sounds robotic. As
Johan Godin, Director of AviaVox knows,
“Mimicking the human voice and including
emotion is incredibly difficult.” Nevertheless,
his company has been able to develop an
automated system that imitates a human
voice. “A word like ‘passenger’, for example,
is divided into 36 digital speech elements in
our system.”
The company has developed more than half-atrillion grammatical sentence constructions in
various languages. For each language, that is the
equivalent of 1,500 lorries, each carrying seven
tonnes of A4 sheets of paper printed on both sides.
AviaVox is the world leader in automated speech
systems for a wide range of customers that include
airports. Passengers in airports such as Heathrow,
Schiphol, Moscow and Kuwait are paged by a
professional, human voice created by AviaVox.
“A clear announcement with no accent is easier to
understand and therefore helps to keep passengers
moving smoothly through the airport,” says
Godin. The technology also has countless potential
applications in public transport, sports events,
shopping centres and the health care sector.
www.aviavox.com | [email protected]
Infrastructure
“Last call for passenger Smit”
“Engineers from Royal Haskoning wanted to know whether a new oil
terminal in Libya is suitable for medium-sized tankers. We therefore
conducted a virtual simulation on a ship’s bridge with model ships,
around which there was a projection of the entire harbour area. The
simulation clearly indicated what was possible and what wasn’t,”
states Jakob Pinkster of STC Group, which owns the world’s largest
simulator park.
www.stc-r.nl | [email protected]
3 sector
30
© ANP Photo
31
© Ronald Knapp
Creative Industry
Armin
“Simply
van Buuren
the best”
Cultural ambassador
Kammer
In 2007 and
sind2008,
mit perforierten
readers of the
Aluminiumblechen
British music publication
verkleidet,
DJ die
Magazine
auf dervoted
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eite ‘World’s
mit Schaumstoff
most-popular
belegt
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isthowever,
ebenfallsiskomplett
the first to
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put that statusund
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he says
wirsoberly.
die maximale
“There Windgeschwindigkeit
are so many different good
von 250
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and no
immatter
Windkanal
how good
haben,
you
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are, you
wirmust
keine
continually
Interferenzen
prove yourself.”
seitens stellt
Nevertheless,
Andre de Boerder
it is stillWindmaschine
the nicest recognition
messen“,
imaginable
stellt Andre
forde
the
Boer,
countless
Professor
für
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he has
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von
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sechsalso
mal sees
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as a sign
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he could
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not live without
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composing
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und eine
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“When
der der
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been on tour
durch
for ein
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can’t wait
undtosoget
amback
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in the studio,
vorbeigeleitet
and vice versa.”
wird. Anlässlich
stellt
Andre de Boer, Professor der Inbetriebnahme des Windkanals am.
www.arminvanbuuren.com
In 2008, music critics named the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as the world’s
best orchestra. Words that featured heavily in the critics’ praise included ‘creative’,
‘magical’, ‘contemporary’ and ‘international’. The orchestra, which consists of
Creative Industry
120 leading musicians from sixteen different countries, performs 120 dates every
year, including 35 performances abroad. The orchestra is the Netherlands’ cultural
ambassador par excellence.
www.concertgebouworkest.nl | [email protected]
© ANP Photo
© Ronald Knapp
33
If ‘2getthere’ has its way, a vision of the future full of green parks
Sustainable Energy | Automotive
and futuristic robotic cars will not be far wrong. Their electric
six-passenger CyberCab is driven automatically, making it ideal
for the city of the future. In Masdar City, the world’s first climateneutral city, for example, 13 CyberCabs will provide the travel
Cars with both power and style
links to the Institute of Science and Technology.
www.2getthere.eu | [email protected]
According to Hjalmar Engel, co-owner of
Electric Cars Europe (ECE), electric cars have
an image problem. “ECE doesn’t sell ‘plastic
golf carts’. We sell electric cars with power
and style.” In his production hall, Engel points
Automotive | Sustainable Energy
Robots in the city of
the future
34
to the Lotus Elise and the Volkswagen Golf.
“Those aren’t hybrids!” he says. “They are
100 percent electric vehicles that are both
environmentally friendly and sharp. The Lotus,
for example, has an operating range of 250
km, a top speed of 215 km/h and goes from 0
to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds. The fuel costs
are also a quarter of the cost of diesel.”
The only sticking point is the purchase price.
“Prototypes are expensive,” Engel explains.
“In just over a year, we want to begin a broader
rollout, with cars that we’ve converted and
imports from Detroit Electric.”
ECE works together with a number of partners,
including the energy provider Essent. Enexis and
fellow network companies are aiming to install
10,000 charging stations in the Netherlands in the
next three years, including rapid-charging stations
that would fully charge an empty battery in the
space of 10 minutes. Of course, the cars can also be
charged at home. The energy providers expect to
see 1.8 million electric cars in the Netherlands by
2025.
www.ececars.nl | [email protected]
35
‘Nine out of ten!’ The leading game
review site IGN.com is enthusiastic
about the music for the Nintendo
computer game Swords & Soldiers,
which was provided by the Dutch
company SonicPicnic. The fact that
the music was provided by a Dutch
company is hardly a coincidence
because the Netherlands has a fully
fledged game and sound industry,
with cult figure Jeroen Tel and his
Commodore 64 as its founding father.
“Just call us a sound agency,”
says Robin Schaefer, one of the
four co-owners of SonicPicnic.
“We are a full-service agency for
advertisements, films and games.
We compose music, create sound
effects – what we call sound design
– and produce everything in our
own studio.” It was partly because
of this one-stop-shop concept
that game developer Ronimo
Games came to SonicPicnic for
the Nintendo assignment. “It was
also because we understand what
clients want,” claims Schaefer.
“It’s a matter of experience.” For
Swords & Soldiers, the magic word
is ‘contrast’. The music is cinematic
and epic. The sound design keeps
things in perspective, with a playful
undertone that fits in with the
game’s ‘cartoonesque’ style.
With the shift of game sales
from the high street to online
outlets, the market is becoming
increasingly accessible for smaller
game companies with innovative
concepts. “Companies like
SonicPicnic,” quips Schaefer.
www.sonicpicnic.nl
[email protected]
Creative Industry
Nintendo sounds Dutch
The Rotterdam dance club WATT signed-on in 2008 for a world
first: sustainable dancing. The ‘secret’ is in the dance floor itself.
An ingenious electromechanical system converts the dancers’
movements into electricity which is then used for LED floor lighting
and sound amplifiers. The system is fun, interactive and saves energy
at the same time! The concept of the Sustainable Dance Floor was
devised by the Rotterdam initiative Sustainable Dance Club.
www.sustainabledanceclub.com | [email protected]
Sustainable Energy
Dancing gives you
energy!
36
37
Smell Holland
We highly recommended
that you bring your nose
with you during your visit
to the Netherlands. Are
you perhaps familiar with
the song ‘Tulips from
Amsterdam’? The song
was a worldwide hit in
1954 and tells the story of
Jan’s love for Antje. His
love for her is so great that
he sends her two thousand
red and yellow tulips
from Amsterdam. A lovely
image, of course, but with
one minor caveat: you will
not find many tulips in
Amsterdam. The famous
Dutch flower fields are
in the ‘Bollenstreek’
area, not far from the
capital. Each year, tens
of thousands of tourists
follow their noses to
come and marvel at the
spectacular colours and
fragrances.
© Nick Franken
© Nick Franken
The Dutch have a long horticultural history. In the
17 century, the demand for tulip bulbs took
th
on bizarre dimensions and prices rose so high
that a single bulb eventually cost more than an
exclusive house on one of Amsterdam’s canals.
Just think about that the next time you spend
a few euros for an entire bouquet of tulips for
your loved one. Nonetheless, the analogy that
many small blossoms form one large bouquet
is manifest in by the export figures for Dutch
agriculture. In 2008, the country exported more
than 6-billion-euros-worth of flowers and plants.
The Netherlands, therefore, spreads its fragrant
air into living rooms throughout the world. Talk
© Nick Franken
is ready-made and ready to-grow. You can smell it when
it’s time to reap the harvest.
government is aiming to generate more than 6,000 MW
of offshore wind energy by 2020.
Fresh world
Unfortunately, not everything smells of roses. While
it is not a subject we like to dwell upon, some things
simply stink. Take waste, for instance: a consequence
of modern consumer society that cannot be ignored.
Every resident in the Netherlands contributes more
than 600 kilograms per year. If we were to pile it all up,
we would soon lose our reputation as a flat country, so
we won’t do that. The Netherlands has the world’s most
comprehensive and multifaceted waste-treatment
infrastructure. More than 64 percent of municipal
waste is recycled. The largest portion of the remaining
amount is converted into energy and only a minimum
residual amount ends up at a waste dump that is so
small that your nose won’t even know that it’s there.
Worldwide, awareness is growing that sustainable
energy is a necessity, rather than a luxury. Wind energy
makes a valuable contribution, but is only part of the
solution. Luckily, there are large numbers of cows in
the Netherlands, and the first neighbourhood to be
powered by energy from cows has already been built.
Of course, it’s not the cows themselves that provide the
energy, but their manure, which is converted into biofuels. There is also a similar plan for algae: Wageningen
University is running a successful pilot scheme in
You can smell it when it’s
time to reap the harvest
about good PR!
The success of the Dutch horticultural sector is due
to many factors, not least of which is innovative
technology. The Dutch are the undisputed pioneers
in innovative horticulture. The Dutch greenhouse
horticulture sector, in particular, is highly respected
internationally. Keeping up with the innovations,
which cover all areas of horticulture-from production
and energy, to business and logistics-is next to
impossible. It is a complex system, and one in which
the Dutch create added value on all fronts. In fact, the
system is so complex that interest is growing, from
abroad, in complete turnkey projects, where everything
40
For one of the most pleasing aromas in the Netherlands,
you must travel to the coast where the fresh sea air, rich
in ozone, is a source of rejuvenation and inspiration.
What you cannot see from the beach, however, is
one of the most inspired responses to modern energy
demands, because just beyond the horizon the
Netherlands is building impressive offshore wind farms
at a rapid pace. In 2008, the Princess Amalia Wind Farm
was completed, 23 kilometres off the coast of IJmuiden.
This wind farm, the largest in the Netherlands to date,
has 60 turbines delivering a combined 140 MW of
renewable energy, which is sufficient to power 140,000
households. This is a promising start, as the Dutch
which oil is squeezed from algae. Other laboratories
are introducing patented solar cells with exceptionally
high yields. The Netherlands is clearly working on
numerous fronts to realise innovative solutions for
clean energy. If it is up to the Netherlands, there will
come a day when we will all have to buy a ticket for the
aromatic museum to experience the smell of oil, petrol
and coal.
As pure as Dutch water
We have talked about the sweet smell of tulips and the
less-pleasant smells of waste and manure. What we
have not yet mentioned is no odour at all. Water is the
perfect example: generally, people prefer water that
doesn’t smell. Since the 1960’s and 1970’s, governments
in the industrialised nations have promoted the
concept of centralised, large-scale and often energyguzzling water purification. The Netherlands is one
of the first countries to be revisiting and revising this
concept. In 2007, the Dutch scientist Gatze Lettinga
received the prestigious Tyler Prize, often referred
to as the ‘Nobel Prize for the Environment’. Lettinga
performed pioneering work in local water purification
plants using (oxygen-free) anaerobic bacteria. An added
advantage of this procedure is that treating the water
produces biogas.
Increasingly, a refreshing perspective on the world is
developing, in which economic progress goes hand in
hand with a healthy environment in which to live. This
is a vision that the Dutch government, the business
sector and the scientific world are fighting to achieve.
Call it self-interest: the Netherlands is too densely
populated to mistreat the environment. Indeed, our
country lies largely below sea level and we know only
too well the dangers that can bring. This respect for
the physical environment is obvious and not limited
to the Netherlands. The same is also true for the
groundbreaking developments that the Netherlands has
to offer in this area. The Dutch have a great affinity for
international cooperation, which is already happening
on numerous fronts. If it is up to us, one day there will
be no countries where you wish you had left your nose
at home.
41
Food & Flowers
High-Tech Materials | Chemistry
The secret of Gamila
Hollywood stars such as Justin Timberlake can no longer be
without Gamila soap. Gamila, an illiterate Druze woman from
Galilee, learned the secret blend of purifying and healing herbs
and hand-pressed olive oil from her grandmother. Dutchman
Robin Bravenboer discovered the soap and knew that he had
found something special. After family and friends has also praised
the soap, Bravenboer decided to launch Gamila’s product on the
market. Made from a cocktail of fifteen local herbs, the soap not
only offers relief to people suffering from skin problems, but
also helps to rejuvenate normal skin. Gamila is now the head of a
factory where her ‘secret’ is manufactured. The manufacturing is
still done by hand, as a way of continuing the worldwide success of
the soap.
Golden fields
After World Cups and Olympic gold, Dutch hockey players are now
linking their names to artificial grass playing surfaces. The Triple-T
System, named in honour of star player Taeke Taekema, is used for a
new water-saving hockey pitch with a dampening substratum and a
sprinkler system that is raising the bar in hockey. The system was
developed by TenCate Grass, Edel Grass and Oranjewoud sport.
www.edelgrass.com | [email protected]
www.gamilasecret.nl | [email protected]
Chemistry
Green cleaning revolution
AkzoNobel is the largest international supplier of chelates, which
are organic binding agents that are both clean and good for the
environment. Chelates can change the properties of metal ions
and are bringing about a green revolution in the washing-up
liquid and washing detergent industries. Dissolvine® is a chelate
that controls the properties of metal ions, such as solubility and
stability. “Dissolvine® GL is biodegradable and made of natural
and sustainable components,” says Tony Minshull, Senior Market
and Development Manager. The environmentally friendly chelate
is a replacement for phosphate, which is still frequently used in
cleaning agents and has a harmful effect on groundwater. “Sales
of Dissolvine®GL will increase to several thousand tonnes in
Europe alone. The versatility of Dissolvine® GL offers numerous
advantages for developing new products or improving existing
ones.” The goal is to be able to meet the global demand by 2012.
www.dissolvinegl.com | [email protected]
42
43
Å Food & Flowers
Fruit merchant to the world
© Nick Franken
“Having logistics problems? The team at The Greenery will solve them,” says John
Vena Jr., President and CEO of John Vena Inc., one of the largest companies at the
Philadelphia Terminal Market. “Putting together products and shipping them on time
is essential to our success. The Greenery knows our needs and then delivers everything
on schedule.”
People in Philadelphia, just like in the rest of the world, can therefore sink their teeth into
fresh apples and bright red tomatoes grown in Dutch soil on a daily basis. The international
cooperative sales and trading organisation ‘The Greenery’ delivers fresh vegetables, fruit and
mushrooms to wholesalers, industry and retailers in Europe, North America and the Far East.
Innovation, sustainability and food safety are top priorities. The Greenery carries out more
than 3,500 residue analyses annually, which enables the company to guarantee the quality of
its peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, leeks, chicories and courgettes. “For us, The Greenery is a
partner in quality,” says Vena. “We could not do our work without a powerful supplier that sees
the value in what we do for them. We have therefore developed a strong bond of trust.”
www.thegreenery.com | [email protected]
44
© Sven Kallen
Food & Flowers
Tree incubator
The desire to turn deserts green led Pieter Hoff to invent the
Powertree waterbox, a smart bucket with a hole in the middle,
through which young trees grow. The special lid captures
condensation and rainwater and gradually releases it. Hoff received
the prestigious Science and Technology Dragons Award from the
Dutch Science and Technology Platform for his invention.
www.aquaproholland.com | [email protected]
45
Food & Flowers
Flower magnate
It’s a bit like the story of the paperboy who grew up to become a media magnate, except that it happened
in the ornamental plant cultivation sector. At the age of 18, Art van Duyn, the son of a flower cultivator,
saw greater opportunities in sales than in cultivating flowers, so he rented space in a supermarket and
started a small flower stall. The stall grew to become a flourishing, multimillion-euro business called
‘Florado’. Van Duyn is now the CEO of the Dutch Flower Group (DFG), the world’s largest flower and plant
company with a turnover of 800 million euros. DFG has a fairly hands-off, three-member executive board.
“The 25 companies in the holding group know their own market share better than anyone else,” says Van
Duyn. Although the recession has pushed down turnover somewhat in 2009, the damage has been limited
by flexibility in anticipating changing budgets. Van Duyn expects growth to return from 2011 onwards.
www.dfg.nl
Food & Flowers
Cool presentation
The ‘Conditio Flora’ looks like any other flower display, but
appearances can be deceiving, because this unique display contains
an ingenious cooling system. ‘Duo-cooling’ keeps both flower water
and flower at the desired temperature, which keeps the flowers fresh
for longer. Germany and Austria are already convinced, now for the
rest of the world.
www.bercomexretail.com | [email protected]
47
© Foto GJ Vlekke / Fotovak B.V.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that is released when organic material breaks down at landfill sites.
It is approximately 20x as harmful as carbon dioxide. Now, however, Van der Wiel Stortgas B.V.
has discovered a way to recycle methane into something useful. The company runs the landfill
gas project ‘Ekodolina’ in the Polish city of Gdynia. “Gas recycling facilities are used to increase
the methane content in landfill gas to sixty percent, which enables gas motors to run without
interruptions. These motors power the generators that create electricity for the mains grid,”
says Frits Welling, manager at Van der Wiel Stortgas B.V. This type of facility can also be used to
make ‘green gas’ from biogas. The system contains membranes, which separate out CO2 in order
to increase the methane content. “We can recycle landfill gas to such a degree that its quality
and characteristics are similar to natural gas and it will also have the same energy content.”
Although incentive schemes are still needed to make the recycling of landfill gas profitable,
considering the rising demand for alternative energy sources, green gas has a golden future
ahead.
www.vanderwiel.nl | [email protected]
Environment
© ANP Photo
Opportunity for green gas
The world’s best oil spill containment ship is a Dutch craft called
the Arca. With fourteen-metre long ‘sweeper arms’ and the unique
SeadarQ system on board, the ship can track oil pollution within a
radius of eight kilometres. The ship can also be used for scientific
research.
[email protected] | www.srgh.nl
tinyurl.com/mw55gp | www.seadarq.com
Maritime | Environment
The end of smelly oil
48
49
Creative Industry
Shave like a samurai
Armin
Explosive
van Buuren
scent
Finding happiness in the small, everyday things in life is the essence
of Rituals, the Dutch cosmetics house that was founded nine years
Kammer
What about
sindthe
mitscent
perforierten
of blossom,
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orchids and jasmine
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emanating
die auf
from
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glassshand
eite mit
grenade?
Schaumstoff
Only the
belegt
sind.
contrary
Die Windmaschine
and always refreshing
ist ebenfalls
design
komplett
studio of
geräuschisoliert
Viktor and Rolfund
could
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upKühlsystem
such an idea.
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their first
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the two were the sensation
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stellt Andre
With de
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contrary
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in well
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Die „tote“
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is sometimes
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Größe von
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something beautiful.
des Windkanals am.
www.viktor-rolf.nl
ago by Raymond Cloosterman.
The company follows the ‘slow shopping
philosophy’, in which customers are treated
to a cup of Rituals tea or a hand massage when
they enter the shop. The philosophy has been
very successful. Within four years, Rituals grew
from two to a hundred shops, spread across ten
countries. According to the founder, happiness
is taking time to care for yourself and for your
home. In addition to body products and precious
gem make-up, Rituals therefore offers products
such as tea, scented candles and luxury washingup liquid. When developing new products, the
company works together with top perfumers and
Creative Industry
anthropologists. They also look for inspiration
in ancient Eastern rituals, such as a new shaving
cream that was developed based on the shaving
traditions of the ancient Japanese Samurai
warriors. The products radiate exclusivity, with
the result that routine becomes an extra special
ritual. Cloosterman explains: “we offer top-quality
products, but at an accessible price, to make it
possible for everyone to make ordinary things into
something special.”
www.rituals.com | [email protected]
51
© ANP Photo
Decentralising is the newest trend in
the world of water. Water is treated on
site and a connection to the sewage
system is not always necessary any
more. Desah has now developed a
technology that can be used to treat
washing-up and washing machine
water and is the only system in the
world that treats all waste water locally
in a residential area.
The system is being used in
a residential neighbourhood
comprising 252 homes. During the
treatment of this ‘grey water’, the
organic fraction is removed and
then fermented together with the
black water and kitchen waste.
The grey water then undergoes
biological purification before it
can be released into the surface
water. The technology can be used
for revamped neighbourhoods,
new build and even in apartment
buildings.
The costs of installing a separate
system are not much higher than
with a normal sewerage system.
“With this system, you can also
generate energy and recover
nutrients. Along with the water
savings that this new technology
delivers, residents also use water
much more efficiently,” says process
technologist Nico Elzinga. Collecting
grey water is an expansion of
another project, in cooperation with
Landustrie, in which black water is
collected and fermented.
www.desah.nl | www.landustrie.nl | [email protected]
Water | Energy
Grey water is clean again
© ANP Photo
Miss-Collect uses unemployed women to collect used frying fat
in South African townships, which it then converts into biodiesel
because, the more often frying fat is used, the more carcinogenic
substances are created. In addition to improving health, this project
also creates jobs, training opportunities, economic development,
clean biodiesel and reduced CO2 emissions.
www.miss-collect.org | [email protected]
Environment
52
From frying fat
to biodiesel
53
Feel Holland
Do the Dutch have
feelings? Good question!
“Yes, they do!” is the
answer. According to the
latest research, Dutch
people possess roughly
the same emotions as the
rest of humanity. If that
doesn’t create a bond,
then what does? But
seriously, like everyone
else, the Dutch strive
to find happiness, and
the path to happiness,
like everywhere else
in the world, is strewn
with many and varied
challenges. Modern life
has its own tensions,
such as between work
and leisure, between the
natural environment and
encroaching urbanisation,
and between a longer life
expectancy and a good
quality of life. In other
words, happiness is not
guaranteed. We must
guard it wisely.
© Nick Franken
© Nick Franken
A feeling of safety. One of the most tangible
challenges to the happiness of the Dutch people
is the threat posed by the sea. The Dutch feel
very safe in their country, but they have had
to fight for that security. The lowest point in
the Netherlands is 6.76 metres below sea level.
The fact that the North Sea does not inundate
this area with water is due to a complex and
interwoven system of dunes, dikes and other
coastal defences. Without this system, two-thirds
of the Netherlands would regularly be flooded.
Out of necessity, the Dutch have built up a great
deal of experience as regards how to manage
complex water-related challenges. And, as
involved in projects ranging from the new sea defences
around New Orleans, to Hong Kong airport, which is
built entirely on an island reclaimed from the sea.
Patient-friendly
A healthy mind in a healthy body is obviously the best
guarantee of happiness. But sometimes the body has
other plans. The Netherlands enjoys a high level of
health care, in which research and clinical practice
nurture and reinforce each other. One especially
interesting aspect of Dutch thinking around medicine,
concerns the patient’s experience. According to Dutch
health experts, the healing process works best if the
patient doesn’t really feel like a patient. Therefore,
new hospitals are very spacious, with an emphasis on
privacy and rest. The colour schemes are friendly and
soothing and the nursing staff are trained to have a
patient-friendly, personal bed-side manner.
everyone knows, practice makes perfect.
The Dutch built their first dikes in the early Middle
Ages, not only along the coast, but also along the four
major rivers, which regularly burst their banks. These
dikes enabled the Dutch to reclaim new land, which
was a chance that they grabbed with both hands from
the very beginning. The Dutch built the 30-kilometrelong Closure Dike (Afsluitdijk), for example, which
enabled them to drain the area behind the dike and
reclaim 160,000 hectares of land from the sea. In light
of the rising sea level and growing world population,
Dutch engineering firms are consequently in great
demand. Of the ten most influential water consultancy
firms, four are Dutch. You can find these companies
56
A patient’s feelings are also increasingly important in
the development of medical equipment. For example,
Philips Healthcare, one of the largest developers
of medical equipment, developed the Ambient
Experience, which is an MRI scan for young patients
that uses special video and lighting effects. This type of
approach involves the patients in a fun way in what is
otherwise an often traumatic process. What was once
frightening is now ‘cool’. This is just one of the many
examples of innovative, patient-friendly health care.
Research has shown that relaxed patients heal more
quickly and require less medicine, which is interesting
in the light of the rapidly increasing costs of health care.
© Nick Franken
The biological revolution
To ensure quality of life, researchers are focusing
increasingly on the building blocks of life itself. In
modern biotechnology, in which biology is employed
for practical goals, the focus is primarily on the
fascinating world of bacteria, molecules and cells.
At this moment, genuine revolutions are taking place
in the fields of industry, medicine and agriculture.
Biotechnology has been a key focus of Dutch policy
since the mid-1990s, and not without success:
hundreds of companies are currently active in the
field. These companies develop medicines that work
independently; healthy food products; biofuels; plants
with dramatically high yields; and numerous other
innovations. The Netherlands is rightfully a key player
in the field of biotechnology.
The future feels different
Few parts of our bodies are as sensitive as our
fingertips. If you place your fingertip on wood, metal
or plastic, you can immediately discern the difference.
Still, there is a possibility that this epicentre of touch
could benefit from a refresher course. Dutch chemical
companies and research institutes are working closely
together to develop revolutionary new materials. These
new materials often combine a lighter weight with
high strength and sustainability. One good example
is GLARE; a highly innovative composite material
that is used on the Airbus A380, the world’s largest
passenger aircraft. However, it is not only in metals and
composites that the Netherlands is held in such high
esteem. Dutch company TenCate, for example, rolls
out its artificial turf all around the world because it is
nearly impossible to distinguish it from real grass. As a
footballing nation, we know how controversial that is.
Modern life, therefore, offers us not only challenges to
our happiness, but also opportunities. The search for
innovative solutions to complex problems runs as a
constant thread throughout Dutch history. Perhaps it’s
The Dutch feel very safe in their
country, but they have had to
fight for that sense of security
our stubbornness: if there’s one thing that gives Dutch
people a bad feeling, it’s ineffectiveness. Therefore, we
continue to work – tenaciously but still optimistically –
on our happiness. And we are successful in doing so: the
Netherlands is by far on the positive side of the global
Gross National Happiness Index. And do you know what
makes the Dutch even happier? Sharing that happiness.
We like nothing better than going around the world,
sharing ideas and learning new things along the way.
Roughly the same emotions, remember? Our borders
are open day and night in the search for happiness.
57
Creative Industry
Prickly fashion
© Pim van der Maden FDIPP
The clothes feel as soft as cotton, but
they are in fact made from stinging
nettles. Brennels harvests the nettles
from its own stinging nettle plantations
in the area reclaimed from the sea
that is known as the Northeast Polder.
Although it is still pioneering work,
expectations for this new material are
high.
“The fibres have better properties than cotton and they are only half as
heavy, which means that you can manufacture thinner materials,” explains
Nienke Feddes of Brennels. Various fashion companies have now shown
an interest in the material. Brennels is now studying the possibility of
producing the first stinging nettle denim.
After the more than two-metre-long stalks have been harvested, the leaves
and stinging hairs are removed. The fibres are then combined with organic
cotton, from which the company spins thread. “This combination is a
practical and environmentally friendly alternative to cotton, which requires
a large amount of water and pesticides.” A test site in the Czech Republic
is currently being used to examine the possibility of increasing the scale
of production abroad. “With the scarcity of raw materials, the demand for
alternatives will only increase. We are convinced that our stinging nettle
textile will one day be available in every clothes shop.”
www.brennels.nl | [email protected]
58
Creative Industry
Free play
No hard and fast rules, but free reign for creativity: that is the
basis for TOTEM, which was developed by Romy Boesveldt and Ilya
Yashkin, the duo behind Kidsonroof. “Children must be able to use
their imagination when they play,” says Boesveldt. TOTEM, which is
made of recycled paper, has been selected for the Time Green Design
top 100.
www.kidsonroof.com | [email protected]
59
Life Sciences
Virus detection in 5 minutes
‘Informing the public is also a science’
With diseases such as SARS, bird flu
No matter how alarming the news becomes about epidemics such as swine flu or mutating strains of
bird flu, the Netherlands is always sure of the permanent vigilance of one of the world’s most prominent
virologists, namely Ab Osterhaus. Ab has written countless articles and has himself discovered thirteen
different viruses. In times of public concern, Professor Osterhaus often appears on television to give his
assessment of the situation. “Informing the public is an essential task for scientists,” Osterhaus says.
Following his media appearances, he often returns immediately to his laboratory to work through to the
next morning if the situation so requires. “He sleeps on the plane,” says a former colleague of Osterhaus.
www.erasmusmc.nl
of epidemics and pandemics. Now,
Life Sciences
and swine flu, the world is in the grip
however, a small Dutch company has
developed an innovative virus detector.
“The device is portable, measures just 45 x 30 centimetres, and is ultrasensitive,” says Aurel Ymeti, Head of R&D at Ostendum, a spin-off company
of the University of Twente. “It’s a minilab!”
Simple and fast
The advantages compared to the present detection methods are evident: you
do not require a laboratory or any trained personnel, and in five minutes
the detector indicates whether a person is infected with a virus, whereas
normally that diagnosis would take hours or even days. As Ymeti explains,
“this method could be used at airports, for example, as an extra safety
measure.”
Incidentally, the device detects not only viruses, but also specific bacteria,
proteins and DNA molecules. An elevated or low concentration of any of
these in a person’s saliva or blood can be an indication of a disease.
The health care and food industries in particular are very interested in the
prototype. Ostendum is now working on improving the system, which will
go on the market in late 2010.
www.ostendum.nl | [email protected]
61
Water
Creating water
Food & Flowers | High-Tech Systems
Farming from your ‘easy chair’
Agis Automatisering in Harmelen expects to
sell millions of units of its SensOor system
(an ingenious system for measuring cows’ health)
worldwide in the years to come.
Creating water from air is climate neutral! What’s more, the only requirements are wind and air
humidity greater than 25 percent, and the AW75 wind turbine. This globally patented wind turbine
converts wind into thermal energy, which causes the air to cool down, thus creating precipitation.
“Energy and distribution are enormous cost items in obtaining water,” explains Gerard Schouten.
“Dutch Rainmaker removes these obstacles. We create water wherever it’s scarce.”
The SensOor is a chip in a holder that is attached to
the cow’s ear. The chip measures vital signs such as
temperature, breathing and mobility and sends this
data wirelessly to a central computer or to the cattle
farmer’s mobile. “Farmers like to put up their umbrella
even before it starts to rain,” says Agis Director Gerard
Griffoen. “Thanks to the SensOor, they can now quickly
see when there is something wrong with a cow or when
the cow’s fertility increases.”
Results on test farms in the Utrecht region are
promising. This cow management system leads to less
disease, less use of medicines, less work and greater
fertility. “It’s good for the cow, the cattle farmer and
the turnover,” says Griffioen. The project partners –
the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific
Research (TNO) and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
at Utrecht University – are currently testing the
product in Germany, the United States, Scotland and
Canada. Agis hopes to begin selling the product via a
webshop in the second half of 2009.
www.agis.nl | [email protected]
www.dutchrainmaker.nl | [email protected]
62
63
© ANP Photo
Logistics | High-Tech Systems
Amsterdam, the virtual hot spot
Armin
Hot-bed
van Buuren
of innovation
Kammer
She is the
sind
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mit
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belegt
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greenhouses
Die Windmaschine
and buildings.
ist ebenfalls
What began
komplett
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geräuschisoliert
ago as a greenhouse
und mit einem
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company turned
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out,
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forBoer,
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Die „tote“
even entire
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hatNieuwe
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Es gibt
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Luftstrom
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andeine
in
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bei der der Luftstrom
and comfort
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und
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Prins, Dutch
vorbeigeleitet
Businesswoman
wird. Anlässlich
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stellt
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2009, de
who
Boer,
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to make Privades
even
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am.
What does that mean
according to Prins? “Smarter, more efficient and more sustainable,” she replies. www.priva.nl
Sustainable Energy
Like many other multinationals who are active in Europe, IBM’s manufacturing supply
chain for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) already ran through the
Netherlands. However, IBM, the world’s largest IT company, is now doing something
unique in Amsterdam.
IBM decided to focus its attention on innovation
in the logistics process for parts delivery and the
company therefore decided to work together with
Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Eindhoven
University of Technology.
“The municipal platform for infrastructure
solutions that they devised was fantastic!” says
Tim Postel, EMEA Service Parts Operations
Manager. IBM’s new virtual European parts
network, which is controlled from Amsterdam,
enables IBM to offer response times of less than
2 hours.
What makes IBM’s virtual logistics network
so unique is the integration of a reverse
logistics system, better known as the recycling
management system. Postel: “A ‘service part’ is
a part that is sent to the customer. However, you
also want to find these parts to reuse them after
repairs or if the supplier has given a guarantee.
That is important from both an economic and an
ecological standpoint. We don’t simply leave parts
behind at the customer’s location.”
www.nfia.nl | www.hidc.nl | www.ibm.com
65
Anyone who lives on the coast knows that developments such as rising sea levels and climate
change require urgent action. Belgium, which like the Netherlands has a North Sea coastline, is
also aware of this need for action. To make the Flemish coast safe for the long term, there is now
the ‘Flemish Bays 2100’ plan, which is a plan put together by a consortium of Flemish and Dutch
companies that proposes to convert the hardened, narrow Flemish coast into a wide, soft coast
with wide dunes and beaches, sandbanks and islands. The Dutch consultancy and engineering
firm ARCADIS is part of the project looking at the possibility of an integrated approach
combining development of the natural environment, safety, tourism, harbour development
and sustainable energy production. Consultant Bert Smolders of ARCADIS outlines just a few
possible projects: “Tourist villages along the coast; nature reserve islands for seals; an expansion
of the port of Zeebrugge and offshore wind turbines.”
ARCADIS is involved in the Belgian project due to its experience with the planning studies
for the weak links in the Dutch coastline and the vision for the future of the Closure Dike
(Afsluitdijk). Flemish Prime Minister Chris Peeters has responded positively to the plan, which
is based on a long-term 100-year vision.
www.arcadis.nl | [email protected]
Water | Infrastructure
Soft coastline with a 100-year lifespan
© franco pace
Maritime
Is it really a boat?
The Ethereal, a super-deluxe yacht, is like a private island at sea. A hybrid drive
provides propulsion; heat and energy are stored and used efficiently; and LED lights
produce soft, atmospheric light. State-of-the-art technology makes this yacht into
much more than a boat: it is a sustainability laboratory at sea, or, as owner Billy Joy
says, a floating work of art.
www.royalhuisman.com | [email protected]
66
© www.michelkievits.nl
67
Sustainable Energy
Your wallet feels the difference
Sustainable Energy | High-Tech Materials
Plastic fantastic solar cell
The tension is rising in Eindhoven, because that’s where the development of
polymers for solar cells is in progress. Although they are still in the research
phase, these plastic solar cells have tremendous potential. The production
costs are low, the cells weigh less than traditional silicon panels and they can
© Hugo Schuitemaker - voornamelijk fotografie
supply sufficient energy.
“Because the production process is relatively simple and fast, we will be able to make a
contribution to energy supplies in due course. We need to make it possible to use the technology
on large surfaces – that’s the most important step,” says Professor René Janssen of Eindhoven
University of Technology. The efficient conversion of light into electricity is a complicated
process, and the large-scale production of panels and modules certainly requires further
research and development. It will still be several years before roofs are covered in polymer solar
cells, or before we have ‘solar farms’ connected to the electricity grid. “Naturally, though, that’s
our ultimate goal: to be able to compete with other energy sources on a large scale.”
At home, outside of office hours is when equipment gobbles up the most energy.
However, thanks to the Plugwise energy management system, you can efficiently
manage your energy consumption. Plugwise uses a wireless network of smart plugs
to measure the consumption of each device and can even turn equipment on and off.
And that is something that you will feel in your wallet when the electrical bill arrives.
www.tue.nl | [email protected]
www.plugwise.nl | [email protected]
68
69
Taste Holland
In the middle of the last
century B.C., Julius Caesar
fought against the Gallic
rebels in northern Europe.
In his report on the battle,
‘De Bello Gallico’, written
in 57 B.C., the famous
general made a note of
something particular
that he had noticed: ‘my
opponents like to eat cheese’.
Since time immemorial, the
Netherlands has been a true
cheese-eating nation.
© Nick Franken
© Nick Franken
The Dutch began to export their cheese in the
Middle Ages, which is when they gained the
holidaymakers have also developed a taste for dishes
and ingredients from French, Italian, Greek, German
and Spanish culinary traditions.
nickname ‘cheeseheads’ – a title that is still used in
good-humoured banter today. The same is true of
the cheese trade: you are guaranteed to find Dutch
cheese in supermarkets around the world. In 2008,
the Netherlands produced 692,000 tonnes of
cheese, the majority of which was for export. The
average Dutch person eats an average of 14.6 kilos
per year. That’s something to get your teeth into.
The traditional Dutch meal consists of a combination of
potatoes, vegetables and meat: a hearty and nutritious
bite to eat, well suited to physical labour on the land.
According to a well-known Dutch saying; ‘what the
farmer doesn’t know, he won’t eat’. However, in reality
that hasn’t been true for some time now. Although
working conditions nowadays often involve a desk
and a computer, this has not drastically altered the
traditional diet, but it has broadened it. The doors
to the Dutch kitchen are now wide open to outside
influences. The many immigrants who came to the
Netherlands at the beginning of the second-half of the
20th century, gave Dutch kitchens an exotic Indonesian
or Surinamese twist. Over the last thirty years, Dutch
72
This predilection for foreign food has not just been
one-way traffic either. The Netherlands is the largest
exporter of agrifood products after the United States.
Considering the modest size of our country, that is
remarkable to say the least. There are a number of
factors behind the scope and success of Dutch food
exports. For many centuries, the Netherlands has had
a strong international orientation. In the seventeenth
century, the Netherlands functioned as a wholesale
trading point for herbs and spices from the orient.
To this day, we still retain the talent for importing
raw materials, adding value and then selling them on,
which is how the far-from-tropical Netherlands has
become the largest exporter of cocoa products.
Food with a purpose
The trend for healthy eating is an important focal
point for the agrifood sector. The modern consumer
wants products that taste good and support a healthy
diet and a healthy lifestyle. The Dutch government
applauds this trend, not least because it slows down the
rapidly increasing costs of health care. In addition to
applauding the trend, the government is also involved
in various public-private partnership innovation
programmes that make a major contribution to the
success of the Dutch foodstuffs industry.
© Nick Franken
Innovation is the key. Pioneering research is being
performed into taste, health and nutrition through
innovation programmes such as Food Valley and
Food & Nutrition Delta. Universities, R&D institutes
and companies are working closely together with
government encouragement and financial support
from the government. The benefits are shared acrossthe-board, from the business sector to the scientific
world and the well-being of the consumer. There is also
a chance that the food will taste better, too.
From farm, to fork
The remarkable success of the Dutch food sector cannot
be solely attributed to the strength of the cooperation,
innovation and the highly developed instinct for
business. A the good reputation with regard to food
safety is also a factor, as are revolutionary logistics
and the constructive cooperation throughout the
entire supply-chain, from farmer, to supermarket. The
suppliers of high-quality basic materials also deserve
a special mention. Dutch seeds and seedlings are in
great demand worldwide because of their high yield
and good phytosanitary properties. There is also one
last, typically Dutch factor, in the form of aesthetics,
i.e. the design and branding of foodstuffs. Ample use
is made of world-renwned Dutch Design to provide
an appropriate look-and-feel for the rapidly changing
trends in foodstuffs. When it comes to food, as the
Dutch say, appearance counts.
A unique sense of taste
May we make a small confession? In spite of all the
attention paid to high quality and healthy food, the
Dutch are no saints. The traditional sin of the Dutch
comes in the form of small, black sweets: liquorice.
Liquorice comes in hard, soft, salty and sweet
varieties and no true Dutch person can resist it. You
can, however, assuage your guilty conscience with
the knowledge that liquorice is good for the throat
and the stomach. However, this is a fact that makes
dentists laugh with derision because they see only
the consequences of the heavy dose of sugar. Dutch
liquorice is exported all around the world – to Dutch
At Dutch dinner tables you can
experience the the true taste of
multi-culinary influences
expats and emigrants, that is. Most non-Dutch people
struggle to understand the Dutch obsession for this
black sweet. Many a piece of liquorice – to the mild
amusement of the Dutch – is often spit-out in disgust
from a mouth of a foreigner. If you risk a taste, you
take a risk. But don’t let it scare you off - it’s simply an
acquired taste.
73
Millions of people eat lunch, but how do they choose a meal in a
company restaurant? And what influence does the layout have on
their choice? Wageningen University is studying the food choices and
eating behaviour of consumers in real-time in the Restaurant of the
Future. With its controlled surroundings, this living laboratory is the
ultimate place to develop and test products.
www.restaurantvandetoekomst.nl | [email protected]
Food
Lunch behaviour under the microscope
© Proef Amsterdam
Creative Industry | Food and Flowers
The psychology of food
With the good-mood-food project for children in New York and the white
funeral diner, Marije Vogelzang made her name on the international stage as
the grand lady of ‘eating design’. Since graduating from the Design Academy
Eindhoven, Vogelzang has focused on the as-yet unexplored terrain in the
design world, namely food design. Her work focuses on both substance and
background. In Lebanon, for example, she had people write about their own
memories of food in bowls, and in New York she connected the emotions
of colour with food, which helped her encourage overweight children to
think differently about food. She also developed her eight-point philosophy.
“Fields such as nature, culture, technology and psychology all give designers
inspiration about the relationship between people and food. During an
exhibition in Rotterdam, I prepared food according to original war recipes.
The taste of the food brought back memories for people who had lived
through the war. That is the psychological power of food.”
www.proefamsterdam.nl | [email protected]
74
75
Food
Food Valley
A tomato for connoisseurs
In the early 1990s the popular German newspaper Bild Zeitung referred to the Dutch tomato as a ‘water
bomb’. “They did taste very bland,” says cultivator Ton Janssen in his greenhouse. “That was because
they were harvested too early. Harvesting early had various economic advantages, but also one very large
disadvantage in that the tomatoes didn’t taste as good, because a tomato that is picked too early contains
very little sugar.”
Janssen, together with two other cultivators, decided that they only wanted to sell tasty tomatoes. At the
seed company Enza they found a filling, tasty tomato that thrived in the greenhouse. The Tasty Tom has now
been a favourite among connoisseurs for nearly fifteen years, even, no, especially in Germany.
www.tastytom.nl | [email protected]
Food
Food Valley is a unique knowledge-cluster in the world
of food and life sciences, located at the heart of a market
containing 450 million consumers. It is a network of
entrepreneurs from the agrifood industry, food-related
companies, scientists and start-ups. The network features
permanent interaction between practice and theory, and
between science and industry.
The beating heart of Food Valley is the area around
Wageningen University and Research Centre, where new
companies are continually springing up. Thousands of
students, researchers and businesses from all around
the world choose Wageningen or one of the other Dutch
universities. Working in Food Valley means being connected
to the global leaders in life sciences.
www.foodvalley.nl | www.wur.nl | [email protected]
© Hollandse-Hoogte
Chemistry | Food
Dairy produce in a pill
Imagine getting the equivalent of ten glasses of milk in a
single tablet to keep your blood pressure in check. The food
supplement TensVida developed by the chemical company
DSM is a new breakthrough in functional food. TensVida
contains dairy peptides, which, tests have shown, help
to regulate blood pressure and keep the heart healthy.
In short, TensVida is a natural product, only in much higher
concentrations than in regular natural dairy produce.
“TensVida is not a replacement for medicines that reduce
blood pressure. It’s a means of helping to keep blood
pressure at a healthy level,” states DSM. The product is
available in powder-form, as a capsule, and processed in
premium dairy products. TensVida won DSM the award for
the best health ingredient at the Health Ingredients 2008
trade fair in Paris.
www.dsm.com
[email protected]
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Is there anyone who doesn’t know Droste’s chocolate pastilles and
cocoa? The cocoa produced by the company, founded in 1863, is sold
in over seventy countries worldwide. After all these years, Droste is
still able to come up with new flavours and shapes, but always using
its own, specific flavour of chocolate as a constant guide.
www.droste.nl | [email protected]
Food
Authentic Dutch
The history of the Westland
family is so typically Dutch
that it almost seems made
up. In 1932, the fishermen
Klaas, Gerrit and Lambert
Food
Westland were forced to find
a new source of income when
the famous Closure Dike
The true taste
of chocolate
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(Afsluitdijk) changed the Zuider
Sea into a freshwater lake.
So they became cheesemongers.
The business prospered, and,
after decades of growth, the
brothers decided to start making
cheese themselves. The company
introduced low-fat cheese, low-salt
cheese and more exclusive varieties
of cheese for demanding customers.
Old Amsterdam is Westland’s
pride and joy. This strong, mature
cheese with a touch of sweet flavour
has won numerous international
awards, the most recent of which
was the Superior Taste Award
2009 from the International Taste
& Quality Institute (ITQI) – the
Michelin Star of the food and drink
industry. Customers of specialist
cheese shops in cities such as New
York and San Francisco are already
familiar with Old Amsterdam
and, thanks to that success, Old
Amsterdam will soon be available in
the refrigerator section of American
supermarkets, thus marking a new
episode in a typical Dutch story that
has spanned more than seventy
years.
www.westland-kaas.nl
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Food
Bols is back!
Morrisons’ flying Dutchman
When Dutchman Marc Bolland joined Morrisons after leaving Heineken in 2006, the British supermarket
chain was navigating treacherous waters. Following the takeover of the Safeway supermarkets and
five profit warnings later, the company seemed ripe to be split up. However that disaster scenario was
rapidly turned around. The share price increased, the company booked sector-wide sales records and it
is now larger than both Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer. All this did not happen by itself. Bolland, who
was given free reign by the company’s founder Sir Ken Morrison, updated the company’s entire brand.
The black and yellow house style was replaced with a more cheerful green and yellow, and Morrison’s
became synonymous with ‘fresh!’. The company began to sell fresh bread and fresh fish, sliced and
packaged for the customer on the spot, which was slightly more expensive, but also a lot tastier.
In addition, Bolland introduced an informal leadership style. He greets his store personnel with a hearty
‘hiya’, and they greet him in the same way. A quick joke, a pat on the back and making sure that the
shopping trolleys get filled: that’s what the British Businessman of the Year 2008 likes to see most.
Lucas Bols (1575), the world’s oldest brand of spirits, has given its traditional Dutch
liqueurs, gins and corn wines a new look. In the House of Bols, visitors can taste and
decide for themselves. Bartenders who want to improve their efficiency to increase
turnover can also attend the Bols Bartending Academy.
www.lucasbols.com | [email protected]
Food
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© ANP Photo
Food | Infrastructure | Water
Safeguarding against drought
© Alain Smilo
Transport & Logistics
Chips, chips, chips everywhere
Logistics service provider Kloosterboer is building one of Europe’s largest high-rise
deep freeze warehouses for potato-chip producer McCain. An energy-saving satellite
warehouse with a capacity of nearly 70,000 pallets will be built in Harnes, France.
The storage channels can accommodate no less than sixteen pallets in a row.
The cold-storage warehouse will be operational from April 2010. Each year, more than
500,000 pallets will be loaded and unloaded by a completely automated system.
© ANP Photo
Farmers in Africa will soon be able to make certain that they do not suffer any crop failures
due to drought. The company EARS, which measures the moisture in the soil from outer-space
using weather satellites, will provide the technology to make this possible. The EARS database
gathers information regarding drought and potential crop yield. “Drought causes plants to close
their stomata and exhibit poor growth. So we use a crop-growth model to predict the risk of
crop failures throughout Africa,” explains Andries Rosema, Director of EARS. The initiative is
part of the Food Early Solutions for Africa (FESA) project. EARS is developing a micro-assurance
system against drought, together with the British company MicroEnsure. The system will
enable farmers to obtain bank credit and invest in manure and seeds. The FESA project is a good
example of how companies can contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
EARS, working with UNESCO-IHE, recently also developed a system for predicting water
discharge, which China is using to plan for the distribution of water in the Yellow River at
an early stage. The EARS system is a major innovation in the global water sector.
www.ears.nl | [email protected]
www.kloosterboer.nl
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© Hollandse-Hoogte
The ELKAS, which was launched in 2008, is the world’s first
Food | Life Sciences
electricity-producing greenhouse. A curved greenhouse roof and
special plastic film ensure that the sunlight entering the greenhouse
is concentrated by a solar collector and converted into energy, while
Freshness test for the entire supply chain
the heat remains outside the greenhouse. The ELKAS should be ready
for production within the next few years.
www.glastuinbouw.wur.nl | [email protected]
Knowing precisely how ripe fruit has
become, or measuring the quality of a
batch of fresh agricultural products is now
possible, thanks to the RipeNSure test.
This test, which is based on molecular
Sustainable Energy | Food
diagnostics, enables agricultural
companies to accurately determine the
quality of their products, and therefore,
World’s first energygenerating greenhouse
84
make better decisions about further
action. It is often possible to assess the
future development of quality as well.
“If a company knows the quality of a batch, then a more suitable choice
of market, or means of transport can be made,” says Monique van
Wordragen, General Director of NSure. NSuredevelops customised tests
for a wide range of vegetable-based products. Gradually, this will enable
the processing industry to determine how healthy a product is, and
flower auctions can check the quality of batches of flowers. The tests
have already been sold in 14 countries, since the company’s foundation
in 2006. “The potential is tremendous,” states Van Wordragen
enthusiastically. “This test will make it possible to intervene at a much
earlier stage, enabling producers to have more control over the large
amount of food that is currently discarded.”
www.nsure.nl
[email protected]
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Experience Holland
It is not an easy task to
combine high population
density with an aboveaverage level of tolerance and
respect throughout society,
however, the Dutch have
managed, over centuries of
growth and development, to
find a balance herein. As a
result, they constantly strive
to create this balance in all
aspects of daily life: from
transport and housing; to
work and leisure activities.
© Nick Franken
© Nick Franken
In all of these areas, the Dutch regularly surprise
the world with ideas that make life more pleasant
and agreeable. It is not surprising that these
ideas often find other markets abroad. After all,
everybody strives to make their life as enjoyable
as possible. There are countless challenges in
a world where the population is increasing at
explosive rate, not least, how to house these
growing numbers of people. This is one challenge
that the Dutch know a thing or two about. For
instance, how you house all those people?
Out of necessity Dutch construction companies
have become specialised in building on swampy and
unstable ground. An old Dutch children’s song even
addresses the subject:
‘Amsterdam die mooie stad
is gebouwd op palen.
Als die stad eens omviel
wie zou dat betalen?’
‘Amsterdam, that beautiful city,
Is built on piles.
If that city were to topple over,
Who would pay for it?’
Amsterdam is built on a marshy bog. For centuries its
buildings have rested on a foundation of wooden piles
that are driven into the ground, down below water
level. The imposing Palace on the Dam, built in 1665,
rests on no fewer than 13,659 piles.
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Solid infrastructure is at least as important as housing,
in terms of keeping the population happy. Traffic jams
are a universal source of irritation, which is perhaps
why more than one million Dutch people take the
train every day. The Dutch rail network is the busiest
in the world. Not that this has made things quiet on
the motorways, however. Where possible, roads are
being built or widened, but sometimes constructing
new roads or widening existing ones are not realistic
options if the countryside and the environment are not
to suffer.
Therefore, in order to promote a smooth trafficflow and road safety as much as possible, the
Netherlands employs sophisticated monitoring
systems. For example, built-into the surface of most
Dutch motorways there are ‘inductive loops’ every
few hundred metres, which register traffic density
and transmit this information to detectors. This
information can be used to make real-time changes to
the maximum speed, via electronic signalling, which
helps to keep the traffic flowing and helps prevent
accidents.
Where does the road lead?
Knowing where you are and where you need to get to
are also key aspects of a pleasant travel experience.
These days, this has been much simplified by the
availability of geo-satellite data. The best-known
application is the in-car navigation system, or Sat
Nav. The Netherlands has played a pioneering role
in developing this technology. The Dutch company
TomTom, previously known as Palmtop, introduced
its first mobile navigation system in 2001. Within a
few years, the company became the European market
leader and captured more than thirty percent of the
© Nick Franken
North American market. In Asia, too, the number of
drivers using TomTom is on the increase.
The originally Dutch company Tele Atlas also played
a pioneering role. Tele Atlas, together with the
American company NAVTEQ, is one of the two market
leaders in the development of geographic databases.
In 2007, TomTom acquired TeleAtlas, thus strongly
consolidating the Netherlands’ pioneering role in the
sector, which is good-to-know, for those among us with
a talent for getting lost. Geo- satellite information is
“Amsterdam, that beautiful city,
is built on piles“
also being used for significantly broader applications:
80% of all information has a spatial component.
Dutch policymakers are by far the largest consumers
of geo-satellite data.
Fun on the water
Those wishing to experience peace and tranquility
in the Netherlands, generally take to the water. The
Netherlands has a long tradition of shipbuilding. Many
shipping companies prefer to sail under the Dutch flag,
because it is a synonym for quality. Dutch dredging
vessels, tugboats, coasters and inland navigation
vessels sell like proverbial hotcakes all over the world.
extreme: from helicopter platforms; to jacuzzis; or
gymnasiums. Dutch yachts often have an elongated,
slender design and score high marks for sustainability.
In 2008, the yacht builder Royal Huisman broke all the
records for energy efficiency with the innovative hybrid
mega-yacht Ethereal. The vessel is now piloted by an
environmentally-aware American customer and his
family and friends.
Ultra-Dutch games
The average Dutch person, however, has to content
with more modest forms of distraction. Luckily, these
days you can experience a great deal from the relative
comfort of your couch. The Netherlands has the
world’s most advanced IT infrastructure which feeds a
thriving IT sector with globally competitive software
developers, hardware products and IT consultancy
firms.
One particularly interesting development is the
lightning-fast emergence of the Dutch gaming sector.
At the root of its success is a piece of ultra-Dutch DNA
that has proven advantageous in the past: in just a short
space of time, Dutch game designers have made a name
for themselves as being liberal and inventive. They
adhere to the basic principles, but give them a striking,
often humorous twist. Anyone who plays Nintendo
might well be playing a Dutch game , as Dutch studios
do extremely well as regards educational games and
real-life simulations.
The luxury super-yachts for the wealthy also deserve
a special mention. The Netherlands has a market
share of 35 percent in the 45 metres-plus category.
For these custom-made showpieces, no desire is too
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Creative Industry
Non-slavish renovation
© Roos Aldershoff Fotografie
Creative Industry
Russian pride on the Amstel
In the summer of 2009, the Amsterdam
annex of the Hermitage, the famous
museum in St. Petersburg, Russia,
opened its doors. The architectural
firm Merkx + Girod designed the entire
interior.
The ‘Hermitage on the Amstel’ is housed in a former nursing home built in
1681. So, just how do you transform that building four centuries later into
a museum? “We have stuffed a contemporary museum into that building,
as it were, in the form of long, thickened walls,” explains interior architect
Evelyne Merkx. The walls, which have an interspace of 80 centimetres,
contain all the pipes and installations, but they also offer space for viewing
holes, display cases and seating. “There is therefore no furniture left
standing around. The overall exhibition is therefore clearly arranged and
reserved. By way of contrast, we have made a grand gesture in a number of
places. These gestures include a 24-metre-long bar in the restaurant, the
enormous lights in the former Kerkzaal [church hall] and the information
and cash desks in the entrance area. The combination of these ‘golden eggs’
and the modest walls create a unique overall design.”
© Menno Kok
Construction firms are increasingly being asked to completely change
the designation of old buildings. “Dutch architects do so with a
healthy dose of scepticism,” says Aaron Betsky, the current Director
of the Cincinnati Art Museum. “The unique elements of the old
buildings are retained, but without being a slave to the old design.
Newly added elements leave no question as to what is old and what
is new, which produces surprising results.”
Aaron Betsky was the Director of the Dutch Institute of Architecture in
Rotterdam until 2006.
www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org | www.nai.nl
www.merkx-girod.com
90
91
Creative Industry
Everyone uses SPIL for gaming
The Netherlands has one of the
highest degrees of penetration of
fibre to the home (FTTH), making
it an excellent environment
for smart innovations in niche
markets and for the public at
large. With more than 100 million
unique visitors every month, SPIL
GAMES leaves established names
such as Yahoo! and MSN in its
www.games.co.uk, www.jeu.fr, www.jeugos.com... Anyone who
plays games online simply types in the word for ‘games’ in his or her
own language. SPIL GAMES has been able to claim the domain name
in practically every language. “But we that’s not all we do,” says CEO
Peter Driessen. “We also translate all content, for example. And in
most countries, we offer games that are traditional and well known in
the country concerned.” SPIL GAMES therefore embodies what Dutch
companies are forced to do because of the modest scale of their home
market: they think internationally and adapt the product to the local
circumstances. Practically everything on offer is free. With a global
market share of approximately 20%, SPIL GAMES is also not the only
successful Dutch gaming company. Guerrilla Games, who designed
Killzone 2 for Sony, is another symbol of this flourishing industry.
wake. Their secret is localized
portals.
www.spilgames.com | [email protected]
© 2005, Bart van Overbeeke
High-Tech Systems and Materials
Light distributor
Fibre optic, with its tremendous bandwidth and low energy consumption, offers major
advantages compared to copper and coaxial cables. Now, thanks to FlexPON, which
was created at Eindhoven University of Technology, fibre optic is about to become
even better. A splitter distributes the light signals from the fibre optic into various
colours around the homes, according to needs at the moment of distribution. FlexPON
is a world first which recently won the ICTRegie Award. The equipment is being further
developed by Genexis.
www.tue.nl | [email protected]
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Sustainable Energy | Logistics
Climate-neutral revolving door
In the same way that the wind provides the drive
that rotates the blades of a windmill, people
provide the muscle power to generate the energy
needed to turn a certain innovative revolving
door. This world first, the HPE Tourniket made by
manufacturer Boon Edam, was recently installed
for the first time as part of the restoration of a
train station.
An indicator in the revolving door lights up to show
users the level of energy they are generating: high
(green) or low (orange/red). The energy, which is stored
by super capacitors, is used to power the revolving
door’s lights. When the self-generated electricity runs
out, the lights switch automatically to the standard
electricity grid.
94
The energy-generating revolving door is attracting a
great deal of international interest. Increasing numbers
of companies want to have a CO2-neutral building
and this product fits in seamlessly with that wish. For
every HPE Tourniket installed, Boon Edam donates a
portion of the profits to the One Planet Architecture
Institute (OPAi), which is an international platform
founded by architect Thomas Rau that promotes the
development of sustainable products and concepts for
the construction industry.
www.boonedam.nl | [email protected]
www.rau.eu
Guus and the Dutch way
You could call it the Guus Hiddink paradox. Hiddink is extremely unusual in the
football world precisely because he has remained so normal. ‘Guus’, as he likes to be
called, is indifferent to the stardom thrust upon successful coaches and footballers,
and is unimpressed by the mega-salaries and the often hysterical attention of the
press. All of that is irrelevant. Assessing the strengths of players and using that
information to put together a great team is what it’s all about. And it can’t hurt to
put your arm round a player’s shoulders every now and then. Guus knows that a
Champions League semi-final puts enormous pressure on the shoulders of even the
best-paid players, because great coaches are above all good psychologists.
Guus Hiddink’s trophies as a manager include the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven
(1988) and the FA Cup with Chelsea (2009). He also reached the semi-final with South
Korea in the 2002 World Cup and the semi-final with Russia in the 2008 European
Championships.
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© ANP Photo
Schiphol Real Estate has achieved a world first with its special roof coating on the Transview building.
The titanium dioxide roof coating filters nitrogen dioxide (NO2) out of the air. In the coming year, the
company will measure whether the intended goal of an effective contribution to cleaner air is being
achieved. “If so, we will consider coating approximately 30,000 m² of other roofs with this material,”
says Marten Kapper of Schiphol Real Estate.
www.schipholgroup.com | [email protected]
Environment
Airport roof helps sustainability
Water
Clean drinking water everywhere
Smelly, murky, brown ooze is
changing into water as clear
as a mountain stream. In more
and more countries, from Benin
and Angola to Pakistan, the
Perfector-E is putting an end
to the problem of people being
forced to drink from polluted
rivers or poorly maintained wells
that are full of bacteria.
The Perfector-E can provide clean drinking water to 5,000 people every day. The
machine is self-cleaning and uses high-quality membranes, which gives it a service
life of five years. Measuring 1 x 1 x 2 metres and weighing 350 kilograms, it only
takes a few people to lift this mobile purification installation. This ease of use goes
back to the 2004 tsunami. The affected countries faced a shortage of clean drinking
water, so Dutch companies PWN and Norit pooled all of their expertise to develop
the compact Perfector-E. The device has now also proven to be effective during
major events.
Innovative Dutch water treatment received a great deal of attention again in
2009 when Professor Gatze Lettinga received an award during the Singapore
International Water Week for his invention that treats wastewater under oxygenfree conditions.
www.noritpt.com | [email protected]
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© ANP Photo
© Orbis Medisch en Zorgconcern
Infrastructure
The hospital of the future
A committed courier
98
The unsuspecting visitor to the Orbis Medical Centre in Sittard-Geleen feels as if they
What does sustainable business look like? In person, it might
well look like Peter Bakker, Chairman of the Board of postal and
express delivery company TNT. Bakker focuses on sustainability
not because he has to, but because he wants to. He traded his
company’s sponsorship of the Dutch Open Golf tournament
for support for the UN’s World Food Programme. “Every five
seconds, a child dies of hunger somewhere in the world. As bad
as it is when TNT employees lose their jobs – even with the good
compensation scheme that they receive – child mortality is a
problem of a completely different order.” TNT is now represented
in approximately 200 countries. However, according to TNT,
that growth must go hand in hand with a strong environmental
awareness (TNT ranks at number one on the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index) and with delivering on its corporate social
responsibility.
The laptop is also used by the hospital staff who use a pass card to obtain access to patient
information. This paper-free situation enables the hospital to deal flexibly and therefore
efficiently with the available working spaces. The people who profit most, however, are still
the patients. All patients have a private room with their own bathroom and they can use their
laptop to surf the Internet, order food and operate the bed curtain, blinds and the door to their
room. The temperature can also be adjusted to suit a patient’s wishes. The intention is that the
investments involved in all of these facilities will pay for themselves. The private toilets and
bathrooms should reduce the number of infections, and the high degree of automation should
improve the quality of care. The Orbis Medical Centre has 452 beds and a floor area of 100,000 m².
www.tnt.com
www.orbisconcern.nl | [email protected]
are in a science fiction film. Robots with serving trays or a set of clean bedclothes whiz
by on their way to the nursing ward and patients open the door to their private room
with their bedside laptop.
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The new Ferrari 599XX has a 700 hp engine and achieves speeds of several hundred
kilometres per hour. But this track car still stays firmly on the road – thanks to the
Actiflow System. Actiflow, which was named after the Dutch company that developed
the system, also reduces fuel consumption.
The Actiflow System does two things: it sucks
in air from behind the ground fender to help
the car ‘stick’ to the road and corner without
losing speed; however, the system can also
blow out air, which reduces wind resistance
and saves on fuel. “We are now also working
on an application for Actiflow for normal
cars,” says Managing Director Eric Terry.
“That should provide fuel savings of between
five and ten percent.”
The invention of Actiflow is a result of the
accumulation of fundamental expertise in
aerodynamics. Based on this expertise, the
company also provided consultancy during
the creation of other Dutch innovations, such
as the Nuon Solar Car and the Senz Umbrella
(the umbrella that adjusts itself to the wind
and can withstand even the heaviest storm).
www.actiflow.nl | [email protected]
© ANP Photo
Sustainable Energy | Infrastructure
© WENN.com
Deutsche Bank twice as sustainable
Automotive
The renovated head office of Deutsche Bank will emit 43% less CO2, consume 55%
less energy and use 43% less water. Technical services provider Imtech provides
Dutch aerodynamics
for Ferrari
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the building with an energy-efficient climate, ‘green’ ICT infrastructure and waterconservation systems, among other sustainable technologies. This fits in with Imtech’s
policy of increasing the portion of ‘sustainable’ activities in its total turnover
(25% in 2008).
www.imtech.eu | [email protected]
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Contents
Travelling to the Netherlands 4
Here’s my Holland 5
See Holland The secrets of Van Gogh ‘True strength lies in your own creativity’
Designing ships for use in real life
100% Mobile Fire Service
Blind faith in radar
Octopus as cabin boy Passion and pleasure
‘From motion to e-motion’
Sunlight 24/7
Architect to the rich and famous
Eternal fame Hurricane brings people together
‘Beyond bits’ technology
Ultra-modern container port Seagoing container with environmental label
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Hear Holland
Loading and unloading in silence
The artful exhibition
A passion for ultra-short-range communication
Calling on one solar cell Will it all fit? “Last call for passenger Smit”
“Simply the best”
Cultural ambassador Robots in the city of the future Cars with both power and style
Nintendo sounds Dutch Dancing gives you energy!
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Smell Holland The secret of Gamila
Green cleaning revolution
Golden fields
Fruit merchant to the world
Tree incubator
Flower magnate
Cool presentation
The end of smelly oil Opportunity for green gas
Explosive scent
Shave like a samurai
Grey water is clean again From frying fat to biodiesel
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Feel Holland
Prickly fashion
Free play
‘Informing the public is also a science’ Virus detection in 5 minutes
Creating water Farming from your ‘easy chair’ Hot-bed of innovation Amsterdam, the virtual hot spot Soft coastline with a 100-year lifespan Is it really a boat? Plastic fantastic solar cell Your wallet feels the difference 54
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Taste Holland The psychology of food
Lunch behaviour under the microscope
A tomato for connoisseurs
Food Valley
Dairy produce in a pill The true taste of chocolate
Authentic Dutch Morrisons’ flying Dutchman
Bols is back!
Chips, chips, chips everywhere
Safeguarding against drought
World’s first energy- generating greenhouse Freshness test for the entire supply chain 70
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Experience Holland Russian pride on the Amstel
Non-slavish renovation
Light distributor
Everyone uses SPIL for gaming
Climate-neutral revolving door
Guus and the Dutch way
Clean drinking water everywhere
Airport roof helps sustainability
A committed courier The hospital of the future
Dutch aerodynamics for Ferrari Deutsche Bank twice as sustainable
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Here’s Holland
Here’s
Holland
English