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The Green Village in Dutch city of Delft: Testing ideas for the future
Consumers, firms, and the economy as a whole gain from innovation, which is generally considered to be a crucial driver of economic advancement. Cities have long been connected with innovative social undertakings and fresh ideas.
According to the European Commission, the availability of a high level of education, services and leisure activities, along with a large population density and a high frequency of interactions that is found in cities, lead to technological and social innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.
In the most recent edition of Global Innovation Index rankings, the Netherlands came in sixth place. For its Global Innovation Index 2021, The World Intellectual Property Organisation examined 132 economies on 81 different variables, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on innovation.
In numerous other studies and indexes focused on innovations and progress, the Netherlands continuously secures top positions, not only in Europe but in the whole world. Praised for its business environment, sustainability and environmental efforts, technology advancements and highly skilled workforce, it’s no wonder that no list of innovation leaders can be complete without the Netherlands.
Knowledge institutions in this western European country also undoubtedly contribute to an open environment which embraces change. Dutch Universities are generally known as some of Europe’s best in numerous fields. The Dutch city of Delft is home to Delft University of Technology, the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university.
Delft is seen as one of the innovation capitals of the Netherlands and that is, in part, certainly because of the city’s world-famous university. TU Delft is committed to providing technical-scientific solutions that can have a large impact on our everyday lives.
‘’The transfer and application of knowledge for the benefit of the economy and society is becoming increasingly important in national and international innovation policy, in which technical universities play a leading role. TU Delft sees it as its social task to propose groundbreaking technical-scientific solutions that contribute to impact for a better society,’’ TU Delft stated on their website.
One of the major projects in the field of innovations is certainly The Green Village, where breakthrough innovations are evaluated and applied in a real-world setting. The following three themes are highlighted: sustainable construction and refurbishment, future energy systems and climate-adaptive cities.
Located at the TU Delft campus, the Green Village is a one-of-a-kind initiative to build a scientific and business platform for people to work together towards a more sustainable future. Completed in 2017, it serves as a trial ground for sustainable solutions and an open-air laboratory where novel technologies can be applied and tested.
This innovative project serves as a platform for academic institutions and businesses to collaborate on the development and commercialization of technologies and systems. The Green Village also serves as a gathering place for all relevant stakeholders to share and exchange knowledge.
The Green Village is a joint partnership between the TU Delft and the Green Village Foundation. The European Regional Development Fund, Provincie Zuid-Holland, the municipality of Delft, Alliander, Gasterra, and others have all contributed to this ambitious project.
Being in line with the local and national climate goals, the Green Village also assists innovative parties in moving from theory to practice by paying attention to technological, corporate, social, and policy-based obstacles en route.
This month, The Green village was home to an unique trial project aimed at speeding up the energy transition in the built environment. Project named 24/7 Energy lab aims to demonstrate that local, sustainable energy systems without CO2 emissions can be applied in built environments all year long.
Director of The Green Village Marjan Kreijns stated: ‘’The 24/7 Energy Lab is a local decarbonised energy system, something that is urgently needed. After all, the built environment currently accounts for some 35% of the energy demand in the Netherlands. If we succeed in making this partially decarbonised, we will be taking a huge step forward in accelerating the energy transition.’’
The TU Delft developed technology in collaboration around the 24/7 Energy Lab with several other parties. The Green Village already has an extensive infrastructure, including a data network, low-temperature heat grid, and hydrogen grid, which makes this concept truly unique.
The 24/7 Energy Lab is TU Delft’s second energy transition lab. The Electrical Sustainable Power Lab (ESP Lab) was established on October 1, 2021, with the goal of future-proofing the electrical grid. Ambitious projects like this are revolutionary and play a significant role on a journey to a greener future, which will undoubtedly bring new challenges.
Innovative ideas, as well as new approaches and procedures, are needed for a sustainable future. Testing sustainable innovations is therefore also very much needed, because once they can be applied on a larger-scale, they could also benefit not only the Netherlands but our global society as whole. (photo credit: Facebook/Green Village)
