Welcome to
NL delegation information page
Programme
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27 October
Kick-off Floriade, Almere
09.30 - 13.15 | Kick-off Smart City Barcelona Mission
13:15 - 14.45 | Pitchtraining
15 November
Smart City Business Forum - venue: WTC Barcelona (please see Homepage for the event description and use the Agenda to register for workshops)
16 - 18 November
Please see Agenda for the full programme and to register for individual sessions
For an overview of the exhibitors at the expo, please see:
Smart City Expo 2021 (firabarcelona.com)
If you are interested in joining a tour organized by Circular Economy Hostpot Catalonia 2021, please contact Lotte Engels, NBSO (le@nbso-barcelona.com)
The Netherlands pavilion has three tracks:
Sustainable Building and Energy – powered by city of Rotterdam, Amsterdam Trade and Innovate, and InnovationQuarter
Climate change and energy transition nowadays go hand in hand. Resistance to shocks and stresses are a requirement for successful, sustainable and future proof cities.
Climate change is causing more extreme weather worldwide, forcing cities to think about short- and long-term solutions to remain resilient. Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and governmental agencies together play a major role in the design of resilient urban areas. The focus is not only on water management, but also on the downside such as drying out and heat stress, air quality and nature-inclusive design of the urban space.
Damage caused by floods and storms more often make public life come to a halt, and make critical infrastructures fail. The crucial role of digital infrastructures, such as public nodes, smart lighting poles and grids, is relatively new, as so many other sectors depend on it, such as transport and logistics, health care, the financial sector and security services. Physical and digital changes also have social consequences in an urban environment. For example, physical security, behaviour in public spaces, accessibility as well as privacy issues. For this reason, urban innovations must not only be “fun tools”, but must above all contribute to “sustainability, circularity, safety and accessibility. Cities must make use of the knowledge and skills from the so-called triple/quadruple helix, in which private parties and knowledge institutions make a structural contribution. And also by listening explicitly to the needs and questions of residents.
Globally the energy bill of digital innovations is rising, while society must become climate neutral. For instance buildings represent approximately 35% of the total energy consumed in the Netherlands, just like many other countries. This forces many cities to think about energy saving solutions in the built environment, including the existing building stock and energy infrastructure. Therefore, there is a huge increased interest in topics such as smart energy systems & management solutions, low-carbon building materials, AI-driven applications, use of digital twins and smart grid. Solutions that are key in reaching decarbonization and overall climate goals.
To participate in the Smart Cities Expo Barcelona, an emphasis was placed on the most characteristic Dutch themes and innovations, such as:
- Water safety of coastal and river cities
- Adapting to living and working on water
- The protection of old, historical and vulnerable inner cities
- Creating living labs and save spaces in triple helix
- The opportunities of cities as public launching customer
- The applications of digital twins for a better understanding of energy systems and the impact of climate change on cities
- The digitization of the outdoor space in general
- Multifunctional roofs as an answer to the use of space in the city
- Sustainable building solutions for both existing and new buildings
Green and Smart Mobility. SDG-proof cities – powered by Brainport Eindhoven and ROM Utrecht
Triple 0 approach: 0 Congestion – 0 Emission – 0 Deaths
Thanks to the infrastructural design decisions taken over the past centuries, residents of our cities enjoy the benefit of having a multi-modal mobility system. However the benefits associated with the access to this mobility system are not felt equally by all. The further growth of cities, in economic, demographic and geographic terms, not only impact the mobility system, but also the liveability of these areas. This growth also highlights the importance of increasing the overall efficacy of the mobility system, through amongst others, the diversification of modalities and efficient use of public space. In the Netherlands, we research and develop urban mobility solutions which are cleaner, more efficient and safer. Solutions which are at the same time accessible, inclusive and affordable for all.
Safety, Security & Digital Infrastructure – powered by the City of The Hague
Smart City innovations for urban security, such as sensors for predictive policing, disaster scenario analysis and crowd management tools, have a proven a positive effect on urban security and for a safer, more comfortable living environment for its citizens. In the Netherlands, these innovations are developed and tested in Living Labs in close cooperation with citizens, industry, research institutes and the government.
A Smart City can’t be safe if it isn’t secure. To function, Smart City innovations are built on (digital) infrastructures consisting of connectivity, sensors, (IoT) devices, networks and databases. This type of infrastructure is vulnerable and prone to (cyber) threats such as flooding, power outage or hacking. As a result, data becomes affected, causing concerns about the integrity, confidentiality and accessibility of the data.
As a Smart Society, we work on security solutions that not only address security needs but also focus on what our citizens find socially and ethically acceptable. The Dutch innovative and collaborative nature, together with a strong ecosystem for safety and security, support these advancements. The Living Labs provide a great way to innovate.
The Dutch approach is bottom-up, focusing on scalable solutions. Smart for safety and keeping smart secure!
A good example is the Living Lab Scheveningen in The Hague. With 3.5 kilometres of Smart City infrastructure tucked away in the urban landscape, such as street furniture along the seafront in Scheveningen, Living Lab Scheveningen is a real-time field lab and learning environment in the public space. The infrastructure comprises:
- - cables and pipes under the ground for power and connectivity;
- - objects above ground such as lamp posts and kiosks, which are connected to this infrastructure (so-called hubs);
- - equipment that can be installed in the hubs, such as sensors and cameras.
In Living Lab Scheveningen, the city of The Hague investigates how smart technology and innovations can contribute to solutions for urban challenges, such as liveability, mobility, sustainability, safety and security.
