Sustainability First! by Josta Bischoff Tulleken

GLOBAL CHALLENGES DUTCH SOLUTIONS

SUSTAINABILITY

FIRST!

PREFACE

The world faces daring challenges! Building on the Millennium Goals, the United Nations has formulated seventeen goals towards a sustainable future. These embrace more than climate change alone; they form a set of universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world. In this book we will firstly introduce the reader to these Sustainable Development Goals or ‘SDGs’. They are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are also an inclusive agenda. They tackle the root causes of poverty and unite us in order to make a positive change for both people and planet. Following the introduction, we will describe the way our economy is closely connected to many aspects of the SDGs and present the concept of a ‘circular economy’ as the basis for sustainable development of the world. Four professors of Dutch universities illustrate the latter with their contributions. They show the variables that really matter in these discussions, as well as the futility of some types of decision that might appear clever at first sight, but have serious negative effects in the long run. Against this background we will then present various Dutch companies who all have a focus on sustainability in order to play their

own part in the circular economy. Sometimes this may only comprise a modest role but, nevertheless, such contributions are always significant in helping to achieve and reach the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Some of the solutions they offer can be found at the molecular level, others in life-size machinery and production plants, or in the field of education. Yet they all contribute in their own way to the SDGs and offer unique solutions for these global challenges: hence the title of this book ‘Global challenges, Dutch solutions’. “Dutch businesses are popular with partners all over the globe. Wherever I go in the world, I find Dutch businesses active there. Whether they are working to prevent flooding in India or developing the water infrastructure for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, they are always helping to tackle the major challenges of our time: challenges like producing enough food to feed the planet’s growing population, or anticipating the impact of climate change on water management. Dutch industry fulfils its role as a partner in this mission by sharing its knowledge of how to increase crop yields, combat flooding or optimise communications, safety and infrastructure, to name but a few examples.” - Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands We are confident this book will give you a clearer picture of how Dutch companies operate and work towards a better and more sustainable world. Jaap Jan Brouwer Giedo van der Zwan

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

CONTENT

IN T R O DU CT IO N 6 Avantium 28 Bejo 34 BioMCN 40 Bolidt 46 Certhon 52 Chemport Europe 58 CONO 64 Corbion 70 Ecofys 76 Eneco Group 82 Enza Zaden 88 Eosta 94 e-Traction 100 Forbo 106 ForFarmers 112 Hunter Douglas 118 Incotec 124 Lely 130

Meyn 136 Micreos 142 Mosa 148 NS Dutch Railways 154 Randstad 160 REDstack 166 Rijk Zwaan 172 Royal Cosun 178 Royal IHC 184 SADC 190 Smit & zoon 196 SNEW 202 Solynta 208 Unilever 216 Vion 222 Witteveen+Bos 228

SUSTAINABILITY FIRST! 234 ABOUT THE AUTHORS 238 COLOPH ON 240

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES DUTCH SOLUTIONS

SUSTAINABILITY

FIRST!

INTROD UCTION

This book is dedicated to Dutch industry and its endeavour to create a more sustainable world. As many Dutch companies are global market leaders in a variety of industrial niches, their efforts can have major effects on global sustainability; hence the title ‘Global challenges, Dutch solutions’. Dutch solutions can be found anywhere in the chain from raw materials to end product and then on to reuse and recycling. It starts with companies which change the genetic and molecular structure of materials to make them more suited for sustainable use and it ends with companies that develop advanced recycling techniques. The reader can find examples of these and everything in between in the following chapters. But before that we would like to start by focusing on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, because

these will be the beacon for mankind in the next decade. SDGs focus on the entirety of sustainable development, not just on the environment or the emission of CO2, even though in the public consciousness sustainability is often narrowed down to the latter. Sustainability is much broader, because it also includes goals for the reduction of poverty and hunger, as well as improvements in education, work, economic growth, infrastructure and much more; all areas in which Dutch industry excels.

the mutual dependencies of all involved in the chain from raw materials to recycled products. Some key aspects of the circular economy will also be illustrated by four Dutch experts from the Universities of Delft, Wageningen and Rotterdam. By so doing they will not only clarify some of the popular misunderstandings of how closely interrelated systems work, but also show that no simple answers exist to what are often complicated questions.

Following that we will give a short introduction to the ‘circular economy’, its systems and main themes. The circular economy will form an important basis for the SDGs because, without it, many SDG targets will be impossible to reach. Understanding the circular economy will place many of our discussions and the business stories into a broader perspective and will help to clarify

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

INTROD UCTION

GLOBAL CHALLENGES The UN Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of seventeen global goals set by the United Nations for 2030. They are also known by the fuller title of ‘Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. The broad goals are interrelated, although each has its own targets to achieve, the total number of targets being 169. SDGs cover a broad range of social and economic development issues and their framework does not distinguish between “developed” and “developing” countries. Instead, the goals apply to all countries. THE GOALS ARE: 1. No poverty 2. Zero hunger 3. Good health and well-being for people 4. Quality education

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Gender equality Clean water and sanitation Affordable and clean energy Decent work and economic growth Industry, innovation and infrastructure Reduced inequalities Sustainable cities and communities Responsible consumption and production Climate action Life below water Life on Land Peace, justice and strong institutions Partnerships for the goals

processes, they can have a great impact on some of them. Furthermore, company policies can positively influence political decision makers and it is not unknown for companies themselves to pursue individual SDGs, thereby striving beyond the efforts of local governments. The business stories will therefore be able to show the impact that some of the new technologies, production processes or positioning of Dutch companies may have on the global challenges, hence the title of this book ‘Global challenges, Dutch solutions’.

These goals form the framework of this book in the sense that the former are directly impacted upon by the activities of the participating companies. It is perhaps a truism that the companies themselves, not being governments, have a limited direct corporate impact on most of the goals. However it is undeniable that, through their products, services and production

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

GOAL 1: No Poverty

of income for poor rural households. Women make up about 43% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, and over half in parts of Asia and Africa. However, women own only 20% of the land. Poor nutrition causes nearly half of deaths in children under five: 3.1 million children each year.

End poverty in all its forms everywhere Extreme poverty has been cut by more than half since 1990. Despite that, more than one in five people live on less than the target income of one euro per day, a figure that may not be adequate for human subsistence. To achieve the latter it may be necessary to raise the poverty line figure to as high as four euros per day. However poverty is more than the lack of income or resources. People also live in poverty if they lack basic services such as healthcare and education or if they experience hunger, social discrimination and exclusion from decision-making processes.

The aim of Goal 2 is to make hunger and all forms of malnutrition extinct by 2030. This would be accomplished by doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of smallscale food producers, by ensuring sustainable food production and progressively improving land and soil quality. Other targets have been set to maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, to limit extreme food price volatility and eliminate waste.

GOAL 4: Quality Education GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-Being for People

GOAL 2: Zero Hunger End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Globally, one in nine people is undernourished. The vast majority of these people live in developing countries. Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40% of the global population. It is the largest source

the health care they need, while the need for family planning is increasing exponentially as the population grows. Although such needs are being addressed, progress is only gradual, with more than 225 million women still having an unmet need for contraception. A related need is to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Goal 3 also aims to achieve universal health coverage that includes access to essential medicines and vaccines. It proposes to end preventable deaths of children from birth to five years of age and end epidemics such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and water-borne diseases.

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages Significant strides have been made in recent decades to increase life expectancy and reduce some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality. Similarly, progress has been made to increase access to clean water and sanitation and to reduce the incidence of malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, only half of women in developing countries receive

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Major progress has been made in recent decades in access to education, specifically at primary school level, for both boys and girls. However, access alone does not always equate to quality of education, or even completion of primary schooling. Currently, over one hundred million young people worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60% of these are women. Goal 4 aims to ensure therefore that, by 2030, all girls and boys can follow quality primary and secondary education.

INTROD UCTION

GOAL 5: Gender Equality Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls According to the UN: “Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.” Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. Achieving gender equality will require enforceable legislation that promotes empowerment of all women and girls and requires secondary education for all girls. Girls should be viewed not only as beneficiaries of change, but also as agents of change. In order to achieve this it is crucial to engage women and girls in the implementation of the SDGs.

water supply and sanitation. Safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be more economically productive. Attending school and work without disruption is critical to successful education and successful employment. Therefore, toilets in schools and work places are specifically mentioned as a target to measure. What has been termed the need for, “Equitable sanitation” addresses the specific needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations, such as the elderly or disabled people. Water sources are better preserved if open defaecation is ended by provision of toilets and sanitation for 2.6 billion people, as well as seeking to change the behaviour of the users. The current statistic in the 2017 baseline estimates that 4.5 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation, including a handwashing facility with soap and water.

GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all This goal focuses principally on drinking

Targets for 2030 include access to affordable and reliable energy, while increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. This would involve improving energy efficiency and enhancing international cooperation to facilitate more open access to clean energy technology and investment

in clean energy infrastructure. Plans call for particular attention to infrastructure support for the least developed countries, small islands and land-locked developing countries.

GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all The goal’s economic target is to attain at least 7% gross domestic product (GDP) growth annually in the least developed countries, through higher productivity. This can be achieved by upgraded technology, coupled with innovation, entrepreneurship and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Strengthening domestic financial institutions and increasing The World Trade Organization’s ‘Aid for Trade’ support for developing countries are also considered essential to economic growth. The target by 2020 is to reduce youth unemployment and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and, by 2030, to establish policies for sustainable tourism that will create yet more jobs.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Manufacturing is a major source of employment. In 2016, the least developed countries had less “manufacturing value added per capita” than the figure for Europe and North America (about €80 compared with €4,000 respectively). This is further exemplified in the figures for manufacturing of high-tech products, which contribute 80% to total manufacturing output in industrialized economies and barely 10% in the least developed countries. One significant improvement has been the growth of mobile-cellular signal coverage. In previously “unconnected” areas of the globe, 85% of people now live in covered areas: planet-wide, 95% of the population is covered.

GOAL 10: Reduced Inequalities Reduce income inequality within and among countries

One target of this goal is to reduce the cost of exporting goods from least developed countries. “Duty-free treatment” has expanded. As of 2015, 65% of products coming from the least developed countries were duty-free, compared with 41% in 2005. A target of 3% has also been established as the cost international migrant workers should pay to send money home (known as remittances). However, post offices and money transfer companies can charge 6% of the amount remitted and, even worse, commercial banks may charge 11%. Although prepaid cards and mobile money companies charge 2-4%, their services were not widely available, as of 2017, in typical “remittance corridors.”

GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable The target for 2030 is to ensure access to safe and affordable housing. The indicator nominated to measure progress toward this target is the proportion of urban population living in slums or informal settlements. Even though, between 2000 and 2014, the proportion fell from 39% to 30%, the absolute number of people living in slums rose from 792 million in 2000 to an estimated 880 million in 2014. Movement from rural to urban areas has accelerated as the population has grown and as better housing alternatives become available.

GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Using eco-friendly production methods and reducing the amount of waste generated are targets of this goal. By 2030, national recycling rates should increase, as measured in tons of material recycled. Furthermore, companies should adopt sustainable practices and publish sustainability reports.

GOAL 13: Climate Action Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy Economic development and climate are inextricably linked, in the sense that economic growth can have a negative impact on climate. Therefore, for example, the goals set for sustainable consumption and production patterns as well as affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, are of great importance to balance the SDGs.

INTROD UCTION

GOAL 14: Life Below Water Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development Oceans cover 71% of the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface. They are essential for making the planet liveable. Rainwater, drinking water and climate are all regulated by ocean temperatures and currents. Over three billion people depend on marine life for their livelihood and oceans absorb 30% of all carbon dioxide produced by humans. The targets of this goal include preventing and reducing marine pollution and acidification, protecting marine and coastal ecosystems and regulating fishing. The targets also call for an increase in scientific knowledge of the oceans.

GOAL 15: Life on Land

biodiversity of forest, desert and mountain eco-systems, as a percentage of total land mass. Achieving a â&#x20AC;&#x153;land degradation-neutral worldâ&#x20AC;? can be reached by restoring degraded forests and land lost to drought and flood. This goal also calls for more attention to preventing invasion of alien species and more protection of endangered wildlife.

GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

GOAL 17: Partnerships for the Goals Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development Increasing international cooperation is seen as vital to achieving each of the 16 previous goals. Goal 17 is included to ensure that countries and organizations cooperate instead of compete. Developing multistakeholder partnerships to share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial support is seen as critical to overall success of the SDGs. Public-private partnerships that involve civil societies are specifically mentioned.

Reducing violent crime, sex trafficking, forced labour and child abuse are clear global goals. The international community values peace and justice and calls for stronger judicial systems that will enforce laws and work toward a more peaceful and just society. One target is to see the end of sex trafficking, forced labour and all forms of violence against, and torture of, children.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt loss of biodiversity This goal articulates targets for preserving

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

INTROD UCTION

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY The economy is closely connected to many aspects of the SDGs and in this chapter the focus will be on the concept of the circular economy as the basis for sustainable development of the world. Linear and circular economy For the past 250 years, economies in the developed world have been based on a continuous growth model that relies on a steady supply of inexpensive natural resources. What is termed the ‘linear economy’ is built on the principles of ‘take, make and waste’. However this is not sustainable and the approach is coming under increased pressure as a result of social and environmental concerns. Therefore a ‘circular economy’, as a concept for the future, is characterized as an economy which is regenerative by design, with the aim of retaining as much value as possible of products, parts and materials. This means that the use of resources is minimised, waste

during the production process is eliminated as much as possible and, when a product reaches the end of its life, it will be renewed, reused, repaired, upgraded or refurbished or, ultimately, recycled. In this way valuable resources are kept in the economy, so that they can be used repeatedly, thereby creating further value. This is not without reason: although the prices of many raw materials may appear to decrease, the long-term trend continues to point towards cost increases. This applies to fossil fuels, agricultural commodities and mineral resources. This increase is caused by a structural shortage. The ultimate mission is to create a circular economy in which growth and prosperity are decoupled from natural resource consumption and ecosystem degradation. By refraining from throwing away used products, components and materials and, instead, re-routing them into the right value chains, a society can be created with a healthy

economy, inspired by, and in balance with, nature. The quality of reuse The main difference between reuse in the linear and circular economies lies in the quality of reuse. Within a linear economy, reuse is mainly seen in down-cycling practices. In other words a product, or part of a product, is used in a second life for a low grade purpose, which reduces the value of the material and complicates the reuse possibilities of the material in a third life. In a circular economy reuse is intended to be as high grade as possible. A residual stream should be reused for a function that is equal (functional reuse), or of a higher value (upcycling), than the initial function of the material stream. This means that the value of the material is retained or enhanced and, as a result, the focus of the circular economy is on value retention.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

Start at the beginning: redesigning products

THE LIMITS OF CIRCULARITY Matter, according to the Second law of Thermodynamics, has the tendency to dissipate. This is why there will always be value losses. The quality of materials and energy reduces when it is extracted and used, because the degree of order decreases and entropy increases. For example, one kilo of gold, when moulded in one piece that can be used directly, is more valuable that one kilo of gold distributed over microchips in mobile phones, which are spread over all of Europe. Localizing, separating and melting the gold out of the microchips into one pure stream decreases the quality and functionality of the material and costs money and labour. These costs create a loss of ‘value’, while the need for new ‘input’, for example labour or energy, is always necessary. This makes it impossible not only to retain the original value of the material, but also to make a closed loop circular economy in which the value of the material stays the same.

Currently products are seldom designed and produced for reuse. Therefore in the circular economy it is vital to rethink the design and the choice of materials. Standardisation and modularisation of components offer possibilities and products should be designed to be disassembled: in a ‘circular approach’, raw materials that are used in products or component should be capable of being used as a raw material again. It should also be remembered that recycling is often more energy-efficient than extracting new raw materials through mining or agriculture. During the production process the amount of raw materials and energy used should be reduced as far as possible and waste should be equally reduced. Therefore the important questions for industry are: • How can the production process be optimised in both ecological and economic terms? • What is the value of the residual flows and how can these be used for other products? • What is the life span of the product and how can this span be extended by designing products that are made to last? • How can the product be dissembled easily to reuse the different components or recycle the various materials? • How can the materials be easily identified or labelled in terms of future recycling? Ultimately it is interesting to obtain an idea of the ‘true cost’ of the product. True cost accounting also includes the often neglected

social and ecological costs of a product, as distinct from just its financial profit. If using just the latter, an economy has a perverse stimulus in the way profit is calculated as it never takes the depreciation of people and planet into account. The true cost accounting method is a proven concept: for example, it is possible to monetarise the financial and ecological revenues and costs per hectare resulting in a more real, broader defined, profit or loss. True cost accounting can have a major impact on the way consumers appreciate products but also a major effect on the strategy of the companies involved. Biological cycles & technological cycles In a circular economy materials circulate in material cycles. There is a clear distinction between biological and technical materials and each follows different cycles and reuse processes. Because of this, it is important to ensure the separation of biological and technical materials after use, so they can each follow their respective reuse processes. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) makes the two types of cycles and their reuse process transparent in the diagram shown in Figure 1. The biological cycles are on the left side of the model, whilst the technological cycles are on the right. The shorter the cycle, for example repair and maintenance, the higher the resulting value of the product/material that is retained, as it can be applied longer in accordance with its original purpose. In the larger cycles, the value becomes lower and a different application must be found.

INTROD UCTION

CIRCULAR ECONOMY - an industrial system that is restorative by design

The technological cycle Within the technological cycle there are different levels of reuse. Here the rule applies that the smallest, or most inner, cycle is preferred over larger cycles, because smaller cycles require less processing steps, labour, energy and new material, which means that more value is retained. The different reuse cycles are: 1. Repair and maintenance of the existing

product: restoring products during use to extend the lifespan of products 2. Reuse and Redistribution of the used product: direct reuse through product reuse or sales. 3. Refurbish and Remanufacture: the thorough renovation and repair of products by the manufacturer. 4. Recycle: parts or materials are recovered from the product to use them again.

The Biological cycle Within the biological cycle recycling takes place in cascades. Cascading means ‘the use of a product or part of a product for a different application’. When a biological material can’t fulfil its initial function, it is given a new function in which it can be used again. While biological materials are used in cascades, the quality of the material decreases and energy is consumed. Cascading is different from reuse and recycling in the technological cycle because of the change in functionality and the extent to which the product itself is processed. For example: • Reuse is selling used clothes at a thrift store • Recycling is the shredding old T-shirts into cotton fibres, which are spun into new yarn • Cascading is the use of old T-shirts as cushion filler. Prolonged cycles For both the biological and technological cycles the lifespan of a product should be prolonged as much as possible. This can be achieved through: • Postponing the moment a product is discarded, for example by focusing on adherence to one product, need fulfillment, and adaptability of the product. • Ensure that there are several successive cycles of direct reuse before the product is repaired, by facilitating product maintenance, sharing and the interchangeability of products.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

Pure residual flows It is a truism that, in both the biological cycle and the technological cycle, uncontaminated residual streams are easier to collect and reuse. Materials that are easily separated after use and collected in separate waste streams, are more likely to be kept pure and uncontaminated and, as a result, the utility of residual streams is maximized. In fact, this applies to the whole process: by keeping material streams as pure as possible during the complete value chain, the value of the material is retained. In the concept of the circular economy, industry plays a key role. This is not only because of the product and the production process, but also because of the technology behind it. In these business stories of Dutch industry it is clearly evident how the participants act according to the principles of the circular economy. To make these work, interconnectivity is important, as is a true understanding of the concept of the circular economy by the public, government and its agencies. Businesses, as such, can influence the transition to a circular economy to a certain degree, but the decision power of governments is all decisive. It is they who should facilitate this transition. They need to keep their focus on the bigger, longer-term, picture and not be distracted by short-term political gains.

â&#x20AC;&#x192;

INTROD UCTION

TOWARDS A COMMON DEFINITION OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Peter Rem Associate Professor at TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) Everybody is taking about the circular economy, but the biggest challenge at the moment is to arrive at a generally accepted definition of sustainability because generally only one part of the whole is tackled. To this end, the European Commission has invited all countries to estimate the circularity of their economy based on their own definition. This will result, it is presumed, in a wide range of definitions, as an intermediate step to a common, widely supported, definition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the context of the circular economy, the challenge is to utilize scarce raw materials as little as possible or to bring them back into circulation as much as possible after utilization.â&#x20AC;? Therefore, when defining circularity, the question arises as to how many euros of product one can obtain per quantity of scarce raw materials utilized. In euros, nonscarce raw materials cost little; scarce a lot. In the context of the circular economy, the challenge is to utilize scarce raw materials

as little as possible, or to bring them back into circulation as much as possible after utilization. Both approaches are equally valid in the context of the discussion on the circular economy: you can either choose to use as little scarce raw materials as possible, or use more of them, but bring them back into the economy through recycling: the effect on the system in the end will be the same. As measure at the national level, the question is how many euros of scarce raw materials are used per 100 euros of GNP. If this is the measure of things, for example, the Netherlands uses E 8 to E 9 of scarce raw materials per E 100 GNP. It is interesting to find out what the numbers are in other countries and which method is used for this calculation. If agreement on the definition and calculation method has been reached, it is possible to conduct the discussion at a European level with force of arguments. From this the challenges of the various countries can be clearly formulated. It is clear that in recent years a development has been set in which less and less scarce raw materials are used and more and more are being recovered. But one must be careful not to draw conclusions too quickly. For example, in the Netherlands the degree of recycling is translated in kilos, which is a rough measure: there is a big difference between a ton of rubble and a ton of highquality raw materials. Residual waste in a landfill is not regarded as recycled material in the Netherlands, but the same material in an artificial hill is and this while there is essentially no difference in the application.

Along this line it is possible for example that the Netherlands is doing apparently better on recycling than other countries. The Netherlands produced more tons of recycled material, due to an overrepresentation caused by the aforementioned rubble, and therefore did better in terms of the circular economy than Germany where less, but much more high-value, raw materials are recycled. Furthermore, these high-value raw materials find an application in high value products: 38% of German products consist of recycled material. So one should be very careful to draw conclusions based on numbers at first sight. Such differences in definitions and obvious assumptions blur the discussion nationally and internationally and give wrong incentives, hence the efforts to arrive at a common definition. Other calculations also show how financially interesting it is to look at waste streams from a different perspective. For example, it costs E 70 to produce a ton of incinerator bottom ash, the residue of waste incineration. If this is processed into gravel, which for years was the preferred method of recycling, this yields E 4 per ton. However if one focuses, for example, on the precious metals in the incinerator bottom ash, it already contains E 20 per ton copper in it. If it is possible to also extract other precious metals, the yields quickly outweigh the costs. As a result, recycling after incineration becomes a financially interesting option. Furthermore, and however unlikely, if there are more precious metals in the incinerator bottom ash per ton than in natural extraction by mining of these metals,

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

the recycling of incinerator bottom ash for precious metals is in fact the mining of the future: only a lot closer to home. “There are more precious metals per ton in the incinerator bottom ash of residual waste than in the natural extraction by mining of these metals.” Clever circular thinking and economy means that it is sensible to invest in the development of these technologies instead of purchasing new raw materials. Another remarkable fact is that the price of raw materials also corresponds to the amount of energy needed i.e. a direct cost that is used to make the end product. For example, aluminum is very expensive because it takes a lot of energy to make it. For that reason alone, the recycling of aluminum is interesting: once recycled and brought back into the economy there is a saving in energy and thus money. In other words, it does not matter whether you use less raw materials or more recycled aluminum, the result in the end of both options is less use of raw materials, less use of energy and lower costs. As a society you can therefore opt to use fewer raw materials or use more recycled material. The example of Germany, a pre-eminently production country, shows that people have successfully opted for the latter: as already described 38% of its products consist of recycled material. The circular economy also means that the Netherlands, or Europe, as an entity encourages commodities to circulate internally instead of buying raw materials elsewhere.

“The European system has a raw material ‘leak’ that undermines the intentions of the circular economy.” Another remarkable fact is that, for the time being, hand sorting can only be done by people. People are very good at identifying objects and equally handy at picking them. For example, people can see immediately whether a material has been pressed or poured and can therefore collect the various materials without any problem; skills that have yet to be surpassed. However as a result of personnel costs it is difficult to compete with countries such as Indonesia and India, with the result that much material goes to these countries to be recycled. In other words the European system has a raw material ‘leak’ that undermines the intentions of the circular economy. To prevent this leak, new systems and technologies, that ensure this type of sorting can take place in Europe, must be developed. However these need large budgets, which surpass the investment possibilities of individual companies. Such issues should be addressed at national level, especially as the technology will be of interest to other countries and industries. More generally, you can say that in order to really get the circular economy going, a multidisciplinary, often international, approach of all relevant topics is necessary, an approach that will require relevant action from all involved.

INTROD UCTION

NEW BUSINESS MODELS FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Erwin van der Laan Associate Professor at Erasmus University In the past there was a close connection between sustainability and the emission of CO2. More recently the discussion has shifted toward economic systems and the circular economy, with the emission of CO2 seen more as a symptom of a failing system. The circular economy has a technological dimension and an economic dimension. The technological dimension focuses on how raw materials are processed and how these materials can be extracted and reused from products after use. The economic dimension focuses on business models that support the circularity. There are three main conditions in this respect: • The need to get products back, so there should be a system to collect them • The need to be able to do something with the products after collection • The need for a market for the refurbished product.

of these conditions are met, a circular loop is not possible. However it is possible to analyse exactly where the loop is interrupted, for example the lack of a collection system or the lack of demand in the market. The challenge is to meet these conditions in conjunction, so that a lasting circular loop is created and an approach per product is obvious. New business models can help create circular loops, especially service-based business models. No longer is a product just sold, but a service is offered. Use and ownership are decoupled and the owners in the circular model are expected to be more inclined to ‘think circular’: to invest more in maintenance, to have reuse, refurbishment and repurpose options and to know by the volumes involved what interesting alternatives exist. This is the business model of leasing or pay for use, for example Green Wheels (the Dutch car-sharing scheme) and washing machines. When the ownership is decoupled the life span of the product might be enhanced and, as a result, maintenance, reuse and refurbishment will be on a much higher level because the entire chain is professionalized. The expectation is that, in the near future, more new service-based business models will be introduced, thereby exploiting more possibilities in the entire chain to fully use the product in the various stages of its life.

The first two conditions cost money, while the third should compensate the costs and make the system profitable. Unless the terms

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

METALS AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Jan Henk Welink Associate Professor at Technical University Delft An important development in the field of sustainability is that there are too many consumers in comparison with the amount of available metals. For example the fastgrowing numbers of consumers in developing countries stimulate the need for products such as refrigerators and working toilets. But these basic articles are the very products that cost a lot in terms of metals. Another item that consumes metal in developed countries are wind turbines. These are significant not only in the sense of using metals per. se. but because they use a lot of rare alloys to enhance their rigidity. These simple developments all increase the need for metals worldwide and, if not readily available, they need to be mined. The amount of metals (in weight) to be mined per year is dictated by the following formula:

Mining =

N x G x (1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R) L

INTROD UCTION

The extent of mining is dictated by the number of products (N) needed, their weight (G) and the extent to which they can be reused (1-R). The smaller the R, the less can be recycled and the more needs to be mined. The total is also determined by the lifespan (L): the longer the lifespan, the less quickly the product needs to be replaced and the less new metals need to be mined. An important point of intervention, on which much work is currently being focused, is the weight G. The number of products required N can be reduced by new business models, for example by sharing products, as for example, Snapcar. The lifespan L can also be extended by other business models such as leasing. The combination of variables determine the need for mining, the most important probably being the lifespan L. So lighter refrigerators with a longer lifespan that are easy to be recycled have a measurable effect on the amount of metal that has to be mined. Such an example has relevance for all products so investment in this direction can really pay off. For the R in the formula there are multiple opportunities. In order of increasing efficiency, these are: • recycling • remanufacturing • repurpose • refurbish • reuse. The idea behind all of these is that the cycle of metals is kept closed, reducing the need for the mining and the importation of metals.

Reuse is the most favourable solution, then refurbishing, with the least attractive being recycling. So it is important to look as early as possible in the chain from design to product at the possibilities of the lower end options such as recycling and remanufacturing in order to optimize them. The goal of design for items that may require recycling or remanufacturing is that products should be easily dismantled in a short time. The general rule is that the longer it takes to disassemble a product, the more expensive, and therefore less interesting, it becomes. Recycling Recycling also has its own dynamics. The amount of metals that can be recovered is determined by the formula R = X*Y*Z, in which: • X = the extent to which material is collected • Y = the degree to which the material is separated • Z = the extent to which metals can finally be won back as secondary raw materials through, for example, pyrometallurgy.

of the materials normally mined. And there is an interesting bonus for those who focus on recycling metals: if you are the first to have the technology, you have a big advantage over your competitors. Geopolitical dimensions Creating a closed cycle of metals is not only important for sustainability, it also has a geopolitical dimension. The better we are able to close the cycle, the less we (i.e. The Netherlands and Europe) become dependent on imports from regions that are not always stable or play a geopolitical game. The challenge for the coming decades is to become ‘resource resilient’. The role of Dutch industry could therefore be to export knowledge to other countries in order to make them ‘resource resilient’. In line with this, there would have to be less ‘struggle for raw materials’ which could have the added benefit of reducing geopolitical tensions. “Recycling can have a profound effect on the geopolitical position of the Netherlands and Europe.”

The efficiency of recycling can be increased by adjusting these variables. It starts with separate waste collection so that separate waste streams are created, specifically aimed at individual products that are financially attractive for recycling. The better this can be controlled, the more attractive becomes what is termed ‘urban mining’. Hereby waste is seen as a source for material that is easily available (i.e. mined) to extract precious metals: surprisingly the quantity of metals per cubic meter is many times greater than that

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

CHOICES IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Johan Sanders Emeritus Professor at Wageningen University The economy and also the circular economy is characterized by residual flows: during the production process, or as a result of the production process, residues stay behind. There is more than one scenario where dealing with these residues might reach overwhelming dimensions, for example the excess amount of manure in the Netherlands. However industries also have their waste, for example in the form of waste water. The following solutions for these residues are possible: • Disposing • Dispersing • Processing • Preventing • Improving. There can be a huge difference between the worst solution, disposing, and the best, improving, in the amount of money needed or earned. Simply disposing or dispersing of the residual product will cost money, while processing might earn money as would preventing and improving. The latter might

INTROD UCTION

even result in a profitable business. All these solutions depend on technology that might be: • Existing technology that is known to the world (EK) • Existing technology that is not known to the world (EN) • New technologies (NT). All these elements can be found in Figure 2. Residual flows but also primary biomass can be processed and result in: • Fire • Fuel • Fibre • Fine chemicals • Feed • Food • Food ingredients • Pharmaceutics. The first will have huge markets but they will cost money, while the latter will have high value per ton of product, but will hardly contribute to reduction of use of fossil raw materials or reduction of CO2 emissions. When looking at the figure, one can see that new technologies create the best chance for earning money with the product and, if we apply the list of residual flows to the figure, that fibre, fine chemicals and feed proteins will be most likely to combine economy and ecology best. It is a matter of fact that industries, and especially governments, tend to invest in the left hand lower corner i.e. old technologies that focus on disposing and dispersing, sometimes combined with solutions to process, while the greatest potential profit can be found where universities and institutes are developing new

Figure 2: Technology and business economics model

Universities Institutes Enginering bureaus

Government Companies

Disposing

Dispersing

Processing

Preventing

Improving

minus E 25,-

minus E 10,-

E 0,-

plus E 75,-

Costs/Earnings Example: manure per cubic meter

technologies that make it possible to earn money with all the elements of the product and its residues. The end result of the latter is a broad portfolio of products, each profitable by itself. The problem is that these new technologies need: • Vision • Money • Patience. However these make them not always interesting to the other parties that need, in one way or another, a ‘quick fix’; not one that will take years.

particularly where engineering companies can be found. They form the connection between new technologies, industry and government. So, for the circular economy, the dynamics of the system should work towards the right side of the figure. But, as said, a vision is required that truly sustainable solutions can be found, with money to finance them and the patience to let them come to full blossom. However, in reality, there is a clear fixation on the left hand side of the figure, representing a more ‘here and now’ model of problem solving. This is the dilemma for creating a sustainable future: it will take vision, money and time to develop really ground-breaking solutions.

Of considerable interest is the interaction between industry and universities,

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES DUTCH SOLUTIONS

SUSTAINABILITY

FIRST!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The knowledge and expertise gained in catalysis are the key to our success in biomass.â&#x20AC;? 28

Avantium Fossil fuels which took more than 300 million years to create have been virtually wiped out in less than two centuries. Natural resources remain key to our future, but only if we shift to sustainable sources. Avantium creates the materials we need for this transition, including bio-based plastics made from plants, woodchips and even carbon dioxide (CO 2).

Green chemistry Avantium is a cutting-edge chemical technology company based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Founded in 2000 by an international consortium of strategic, financial and university partners, Avantium was spun out of Shell to focus on offering high-tech catalysts and catalysis technology across a range of industries. Initially, Avantium tested and developed catalyst systems for companies in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Since its inception, the company has worked on more than 100 catalytic development projects and built up the expertise, experience and high-tech infrastructure to parallel-test catalysts and process conditions. This expertise, experience and high-tech infrastructure have proved a unique basis for developing new catalytic technologies and Avantium started offering R&D systems to its customers in 2005.

Also in 2005, Avantium made the strategic decision to initiate its own renewable chemistry technology programs. This marked the beginning of a breakthrough technology that has been based on the company’s knowledge and expertise in catalytic development. “We created a new technology to convert plant-based carbohydrates into building blocks for making bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels.” - Gert-Jan Gruter, CTO Avantium’s YXY technology to produce FDCA monomer and the 100% biobased polyester resin PEF evolved from an R&D project to being demonstrated in 2011 at Avantium’s pilot plant in Geleen. In October 2016, all YXY activities were transferred to Synvina, a joint venture between Avantium and BASF. It is now being commercialized through multiple partnerships, with Synvina managing Avantium’s existing partnering activities with leading brands. In 2017, Synvina was awarded a

major European BioBased Industries (BBI) grant for the PEFerence project to build a flagship plant to further commercialize the technology. Today, Avantium is a leader in providing catalysis services and systems to companies in the oil, gas, chemical and renewable industries. Avantium is also developing projects in succession to YXY into breakthrough technologies for renewable chemistry. “When customers started to show an interest in applying our high-throughput techniques in their own laboratories, we knew we were on to something.” - Gert-Jan Gruter, CTO

Catalysis as the starting point From the start, Avantium has had broad know ledge and experience in catalyst research; and catalysis is still at the very core of the com-

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

Waking the sleeping giant

pany’s activities. Avantium has unique technologies and capabilities in catalyst research that can be used either to test and optimize catalysts and catalysis processes, or to develop new catalyst and catalysis processes. The company can do this much more quickly and cheaply than its customers as it combines proprietary research methods with a broad knowledge of their possible applications. Avantium constantly focuses on attracting and retaining the right people, from major oil, gas, coal, chemical and renewable players, all of which have faced similar challenges to Avantium. This means its people really have detailed knowledge of the processes as well as the real and individual challenges involved. Avantium’s scale is fairly small, benefiting customers in terms of safety, cost, speed and relevance, compared to the larger scale experiments offered by competitors. As a result, many of its customers decide not just to work with Avantium as a service provider, but to install Avantium’s technology in their own laboratories as well. This typically happens when the chemistry involved is of longterm strategic importance and customers want to develop their own R&D capabilities.

While the company’s initial focus was on the conventional catalysis of organic fossil materials, the last decade has seen a shift towards the catalysis of renewable organic materials. During this time, Avantium has developed a catalysis method in which sugars or carbohydrates are converted into furanics, a family of molecules with a broad spectrum of applications. This method is highly successful and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was produced in one of the first trial runs. In the chemical world HMF is seen as a ‘sleeping giant’ as it has many applications, including its conversion into furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). FDCA is an important chemical for establishing a green chemical industry and has a very interesting range of possible applications. Avantium’s YXY technology (see box) allows for the production of high-quality FDCA at low cost. THE ESSENCE OF CATALYSIS Catalysis is the increase in the rate of a chemical reaction due to the addition of a substance called a catalyst. The catalyst is not consumed in the catalyzed reaction and can hence be used multiple times. Catalysis is of great importance to processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Often only tiny amounts of a catalyst are required to start and maintain a chemical process.

The most obvious application is the production of PEF bottles. PEF bottles are not only biobased, they are also superior to the traditional PET bottles as the material is 100% recyclable as well as less permeable by oxygen and carbon dioxide. This means the content of the bottle is better protected and has a longer shelf life, allowing for a wide range of novel packaging solutions. The material also has a higher mechanical strength, so less is needed, making the bottles lighter - an important advantage to both the manufacturer and the user. In addition to bottles, PEF plastic can be used in textiles, food packaging, carpets, electronic materials and automotive applications.

Avantium

FDCA is not yet commercially available, but a pilot plant in Geleen is scaling up to production volumes. The Geleen plant is now owned by Synvina, the BASF and Avantium joint venture, and its mission is to establish world-leading positions in FDCA and PEF. To achieve this ambition, the joint venture aims to construct a reference plant at the BASF Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium, with a capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons of PEF a year. The subsequent move will be to license the technology for industrial-scale production. “In order to reduce human footprint we need a transition to sustainable bio-based resources for chemicals and materials. There is no alternative.” - Gert-Jan Gruter, CTO The success of FDCA has proven that Avantium is perfectly positioned to develop catalytic processes for biomass refinery, for bio-based building blocks from carbohydrates and for the production and application development of novel bio-based plastic materials. “We believe that few industries are so well positioned to positively impact the world as advanced chemical catalysis.” - Gert-Jan Gruter, CTO

From food to biomass

FROM PLANT TO PLASTIC WITH YXY With its groundbreaking YXY technology, Avantium converts carbohydrates (sugars) from plant-based feedstock into several different bio-based products and fuels. The chemistry involves three sequential catalytic steps. Step 1: The catalytic dehydration of the carbohydrate feedstock in an alcohol, such as methanol, to make methoxymethyl furfural (MMF), and levulinics such as methyl levulinate. Step 2: The catalytic oxidation of RMF in acetic acid to make furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Step 3: A third catalytic step bringing together FDCA and monoethylene glycol (MEG) to make the bio-based polymer PEF. The YXY Technology has the potential to strongly reduce CO2 emissions and non-renewable energy use compared to the fossil-based materials used today.

Encouraged by its experience with FDCA, Avantium started a number of additional research projects linked to the first project. The driver of one of these new projects is that carbohydrates are seen as an important starting point for the production of bio-based materials. At present, food crops are used as a source of carbohydrates. To prevent future competition with human food stocks, carbohydrates need to be extracted from other sources, such as woody biomass, as well as from side streams and waste streams. Biomass materials that are of interest include wood and wood residue, grass, straw and agricultural waste, although there are problems as the quality of these materials is often not high enough and the extraction process is very expensive. However, this changed when Avantium developed a new technology – based, in fact, on an old German technology – to produce carbohydrates from waste. When originally conceived in 1916, the technology was inefficient because it used too much water and required too much energy.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

With Avantium’s new technology, the energy costs are cut dramatically, making it commercially attractive for further development. AkzoNobel Chemport site in Delfzijl, to produce carbohydrates from wood residues. Consortium partners are AkzoNobel (chemistry/utilities), RWE (energy), Staatsbosbeheer (wood supply), Chemport Europe (value chain) and Avantium (technology). This is a good example of how all parties in the value chain can work together around an innovation. The followup flagship plant will produce high-quality carbohydrates, with a technology that can be price competitive with carbohydrates derived from traditional sources, such as corn (maize). These carbohydrates will be the raw material for amongst others FDCA. Another avenue of research is the biobased production of mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) (the other component of PEF) from carbohydrates, using a much more efficient route. This material is a so-called ‘dropin’ molecule and can replace fossil-based monoethylene glycol (MEG) on a like-for-like basis in all applications that contain MEG. PET and PEF consist for a large part out of mono-ethylene glycol (MEG), a molecule that currently is primarily produced through a petrochemical process. This technology will be scaled-up to demonstration level in the near future. The market for carbohydrates is huge and growing. In future, 80% to 90% of all biobased products will use carbohydrates. In 2016, 325 million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide and, over the next 35

years, a compound growth of 3% is expected annually. This will create annual output of over a billion tonnes of plastic by 2050. Either fossil materials or biomass have the capacity to fuel this growth. However, to meet the Paris climate objectives for CO2 reduction, it is inevitable that the focus should be on bridging the gap with bio-based chemicals. From carbon capture to carbon utilization Another development by Avantium focuses on the use of carbon dioxide as a feedstock, the only other renewable carbon source, in addition to biomass. The company is strongly of the opinion that instead of carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilization is the ‘name of the game’ for the future. It is possible to reduce carbon dioxide by electrocatalysis to formic acid, the raw material for many applications. In 2016 Avantium acquired Liquid Light, a company with specific expertise in this field, thus allowing Avantium to strengthen its efforts in the field of electrochemistry. These two routes, using biomass and carbon dioxide, can lead to all the necessary building blocks of a bio-based economy and a biobased future. Innovating for a bio-based future Avantium believes in open innovation to discover new groundbreaking technologies. This is why the company works closely with other public and private parties. An excellent example is the company’s Zambezi project to produce sugars for the production of chemicals from non-food sources. In the initial phase, Staatsbosbeheer supplies wood.

Land, utilities and hydrochloric acid are supplied by AkzoNobel. RWE will use biolignin product from the Zambezi process for the generation of renewable energy and will in later phases also supply feedstock. Chemport Europe brings strategic support from the Northern Netherlands Region working via a range of initiatives to facilitate the project. Together, these parties can scale up the projected innovations and introduce them to the market. Avantium holds many keys to a bio-based future. These technologies are likely to have a profound impact on our environment, as they will change the shape of many products that are used daily. Because the demand for renewable solutions will continue to rise exponentially in coming years, Avantium will accelerate its own growth through partnerships and acquisitions. In particular, the company will seek collaborations that quicken the pace of its innovations, advance its internal development programs and increase its critical mass. This ‘golden combination’ of expertise, experience and high-tech infrastructure should lead to new and interesting developments in the near future.

Avantium

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our thorough knowledge of genetics makes organic seeds possible.â&#x20AC;? 34

Bejo Seed company Bejo focuses on the development of the right vegetable variety for every region and climate zone in the world. Staying close to nature, Bejo is constantly searching for new and more sustainable farming methods while, at the same time, striving to increase productivity. By so doing, Bejo contributes to food supply for the rapidly-growing world population.

Innovating with nature The history of the seed company goes back more than one hundred years. Its assortment of more than 1,200 different varieties, representing some fifty crops, enables the company to translate market demands into vegetable varieties that clearly provide added value for the entire food chain. Constant innovation has been the focus and main driver for Bejo’s growth over recent decades so that, today, Bejo is one of the world’s leading companies specialising in the breeding, production, processing, and sale of premium quality vegetable seeds. These activities provide a comprehensive product range suitable for various world-wide markets and climatic zones. Seeds from Bejo are distributed to more than one hundred countries via a global network of Bejo companies and dedicated dealers, the company directly employing more than 1,700 people. The company’s focus on optimizing seed enhancement, seed production, seed processing, logistics, and sales is further

enhanced by its open, accessible, and innovative working culture.

Learning from everyday experience One of the key success factors for Bejo’s continuous growth is its local involvement. The company’s focus is on long-term relationships with the needs of customers and a close relationship with the business world of other breeders and growers, these being achieved by the communications which are maintained by Bejo’s representatives, who are able to exchange views and listen to the customers’ concerns. In this way the company can provide better support and advice for real and lasting crop results. “We learn every day from experience. We want to know what is happening in the field and in the market and we use this practical knowledge to develop new varieties and produce seeds with better characteristics for growers and the market chain.”

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

GROWING STEP BY STEP TO AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY Bejo is a family owned company that has grown step by step since it started business more than a century ago; initially as a trading company and, later, also as a breeding company. During this time the level of professionalism grew, particularly during the 1960s when hybrid breeding techniques were developed. The latter demanded large investments, the result of which saw the merger of the family companies, Beemsterboer and Jong (hence Bejo), in 1978. Since then Bejo has introduced new ways of researching the genetics of vegetable seed while evolving into a more internationally orientated company. Business expanded from its base in the Netherlands, initially throughout Europe and North America, followed by Middle and South America, Asia and Africa.

Thanks to its strong ties with local breeders and growers, Bejo has an intimate view and knowledge of what is happening in the field, in the market and for the consumer. This expertise is fully used in the development of new seed varieties, with even better characteristics for all involved in the chain: the breeder and grower, processors, traders and supermarkets and, ultimately, the consumer. The close relationship with growers of fresh produce, industrial processors, traders and supermarket chains, allows Bejo specialists to translate the wishes of the food chain into unique varieties with added value. These close ties also work the other way around. The knowledge gained by the company allows it to support smallholder farmers as well as devoting time and resources to regions and countries that are in the early stages of agricultural development. And finally, Bejo’s cherished aim of fostering such long relationships, flows back to its approach to its own employees. Many find a lifelong employment at the company, which contributes to its enduring knowledge base. “We strongly feel that it is important to make practical agricultural knowledge, technology and high-quality seed accessible to smallholder farmers.”

Creating new varieties Bejo’s current portfolio comprises about fifty types of crops, built around beetroot, carrots, brassica, fruit crops, lettuce and onions. Around 5% of the activity is focused on the

enhancement of new crops, for example, potatoes. The portfolio is matched to different countries or regions in the world, by the development of many specific varieties, as each region has its own climate, environment, pace of development and level of technology. Seeds are produced for Bejo by expert growers in a number of countries including France, Italy, Australia, the Netherlands and the U.S.A. These seeds are then transported to the Netherlands where each seed lot is subjected to a long post-harvest process of sorting by size, checking for illnesses, treating and coating. As every country or region has specific needs and, therefore, their own specific seed varieties and treatments, the resultant company portfolio is very large and diverse. As the company is always looking for new and better varieties, it has always invested heavily in research. In the 1960s these investments were focused on applying modern breeding techniques, but modern research now requires the company to focus at the micro-level: at the seed’s DNA. As the company learns more about plants, the more it is able to develop new varieties faster and more accurately than ever. This results in varieties with even better growth characteristics, which are well suited to sustainable farming, an approach that results in crops that meet growers’ needs and vegetables that appeal to consumers. “We can read the DNA of the vegetable seed, a first important step to maximize the yield.”

Bejo

It has been twenty years since Bejo started the development of an organic seed assortment, for which the seeds are organically bred. In order to develop sturdy varieties and to create the best seed, such organic breeding requires the company to work from the genetic level of the individual crop. Being both a conventional and organic breeder enables Bejo to develop and use a superb mixture of knowledge and expertise. On the one hand, organic production can create inspiration and new ideas that can assist conventional production: on the other, Bejo can build its organic business on the conventional knowledge, experience and infrastructure created by the company during the past century. Bejo believes that its organic breeding will lead to high-yielding varieties with improved resilience, that will not only produce high-quality seeds but also provide new insights for conventional breeding. “By stepping into the arena of the organic industry, we are meeting the needs of customers, while the application of lessons learned in organic cultivation will make our conventional process more sustainable.”

Innovative food concepts BREEDING TOPICS Traditional vegetables are increasingly appreciated as healthy and trendy food. Bejo is always keen to introduce new varieties which are distinctive in terms of taste and colour, while exploring new applications for crops, processing and consumption. This drive for innovation is fueled by the close relationships between the company and growers of fresh produce, as well as its intensive contact with industrial processors, traders and supermarket chains. Some of the innovative food concepts and brands developed by Bejo include: • The Coolwrap; this is based on a square cabbage leaf from specifically selected flat white cabbage varieties. These leaves have a mild flavour and can be used as a wrap, for sushi or as part of a healthy sandwich. • New, tasty kohlrabi varieties (a vegetable that is very popular in Germany), such as Konan and the purple Kolibri, which are very suitable for eating raw. • Tasti-Lee®: this is a tomato brand that brings significant improvements to health, flavour, and freshness in grocery store tomatoes.

Resistance to diseases, yield, winter hardiness, colour, quality of the head, uniformity, health in the field and shelf life are all examples of important breeding criteria, as well as being frequently vital for the grower, the processors, traders, supermarket chains and, of course, the consumer. However, in addition, all these interested parties quite often demand specific characteristics that they feel are also important. Example of both include: • Brassicas: winter hardiness, colour, quality of the head, uniformity, health in the field and shelf life. • Carrots: resistance to disease, foliage quality, production, uniformity, shape, colour, smoothness and shelf life. • Onions: disease and pest resistance.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

BEES AS EMPLOYEES As an international producer of vegetable seeds, Bejo believes that bees form a crucial link in the whole process from seed to harvest. This is why the company keeps its own bees and is internationally active in bee breeding and research. To complement the production of better vegetable varieties, the company also works to improve bee colonies. The research focuses on ways to use food and better beekeeping techniques to strengthen the colonies, as well as enhancing the methods of selecting bees with the desired characteristics to start new colonies. Therefore, in addition to the company’s core activity of plant selection and breeding in order to achieve better varieties, it maintains the same goal with bees: breeding bee colonies to seek development of types that perform well and thrive. The company has its own research centre with over one hundred employees. In recent years the pace of research development has been high because of increasing close working relationships between breeders and researchers, thereby creating interesting crossovers in knowledge and expertise. In this way Bejo supports sustainability on many levels. Its seed enhances the yield and reduces the amount of pesticides used and it creates a solid revenue for the grower while, at the same time, protects the environment. Organic seeds are a next step in sustainability while honey bee colonies are bred and made more resilient, also contributing to sustainability.

“The more we learn about plants, right down to the DNA level, the more we are able to develop new varieties faster and more accurately than ever.” Bejo’s day to day business focuses on the development of the best and most sturdy variety for every region and climatic zone in the world, with the objective of generating a high yield and solid revenues for farmers. High yields also contribute to the aim of feeding the world’s fast-growing population. This is particularly true of South America and Africa, where there are many opportunities to raise the yield per hectare by introducing enhanced seed, produced specifically for the region. Bejo’s varieties have a better resistance against bacteria and mildew and such seeds do not require any open field spraying. This can reduce the use of pesticides by as much as fifty to one hundred-fold, thereby saving both the environment and the farmer’s costs.

Feeding the world As the world’s population increases and more mouths need to be fed, there is a steadily growing need for good, healthy food. Bejo contributes to meet this need, by using its expertise and by further improving its breeding methods. Apart from creating new varieties for regions in which the company is not yet active, Bejo maintains its focus on the further enhancement of existing vegetable seeds and investment in broadening the range of organic vegetable seeds. Another ambition is to maintain the company’s growth as a sustainable family business, expanding

in an organic and ongoing process, shaped by the interaction between growers, dealers, supply chain partners and the company’s own employees. Bejo feels that it is important to make practical agricultural knowledge, technology and high quality seed accessible to smallholder farmers. This is why this seed producing company devotes considerable time and resources to regions and countries that are in the early stages of agricultural development, an aspect of its business to which it has always paid particular attention as it has grown and expanded internationally over the decades. Bejo ensures that, as it develops varieties that are particularly well suited to local climatic conditions, it makes the seeds of these varieties available to smallholder farmers. Also the company supports local projects to improve farmers’ entrepreneurial opportunities, including teaching farming skills, improving local distribution of seeds and products, and encouraging cooperation between parties in the chain. Bejo believes that teaching should be enhanced by developing local education for farmers and growers. An example of this is its support for children in Guatemala with the ‘Fundación Centro Educativo Agrícola’ that offers education in agricultural techniques. The foundation helps to give the children the tools not only to become better growers, but to live better lives and make a positive difference in their communities.

Bejo

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The energy of the future will come from many sources.â&#x20AC;? 40

BioMCN Biofuels are increasingly important in our energy mix because they not only reduce environmental pollution but also make Europe less dependent on imports of oil, gas and coal. Regulatory requirements further push the growing market for biofuels, which proves to be an interesting industrial opportunity. BioMCN is the largest secondgeneration biofuel producer in the world, producing high quality bio-methanol from renewable resources on an industrial scale.

The power of waste BioMCN was founded in 2006 with the ambition to build a business on an invention: how to crack glycerin without charring it. This invention was turned into a business concept that involved the re-use of a recently closed conventional methanol factory in the province of Groningen that had used natural gas as a feedstock. The plant was bought and re-commissioned for the sole purpose of obtaining a position in the biofuels market. The first task was to scale up the laboratorylevel process to that of a pilot installation that could use glycerin instead of natural gas. After a successful trial period BioMCN was able to scale up to produce 200,000 tons of bio-methanol. The endeavor was widely acclaimed; BioMCN received several prestigious awards for its plant, such as the WRA Biofuels Technology Innovation award and the CEFIC Responsible Care award.

By the middle of June 2013, bio-methanol production based on glycerin was ended due to extremely high glycerin prices. Furthermore the company still faced some challenges in its search to avoid the formation of carbon. In July 2014, as a result of ending its glycerin to bio-methanol activity, the company separated glycerin refining and methanol production into two independent operating companies: Dutch Glycerin Refinery (DGR) and BioMCN. A year later, BioMCN and its methanol business was acquired by OCI, a company listed on the Dutch stock exchange with fertilizer and methanol production facilities in the Netherlands, USA, Egypt and Algeria. As a result, the company strategy has evolved to focus on the production of the least-costly and most environmentally-friendly biofuel mix, in combination with a network of biofuel production chains, conversion technologies, and choice of biomass feedstock.

“Our aim is to obtain a substantial share of the market for biofuels in transportation fuels, both in the EU and elsewhere in the world. More in general, we want to utilize our technology to stimulate the development and use of biofuels worldwide. “ - Søren Jacobsen, Managing Director, BioMCN

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

THE EU RENEWABLE ENERGY DIRECTIVE Both national and European policies encourage the use of renewable fuel in petrol and diesel. According to the targets set in the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), 10% of the energy value of transportation fuels must consist of biofuel by 2020. The RED also sets targets for minimum levels of CO2 emission reduction and the sustainability of feedstock used to make biofuels. In other parts of the world, targets for reducing CO2 emissions and using more renewable fuels are also being set. BioMCN intends to make an important contribution to meeting these targets.

BioMCN Currently ‘Green Gas’ (produced by the fermentation of biomass) is mainly used as a raw material for the production of methanol and is bought from Dutch companies such as Suiker Unie. The gas has its origins in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark and is traded by certificates which guarantee that the whole chain from waste to gas is ‘green’. In order to ensure sustainability, BioMCN uses gas from renewable feedstock, exclusively derived from organic waste materials and crops that are not used for food consumption. In this way the methanol of BioMCN, as an end product, produces less carbon dioxide than other fuels. Another interesting concept is the use of a combination of surplus carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which is currently being developed by BioMCN in a special project funded by provincial authorities. The carbon dioxide is supplied by Linde, having been collected by the company from various sites and installations. Combining carbon dioxide and hydrogen results in bio-methanol. These two innovations are being combined with more energy saving measures, as the production is very energy intensive. Small steps can therefore result in large savings. A growing lack of green gas from waste is increasingly becoming a restriction for BioMCN in its production of bio-methanol. As a result the company has the ambition to by-pass this restriction by producing its own green gas on site by the fermentation of various streams of waste in a special installation. However, this creates a number of challenges.

The first is that the parent group, OCI, wants to use proven technology for this transformation from waste to methanol, which creates a challenge for BioMCN to demonstrate the process innovation of the waste fermentation. Secondly there is the question of which type of waste to use, the composition of waste being one of the problems that has to be addressed. Thirdly, and very significantly, is the evolution of laws and regulations: at the moment it is unclear what the general policy towards biofuels will be, as there might well be a significant shift to electric propulsion for vehicles. Therefore, before making any major investments in the fermentation plant, it is imperative that these questions are answered. “Bio-methanol is an extremely versatile product, which can either be used as a fuel in its own right or as a feedstock for other environmentally friendly fuels.”

A versatile product BioMCN’s total methanol production is about 496,000 tonnes each year. About 10% of this is converted to bio-methanol. Because of increasing demand, bio-methanol is of growing importance to BioMCN. The so-called ‘grey methanol’ is used as a raw material by the chemical industry. It contains fewer particles in comparison with tradition fuels but as much carbon dioxide. As a fuel, bio-methanol can either be blended with gasoline, or it can be used as a feedstock for other environmentally friendly fuels. Bio-methanol is sold to oil companies as an

FROM FIRST TO SECOND-GENERATION BIOFUELS In the past decade, many so called firstgeneration biofuels factories have been established globally. These are companies that produce biofuels from food crops, for example biodiesel from rapeseed and bio-ethanol from corn, wheat and sugar beet. The worry about these first-generation biofuels is that their production might drive up the price of food and could add to global food shortages. This is why the development of second-generation biofuels is important, as they are made from sustainable sources such as waste materials that don’t compete with food production and therefore count double in the achievement of biofuels targets for EU member states. BioMCN uses gas from renewable feedstock exclusively derived from organic waste materials and crops that are not used for food consumption. In this way less carbon dioxide is produced than with other fuels. BioMCN second-generation biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions while, at the same time, avoid negative socio-economic effects, especially those affecting food production and land use.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

admixture for fuel for the consumer market with, for example, European regulations permitting 10% of bio-methanol as an admixture. As well as being green, the great benefit of bio-methanol is that it can be used in similar engine and fuel systems to those found in modern cars, as well as being stored, transported and sold in much the same way as petrol and diesel. This makes it even easier for fuel manufacturers to achieve EU targets as defined in the Renewable Energy Directive. Also, because bio-methanol is chemically identical to regular methanol, it can also be used as a chemical building block for a range of future-orientated products, including gasoline replacements or additives such as bio-MTBE, bio-DME, bio-hydrogen and synthetic biofuels (synthetic hydrocarbons). Used in this way it is also perfectly suited for a variety of non-fuel applications including plastics and paints, thereby further producing green alternatives to existing applications for the construction and automotive industry. “We strongly believe that BioMCN and bio-methanol from sustainable waste sources can play an important role in the circular economy of the future and help the de-carbonization of transportation.” BioMCN also sees a market in the chemical industry that can use bio-methanol as a fuel in its own right for its production plants. It can contribute to the sustainability of this sector, although the costs of methanol are still seen as a barrier.

Biofuels and energy transition While many car drivers are still unaware that they already use biofuels every day because it is blended into regular fuels sold at petrol stations, the question remains whether the future will be electric propulsion. However BioMCN still envisages that there will always be a demand for bio-fuels for lorries, especially long haul, and for buses, as these vehicles are too heavy and need to travel too extensively to be able to use electric propulsion. Another future market, assuming the relevant authorities are convinced of the usefulness of biofuels, will be inland water transport. Arguments against biofuels are that they are associated with biodiesel and palm oil, products that don’t have a good name in the field of environment and sustainability, while another factor is the view that biofuels will be by-passed in the quest for electrification. Such debates underscore the importance of a consistent government policy as a necessary basis for large investments by production companies such as BioMCN. BioMCN welcomes competition in biofuels. For example, ethanol might be an alternative, although it is less pure than methanol. This is a very important choice factor when considering combustion systems. In general, more competitors won’t constitute a problem as their combined power will enhance the position of biofuels in the market for alternative energy, not to mention that the demand for biofuels is growing because of the expanding economy. Moreover, as

market demand and, in its wake the prices for methanol, are rising at a time when there is a more or less stable cost for gas, it is of interest to increase production. This is why BioMCN is currently refurbishing a mothballed production facility on its site.

Double capacity The next step for BioMCN will be the restart of the mothballed production facility. With this extra capacity the production can be doubled to 952,000 tonnes, a major step for the company. Next the company wants to become ‘greener’ by enhancing the percentage of bio-methanol produced from 10% to 15% and finally to 50%. This shift towards bio-methanol depends on the way laws and regulations in the field of energy will develop in the next few years. As a proven technology, bio-methanol is much appreciated and, as such, has great potential.

BioMCN

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

“If you don’t think about the future, you cannot have one.” 46

Bolidt ‘If you don’t think about the future, you cannot have one’. Fifty three years ago, this was the motto of two thirty-year-old men named Bol and Schmidt, who decided to start their own business creating applications for use in synthetics. The very same principle remains the leading guideline for Bolidt today: to provide the future with innovative applications in synthetics.

Thinking about the future Since its foundation in 1964, Bolidt has been striving to shape the future, using synthetics as the main ingredient. This focus on the future, combined with the company’s mission to replace traditional materials in order to contribute to a better quality of life and natural environment, have been the foundation for its success. Today, the company has grown into a leading multinational, offering innovative flooring solutions to many industries world-wide. “It is our mission to replace traditional materials in order to make a contribution to a better life and natural environment, in the areas of safety, durability, energy, data, design and hygiene.” - Rientz Bol, CEO Bolidt

Breakthrough synthetics Almost from its inception, Bolidt believed that synthetics offered many untapped

possibilities. The company laid the foundation for a breakthrough, by replacing conventional materials, such as wood and metal, with thermosetting synthetics in a variety of settings. These included bridges, railway construction and ships, as well as commercial and industrial buildings. Thermosetting synthetics offer the best of two worlds. Functionality, perhaps not unexpectedly, comes first. The synthetics are wear-resistant, maintenance-friendly and, due to their elasticity, crack-resistant. The material is also pore-free and therefore highly suitable for application in environments where hygiene is a key issue, such as in hospitals. There are product versions that withstand corrosive solvents, are fire-resistant, sound-attenuating or heat-insulating, with a ready-made solution available for every specific situation. In addition to these functional advantages, the materials have other major benefits: they can replace tropical hardwood and other

similarly rare raw materials, thereby offering a genuinely sustainable solution. “Our decks and railings can look exactly the same as the genuine teak to which people are accustomed, but are easier to maintain and last longer. However customers can also choose from a wide range of forms, colours and designs, which may not necessarily have the look and feel of the original material.”

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

A solution for every market

Sustainability at the core

Bolidt makes the claim that, in every market, its systems can meet the specific mechanical, chemical, electrical and aesthetic demand that customers present. This is important as the range of markets in which the company participates is very broad, for example, general industry, food industry, public buildings, civil rail infrastructure and shipbuilding. To meet such potentially wide demands Bolidt offers a broad product portfolio of some 250 floor systems, each with its own specific mechanical, chemical, electrical and aesthetic qualities. A brief synopsis of the Bolidt’s customers can help to illustrate the number and range of applications that the company provides. For general industry alone, Bolidt offers floor systems for numerous sectors including petro-chemicals, heavy and metal industry, electronics, vehicles, pharmaceuticals and high-tech businesses. In the food sector, clients include production facilities in the meat and fish industry, soft drinks, catering, bakeries and dairy products, while in the public building sector, Bolidt delivers floors and other solutions to hospitals, prisons, car parks and museums. Customers can also be found in transport industries covering railway infrastructure, sport and shipbuilding, the latter including cruise ships, high performance yachts, cattle carriers and the navy. The variety of markets and solutions is almost endless.

As its mission makes very clear, sustainability is embedded in all parts of the company. It’s a way of thinking that has the attention of every employee and is reflected throughout the production process and, ultimately, in the end product as well.

“Because of our integrated production process, we are closely connected to our customers and wider society, in which sustainability is an ever-growing theme.”

Firstly, Bolidt strives towards wholly natural, non-rare raw materials. Currently such materials are processed in at least 85% of the products. However, the company is constantly searching for possibilities to further increase the use of natural raw materials, a policy it has always pursued; but not alone. Bolidt’s efforts are combined with those of many of its strategic suppliers and have led, among other developments, to the replacement since 2005 of oil by water as a solvent in many products. Being sustainable does not mean that the company focuses any less on customer demands: quite to the contrary. However, wherever possible, customer demands and the drive towards a better environment are brought together. For example, there is a current trend towards “natural” colours in the market and Bolidt’s assortment has been adapted to cater for this. An advantage of natural colours is that they are mostly based on organic and natural pigments, which do not need to be specifically manufactured. In the search for even more sustainable solutions, Bolidt has replaced lead and chromate-rich colour pigments with pigments made of plant extracts, chalk, stone and residual waste. Mineral oil has been replaced by vegetable oils, especially in polyurethane products which are used in industrial

buildings and ships. Finally, Bolidt’s synthetic products are, as opposed to most synthetic products, entirely free of plasticisers.

Total control To integrate Bolidt’s motto ‘Thinking about the future’ into the manufacturing processes, the company’s approach to manufacturing is one of complete control, meaning that the company controls every step in the entire value-adding development and production chain. This includes research, purchasing, production, marketing and sales and finally the application of the product by special teams. Furthermore, Bolidt not only develops its own new synthetics but also the machinery to produce them. During the last half century, this approach has proved itself to customers and has led to specific and tailor-made solutions. To ensure that Bolidt remains perceptive to market developments, its own application teams often work with customers on site. In this way, Bolidt is not only connected to its customers, but also to wider society, in which sustainability is an ever-growing theme. “Our employees are very receptive when it comes to new developments in the market and to changing demands from our customers. Also, we work in close contact with architects and consultants, so that future requirements are clear for all parties at an early stage of the building process.” In this integrated production process all the separate components can be optimally aligned so that the company can search

Bolidt wherever possible for sustainable solutions. Bolidt works according to the LEAN principle: a management philosophy aimed at eliminating waste and other matters that do not add value for the final customer. To reduce waste in future, even more parts of the production process will be moved from the production site in the Netherlands onto the various building sites.

Innovation and markets Over many decades, Bolidt has effectively built and applied its detailed market knowledge to gradually improve floor systems, thereby creating an incremental method of innovation. This step by step approach is combined with a very short innovation cycle as the organisation is able to respond to changing customers’ demands at short notice. A good example is the provision of special anti-microbiological floors for hospitals. The problem of multiresistant bacteria such as MRSA is an evergrowing issue so, in an era where patient safety is high on the health agenda and infections caused by resistant bacteria can damage the image of hospitals, this new product is bound to find its way to customers. Overall therefore Bolidt tailors its innovative capacity towards its markets. The company develops, produces and applies its own synthetic systems; unique integrated value chains with different applications, such as for industrial flooring, marine decking and surface courses in non-residential and road construction. Every system meets specific mechanical, chemical, electrical and aesthetic market demands.

Innovation and excellence

AREA78

While Bolidt strives for the continuity of the company and its DNA which, quite naturally pays tribute to its legacy, it also wants to look forward and challenge people to focus on the future. Therefore the ‘Bolidt Experience and Innovation Centre’ was developed to facilitate these ambitions. The Centre builds on the motivation of the founders, Bol and Schmidt: to offer innovative synthetics solutions for the world of tomorrow, thus also building on the words of the founders:

To be able to conquer the world with innovative synthetic applications in the next fifty years, Bolidt started the ‘AREA78’ project which will be completed by the beginning of 2019.

“If you don’t think about the future, you cannot have one.” Therefore, after more than fifty years, Bolidt’s mission is still to replace traditional materials by synthetic solutions, creating a significant contribution to a better environment in the field of sustainability, safety, energy, data and hygiene. To continue this quest Bolidt initiated the ‘AREA78’ project (see text box).

AREA78 will contain a modern logistical centre, the Experience and Innovation Centre and a pre fabricated production facility. In the Experience and Innovation Centre the infinite possibilities of Bolidt’s products are demonstrated by making them part of a very special sensory experience. The visitor will experience a journey starting in Rotterdam harbour and through the media of interactive exhibits, virtual and augmented reality tools, the visitor will gain an insight into the company, its DNA and its legacy. Bolidt hopes the Centre will elicit new thoughts and ambitions for synthetics, and that customers will be given the opportunity to make their dreams come true by the key experiences of open innovation, co design and co-creation.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

People Apart from innovation, people and their vitality are important company assets. For this reason, Bolidt goes a long way to offer employees and partners an environment in which everyone feels respected and people can enjoy their work. In order to realise this, attention is being paid not only physical health, but also personal development, thereby contributing to the vitality of the company. “Vitality is the basis for continuity.” The company’s DNA is a source of energy for the future. Therefore, The Experience and Innovation Centre also is the guardian of the Bolidt legacy. For example one of the elements is what is termed the ‘legacy bar’ where employees can tell their own stories about working for Bolidt. This storytelling is all part of the focus on socializing the individual employees in what is termed a ‘Gemeinschaft’, i.e. the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Being connected, sharing common goals and reaching these goals together are central elements in a

‘Gemeinschaft’. This idea of integration and connectivity can also be found in the vertical integration of the development and production process and the way customers are part of the social fabric of the company.

Thinking about the future In order to maintain its promise to make a significant contribution to a better living and natural environment, Bolidt will retain its focus on innovation. Only by continuous improvement is it possible to keep offering better and more appealing synthetic products, made of wholly natural, non-rare raw materials. “If you don’t think about the future, you will not have one. Fifty three years ago, this thought, to provide innovative applications in synthetics that did not exist before, was one of the most important motives for starting Bolidt and still drives our work today.”

Bolidt

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers are looking for a way of sustainable production, not necessarily just for a greenhouse.â&#x20AC;? 52

Certhon As the world population continues to grow and urbanization increases, what will our global food supply look like in 2030? How will we deal with increasing water scarcity? What are the possibilities for growing without daylight? Certhon addresses these questions through its sustainable solutions for food and flower production, by linking construction, climate, irrigation and electrical engineering to agronomy.

Towards the future of horticulture For more than a century, Certhon has been designing and realizing innovative and reliable techniques for global horticulture. Today, the company stands for the design and construction of turnkey greenhouses for the horticulture sector with a focus on innovation in the development of indoor farms, LED lighting and technical equipment. By connecting construction, climate, irrigation and electrics with agronomy, Certhon enables the growth of vegetables worldwide under all type of conditions. This contributes to the important goal of feeding the world, while minimizing the use of natural resources and remaining sensitive to the local environment.

Total solutions Technical dimensions are key for a horticultu ral solution: put another way the coordination between the greenhouse as a structure and

the technical systems necessary to run or supply it are the central element of any successful new-build project. To achieve this Certhon offers a ‘one-stop shop’ solution by maintaining all disciplines under the one roof so that the company can carry out entire projects, from design to execution, in accordance with the client’s wishes and specifications. The greenhouse, the indoor farm and supporting systems are always perfectly integrated to ensure a profitable horticulture project. In this sense Certhon is first and foremost a technical company: the integration of all systems such as climate control, irrigation, energy and access control, rely on electronic technology to form the heart of the concept.

United Nations. Yet, although the sector has given clear answers to a diversity of questions during the last decade, it now faces many new, sustainability related, challenges. These include: • Increasing consumer demand for safe and healthy food that is produced with no significant use of chemicals. • Consumer demand for fresh fruit and vegetables with a high nutrient value and consistent quality on a year-round basis. • More efficiency in the use of fossil fuels in order to significantly decrease CO2 emissions. • Pressures on the availability and supply of water in many parts of the world, necessitating increasingly efficient use of water.

Global challenges

Certhon intends to be a front runner in these developments by combining a very close customer relationship with sound investments in Research and Development.

The global greenhouse industry has a close relationship with sustainability goals set by the

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

Broad knowledge basis To meet all the customer’s wishes, Certhon has a number of knowledge fields that are combined to create the optimum solutions, these comprising automation, climate control, lighting, irrigation and agronomy. All customer solutions offered by the company are clever, custom-made, combinations of knowledge and expertise from these fields, thereby ensuring a process of continuous innovation. “R&D is embedded in our genes and has resulted in ground-breaking technologies such as in the fields of soil cooling, greenhouse cooling and heat pumps.” The company’s team of 110 highly educated and widely experienced employees is supported by a pool of specialists responsible for R&D, who not only study technological developments in the greenhouse industry but also integrate them with developments in other industries. This focus enables Certhon to meet the fierce competition in the greenhouse market, in which customers are constantly searching for higher yields at lower costs while, at the same time, new technologies open further possibilities for the development of the market for protected cultivation. This combination of market pull and technological push challenges Certhon to create innovative ideas and future-proof solutions to help its clients tackle the challenges of modern competition. “We are well aware that in large parts of the world water, especially clean water, is in short supply. We want to contribute to finding solutions for this problem.”

Automation technology This field demonstrates one of Certhon’s major strengths. The company has the ability to develop its own process and agronomic technology, not only based on existing systems that have already proven their reliability, but also in combination with innovative technologies. Examples of these combinations include: climate control, irrigation systems, energy systems, air and screen motors, mixer groups, control valves, cooling systems and lighting. Climate control In a conditioned greenhouse or indoor farm the ideal temperature and relative humidity are combined with efficient energy use and reduced threat of disease. Therefore, knowledge of the complex systems needed to maximize effect and efficiency is another part of the expertise offered by Certhon. Climate control in conditioned greenhouses requires technically advanced instruments to optimize growing conditions in both summer and winter. A cooling system is not only about cooling. It is always part of a total concept, in

combination with other systems which influence the climate control process. For example heat generated during the cooling production process is stored in underground wells or aquifers for use in colder months. Not only have the sizes of greenhouses increased, thus needing more heating capacity, but also the need for energy saving. The heating system has also become part of a more comprehensive concept, which aims at the integration into one solution of cooling, CO2 dosing, the coupling of heating and cooling and the storage of heat and cold underground. These solutions aim to offer optimal climate control and maximum energy savings. Irrigation technology Irrigation has undergone rapid developments in recent years. The necessity for water recirculation has resulted in breakthroughs in many types of new technologies and systems. Furthermore, there has been a great increase in knowledge regarding optimal water dosing in relation to growing conditions. Currently, there is a made to measure solution for every crop, with advice on water technology forming one of Certhon’s specialist subjects. Agronomy However Certhon’s responsibilities go far beyond the functional elements of building greenhouses or indoor farms and installing technical systems. The company believes that a project will result in the highest profitability when you put the plant first in every choice made. For this reason, Certhon offers professional agronomic guidance at all levels in order to achieve long-term success.

Certhon extremely promising and are currently 30% to 46% more effective than conventional lights. This is because plants absorb the energy radiated by LED lights more easily than the energy from normal lights. The energysaving figures are even more impressive, with an eighty percent difference compared to conventional lights, not forgetting the added benefits achieved from the longer lifespan of LED lighting units.

Innovation breeding ground As the market for protected cultivation continues to develop, Certhon is always challenged to create innovative ideas and future-proof solutions. Recent examples of the combination of demand from the market and technological development show the outlines of what has been achieved in order to create a sustainable future. Indoor farms: Expelling all external factors This cultivation system is used for the propagation and production of plants and vegetables. It comprises a climate chamber that operates without daylight and crops which grow under LED lights. The climate in the chambers is regulated by cooling ceilings and controlled-air systems. The main advantage of a indoor farm is that the crops are not affected by external factors, such as fluctuations in temperature or humidity. The climate chamber is also fully sustainable, as it uses any surplus heat to warm the greenhouse if necessary. Lighting the future LED is becoming increasingly popular as an innovative light source in the international greenhouse horticulture sector. LED lights are

PLANTYFOOD: FROM SEED TO HARVEST WITHOUT DAYLIGHT PlantyFood is a method developed by Certhon for growing plants from seed to harvest without daylight. Certhon has concentrated on more than just the usual leafy greens and herbs during development of the system, by moving into the future of fruit-bearing crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers. PlantyFood represents this step forward. It is a method that uses the combination of technology and agronomical knowledge developed in-house by Certhon, in order to focus on the quality, uniformity and reliability of plant production. This is because the way in which plants grow during their cultivation is a combination of genetics and growth parameters, so that light, climate conditions, nutrients and CO2 all play an important role and are thus interconnected. With PlantyFood, all these parameters are continuously monitored and controlled to ensure an optimal balance is achieved, by which a plant can reach its full potential.

Indoor and vertical farming: opportunities for the near future The concepts of indoor and vertical farming (farming enabling a stacked system so that several layers of crops can be grown on the one piece of land) respond to the need to produce closer to and often in the middle of the consumer market. These enable maximum freshness and food safety for consumers while minimizing transport costs and time in the chain. Both indoor and vertical farming are geared towards sustainable, multilayer cultivation with minimal use of resources thanks to a perfectly controlled climate. Certhon is currently developing the practical use of these concepts based on technology developed in-house, for example for largescale processing of in-house lettuce or to speed up research for plant propagation.

Appealing projects This variety of technologies from Certhon form the building blocks for the customized solutions it offers its customers. These are exemplified by the greenhouse concepts described below.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

using a heat pump system the greenhouse can both be heated and cooled. All of these concepts focus on controlling the breeding cycle so that the vegetables can be delivered at the right time with a guarantee of consistent quality. It also ensures that as little raw material as possible is used and that the reuse of water, heat and cooling is maximized. In this way sustainability and profitability go hand in glove. Le Jardin de Rabelais French tomato growers Pascal Delahaye and Matthieu Serrault have taken a number of major innovative steps in the international greenhouse horticultural sector. They recently installed the SuprimAir greenhouse, realized again by Certhon, which is fully equipped with LED top-lighting. Le Jardin de Rabelais focuses on the high-end market segment, growing vine tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Further investment in a SuprimAir greenhouse combined with an ingenious interplay of greenhouse ventilation, cooling, and control, has made it possible to create an ideal climate year-round. These ideal conditions are combined with low energy use and a reduced threat of disease. Deliscious A revolutionary new multilayer lettuce cultivation system using LED lights has allowed Deliscious in Beesel to grow lettuce varieties in a short period of time on a year-round basis and with a constant and reliable quality. As the customer believes it is important to control the breeding cycle and the quality of the lettuce, Certhon has developed four growth chambers with an integrated installation

construction of seven layers on top of each other. The lettuces grow continuously yearround, from seedlings into mature plants on large cultivation tables. The climate in the cells is regulated by means of chilled ceilings and air conditioning, while heating and cooling installations are incorporated in the concept. LED fixtures provide the necessary illumination for the seedlings, with no natural daylight entering the growth chambers. Ter Laak Central to this project is a clever air circulation device called a JSK cooling system. JSK takes in warm air from above the crop. This warm air is then cooled by the system, following which the cool air is blown out underneath the crop. Thanks to the balanced way by which the cool air is blown out an even distribution of the air is ensured. It is also possible to heat up the greenhouse with the same system by using the low grade surplus heat which has been stored in aquifers; in wintertime the opposite happens, thus optimizing the use of energy. A variant of the concept of heat storage can be found in Jeonbuk (South Korea). Here the greenhouse has a sustainable heating system and by

“We are always looking for a smart balance between sustainability and profitability for our customers, as we have been are doing for more than 100 years.”

Return on investment A common and key feature of all Certhon projects is the achievement of a maximum return on investment. In order to hand over the ‘key’ to the project Certhon helps its clients in the decision-making process from start to finish: from selection of varieties to growing schedules and from hygiene training to organization of labour. The knowledge of Certhon’s experts, combined with their extensive network, means they are familiar with the entire process, from seed to plant. It is a level of excellence further enhanced by providing cultivation support and management not only during the development of the project itself but also after the project is realized. “A turnkey approach to a project is no longer sufficient. We are setting a new standard with the introduction of the ROI-key: your key to return on investment.”

Certhon

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The waste flows of one business are the valuable raw materials for another.â&#x20AC;? 58

Chemport Europe Sustainable chemistry is the chemistry of the future. Sources and usage of renewable raw materials are on the increase, processes are being optimized, while the required energy is increasingly generated by wind, solar and sustainable heat. Positioning itself as the incubator for green chemistry, Chemport Europe meets all the conditions that enable the sustainable chemistry of the future to develop and flourish.

Empowering sustainable chemistry The bio-based nature of Chemport Europe goes back a long way. In 1839 the company W.A. Scholten was already extracting everything it could from the humble potato: starch, protein, glue and dextrose. If there was anything left at all, it was used for alcohol. There was no waste, so the cycles were effectively closed. The following years saw the development of successful cooperations between agricultural and processing companies, which similarly extracted the maximum value from sugar beet and milk in the form of sugar, a range of dairy products and animal feed. The waste streams served as raw materials for the cardboard industry. After the discovery of gas and salt in the region in the 1950s, Delfzijl became an industrial port with a strong chemical cluster and, today, about 15% of all the chemical products that are produced in the Netherlands come from Delfzijl.

In recent years the port has proven to be an ideal location for companies that are committed to a greener chemical sector, with the result that the modern ‘Chemport Europe’ offers a dynamic ecosystem where companies and universities work closely together for the continued development of green chemistry. This cooperation is reflected in the healthy mix of industries and businesses that have settled here, including, for example, those involved in grain and potato processing, sugar and salt. Apart from these sustainable food-related industries, there is a strong presence of natural gas related companies and, due to the growing awareness of the need for a transition to a green economy, companies that have also joined forces with government and science. The port’s main focus is to make the existing plants as sustainable as possible and to

stimulate the establishment of companies with a green profile that will fit within the chain of existing companies to become part of this ecosystem. Currently, Chemport Europe houses a strong agricultural cluster (around the companies Avebe and Suikerunie) and a strong chlorine cluster (around AkzoNobel). “For AkzoNobel, Chemport Europe is the centre of our innovation programme to develop and implement biobased/renewable chemicals and energy. It is an excellent location for an integrated approach to bio-refinery, green chemistry and green energy.” - Marco Waas, Director RD&I and Technology at AkzoNobel Chemport offers storage possibilities in salt caverns and ample availability of green energy and multimodal accessibility. Chemport Europe has direct access to the North Sea through its two harbours of Eemshaven and Delfzijl, as well as to

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

BIO-BASED SUCCESS STORIES Chemport Europe is a fertile breeding ground for companies that want to advance bio-based chemistry right now. The stories of the companies and the successful products that have been developed in the ecosystem speak for themselves. Some of these include: • Senbis in Emmen is developing strimmer wire and fishing net fibre based on a biodegradable polymer. Use of this product results in fewer microplastics in gardens, parks and oceans. • BioBTX and Cumapol have managed to make products from 100% BioPET. Large-scale application of this technology is on the horizon. • Sugar-beet pulp is being used to generate green gas which is processed by BioMCN into biomethanol, a basic raw material in the chemical sector. • The backing of coco mats has always been made of PVC. Dynaplak in Veendam has managed to make backing of ‘engineered’ starch.

inland shipping, railways and the motorway infrastructure of northwest Europe. The companies of Chemport benefit considerably from cooperation in the chemical chain. Everyone can use the available networks and their many utilities. Water purification is arranged centrally and the area is heading towards a circular economy i.e. the waste flows of one business can be the valuable raw materials for another. Excellent worldwide connections are available to suppliers of raw materials and sales markets. Chemport Europe is proud of a number of unique and interesting selling points, the more important of which include: • Companies that can link up with a number of ‘chains’ that form a biochemical ecosystem. • The proximity of a strong agricultural sector with green raw materials in abundance. • An experimental bio refinery that is already demonstrating the future of chemistry. • The land terminals for two off-shore cables for major sources of green energy:

COBRA from Denmark and NorNed from Norway. Renewable energy is also produced on-shore in the region with the largest Dutch solarpark (30MW) situated right in the heart of the chemical cluster of Delfzijl. This guarantee of supply has attracted other major companies to the area, for example Google, which decided to locate its European data warehouse in the Eemshaven. • The ‘not-too-big’ scale and dynamic culture of Chemport can simplify cooperation between all parties.

Triple helix Apart from these advantages, there is intensive cooperation between companies, universities and government. In this so-called ‘triple helix’ structure, all involved tune their vision, strategies, activities and contacts to optimize the position of Chemport Europe in various markets. This cooperation is at the heart of the vision of Chemport Europe and extends to all stakeholders. When a company wants to establish itself in the area, all stakeholders are invited to make their

Chemport Europe opinions clear, particularly organizations with a strong interest or market in natural and environment matters. The stakeholders are involved from the start by receiving a clear profile of the new company, its activities and their side effects and the way these are handled. This guarantees a smooth handling of permits and a healthy business climate.

SUGAR BEET

WHEAT

CORN/GREEN FEED

POTATOES

RAPESEED

GRASS

28,000

117,000

301,000

74,000

14,000

620,000

hectares

“The challenge is to get economy and ecology in balance.”

The chain: making the industry more sustainable The ambition to make the industry greener has two building blocks: energy and raw materials. In order to achieve this, the industries in the bio-based chemistry chain offer each other a unique combination of sustainable energy and ample green raw materials, to ensure the necessary elements are in place for a bio-based sustainable chemistry industry.

Sustainable energy The chemical industry is energy intensive, so available and reliable capacity and supply are very important. Over 30% of the total electricity production of the Netherlands comes from Delfzijl/Eemshaven. The current installed capacity of 8,000 MW at hand guarantees a 100% reliable supply of energy, necessary for energy intensive industries such as the chemical complexes in Chemport. The energy that is produced locally, is preferably green

Sources of platform molecules for the chemical industry

and sustainable and such energy does in fact account for 70% of Chemport’s requirements. It is increasingly generated by wind, solar and sustainable heat, while additional solar energy and wind parks are under development to accelerate the transition to green chemistry. For example, in addition to multiple wind turbines, other energy plants that produce steam and electricity include, a waste recycling plant, a gas heated plant and a bio power plant, heated by woodchips. By such developments the energy side has become increasingly sustainable, one of the goals of Chemport Europe.

Green raw materials Chemport Europe’s agricultural sector is one of the most productive in the world. As a result of efficiency, innovation and a high level of organization, farmers are producing plenty of renewable raw materials that are used in the chemical industry to extract platform molecules. These platform molecules can be used as building blocks for a bio-refinery based chemical industry and the associated processing technologies employed in their production. The sources

of the platform molecules are sugar beet, wheat, corn and green feed, potatoes, rapeseed and grass. There are also ample supplies of salt and water, necessary materials for the industries within Chemport Europe. Although other raw materials still have to be transported over larger distances, for example ammoniac from Geleen, in the near future these materials will also be produced on site. Some installations no longer use natural gas but bio gas. The current question is which raw materials should be replaced with green alternatives and how to source these at Chemport, which raises the additional question of which parties could be interesting additions to the chain in order to ensure that the raw material side will become more sustainable as a whole. “We want to be the playing ground for the chemistry of the future.” The above has resulted in two sustainable chemical clusters around intermediate chemicals, innovative polymers and fibres. There are countless clusters and direct connections between the various producers inside the chemical parks. In many cases

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

the partnerships go beyond the level of supplier and customer of raw materials. There are numerous examples of joint R&D, joint contracts such as maintenance and security and joint use of facilities, such as for compressed air and nitrogen lines, electricity, steam and logistics.

Research, innovation and education One of the interesting aspects of Chemport Europe is the close working relationship between businesses, universities and the government. They have a shared ambition to yet further strengthen the position of bio-based chemistry in the region. Research fuels the flames of innovation so scientists and entrepreneurs work closely together in test centres, laboratories and demo-sites. The developed knowledge is shared, new products are conceived, and businesses are created around new insights and ideas. This is how science helps the chemical industry to advance and vice versa. Curiosity and an investigative attitude are essential traits. These are available in abundance in the University of Groningen, universities of applied sciences and the many other vocational institutes in the region. They are united in the Bio Economy Region Northern Netherlands (BERNN), the alliance of the four Northern universities of applied sciences and the University of Groningen. The goal of BERNN is to maintain and strengthen the position of Northern Netherlands in the Bio Based Economy. Crucial in this is the ability to translate science into industrial applications

(a ‘market push’) and stimulate demanddriven cooperation between companies and universities (a ‘market pull’). There are a number of facilities where education and business work together on development and innovation: • Energy Academy • Innolab Chemie • EnTranCe • ZAP Facility • GreenPAC (COCI & iLab).

Ambitions for the future Chemport Europe is already a fertile breeding ground for companies that want to advance bio-based chemistry. Many sustainable success stories have developed here. In the future, the ambition is to create completely sustainable chains of chemical companies. So, the focus will be on which raw materials still need to become green, how to get them to Chemport and which parties will provide an interesting addition to the chain. Chemport Europe aims to become a biobased sustainable chemical ecosystem and, as such, the playing ground for the chemistry of the future. “We facilitate the transition and location of businesses that work with us towards sustainable chemistry. We have the talent, we are dynamic, we have gumption; we don’t hang about. We roll up our sleeves and get stuck in.” - Patrick Brouns, Regional Minister of Economic Affairs

THE GREEN HYDROGEN ECONOMY IN THE NORTHERN NETHERLANDS The Northern Innovation Board (NIB) has published a roadmap that outlines how the three Northern provinces of the Netherlands can make the switch from a fossil fuel, natural gas-based, economy, to a sustainable green hydrogen-based economy. Green hydrogen will facilitate the energy transition in terms of chemistry, transportation and electricity. This is necessary for the realization of the Paris climate goals, as well as to make the economy stronger and greener. The Northern Netherlands is uniquely positioned to develop a green hydrogen economy because of its large-scale green electricity production (especially offshore wind), its knowledge infrastructure, its large-scale chemical cluster, its importation of green electricity and its existing gas infrastructure, which can be retrofitted easily and cheaply to transport green hydrogen. The roadmap, which has been developed in conjunction with industry, researchers and various levels of government, still needs to be worked out in detail in a masterplan, but can be seen as the start of a necessary radical transformation in the energy system because incremental changes alone will not be sufficient.

Chemport Europe

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We combine the skills of the farmers and cheesemakers.â&#x20AC;? 64

CONO The Dutch Beemster polder is home to a highly innovative dairy where Dutch Beemster cheese is made in the same tradition as it was one hundred years ago. The cows that graze here supply the milk that makes the cheese so unique in craftsmanship and, of course, flavour. The CONO approach proves that the health and wellbeing of cows goes hand in hand with a high quality agricultural landscape, healthy soil and a productive farm.

Happy cows. Happy farmers. Happy planet CONO cheesemakers was founded in 1901 as a cooperative by a number of dairy farmers from villages in the north of Holland. A cooperative is a typical Dutch business incentive, in which producers (in this case the farmers) unite to jointly achieve goals that would have been unattainable for an individual dairy farmer.

More power together By working together in a cooperative, farmers were no longer dependent on milk traders. They were also able to choose whether they wanted to process milk into products which had a longer shelf life, such as cheese and butter. In this way the farmers achieved greater influence over the revenues for their milk although, on the other hand, they had to relinquish some of their freedom as entrepreneurs in order to become financially accountable as a member of the cooperative.

This cooperation is still the company’s basic business model, with currently 460 dairy farmers as active members who jointly determine the cooperative’s direction. However, CONO, as a cooperative, remains relatively small so that the human dimension is preserved and direct contact with members is still daily routine. Although, in terms of formal organization, there is a board structure of three parts: the farmer cooperative board, a two-person management board and a supervisory board, the importance of cooperation for the individual dairy farmer remains vital and has actually grown over recent years. This is because dairy farmers should have an understanding of an increasing number of business-related topics as the entire chain ‘from cow to cheese’ has become much more complex. Furthermore this understanding not only applies to the individual farmers: in order to increase such awareness and to become more involved, all

“Sustainability is in our DNA.” - Wim Betten, CEO, CONO cheesemakers.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

employees of CONO follow an internship on a dairy farm. The continuity of the organization and the quality of the product are central to everything. This focus on continuity is reflected in the long history of the cooperative and the importance it attaches to sustainability. The choice of quality not only reflects the positioning of Beemster cheese as a premium label, but also the quality of the design of the new dairy.

BEEMSTER The location is of great influence to the character of the cheese. The Beemster is a magnificent region north of Amsterdam; a polder that over four hundred years ago had been drained by human hands. It proved a golden grip, because the blue clay in the polder is very fertile and provides farmers (both then and now) with high yields. On the rich soil of blue clay grows the juiciest grass, allowing the cows to produce what many believe is the best milk in the Netherlands. In the Beemster polder, surrounded by cows, can be found the CONO dairy, where cheese is made the same way as one hundred years ago. The Beemster Polder is a unique region and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

The CONO farmers jointly produce four hundred million kilograms of milk per year. At the Beemster polder dairy this milk is processed into almost 30 million kilos of cheese. The CONO cheeses are marketed in various forms and brands under the Beemster label and are exported to some twenty five countries. Additionally, CONO provides durable milk to Ben & Jerry’s and Nestlé. Finally, the company processes whey (a by-product of cheese making) into whey powder, which is sold and used for a variety of purposes, including livestock feed.

Craftsmanship CONO mainly produces cheese: Beemster cheese. This cheese distinguishes itself by its taste and texture, features created by the unique combination of the cows, the grass and ground on which they graze and the milk that they produce. Also important is the preparation by CONO that embodies many traditional elements. For example, the milk is still curdled and the curd stirred by hand,

with the cheese-making process completed with a natural maturation on wooden planks. This takes time and attention but makes Beemster cheese the leading premium label from Noord-Holland. The unique character of the cheese is monitored by the cheese masters whose knowledge and traditions go back one hundred years. Because, during the whole process from cow’s milk to cheese, only the best ingredients and processes are used, CONO ensures a constant, distinctive quality. CONO prides itself on using the most modern sustainable techniques together with the century old expertise and craftsmanship of its local farmers while, at the same time, remaining loyal to everything that Beemster cheese stands for: traditional Dutch cheese at its very best.

Caring Dairy CONO has formulated sustainability ambitions that guarantee a balance between several elements: the health and wellbeing of cows, the quality of the agricultural terrain and a healthy soil, and the dairy farmer who can earn a living in a fair way. In 2002, CONO cheesemakers was the first dairy cooperation in The Netherlands to give its farmers a bonus for grazing their livestock. As a result, the ‘CONO cow’ grazes, on average, 180 days a year, which is far higher than the average in The Netherlands. Six years later CONO started an ambitious programme, in cooperation with its partner Ben & Jerry’s, under the name ‘Caring Dairy’ in order to embed its sustainability ambitions

CONO into daily business. A major element of this programme is to keep the highest level of grazing. “It sounds simple, but cows that graze and relax in the meadow, show a more natural behaviour, are more relaxed and are healthier.” This digesting of fresh grass has a positive effect on milk: it is richer and more flavoursome. This all comes together in the taste of the cheese. By grazing the stock on the green pastures, the company has made a significant qualitative contribution to animal welfare and sustainability and, as a result, to the quality of milk and thus, ultimately, to the cheese. The Caring Dairy programme also focuses on the continuous strengthening of the craftsmanship of CONO’s membership and making this craftsmanship more sustainable. This part of the programme focuses on the entire chain from cow to cheese: grazing, cow health and wellbeing, food and fodder, circularity and soil, climate and energy, and the transparency of the chain. The dairy farmers join two-year study groups, each group focussing on a particular link in the chain. To make the tastiest and most sustainable Dutch cheese, CONO employees work closely with farmers, suppliers, customers and community organizations, all of these partners being represented in various working groups within the Caring Dairy programme. For some elements of the chain an individual approach is more suitable. For this reason,

individual advisory trajectories are offered, for example for energy and business economics. Many elements of the ‘cow-to-cheese’ chain are interconnected: a healthy cow is less likely to become ill, resulting in more milk of a higher quality while, at the same time, reducing the use of antibiotics. The health of the cow also determines the age she can reach: a CONO cow lives on average two and a half months longer than the standard Dutch cow, thereby increasing the total milk production. As a result all those involved benefit by keeping the cow healthy. For the best quality of cheese, it is important that the cheese-making process is, literally, ‘open’. As a skilled cheesemaker can see how the cheese curd matures and the cheese develops, the essential elements of the process are performed manually and are inspected visually. By choosing (as did

CIRCULAR AGRICULTURE The essence of circular agriculture is to create a good balance in the cow-manure-soil-food cycle. The aim is to optimize the combination of foods, minerals and manure. One part of the cycle is the combination of food-cow-manure: a well-balanced diet will keep the cow in a good condition and this results in high quality milk. Apart from producing milk, the cow will produce manure, which contains important raw materials and minerals. Here the other part of the cycle starts: manure-soil-food. The minerals from manure enable agricultural lands to be fertilized. The amount of fertilizer needed for fertilization of the agricultural grounds is determined by taking the soil conditions and the type of crop into account. Fertile and healthy soil makes it possible to grow healthy food for the cows. If this circle is in balance, a sustainable method of dairy farming becomes possible.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

many other dairies) not to fully automate over the years, Beemster has acquired and preserved its unique character. The new dairy is characterized by this openness which has been the basis of the success of the cheese. Besides its taste and ‘smedigheid’ (smoothness), a major reason for the success of Beemster remains the confidence in its consistent quality. The whole story of the cheese; the cows grazing in the meadow, the history and the cooperative of farmers, appeals to customers and contributes to the cheese’s enduring image. Sustainability not only focuses on the environment and the business model, but also on sustainable employability. CONO strives for a community feeling and care of its employees and families. The company does this by offering good conditions of employment and ample training opportunities. Sustainably and collectively to the future The togetherness that characterizes a cooperative, is also reflected in the whole sustainability chain (from ‘cow to cheese ‘) of

which CONO is a part. The company works with long-time partners in the chain, the goal being an equitable distribution of the profit margin. This ensures continuity and sustainability in the supply chain, values to which CONO and its dairy farmers are much attached. According to CONO, sustainability and togetherness will remain future essentials. These values are reflected both in the new cheese dairy and the formulated ambitions to work completely climate neutral by 2020. With this goal in mind CONO worked in close cooperation with all partners involved in the construction of the new cheese dairy to carefully study the whole process of cheese making. This analysis made it clear that, for example, waste products of one part of the process, can be used in another part of the process. It is a nice example of how centuries-old craftsmanship combines perfectly with modern technologies and ambitions. CONO cheese makers are ready for the future!

THE GREENEST DAIRY IN THE WORLD In 2014, the premises, including the new cheese dairy with storage for maturing the cheeses and the offices, were officially opened by Queen Máxima. The design and construction has remained faithful to the traditions of the cooperative, such as stirring the curds by hand and natural ripening. The dairy was built to fit smoothly into the unique landscape of the Beemster Polder, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Polder has become famous because of its unique layout, with locks according to a geometric pattern of squares. During the Renaissance this layout was seen as the absolute perfection of landscaping. The most sustainable materials and techniques were used in the new building. This ensures that the cheese is already produced CO2 neutral with the ambition of full carbon neutral production from 2020 onwards. All this has not gone unnoticed. Shortly after its opening the building won the award for the most sustainable and best commercial building of the Netherlands (ARC14). In May 2015, the design of the dairy also won the category ‘Identity and Iconic Value’ of the most prestigious Dutch architecture prize: Best BNA (the Dutch Association of Architecture Practices) Building of the Year 2015.

CONO

C H E ES EMA KER RA KIN G T H E CUR D BY HAND.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

“We let nature inspire us.” 70

Corbion The development of bio-based products is only at the start of a promising future. Corbion leads the unstoppable growth of high-performance bio-based products made from renewable raw materials and has the knowledge to implement these materials in different markets around the world.

Leading the bio-based revolution We are at the beginning of a new era: that of biotechnology. Declining supplies of fossil fuels and raw materials, combined with sustainability and climate challenges, stimulate the transition to a new economy, based on sustainable and reusable raw materials needed for production of chemicals and fuels. Corbion is at the centre of this development. It has a vision to be the leading innovator for sustainable, bio-based ingredients that are designed by science and powered by nature; and which it can deliver as a dedicated organization. In line with this, Corbion, being a high-tech food ingredient company, develops and produces bio-based products which add considerable value to many sectors worldwide, including bakery and meat industries, pharmaceuticals, household cleaning products, personal care and packaging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the utmost dedication we develop sustainable solutions that optimize the use of the power of nature.â&#x20AC;?

From sugar to lactic acid Corbion, as we know it today, originated as the Central Sugar Company (CSM), an enterprise set up by a number of sugar companies in 1919 and which went public in 1921. Over a period of time the company developed a broad portfolio with, on the one hand, refined sugar in consumer food products and, on the other, sugars as part of industrial processes. The joint venture in 1968 with Chemie Combinatie Amsterdam (CCA), and its subsequent acquisition by CSM, introduced the latter to the market for lactic acid (which is made from sugars) that is used as a food supplement. In subsequent years, CSM acquired additional lactic acid manufacturers in several countries and became an important global supplier to those food industries where lactic acids are used mainly as natural preservation agents, for example in meat products. In addition,

CSM developed a substantial position in the bakery ingredients industry through a number of acquisitions in the USA and this focus on bakery products and food ingredients made the company a major supplier in both Europe and North America. However, 2013 saw a major restructuring: all bakery businesses were sold and the company decided to fully focus on the high value added activities of its bio-ingredients divisions, Purac and Caravan Ingredients. In 2015, these business units were rebranded and have since traded under the name Corbion. Currently, Corbion is global market leader in lactic acid and lactic acid derivatives, as well as being a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients. Corbionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio encompasses sustainable ingredient solutions for food and biochemicals, biomedical materials and bioplastics.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

HOW DOES IT WORK? BACTERIA: THE KEY TO BIOTECHNOLOGY Using a fermentation process, sugars are converted into lactic acid by bacteria. The raw material for this process is still derived from sugar cane and corn, but in the future other substances, such as wood and corn stover (stalks and leaves remaining after harvesting), can serve as raw material. The bacterium is central to this process and Corbion has improved the process by developing bacteria that are more effective. In addition, Corbion is looking for further micro organisms which convert sugar in other bio-based ingredients and which can open up the potential for new applications. For example, a joint project with BASF is working to develop succinic acid as a product of the fermentation process. Corbion has been involved with these processes for well over eighty years and, as a result, the experience built up is unique and not easy to copy: a strategic market strength. The focus of such innovation is directed at improving the time of the processes and the development of new applications, in order to quickly enter the market and to share the necessary investments. To further this, Corbion participates in the Bioprocess Pilot Facility (BPF), in which companies and knowledge institutions can develop novel, biologically-based, processes and, additionally, works with many universities, with a number of its employees holding professorial appointment at university level. With the acquisition in 2017 of most of the assets of innovative algae ingredients company TerraVia, based in South San Francisco, Corbion has been able to further leverage its extensive expertise in sugar-based fermentation processes, as well as in successfully managing the process from laboratory to pilot plant and then on to factory scale production.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals In line with its vision to be the leading innovator for sustainable, bio-based ingredients, Corbion has aligned its strategy to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The company has focused on those SDGs where it can make the greatest contribution, namely SDG 2 and SDG 12. SDG 2 or ‘Zero Hunger’ relates to food security, improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture, while SDG 12 or ‘Responsible Production and Consumption’ is about the circular economy, while also including food waste reduction as a sub-target. With this strategy Corbion is able to respond to societal developments such as the growth in population, the need to provide sufficient safe food, changing values on how to relate to the environment, the changing climate and the growing scarcity of resources. In order to create priorities and ambitions in this strategy, Corbion uses a sustainability framework that covers all the aspects that are important in the value chain. On the basis of this, the company has formulated its key sustainability initiatives, namely responsible sourcing, responsible operations, and sustainable ingredient solutions.

Responsible sourcing aims to create a sustainable supply chain for Corbion’s agricultural raw materials, taking into account the social, environmental, and governance practices of its suppliers. An example is the relationship with Mitr Phol, a local Thai sugar supplier, that has been the first sugar producer in Thailand to achieve Bonsucro certification in July 2016. Following this milestone, the Total Corbion PLA joint venture is now Bonsucro Chain of Custody certified and will offer a range of PLA resins in accordance with the certification scheme. Responsible operations focuses on creating zero incidents through a safe and healthy work space and on zero waste. The latter refers to the efficient use of raw materials, as well as energy and water, with the aim of minimizing wastage and maximizing the value obtained from these resources. To this end, Corbion fosters an open and transparent culture by encouraging all employees to report all ‘near misses’ and similar events, in order to continuously improve its safety and environmental performance, while Corbion’s Sustainable ingredient solutions provide the framework and methods by which the company’s customers should be able to reduce their environmental footprint and support the transition to a more circular economy.

Corbion and adults with compromised immune systems. Corbion’s solutions can reduce the risk of Listeria contamination, thereby improving food safety and security, and thereby contributing to SDG 2.

Zero hunger Through the development of its food ingredients and biochemicals, Corbion has been able to impact the SDGs in a number of ways. The focus on food ingredients aims to keep food tasty, consistent and fully safe from date of production to date of consumption. The company’s food ingredients can be found in a wide range of products for example in bakery products, such as bread and sweet goods, or in meat products, such as ham and sausages. Globally, about 30% of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, with bread being one of the most commonly discarded. Therefore, for example, Corbion’s extended shelf life solutions for bakery can help to reduce bread waste. Saving just one quarter of the food wasted globally, would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people, or 2.7 times the population of the USA. Another important Corbion development can help save lives lost from Listeriosis contamination. Approximately 1,600 cases of Listeriosis are reported in the United States every year, with 260 resulting in death. Typically, Listeriosis affects older adults, pregnant women, infants

A third example can be found in Corbion’s AlgaPrime™ DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) for aquaculture, which is a source of omega-3 rich whole algae ingredients. This can improve the nutritional value of aquaculture-grown seafood, such as salmon. Microalgae is the original source of marine omega-3’s. Another way in which Corbion contributes to ‘Zero Hunger’ is by creating a sustainable supply chain for its agricultural raw materials. And last, but not least, Corbion is investigating the use of alternative feedstocks for animals that are unsuitable for human consumption, such as wood and corn stover, in order to avoid food security issues due to competition with human food production. “Fermentation is at the centre of Corbion’s processes and it’s a core competence.”

Responsible production and consumption Corbion’s bio-based chemicals are manufactured from renewable resources and use the most advanced and resourceefficient fermentation processes. These bio-based solutions contribute to the circular economy and provide sustainable

SAVING SMALL MARINE FISH The global demand for omega-3 (speci fically, DHA) in aquaculture is growing. DHA is a critical element of fish nutrition, especially in early stages of life. Fish oil (from cold-water marine fish) and microalgae are important sources of DHA. As an alternative to these sources, AlgaPrime™ DHA, produced by Corbion and its partner, Bunge Limited, can help reduce depletion of small marine fish. One metric ton of AlgaPrime™ is the equivalent of saving up to forty metric tons of fish meal from wild fish caught in the oceans. AlgaPrime™ DHA is produced from algae that are grown in closed fermentation tanks in just days, combining renewable, sustainable plant sugars with algae biomass containing omega-3 rich oil. It is produced at Corbion’s and Bunge’s joint venture facility in Brazil. Based on sugarcane feedstock, AlgaPrime™ DHA has a lower carbon and water footprint and higher yield per hectare than DHA produced from most other non-marine sources. In 2017 the companies received the Global Aqua culture Innovation Award.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

alternatives to fossil-based chemicals for customers operating across a wide spectrum of industries. Biochemicals find their way as replacements for fossil-based products into many different niches, for example in pharmaceuticals, electronics, home and personal care, agriculture, coatings, adhesives and solvents. Working with its customers, Corbion continues to explore opportunities for new applications with all such biochemical products greatly contributing to SDG 12 as safe alternatives for chemicals of concern. Not to the same extent, but still contributing to SDG 12, are Corbion’s medical applications of resorbable lactide-based polymers. In support of implantable technologies as diverse as cardiovascular devices, orthopedic implants, tissue regeneration scaffolds and wound management systems, Corbion offers a proven family of resorbable polymers. These applications are fully biocompatible and biodegradable and reduce the medical risks for patients. In addition Corbion produces lactic acid for bioplastics. The Total Corbion PLA joint venture produces PLA or polylactic acid which is converted from lactic acids. PLA is a biodegradable plastic that has already won its place in the market for plastic bags and food packaging and is being yet further developed to include more advanced applications, for example in the automotive industry. PLA reduces the use of traditional fossil-based plastics and has many sustainability benefits. It is made from renewable raw materials such as sugar cane, which absorb CO2 during growth. It can also be reused and recycled, is compostable

and therefore plays an important role in the circular economy. Replacing a fossil-based plastic such as polystyrene with PLA reduces the carbon footprint by about three quarters. It also creates less dependency on oil. As a next step towards a sustainable future Corbion has developed a process to produce FDCA (2,5-FuranDiCarboxylic Acid) from renewable resources resulting in a reduced carbon footprint. FDCA is the building block for PEF, a new bio-based polymer that offers an improved finished product performance, due to better barrier, thermal and mechanical characteristics when compared with PET (the much longer established and traditional thermoplastic polymer). The improved properties of PEF offer better performance in existing applications, such as in carbonated soft drink bottles. In addition, PEF opens the door to new applications where PET properties do not suffice, such as in smaller serving sizes, hot fill products and lightweighting, as well as for replacing other packaging. The sustainability benefits of PEF also include further prevention of food waste by its excellent barrier characteristics, recyclability at end of life, a totally renewable bio-based feedstock and light weight packaging, thereby contributing to SDG 2 and SDG 12. The focus on sustainable production can also be found in the way residual streams are treated. During the production process of each ton of lactic acid, about two tons of valuable by-products are produced: gypsum, biomass and stillage. The majority of these by-products are valorized; for example

gypsum is used in both agriculture as a soil conditioner and as a raw material for the cement industry. Corbion is therefore working with its suppliers and business partners to find other value added applications for these by-products. Furthermore, Corbion has developed a gypsum-free production process that will be the backbone of future lactic acid plants. “For new employees we are an appealing company: we are working towards a bright future with cutting edge technologies.”

Accelerating the chemical revolution Corbion’s future looks bright as the company is seeking to create further sustainable growth. Biotechnology and its applications are clearly part of the increasing interest in sustainability and the circular economy. The company is therefore well-positioned for growth as it continues to develop new applications based on its versatile knowledge package. In addition, Corbion can help other companies to scale up industrial biochemical processes and by licensing its technologies it can enhance global production capacity. For example, once the market becomes accustomed to using PLA, the likely demand will exceed the manufacturing possibilities of Corbion alone. Corbion will therefore contribute greatly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by developing the fundamental ingredients for a sustainable and circular future.

Corbion

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We help to decarbonise businesses, while improving their competitiveness and value at the same time.â&#x20AC;? 76

Ecofys With a positive vision for the future, Ecofys, a Navigant company, advises policymakers and businesses on the challenges they face while making the transition to sustainable energy systems and low carbon industries. With experts across all related fields and a global presence, this company takes a serious approach to realising its mission of providing sustainable energy for everyone.

Making sustainable energy possible Ecofys, a Navigant company, was founded in 1984 by six university graduates who had a clear mission: to provide ‘sustainable energy for everyone’. With a creative spirit and an entrepreneurial determination they sought to change the world’s energy supply. Fascinated by the massive potential of renewable energy, they began to design solutions across the entire spectrum of sustainable energy systems in an era where sustainability was entering the international agenda for the first time. More than thirty years later, Ecofys has gained experience in developing and evaluating policies, sustainability strategies and scenarios for a range of companies and sectors, all contributing to a deeper knowledge and understanding of markets and consumer behaviour. The company serves public and corporate clients worldwide and, in 2016, became part of Navigant’s

global Energy Practice, thereby creating one of the largest energy consulting teams globally focused on the energy transition. The more than 600 experts are skilled in energy, climate, environment, economy, communications, law and psychology.

Connecting the dots According to Anja de Jong, Chief Operations Officer (COO), for the Energy Practice in Europe and Middle East, the main strength of the company is its ability to ‘connect the dots’ within the triangle of governments, energy players and energy users. Clients include large corporations, energy companies, government organizations, NGOs and foundations, product manufacturers, technology companies, development banks and investors... Operating in this multistakeholder environment, the Energy practice

is always at the forefront of technological developments by seeking opportunities in markets and the myriad of government policies, rules and regulations. When all such sources and opportunities are combined, the knowledge created provides a high addedvalue to all customers in this complex and challenging market. “With interdisciplinary skills, our team navigates industry and government through the challenges of the energy transition by performing at the forefront of market and trends. We have solid expertise, ranging from technological knowledge and business models to policy making“ - Anja de Jong, COO for Europe and the Middle East The energy experts work across the following fields: Future cities, Financing the energy transformation, Power Systems and Markets, Corporate Climate and Sustainability services, Low Carbon Energy Strategies and Low Carbon Policy and Implementation.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

Urban energy transformation Across the world, urban energy infrastructures are in transformation. The market share of renewables is rising, energy production as a whole is becoming increasingly decentralized and the heating and transport sectors are undergoing electrification. As a result the electricity, heat and fuel markets are becoming integrated. At the same time, the digitization of urban energy systems is providing new ways to monitor, automate and control energy usage, while novel developments such as electric cars that can deliver electricity to the grid need to be incorporated into yet further new plans such as the balancing of the network. These developments raise many questions. What will our urban energy infrastructure look like in future? How will the demand for energy change? To what extent will modern buildings, mobility systems, district energy systems and decentralised sustainable energy generation interact? With a clear view of future sustainable energy use in and between urban areas, Ecofys, a Navigant company claims to have the answers.

“We are experienced in developing strategies for implementation that meet the needs of future urban energy systems. We particularly understand the changes needed to achieve this transition within the triangle of governments, energy players and end users.” Ecofys provides a number of solutions to meet urban energy challenges, including: Scaled up energy efficiency. This is key to achieving energy and climate targets. Ecofys’s role is to provide, for example, expertise to governments and nongovernment organisations (NGOs) in designing, implementing and evaluating energy-efficiency policy strategies and instruments and to support corporate actors in developing the right business strategies. Creating low-carbon buildings. The building sector is responsible for about 20% of global CO2 emissions. In the European Union, 44% of all energy consumed is used in buildings for heating, domestic hot water and cooling. To meet climate targets, the EU aims for the building sector to reduce greenhouse gases by between 88% and 91% by 2050. Ecofys has a long track record of promoting lowcarbon buildings.

Making transport sustainable. This is a huge challenge; one that requires an integrated approach to public policy, technology and close cooperation with the key stakeholders. The keys to achievement are long-term urban planning and a shift away from the use of conventional fuels. “We have experience of developing strategies to reduce transport emissions, through the use of low-carbon fuels, behavioural change, modal shift and improved energy efficiency across road transport, maritime and inland shipping and aviation.”

Energy systems are changing Energy production and distribution are undergoing radical changes, shifting from a centralised architecture based toward an increasingly decentralised electrical grid that makes use of distributed energy resources (DER). While renewable energy sources are replacing the hydrocarbon-based generation, energy-distributing systems play an increasing role in balancing overall supply and demand. Ultimately, these changes will contribute to an emerging grid that is cleaner,

Ecofys more distributed, and increasingly intelligent – also known as the Energy Cloud.

IS A SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ENERGY SYSTEM POSSIBLE?

“We support producers, distributors and governments in the delicate transition to a carbon neutral future, while at the same time securing electricity supply.”

The vision of the founders of Ecofys is reflected in the Energy Report. The Report presents a positive vision of the transition to a global and sustainable energy system and contains a detailed analysis and scenario created by Ecofys and a narrative by the World Wildlife Foundation. The report demonstrates that a fully sustainable and renewable global energy system is possible by 2050. The scenario takes a holistic approach to all aspects of energy use across the entire world and all possible means of supplying energy from sustainable sources. It finds that by utilising today’s technologies alone, 95% of all energy can be renewable by 2050, comfortable and sustainable lifestyles can be developed and long-term benefits can outweigh short-term costs. To make the transition, the current practice of meeting energy demand with fossil fuels must be abandoned. Systems and energy markets must change and hard choices must be made. The Energy Report provides the elements needed for this transition. In order to achieve a transition to a fully sustainable energy system, the central themes of the report are: • the overall transition to a fully renewable global energy system by 2050 • the supply potential and use of biomass in that context • and the removal of potential supply chain bottlenecks The report can thereby function as an inspiring roadmap for governments and energy-related companies, while at the same time reassuring the end users that enough energy will be available under all conditions: a prerequisite for the energy transition.

Ecofys, a Navigant company, not only advises on the technical side, for example by creating an interface management framework for the Dutch offshore development, but also offers thought leadership to develop a new energy infrastructure in the North Sea and support negotiations between all stakeholders. To help bolster vital decisions, the company develops scenarios for what will require longterm investment over a forty year period.

Towards a low carbon future In the face of climate change, a transition to carbon-neutral energy generation is essential. Over the past fifteen years, the renewable energy sector has developed dynamically, with the result that energy-efficiency policies are beginning to have an impact. However, the right set of energy policies must be in place to ensure this positive trend continues. This is why Ecofys advises government and corporate clients on how to shift towards supplying carbon-neutral energy. “For policy makers, we provide guidance on how to design, develop and optimise policy instruments, and for businesses we not only identify and capture short-term business opportunities but also support them by making them fit for the future low-carbon economy.”

RENEWABLE ENERGY AUCTIONS Ecofys, a Navigant company, has analysed international experiences of Renewable Energy Auction schemes in different countries in Europe and around the world. The company’s reports and presentations provide insights and conclusions on the challenges of, and opportunities from, designing effective and efficient Renewable Energy Auction schemes. The company is currently supporting the German Federal Ministry for Economy and Energy in the reform of the German Renewable Energy Act and the design of an auction scheme for all renewable energy technologies. The recommendations will focus on Wind Onshore, Wind Offshore and Rooftop Photovoltaic power. Ecofys is also consulting the European Commission on auction schemes in other EU Member States.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

An example of this approach is the introduction of effective policies for renewable energy. Creating an energy system with a high proportion of renewables will be a major challenge in the coming decades. Ecofys helps to design and implement policy measures that attract investments in renewables, at low cost. “We also evaluate the effects of existing policy and market frameworks, not just for renewables but across the entire energy system.”

Reality check Ecofys, a Navigant company, also works on Science Based Targets to check if the chosen strategies on sustainability can really deliver. For example, the Sectoral Decarbonization Approach (SDA), developed by Ecofys for the Science Based Target initiative, provides guidance for companies to set emission reduction targets in line with a 2 Celsius Decarbonisation Pathway. The SDA methodology is unique as it looks at sectorspecific decarbonisation pathways that are compatible with the 2 Celsius threshold rather than applying a generic approach for all companies regardless of the nature of their business. More than 250 corporations have already signed up to the initiative and Ecofys has advised over thirty multinational companies in various sectors and regions in applying the SDA. As a result, Ecofys is currently leading the implementation of the SDA as well as the extension and refinement of the methodology for several sectors such as agriculture and forestry, freight transport, chemicals and ICT. With SDA, Ecofys covers

the whole spectrum, from vision and planning to output and outcome. Similarly, Ecofys’s overall climate strategy has a wide span; from impact analysis and policy advice, to enabling effective finance and supporting implementation. By ‘connecting the dots’ between these areas, Ecofys helps the public, financial and industrial sectors to navigate the energy and climate transition. Within the Climate Action Tracker project, a joint research with Climate Analytics and the New Climate Institute (bodies generating policy and research to implement new ideas in energy generation), Ecofys generates valuable insights into the world’s emissions trajectory. The project tracks the official emission reduction commitments of countries and highlights the aggregated effects of these on global warming, thereby helping to highlight urgency, to act transparently and identify policies with greatest impact. The Ecofys team is able to translate findings into strategic advice for all stakeholders. For example in their support to the financial sector, the team helps investors to align their investments with a 2°C, or even lower, scenario. Ecofys is currently working on a carbon stress test for the German financial sector as well as assisting a Canadian pension plan to assess risks and opportunities by means of scenarios and frameworks. The consultancy also supports the World Bank in providing an annual update on the global spread of carbon pricing. Ecofys not only monitors the playing field between high carbon and low carbon investments, but uses its analyses to help improve the impact

of climate finance. Ecofys helps investors to prepare and implement bankable projects, and donors to identify investment opportunities. However, supporting implementation on the ground is not limited to projects in developing countries. Ecofys helps to realise decarbonisation across geographies and industries. The team has supported over forty multinational companies to align their climate targets in light of the Paris Agreement, developed low-carbon roadmaps for heavy emitting industry, as well as ensuring that industry leaders secure the innovative edge that ‘circular economy’ solutions offer. Innovation is at the core of Ecofys and in the DNA of its employees. In that core Ecofys places a strong focus on what is needed for a sustainable future. Important topics are how the energy sector will develop, which variables will play an important part in that development, the role of different types of fuel, the way in which the energy sector will transform itself and which government policies will be effective in reaching the climate targets of the Paris Agreement. The innovation areas cover the whole spectrum of Ecofys’s clients and their challenges. With a strong market position in Europe and the United States, and a growing position in the Middle East, the consultancy sees a bright future for itself. “We are keen to continue advising governments and business all over the world, to support them in the transition to a low carbon economy by mitigating the risks and grasping the opportunities.”

Ecofys

NORTH SEA GRID For Europe to contribute to limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 Celsius, as set out by the Paris Agreement, it will need a fully decarbonized electricity supply by 2045. Offshore wind could contribute significantly to this goal. Navigantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Energy Practice has found that the installation rate of offshore wind capacity would have to triple from the current 3 GW/ year to approximately 10 GW/year by 2030 to achieve this. Such an upscaling of offshore wind production cannot be achieved through individual efforts alone, but through a new level of collaboration, coordination and interconnectivity between North Sea countries (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and the United Kingdom). These countries will have to join forces in an unprecedented way to successfully achieve a project of this magnitude. From spatial planning to market design and implementation, the task calls for a new way of thinking, as business cases will have to be redefined to reflect societal and environmental profits. Only an internationally coordinated approach can achieve a secure and cost-efficient infrastructure with maximum benefits to the environment.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want people to take control of their own energy.â&#x20AC;? 82

Eneco Group The energy transition is in full swing. Traditional boundaries between supplier, producer and customer are disappearing. Increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of the need for sustainability. Consumers and companies are taking matters into their own hands. In this fast-changing environment, Eneco Group has taken a leading role by working closely with businesses, consumers and governments to accelerate and innovate the transition to a sustainable energy system.

Leading the energy transition Comprising companies active in the energy sector, Eneco Group works with customers and partners on their ‘Everyone’s sustainable energy’ mission. Thanks to its consistent strategy, Eneco Group leads the way in the field of sustainability and innovation. It offers added value to European consumers and businesses from its smart products and services, while making a valuable contribution to society by generating and supplying green energy. In this way it fuels a greener economy with matching employability. “Our mission ‘Everyone’s sustainable energy’ aims at people taking control of their own energy while we, as a company, make a valuable contribution to society by generating and supplying green energy and fueling a greener economy.”

A GROUP OF ENERGY COMPANIES Eneco Group is a group of companies active in the energy sector. Together with clients and partners the group works on its mission of making sustainable energy accessible for everyone. The overall goal is that people themselves take control over energy usage. By pursuing a consistent course, Eneco Group companies are leaders in the field of sustainability and innovation. They offer added value to consumers and companies with smart products and services both on a national scale and across borders. By generating and delivering green energy they make a strong social contribution.

Making the transition Eneco Group can trace its roots back to the 19th century yet, despite being one of the first energy companies in the world, it decided in 2007 that sustainability was the only realistic and profitable way forward. As a result, sustainability became the core of its strategy. This is translated in the mission of Eneco Group: Everyone’s sustainable energy. The reasoning behind this early adoption was, and remains, that sustainable energy supply contributes to an even wider way of sustainably managing the planet and living within its limits. Renewable energy i.e. energy from the sun, wind, water and, under certain conditions, biomass, is essential for this sustainable energy supply, as are waste flows, such as waste-processing heat or unused heat from industry. Eneco Group’s focus therefore is on the transition from traditional energy sources towards renewable energy.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

Apart from the transition to new energy sources, another transition in the energy market is the move to a more decentralized energy model. In the future, increasing numbers of consumers and businesses will decide for themselves where and how to generate, use, store and share clean energy. However, in this energy transition no single party alone can provide the innovation and pace of development that is needed. Many of the innovations focus on the controlling, balancing, distributing and storing of sustainable energy, at home or as part of the grid. “Our role in the energy transition is to connect ambitions, ideas, technologies, people and companies so that they can work together on smart energy solutions and innovative products and services.”

Strong partners Today, transition in the energy market is already picking up speed as the corporate world is entering an evolving economy of new business models and new jobs. Green prosperity is becoming the new standard. This is why Eneco Group invests heavily in projects to increase sustainable energy supply and development of smart services, together with partners who have equally made the conscious choice of sustainability. “Achieving climate-neutral business operations has become the standard for companies such as Google, Mitsubishi, Unilever, Dutch Railways and the Royal Schiphol Group. By joining forces, we can create a win-win situation.”

Within Eneco Group, the Eneco brand is responsible for generating and supplying sustainable energy that comes from wind, heat, biomass, and solar farms. Some typical examples of Eneco’s partnership approach with large and global partners include: • With Diamond Generating Europe, Shell and Van Oord, Eneco won the tender for the construction and operation of the Dutch offshore windfarms Borssele III & IV, which are expected to generate more than 3.200 GWh per annum, the equivalent of the electricity used by approximately 825,000 households. • With Mitsubishi, Eneco is constructing, under the name EnspireME, the largest battery system in Europe. This will be located in Germany and will enable companies to supply sustainable reserve capacity to the European electricity grid. • The Bio Golden Raand sustainable power plant in Delfzijl generates sustainable steam and electricity for AkzoNobel. • Investment in the German company Next Kraftwerke, owner of Europe’s largest virtual power plant. • A particularly ambitious example is Eneco’s partnership with Unilever. This multinational company wants to be climate-positive worldwide by 2030. Besides using fully sustainable energy, Unilever also wants to supply energy to the community. In this partnership Eneco supplies a direct link between Unilever’s energy needs and five wind turbines at the Luchterduinen wind farm, thus providing an important next step towards achieving Unilever’s ambition. • Eneco’s partnership with the Nederlandse

Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) has resulted in 100% green energy for all train traffic in The Netherlands. These examples demonstrate the close working relationships that Eneco Group has created, and can further create, with companies that want to make the step towards a sustainable future.

Role in society With its long history Eneco Group is wellrooted in society and has a keen eye for adding value in a local context. To be able to do this, the company retains a focus on the needs of the individual customer. This focus is clearly demonstrated in the mission statement, strategy and activities of Eneco Group and its employees. With these strong societal roots, Eneco Group has taken the role of industry leader in the field of energy transition. As one of the largest investors in sustainable energy in the Netherlands, the company is the natural ‘thought leader’ on energy transition. Such a position means that it plays an important role in the ‘Energy Transition Coalition’ which comprises more than 60 businesses in the Netherlands, with the collective aims of accelerating energy transition and developing a sustainable Dutch economy that is both climate-friendly and less energy-consuming. This activating and creative role is also executed in partnership with non-governmental organisations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, with the aim of ‘nudging’ citizens

Eneco Group

TOON: THE ENERGY BRAIN OF THE HOUSE Today, with more than 300,000 users, Toon connects a range of technology and services in the field of energy, safety, comfort and health, to shape a smarter and more sustainable future. The scope of this unit will be expanded to include new services in the future, for example by advising when to use the washing machine (when the energy price is the lowest), or to redirect energy delivery generated by solar panels on the roof from the grid to a battery in the house (when the grid has enough energy and the prices are low).

Such a smart product is a good example the type of collaboration sought by Eneco. The experts at ToonÂŽ have extensive knowledge of the technology involved, while Eneco has the knowledge of the market for, and methods of, energy creation and distribution. Together this has created a device that each party could not have made itself, with the result that the product that has evolved can help people to control their own energy consumption.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

towards more sustainable use of energy. Also, to assist small business start-ups, Eneco Group offers an environment for innovation, including the possibilities to scale up, this being traditionally one of the most difficult phases in innovation. “Sustainable energy has developed itself from a niche market to a substantial part of the energy market: and the end of this growth is not yet in sight.”

Smart products and services Another way to stimulate consumers to save energy or use more sustainable energy is to introduce new smart products and services. Energy for consumers is developing as a service product, as consumers are paying for the quality, convenience and comfort of the service that is provided. This is why Eneco develops service products that meet consumer demand, such as the need for a comfortable home climate, predictable energy costs and a safety system. Toon (see text box) is an example of a clever control and distribution system.

A flexible energy system Supply and demand of power on the electricity grid must constantly be in balance, day in and day out. However, as wind and solar energy production is growing fast, this creates a more challenging environment in order to absorb peaks in energy supply. Eneco has found a smart solution to solve these power fluctuations: CrowdNett is a network of home batteries that can charge or discharge at any desired time, thus enabling a flexible approach to the supply and demand of sustainable energy. This network creates a reserve capacity for the national power grid and makes it possible to maintain a good balance; put another way it becomes a ‘virtual power plant’. An added advantage of CrowdNett, compared to coal-fired plants, is that the home batteries (the ‘Powerwall’) in CrowdNett’s network do not need time to scale up or scale down. The startup company Jedlix launched the app ichargesmart. This mobile app enables customers to charge their electric car while the

sustainable energy supply is ample and the price is lowest, thereby ensuring that the car charges itself at the most profitable time. The users simply decide by which time they want their cars to be fully charged and the app takes care of the rest. The flexible energy system also brings opportunities to horticulture. Horticulturists in the Netherlands are, in effect, small-scale energy companies and thus contribute to creating a more flexible energy network. They buy and sell power in what is termed the APX market and it is for this group of energy traders that AgroEnergy (also part of Eneco Group) has developed the BiedOptimaal (‘bid optimally’) tool. This comprises software that predicts the optimal time for a horticulturist to sell its electricity, based on big data and weather forecasts. With its mission to deliver ‘Everyone’s sustainable energy’ Eneco Group maintains a strong position and is geared towards a sustainable future in which people can take control over their own energy. “Sustainability is the only realistic and profitable way forward.”

Eneco Group

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vegetable breeding calls for a lot of patience, dedication and creativity.â&#x20AC;? 88

Enza Zaden The rapid growth of the world’s population, together with decreasing agricultural land and the changing climate, places enormous pressure on the availability of healthy and safe food. As a result, feeding the world is a huge challenge. One solution is vegetable breeding. This is Enza Zaden’s core activity: to develop the best vegetable varieties and the highest quality vegetable seeds that are most appropriate for each part of the world.

Healthy food for the entire world Enza Zaden’s primary goal is to ensure that people can access healthy and varied vegetables anywhere in the world. The company develops new varieties for over thirty vegetable crops, ranging from lettuces, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions to bitter gourds and bird’s eye chillies. From these varieties the vegetable breeder produces and sells seeds across the world. The production from this is staggering: over twenty billion lettuces are grown annually from Enza Zaden’s lettuce seeds and, each day, 460 million people across the world eat Enza Zaden’s vegetables.

The right varieties for everyone, everywhere Enza Zaden develops the right vegetable varieties and produces the most appropriate high quality vegetable seeds for each part

of the world. The result of these breeding activities is increased production of highquality vegetables from strong crops that need less plant protection products, water or fertilizer during cultivation. Additionally the company is able to provide a more varied range of healthy vegetables for consumers while contributing to continued sustainability of global horticulture. Enza Zaden’s core strength is innovation. In order to provide the world with healthy vegetables the company continues to invest significantly in Research & Development. The annual R&D expenditure accounts for 30% of the turnover with about one half of the company’s two thousand employees working in this area. These long-term investments in innovation result in a constant flow of concepts and products. On average, Enza Zaden introduces two new vegetable varieties to the global market every week.

“Anywhere in the world, people should have access to healthy vegetables.” - Jaap Mazereeuw, Managing Director

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

With 45 subsidiaries in 25 countries, Enza Zaden not only has a global presence, but a local approach, which can always adapt to local market demand and circumstances. For example, the company has produced pink tomatoes for China, bird’s eye chillies for Asia, small prickly cucumbers for Eastern Europe and snack-sized sweet peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers for Northwest Europe.

An independent family company Besides being an international vegetable breeding company, Enza Zaden is also an independent family business. Within three generations the company has evolved from a seed shop called ‘Enkhuizer Zaadwinkel’ into the global market leader in vegetable breeding that it is today. This development and healthy growth have been fuelled by the company’s distinctive features of entrepreneurial spirit, long-term vision and focus on innovation. Furthermore it is not just the company’s ownership and management that are represented by several generations: its employees also include a number of families, several generations of which have worked for Enza Zaden. “Being and remaining independent enables us to follow our own course, make sustainable choices, respond quickly to market developments and continue to invest in innovation, people and sustainability” Being a family business, Enza Zaden has a long-term vision and cherishes long-term relationships. Family businesses tend to think

in generations rather than in quarterly figures. This is not just reflected in the company’s current and long-term corporate vision and investments in innovation, but also in its human resources policy and cooperation with partners.

Nature, supported by high tech

Vegetable breeding is done in the ‘classic way’ by selecting the best plants that nature has to offer. Enza Zaden’s breeders cross plants that demonstrate good characteristics and select the best plants from the offspring. This process is repeated until there is a real winner. This may take six to twelve years from inception, i.e. the initial selection of parent plants with the right properties, to the final new vegetable variety. While following such classic methods, Enza Zaden continues to seek ways to make its breeding process more efficient by using highly advanced technology. This can enable the company to introduce even better vegetable varieties to the global market within increasingly shorter periods. When developing new vegetable varieties, Enza Zaden focuses on the market, the climate and cultivation methods. This requires answers to be found for several important questions. What do local consumers want in terms of flavour, shape, size and the particular ‘eating moment’? What is important for the retail, trade or processing industries in any specific part of the world? Which variety or concept will offer the most advantages for

the grower in terms of disease resistance, cultivation methods and climatic conditions?

Focus on people Enza Zaden firmly believes that innovation starts with investing in a key factor: human capital. Employees from over forty nationalities work together across the globe to develop a wide range of vegetable varieties, with respect for the living environment and each other. This way of working requires highly skilled and trained personnel: about one half of the company’s employees has a university degree in horticultural practice or higher qualification. This expertise, coupled with experience and shared insights, yields the most appropriate vegetable varieties and the best vegetable seeds, for each part of the world. To optimally train and educate its employees, the company has established the Enza Academy. This serves the dual role of being both an investment in professional expertise and for the development of personal, managerial and project-related skills and abilities.

Teamwork as a key to success Enza Zaden’s employees work closely in international teams, which enables the company to respond quickly and flexibly to market developments. This teamwork is not just limited to the company’s internal organization but also takes place externally

Enza Zaden PRODUCING THE BEST SEEDS Years of research, crossing, selection and trials eventually lead to ‘the big moment’ when all the required traits are combined and united in a new vegetable variety. The variety is registered and the commercial launch of the new variety onto the market becomes fact. Once the seeds have been produced, the majority arrive for further processing at the company’s head office in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. Ingenious machines and advanced techniques dry and sort the lots, remove soiling and abnormal seeds. The seeds are then ready for the final quality inspection in the Enza Zaden laboratory. Here they

are checked for their germination capacity, varietal purity and seed health. This is supported by highly advanced technology. Only top-quality seed passes these inspections. As a further stage, the quality and reliability of some types of seed can be boosted by other treatments. For example, the smallest seeds can be pelleted to give them more body and to make the seeds easier to sow mechanically. The end result is vegetable seeds of the highest possible quality and yield: healthy seeds, varietal purity, reliable, easy to sow with a high germination rate and which use less plant protection products, water and fertilizer during cultivation.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

with growers, retailers, traders and consumers. Good coordination between the company and its chain of partners is essential for the successful marketing of a new vegetable variety or concept. Therefore, teamwork is the real key to success. Success can be seen in the chains of partners who grow and sell the company’s vegetables, in the people throughout the world who eat their vegetables every day and in the employees who work hard each day to develop healthy vegetable varieties. As a vegetable breeding company Enza Zaden is fully aware that it can be successful only if it operates in close harmony with society and the environment. To achieve this, the company places great weight on what it calls its ‘three pillars’. “Our company has an international CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy that rests on three pillars. Sustainable entrepreneurship, which includes developing resistant varieties, is part and parcel of our profession: it’s in our DNA.”

Access to strong, healthy vegetable varieties The first pillar, and primary aim, of the company’s CSR policy is to ensure that people anywhere in the world have access to strong, healthy vegetables. This is achieved by developing new, strong, vegetable varieties with high productivity (yield per hectare), resistance to pests and diseases, which require fewer crop protection products and less water and fertilizer during cultivation. The company also offers varieties that grow well in regions where, until now, few if any crops could be cultivated. Enza Zaden’s international network ensures that cultivation advice is always available to help growers get the most out of the company’s varieties.

Limiting environmental impact For the third pillar of Enza Zaden’s CSR policy, the company seeks to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment by reducing the amount of energy used. This is inherent in the company’s policy on sustainability, which also includes measures

to reduce waste and to purchase sustainably. Enza Zaden uses solar energy at its new ‘Santsloot’ seed processing and storage building, this comprising two thousand solar panels on the roof that generate a considerable part of the company’s energy requirements. Not only is the thermal energy from warmer months collected and used in the colder seasons, but carbon dioxide, as waste, is used to make the vegetables grow faster. The company also uses hybrid cars for transport, reducing the carbon footprint.

Towards a sustainable future These three pillars of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy; ‘Offering access to healthy, varied vegetables’, ‘Limiting environmental impact’ and ‘Improving living standards’, have not been the responsibility of a staff department but rather of the operational units. As a result, theory and practice go hand in hand. The whole system is compliant with ISO standards on sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations; standards and goals that fully accord to the specific situation of Enza Zaden i.e. where the company can make the difference. Through this belief that the company can make a difference, Enza Zaden seeks to contribute to a sustainable future that offers healthy and varied vegetables to people all over the world.

Enza Zaden IMPROVING LOCAL LIVING STANDARDS The second pillar of Enza Zaden’s CSR policy is to improve the living standards of fellow citizens around the world.

ORGANIC SEEDS Safe and healthy food is gaining in importance for increasing numbers of people all over the world. Vitalis Organic Seeds, part of the Enza Zaden company is answering the fast-rising demand for organically grown vegetables. Vitalis is a wholly organic vegetable breeding company focusing on professional organic growers. It supplies a wide range of organic vegetable seeds all over the world. The certified-organic seeds are all grown and processed under strict organic conditions. Conventionally produced seed cannot be used to fully accomplish the goals of organic agriculture. Vitalis’s mission is to build organic production systems with only organically developed seeds that are the product of techniques that work with biological systems such as crop rotation, intercropping, organic fertilization, natural pest control and mechanical cultivation for weed control. The organic mission of Vitalis and Enza Zaden’s innovative power create a very promising combination.

“We implement our policy in this field as practically as possible, preferably in countries where we are also active and can offer good support. By deploying our resources and expertise, we increase vegetable production and therefore living standards.” The company supports small-scale and mediumsized projects such as Fair Planet in Ethiopia and the Yayasan Foundation in Indonesia.

Fair Planet helps small-scale farmers in Ethiopia gain access to high-quality vegetable seed. It also advises and trains what are termed ‘trainer farmers’, these are farmers who are taught how to boost their yields by using better quality seeds and who, in turn, then train other farmers by passing on the acquired knowledge within their respective cooperatives. The Yayasan Foundation in Indonesia helps local vegetable growers to improve vegetable production, especially in the remote lowland regions with difficult growing conditions. By sharing expertise and technology the foundation helps to improve the living standards of thousands of farming families.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Traditional profit is at the expensive of the people and the planet.â&#x20AC;? 94

Eosta As an internationally operating organic fruit specialist, Eosta seeks to contribute to the provision of healthy food, a sustainable environment and social responsibility. Starting from three basic principles, ‘Healthy, Organic and Fair’, Eosta is able to show and tell the story behind the product, thereby providing visible evidence of the grower’s efforts towards creating a fairer and more sustainable society. Through ‘Nature and More’, their ‘trace and tell’ trademark, they empower the consumer to make a well-informed purchasing decision, at a price that is fair to the producer, society and environment.

Healthy, organic and fair The company, which is based in Waddinxveen, was founded in 1990 by the current CEO, Volkert Engelsman, and his college friend, Willem van Wijk. It has since grown to be the company it is today; an international distributor of more than fifty types of fresh organic and fair fruits and vegetables, with a focus on exotic fruit and greenhouse crops. “We market a unique range of year-round organic products using efficient logistics, quality assurance and product development, as well as innovative prepacking facilities. But more importantly, we provide transparency by communicating our ecological and social responsibility via the ‘Nature and More’ trace and tell system, which has received several innovation awards.” - Volkert Engelsman, CEO Eosta Eosta maintains a close working relationship with more than a thousand organic and bio-dynamic growers in six continents, while

the company reaches consumers throughout Europe and far beyond. Eosta has three core values: Responsibility, Togetherness and Authenticity. These are at the heart of everything they do as a company, a brand and a team. The company name Eosta derives from ‘Eos’, the Greek goddess of sunrise. The latter symbolises how the company is founded anew every day, by combining two worlds: social idealism and commercial realism. Eosta’s logo, displaying the colours of the rainbow, reflects the same symbolism. According to Goethe, the rainbow emerges where light and dark meet and intertwine. Eosta’s CEO, Volkert Engelsman, firmly believes that there cannot be real sustainability without transparency and that anonymity will always create scope

for ecological or social exploitation. By providing insight into all sustainable aspects of a product, that are normally lost in the anonymous marketplace, Eosta empowers consumers. “By providing transparency, we want to replace exploitation by solidarity.” This organic fruit specialist plays a pivotal role between farmers and growers on the one hand and retailers on the other. The company’s strategy is focussed on staying in close contact with its farmers and growers to get the best insight into the whole production chain and its effects on sustainability. By so doing it can maximize its influence and potential to assist farmers and growers. On the other hand its strategy towards retailers is one of diversification, allowing a maximum company turnover of 4% per retailer in order to keep its position as independent

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

POWER FLOWER In 2009 an international group of prominent pioneers and innovators of the organic movement, including Eosta, operating under the umbrella of the ‘Belbis Desert Club’, developed a new model, the ‘Sustainability Flower’, which unites all ecological and social values in six dimensions. Each dimension is shown in the model as a flower petal. For each social and ecological value, performance indicators are defined based on the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) Guidelines. The following six dimensions are monitored: 1. Soil: Healthy soils are the foundation of food security and the ecosystem. 2. Water: Fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource that must be used responsibly. 3. Climate: Agriculture has a serious climate impact and yet also depends on it. The challenge is to produce high quality food while reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions and sequestering carbon. 4. Biodiversity: Fauna and flora biodiversity are indispensable for ecological balance and vitality and must therefore be maintained and protected. 5. Health: The health of both the producer and consumer is affected by the way food is produced. Healthy food is not only nutritious and free from contaminants but also carries vitality and subtle life energies. 6. Social: The production system has an impact on the mental, social and economic development of workers, communities and the rest of the world. This impact is monitored in three planes of human development: freedom (the mind), justice (human relations) and solidarity (welfare distribution).

A closer look at ‘Social’: • Freedom: throughout the supply chain, participants strive for freedom of mind and development on a personal, cultural, and spiritual level. This includes vocational training, education, and skills development. • Justice: a belief in equality and justice in human interactions which expects that, throughout the supply chain, human rights are protected, discrimination and corruption are avoided, and employee participation encouraged. • Solidarity: throughout the supply chain people’s basic needs must be taken care of. All stakeholders should have sufficient access to food, housing, medical care, schooling, clothing, and other needs. The Sustainability Flower model enables participants to evaluate and communicate the sustainability achievements of each individual grower and thus empower retailers and consumers to make better informed purchasing decisions. Ultimately the model points the way to an economy that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.

Eosta as possible and to spread risk. By so doing Eosta is the market leader of organic fresh fruit in Europe, as well as maintaining a strong position in the markets of Canada and Asia. “We want to reintroduce the human aspect into the economy.”

Nature and More There can be no sustainability without transparency! That is why Eosta created the ‘trace and tell’ system called ‘Nature and More’. All Nature and More products are labelled with a stamp that shows the face of the grower and a simple three-digit code. With this code the consumer can meet the grower online and learn all about the latter’s sustainable efforts. Nature and More thereby provides the marketplace with greater transparency regarding the quality of organic products. The system gives an insight in the commitment and effort that individual growers make towards the planet and its people. To evaluate and communicate the grower’s sustainable efforts, Nature and More plots the impact of the activities of the grower on the heart and the different petals of what is termed the ‘Sustainability Flower’. (See text box)

The road to organic food Eosta is not only an international distributor of fresh organic and fair fruits and vegetables, but is also assisting its farmers and growers with a wide range of services, including:

• Conserving and rebuilding fertile soils worldwide • Agronomic advice: assisting farmers and growers with various programmes to achieve sound rates of growth for organic production • Converting to organic growth: Eosta assists those who want to convert to organic practices. The company helps farmers and growers worldwide to bridge the transition period and, once the transition has been completed, to get the most out of their investment • Pre-finance exports. The aim of such services is to help farmers and growers switch from industrial and environmentally-harmful farming methods, to organic or biodynamic farming; a switch that requires a serious long-term commitment of all involved. The focus is on partnerships with farmers and growers in developing countries as, overall, they offer purer soil conditions than can be found in most agriculturally ‘advanced’ (and often chemically-saturated) countries. In this sense, a lack of development, in the traditional understanding of the word, may be a great advantage. Eosta is keen to help owners and tenants to develop ‘virgin’ land that has only seen traditional agriculture and help them make the move to the global organic market.

True cost accounting Transparency is an important theme for Eosta, as exemplified very specifically in the balance between the often neglected social

and ecological costs of a product versus its profit. Intensive farming, from monoculture to the large-scale use of pesticides, has led to a depletion of natural capital, while current production methods continue to damage social capital, i.e. the welfare of communities. The hidden negative impact of food production on natural and social capital amounts to e5 trillion per year. However, despite companies which exhaust their natural and social capital effectively having no future, such losses are not reflected in balance sheets or profit and loss accounts. Therefore Eosta, together with the Genevabased World Business Council for Sustainable Development, has been working on a new, more integral, way of calculating profit wherein employees, society, climate and biodiversity have their legitimate places. This ‘True-Cost Accounting’ method is a proven concept: per hectare it is possible to monetize financial and ecological revenues and costs resulting in a real, more broadly-defined, profit or loss. True-cost accounting can have a major impact on the way consumers appreciate products as well as a major effect on the strategy of the companies involved, as it makes transparent where costs and revenues can actually be found. Additionally it can demonstrate the fairness of distributed profits and where the depreciation can be found. Monetization transforms the somewhat abstract concept of sustainability into a practical reality: it can be calculated and translated into money.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

MUCH NEGLECTED: SOIL Planet Earth offers a number of natural resources, such as sun, oceans, water and living organisms. Among all these resources, soil is one of the most important and most ignored.

“With our true-cost accounting approach we recently demonstrated how organic fruit production, compared to conventional production, has a positive economic impact for not just agriculture and the environment, but also for consumer health!” Eosta’s true-cost accounting approach increases the awareness of the real, hidden, cost of food production and demonstrates that rather than organic being too expensive, conventional is too cheap. The results of this revolutionary accounting programme have found significant hidden health benefits for both consumers and producers from buying organic fruits, including apples, pineapples, tomatoes, pears, citrus and bananas, due to the reduction of pesticide residues. In the case of organic apples, the benefit to consumer health has been calculated at e0.19 per kilo compared with conventional apples; for pineapples, this positive effect has been estimated at e0.07 per kilo. Adding in true-cost calculations for the hidden cost impact on soil, climate and water of organic versus conventional, organic apples have a positive financial advantage of e0.25 per kilo compared with production that uses agrochemicals.

Looking at the future Eosta aims to lead the transition to a new and sustainable food system, where ecology meets economy. Radical transparency and true-cost accounting are vital to this transition and Eosta will develop the Sustainability Flower model further along the path of true cost accounting, creating a practical dashboard that will be used by other SME-sized businesses in the food sector and beyond; a dashboard that can also be scaled up to suit larger business. Increased transparency and fair accounting will put an end to perverse incentives and create a new understanding of profit. Eosta’s task is not finished until the current exploitative food and agriculture system is transformed into a production system which not only protects, but also restores and even enriches, the planet, and which helps people to build a society based on freedom, justice and solidarity. Healthy, organic and fair food is needed to feed a healthy, organic and fair world. “We need a worldwide-recognized method that can show the true costs and depreciation effects of products, their effects on social and ecological sustainability and also who profits and who suffers from these products.”

Currently, humankind literally treats soil like dirt: tremendous areas of fertile soil are destroyed at an alarming rate. Soils are crucial for any form of life on the planet. Together with water and sunlight, they are the basis of all agricultural activity. The question of whether mankind will be able to produce enough food in the future is closely linked to the availability of fertile soil. However, little is done to save the soil. For example, in a country such as Germany, an area of 125 soccer fields is lost every day due to intensive agricultural practices and soil degradation. Around the globe, this daily number rises to 330 square kilometres. Today, one quarter of the Earth’s soils are highly degraded. The mission of Soil and More International, an offshoot of Eosta, is to conserve and rebuild fertile soils worldwide.

Eosta

VOL KERT EN GELS M A N O N T M OET KONI NGI N MAXI MA.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our customers are especially demanding on safety, security and proven technology.â&#x20AC;&#x153; 100

e-Traction Our global population faces a challenge that is the result of economic prosperity: the quality of life in urban areas is endangered. Degrading air quality resulting from fuel-based mobility increasingly affects our daily lives. e-Traction firmly believes that it can contribute to finding solutions for this and other major global challenges by creating the most efficient electric powertrain solutions.

The future is in electric driving The growth of global population results in increasing and changing transportation flows. These are affecting quality of life, global fuel consumption and the environment and this has generated an increased interest in alternative propulsion systems for vehicles. e-Traction aims to apply its distinguished technology in electric vehicles worldwide, with the main focus on manufacturers of heavy duty vehicles such as buses.

drive-train systems: TheWheel, TheDrive and TheControl. The essence of TheMotion is to provide the lowest total cost of ownership of e-mobility. This is realized by enabling the most efficient performance of all other systems involved. TheMotion guarantees the lowest energy consumption, which results in a smaller and lighter battery pack, reduces the total vehicle weight and the price while, at the same time increases efficiency and payload.

“Our customers represent a variety of small and large companies that are especially demanding on safety, security and proven technology.“ - Peter van der Wal, managing director and CTO

The electric drive-train system

TheDrive is an integral part of TheWheel. This inverter has been developed to achieve optimal efficiency performance within the domain of heavy-duty vehicle applications. TheDrive offers a robust, highly efficient and safe solution for electric powertrain and auxiliary systems.

At the core of e-Traction’s product portfolio is a program called TheMotion. This covers the three fundamental elements of electric

TheControl encompasses e-Traction’s sophisticated electronic control technology. The latter comprises a number of

sophisticated powertrain control modules (PCM) and vehicle energy managers (VEM). These easy-to-integrate control units allow for a safe integration of direct-drive powertrains in electric vehicles while safeguarding vehicle dynamics. Numerous safety and protection systems, as well as an electronic differential algorithm, are integral parts of TheControl. Furthermore, TheControl can control electric auxiliaries and provide dashboard information to the driver.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

101

The motor becomes the wheel

TheWheel From the start of the company in 1981, e-Traction has concentrated on deploying e-mobility applications in various vehicles and markets, such as forklift trucks and the marine sector. In 2001 the company’s engineering team developed TheWheel, a unique electric direct drive in-wheel motor, which realizes up to 92% system efficiency. A patent protecting this technology was granted the same year. Since then the invention, its applications and infrastructure have been highly acclaimed and received many awards, the latest in 2017 from the Business Innovator Awards of Corporate Vision: the Electric Powertrain Solutions Company - Western Europe award. TheWheel is an innovation at the ‘system level’. In other words it is not simply exchanging the combustion engine for an electric engine, but introducing a totally new concept of electric driving. The concept directly places the electric motor inside the wheel, thus providing more design freedom to the vehicle manufacturer. Furthermore, by the nature of the motor, braking can be done by using the electric motor and it does not lead

102

to a loss of energy through warmth, but to electricity that can be stored again. In close cooperation with customers e-Traction can also configure and integrate the entire electric system. A holistic approach is required to create the most energy efficient system solution and reach the lowest total cost of ownership on system level. The core technology is the direct drive in-wheel motor with integrated inverter and the additional powertrain control system, but also the other systems should be defined and selected carefully. Dependable on the use of the vehicle an energy system need to be selected. This could be a battery pack suitable for a day shift which need to be charged overnight or a smaller battery pack which will require opportunity charging during the shift. Also other technologies to power a vehicle, such as fuel cell technology or direct grid connection, can be integrated in the vehicle. The communication between all the electrical systems can be configured by e-Traction using their state-of-the-art control technology communicating via the vehicle CAN bus system.

Direct drive means that there is no transmission between the motor and wheel. The torque output is directly available at the location where it is required: in the wheel. This means that the motor becomes the wheel. Due to the absence of transmission steps, which normally take place in the gearbox and differential, the ‘Well-to-Wheel efficiency’ (i.e. the total cost of the power supply from its origin at the power source as distinct from ‘Tank to Wheel’ in conventional cars) is not only optimized but superior compared with alternative electric powertrains. The in-wheel motor system can also be used to brake the vehicle. In this case the wheel will act as a generator and the recuperated energy can be stored in the battery pack. In addition to efficiency optimization there are additional benefits for the end user: Total cost of ownership: the current in-wheel motor design is the most energy-efficient powertrain solution currently available on the market. This means that the vehicle can cover the required range with a smaller battery pack, which saves money and weight and, as a result, improves the payload of the vehicle. The reduction of parts, such as gearboxes and differentials, also results in lower maintenance costs of the vehicles. High comfort level: the direct drive in-wheel motor works without gears and mechanical differential. This means that the in-wheel motor allows for smooth acceleration and silent operation.

e-Traction Buses as a first

Improved vehicle handling: in-wheel motors allow for active independent torque or speed control of each motor. This means that the vehicle dynamics and steering are greatly enhanced. Retrofit possibility: the e-Traction in-wheel drive enables retrofit of existing vehicles, so the internal combustion engine can be taken out and the drive axle replaced by the axle equipped with in-wheel drives. Optimized packaging: in-wheel motors (including inverters) are a compact package and eliminate the need for a mechanical differential between both wheels. The result is that the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) obtains a higher degree of design freedom when developing a vehicle. For many customers, the in-wheel drive technology is their first venture into the e-mobility field. Teaming up with the customer is the best way to introduce the latter to this new world of electric powertrain products and systems. A team of electrical, software and mechanical engineers supports the customers to integrate the technology into their vehicles. This customer intimacy is important, because customers want topquality for the lowest price and seek a longterm supplier relationship which guarantees them outstanding service and support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our customers represent a variety of small and large companies that are especially demanding on safety, security and proven technology.â&#x20AC;&#x153;

BREEDING GROUND FOR E-MOBILITY In several cities in the Netherlands, such as Eindhoven, Maastricht and Utrecht, operators are gaining experience using electric buses. Together with many other companies active in the field of e-mobility this makes the Netherlands a perfect breeding ground and testbed for this technology. With its innovative direct drive in-wheel technology, e-Traction is one of the leading companies in the field of electrical powertrains. These powertrains and their control technology are already being applied successfully in many buses and commercial vehicles. Since its acquisition in September 2016 by the Chinese Tanhas Group, e-Traction is now also very active in the country that is leading the e-mobility revolution: China.

The main focus of e-Traction is on heavy duty vehicles such as buses; and for good reason. Buses do not travel large distances and their frequent braking guarantees a recharge of their batteries, while the infrastructure is such that there are also ample places for fast recharging if needed. Introducing TheWheel also offers other ways of designing buses, creating many interesting possibilities such as reduced weight and increased room. However, although these advantages might be apparent, it will take some time to convince bus manufacturers of the benefits of electric drive. One of the reasons is that the components, such as the engines, are supplied by the traditional builders of large commercial vehicles, who may have other opinions on the propulsion systems of the future. Another target market for e-Traction is that of city distribution vehicles and garbage trucks. As with buses they travel short distances, with many braking moments and can rely on a good infrastructure for fast charging.

China as an expanding market In recent years e-Traction has been looking at market opportunities and found a fast growing opportunity in China. China currently represents about 80% of the world market and has a keen eye for the environmental effects of transport in the cities. Furthermore, China mines and controls 95% of the rare earth reserves used in many of the hybrid car batteries, motors and other key components

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

103

of today’s electric vehicles. Because of these factors e-Traction’s technology and market possibilities proved attractive to Chinese investors with the result that, in 2016, e-Traction was acquired by the Tanhas Group, a world-class automotive component and subassembly manufacturer with its headquarter in Tianjin, China. The acquisition saw the creation of Tanhas e-Traction or ‘TeT’, which is a newly founded subsidiary of the Tanhas Group, one of its business units being e-Traction. A dedicated plant in China has been assigned for the production of TheWheel and other components, while the Tanhas Group functions as the interface to the Chinese market. In the Netherlands, e-Traction will focus on R&D. They will guarantee that products of e-Traction meet the latest standards and customer requirements and that the current patent portfolio in this field continues to grow. Such ambitions have already achieved success. After introducing the first generation of TheWheel to the market, e-Traction started to develop a smaller version of it that has more torque. This new, smaller model also responds to the wishes of customers, who had difficulty getting used to one large, powered wheel at the back of trucks and buses instead of the usual two wheels. With this second generation of TheWheel the company’s in-wheel motor technology can be used in a wider range of vehicle types. For further development, knowledge and inspiration the company can call upon a large network of subject experts at universities and other partners.

104

The future of mobility is now There is a strong and growing focus on zero-emission vehicles, thereby giving e-Traction many market opportunities. As part of the Tanhas Group, e-Traction will further exploit the possibilities of the Chinese market, and from there the wider Asian market. Europe and the Americas are also attractive markets for this innovative technology where electric powered vehicles are clearly the future of mobility. However this strategy of evolving from buses to city distribution vehicles and garbage trucks and even further, acknowledges the potential bottleneck to further development, this being the availability of the source of energy itself: electricity. Long distance journeys on batteries are not yet possible and it may be that hydrogen can offer a solution for this problem. Apart from the above market strategies, e-Traction will continue to focus on the development of smaller and more powerful engines for vehicles and other applications. The company is only at the starting point of an interesting journey to the future of e-mobility.

“Electric powered vehicles are the future of mobility. The future is now, as e-Traction creates superior, distinguished and patented powertrain technology for e-mobility.”

IN-WHEEL APPLICATIONS The In-Wheel Motor has been developed as a platform technology and can be can be used in various scenarios. It has major possibilities for utilization in: • •Medium and Heavy Duty vehicles, such as buses, city distribution vehicles and waste collection vehicles. • Special/Off Road Vehicles, such as those used in mining, agriculture and the military. • Light Duty Automotive, such as passenger cars and SUVs/Vans. • Mass Transit Systems, such as monorails and people movers. • Industrial and Harbour Systems, such as crane propulsions and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

e-Traction

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

105

“We play a key role in shaping how people experience an environment.” 106

Forbo It is quite remarkable when a product, discovered in the days of gas lights and horse-drawn carriages, is still used in applications for which it was originally designed, such as flooring in health care and educational facilities as well as numerous other public and commercial buildings. Today, a new future lies ahead for linoleum, as its manufacturer, Forbo, has major plans to provide a modernized package of sustainable flooring solution for the building and construction industry.

Sustainable Linoleum floors In 1928, seven European linoleum manufacturers formed the ‘Continentale Linoleum Union’. Under this umbrella the portfolio was further extended to include related flooring products such as carpets and vinyl flooring. In the 1970s the union was renamed ‘Forbo’ following which it successfully evolved into a worldwide group operating on five continents with a focus on two product families: floor covering (linoleum, vinyl and textiles) which included construction adhesives and; movement systems (i.e. conveyor belts). Today, Forbo employs over 5,500 people and has a worldwide network of twenty four production and distribution sites, six assembly centres and forty five sales organizations in a total of thirty six countries. The company is a global player and, through its two divisions, supplies a range of industries. Forbo’s global reach enables the company to remain close to the relevant

market at all times and ideally positioned to be the first choice as a local partner for customers. 90% of the latter are partners in the B2B (business to business) environment and 10% in the consumer market, for residential homes, dwellings and apartments.

Shaping the environment Floor covering is seen as an essential interior finishing material and features worldwide as the base element of every building’s indoor environment. Forbo, by virtue of its broad product portfolio, offers solutions and applications for every market segment ranging from specialized flooring for health care, aged care and industrial environments, to all types of educational facility. But Forbo’s products also find their way into offices, retail, leisure, hospitality, transportation and sports applications.

The company’s manufacturing facilities are all located in Europe, from where it designs and creates innovative solutions that are attractive, functional and sustainable. Forbo’s products are available in sheet or tile qualities that either can be laid loose or fully adhered. Plank and panel formats and strong and durable panel click systems are also part of the portfolio. The floor covering solutions on offer extend from entrance flooring to highly specialized IT floors so that there is an option for every building to be serviced from basement to boardroom. Forbo’s global supply chain guarantees that customers receive their flooring at the right time and in the right place, a quality of service that has earned the company 65% of the global market in recent years. With this share, Forbo is the global market leader in linoleum, a product which continues to

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

107

A NATURAL PRODUCT Linoleum is a product which is made from natural renewable materials that can be harvested from annual crops such as flax and jute or obtained as recycled wood from controlled forestry plantations. It was invented in 1855 by an Englishman, Frederic Walton, when he happened to notice the rubbery, flexible skin of solidified linseed oil (linoxyn) that had formed on a can of oil-based paint and thought that it might form a substitute for India rubber. Raw linseed oil oxidizes very slowly, but Walton accelerated the process by heating it in combination with pine rosin. This made the oil form a resinous mass that he thought might be used by the manufacturers of water-repellent fabrics such as oilcloth, a process he patented in 1860. However, his method was not without problems and he soon found out that it was easier to coat sheets of canvas with the resinous mass, calling the result ‘linoleum’. Linoleum appeared to be ideally suited as floorcovering, in that it was an obvious improvement over the impregnated sail cloth that was used as a floor covering at the time. Compared to wooden and stone floors with their many cracks, linoleum proved to be more resilient and showed some very attractive properties. This proved to be a huge innovation, making wall to wall covering of floors possible and providing a solution that greatly enhanced hygiene. Because of its antibacterial and is purportedly non-allergic properties, linoleum quickly made its way into hospitals, schools and public buildings. For decades there was no real substitute that provided similar features.

108

be an extremely popular choice even after 150 years.

The art of making linoleum The process of manufacturing linoleum involves an intensive process that cannot be rushed. It takes time to produce this natural product as it is made from renewable raw materials that are subject to strict controls. In 1855, its inventor Frederick Walton (see text box) got the recipe for linoleum more or less right at the first attempt. Ever since then the ingredients have essentially remained the same. The only change in the process has been that machine power took over most of the labour. Linoleum is created with six main ingredients: linseed oil, pine rosin, wood flour, limestone, jute and natural pigments. The process of manufacturing linoleum begins with the oxidation of linseed oil. Originally, this was carried out in high-roofed sheds. Large sheets of scrim cloth were hung from the top of a drying room onto which were poured a mixture of oil and driers that would air-oxidize successively until a one-inch layer was formed. This used to take several months but has now

been reduced to a few days. In the modern process, oxidized linseed oil and resins are heated and mixed together to produce linoleum cement, a flexible mass, mixed with wood flour, limestone and coloured with pigments to form linoleum granulate. The linoleum granules are mixed so that a multicoloured batch is created which eventually creates the marbled, striped or speckled linoleum design. The granules eventually end up before a colander where they are pressed onto the jute mesh which forms the backing of the floorcovering. The result, the linoleum sheets, are cured in large drying rooms where they stay for up to two weeks. Making linoleum is considered an art, which is not learned at any trade or craft school. In fact, only a handful of people know how to make linoleum. Determining the correct mixture of ingredients, allowing the right time for raw materials to settle, applying the correct temperature and pressure are skills the experts of Forbo must master and they take pride in every piece of linoleum flooring they create. “Only a handful of people know how to make linoleum.”

Forbo Assessing sustainability Linoleum is commonly known as the ecofriendly natural flooring material that was popular during the early 1900s to 1950s. Not so well-known is that, apart from being an environmental product in its creation, it also performs sustainably during its long useful lifetime and, when eventually disposed of, it will not leave any harmful residue as the product is biodegradable. To prove the eco-friendliness of its linoleum product, Forbo uses several assessments. The first is the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique resulting in an environmental product declaration (EPD). This declaration, which is transparent and third-party verified, is based on a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, to ultimate disposal or recycling. This technique takes all the following aspects into account: environmental impact of raw material acquisition, energy use and efficiency, content of materials and chemical substances, emissions to air, soil and water and waste generation. When applied to linoleum the assessment considers the way the jute and flax are grown, how the recycled material for the wood flour is harvested, the amount of recycled linoleum used and the absence of toxic substances and plasticizers. In 1997 Forbo became the first producer of linoleum to comply with the LCA standards executed by the Dutch Leiden University: and not without reason. Forbo monitors the educational and social

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

109

circumstances of the areas where jute and flax are grown, the way the materials are transported and the use of green energy used during manufacturing. Linoleum is a carbon dioxide neutral product because the natural crops of jute, flax and trees absorb much carbon dioxide and the production process costs little energy. To be able to produce a CO2 neutral floor (without buying any CO2 offsets), that not only lasts for over thirty years but is also bio-degradable at its end of life, is truly unique. In the world of floor coverings, on average, only 30% of annual production is used for newly built constructions. The rest, some 70%, is applied to renovation projects. Whenever a new floor is installed in the latter, the old floor needs to come out first and becomes waste. This makes it clear how important it is to use sustainable solutions that are sound from their creation to the end of their lives. Apart from LCA, Forbo seeks to demonstrate its environmentally-friendly approach through its high ratings in commonly accepted building standards such as BREEAM and LEED. BREEAM is a European assessment method that uses scientifically-based sustainability indices that cover a range of environmental issues. Its categories evaluate energy and water use, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. Buildings are rated and certified on a scale of ‘Pass’, ‘Good’, ‘Very Good’, ‘Excellent’ and ‘Outstanding’. The ratings are carried out by independent, licensed assessors. The aim of BREEAM is to raise awareness amongst owners, occupiers and designers of the benefits of taking a sustainability approach. It helps them

110

to successfully adopt sustainable solutions in a cost-effective manner and provides market recognition of their achievements. It aims to reduce the negative effects of construction and development on the environment. LEED is another (North American) appreciation method to indicate the environmental impact of a building. Forbo’s own warehouse in Assendelft (NL) which was constructed some years ago has a LEED gold certificate because of its low energy construction, solar panels and a lighting system that is only on when someone is present. Finally, Forbo is also a member of many of the Green Building Council institutes, a national non-profit, non-government organization that is part of a global network recognized by the World Green Building Council. In a Green Building Council all sectors of the property, building and industry are represented, with an overarching goal to promote the transformation of the built environment towards one that is sustainable. Forbo is a member of the Dutch Green Building Council and has acted many times as a founding member of new Green Building Councils in other countries.

A place in modern architecture While the advantages of linoleum are clear, there is a legacy to this product that has nothing to do with its characteristics, but with how the product is perceived. As linoleum enjoys a huge popularity among schools, hospitals and other public buildings, it has the image of an institutional flooring solution. However, all those who are introduced

to linoleum are not only surprised by the ecological virtues of the product but also by the discovery of the vast array of colours and designs it offers, as well as its versatility as a unique floor-covering material. The product is breaking new ground as increasing numbers of commercial and private customers are looking for sustainable solutions for their office buildings, retail stores, hotels and leisure facilities. Linoleum has been rediscovered by architects and designers and two of the newest collections Marmoleum Cocoa, which contains natural cocoa husks and, Marmoleum Slate, which has ‘close to nature’ stone embossing, have received the acclaim of both the IF Design and Red Dot Design awards. As Forbo’s linoleum is supplied in a modular format of planks and tiles, it enables designers to create the floor they want by mixing and matching tone in tone colours or by creating natural wood and stone visuals.

A sustainable champion in a modern age As one of the largest contributors to humaninduced global warming, the building and construction industry has a responsibility to seek and invest in sustainable materials and technologies. Forbo provides a sustainable solution with its linoleum products: natural, durable floor covering whose manufacturing process is 100% CO2 neutral. Forbo sees a bright future ahead and is confident that it can lift linoleum to the next level; from the classic institutional architecture to beautiful and natural floors that find a place in modern architecture.

Forbo

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

111

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We offer the best feed for all farm animals and the best advice for the farmer.â&#x20AC;? 112

ForFarmers The increasing scale and complexity of farms lead to a growing demand for customised solutions. With the ambition to be the leading livestock nutrition company in Europe, ForFarmers offers the ‘Total Feed’ solution for farmers. A thorough understanding of all the specific needs of farms enables the company to directly improve the return for the farmer through healthier livestock and greater efficiency: an objective that goes hand in hand with a sustainable farming future.

For the Future of Farming About 100 years ago, a number of Dutch farmers, who wanted to secure their feed supply, founded a cooperative, the predecessor of ForFarmers. In the subsequent century the cooperative showed a steady growth, partly through acquisitions of other cooperatives and companies. Ten years ago, the ownership and the business activities of the cooperative were split in order to enable ForFarmers to expand its business internationally. Two acquisitions in 2012, Hendrix UTD in the Netherlands and BOCM Pauls in the United Kingdom, tripled the size of ForFarmers, transforming it from its hitherto regional orientation into an internationally operating company. This was part of its strategy, introduced in 2012, to focus the core business on a well-defined place in the value chain and which consequently led to divestment of non-core activities. Subsequently, in 2014, the company launched its ‘Horizon 2020’ strategy, with a strong focus

on innovation, sustainability and leveraging, all to the benefit of its customers. Core to the strategy is the delivering of nutritional solutions at the farm gate through the ‘Total Feed’ portfolio, which comprises feed products, advice and tools. In order to maintain its strategic position, ForFarmers aims to be at the top of any market in which it is active. However growth needs to be achieved both organically as well as through acquisitions. As a result therefore, this strategy has seen the development of production facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, enabling For Farmers to achieve market leadership in Europe. Today, ForFarmers is a listed company on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock exchange. The cooperative FromFarmers, which emerged from the business split, remains the company’s largest shareholder, ensuring a close connection between the company and its roots.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

113

THE TOTAL FEED APPROACH: FEED, ADVICE AND TOOLS Farming businesses in Europe have grown in size and have had to deal with an increasing focus on sustainable production, food safety, and animal wellbeing, as well as ongoing pressure to reduce costs. As a consequence, the need for feed solutions and support on the farm is changing. To anticipate and address these changes in the best way possible, ForFarmers offers integrated solutions consisting of feed products, advice and tools, which can support farmers in determining their business objectives, implement improvements and monitor their results. ForFarmers has traditionally been strong in the development and production of compound feed and complementary feed for livestock farmers. Moreover, ForFarmers is a well-established supplier of young animal feed and specialised feed products, raw materials, seeds and fertilisers. The company’s advice covers all those aspects of feed, livestock farming and business development that are relevant to customers. Tools include those for analysis and reporting, with which farmers can set business objectives, and monitor and benchmark results. With this Total Feed approach, ForFarmers can harmonise its products and advice throughout the entire production cycle at the farm. In this way customers are offered a total solution, in line with their business objectives, feeding system and business circumstances. This improves the farm’s performance leading to better returns, thus contributing to the continuity and growth of the business.

114

ForFarmers offers its Total Feed solutions for both conventional and organic livestock farming. It offers feed for dairy and beef cattle, swine, poultry and sheep, as well as special feed, for example for horses and game. The Total Feed range enables the farmer to produce high quality meat, dairy products and eggs, thereby contributing to better returns and to the continuity of the farmer’s business. With its long-term objectives laid down in its vision called ‘For the Future of Farming’, ForFarmers maintains a particularly strong focus on the continuity and growth of the farming sector. Such support for farmers enables the latter to achieve their goals in order to sustainably serve society for generations to come. “Working side-by-side with farmers we deliver real benefits: better returns, healthier livestock and greater efficiency.”

Cooperating with farmers ForFarmers works side-by-side with its customers, the farmers, and through this

collaboration it is possible for the company to gain a thorough understanding of their specific needs. This understanding enables the company to significantly improve the return for the farmer through healthier livestock and greater efficiency. A better return is what farmers ultimately want, particularly as modern farmers are operating in a global and highly competitive market where innovations and continuous technical improvements are a prerequisite if their businesses are to be resilient, prosper and grow. Farmers need to ‘work smarter’ and create a greater return from fewer resources in a more sustainable way. Additionally they need to comply with the demands of society for improved animal wellbeing and sustainability. Fundamental to the better return are healthier animals as these can create increased productivity, greater job satisfaction as well as better ways to meet the needs and expectations of a society in which the wellbeing of animals and the provenance of food are growing issues. Healthier livestock produces higher volume and higher quality

ForFarmers REDUCING THE PHOSPHATE FOOTPRINT

meat, milk and eggs. The Total Feed product range and the individually tuned feed programs, that can be monitored and adapted if necessary, support farmers to perform to the optimum. ForFarmers helps to optimise the efficiency of all the processes on the farm. Farms are fundamentally businesses and need to deal efficiently with resources such as raw materials and labour, in order to make a profit and guarantee continuity while, at the same time, meet society’s ever-widening demands. A greater efficiency is attained through the use of analytical tools, target setting, monitoring and advice on farming operations; all part of the Total Feed approach. “We don’t just sell feed but work closely with farmers on a broad range of farm operations.” ForFarmers achieves these objectives by offering tailored ‘Total Feed solutions’ to the farmer as part of a targeted approach, using specialist and expert support. This comprises advice on a range of subjects, for example ventilation, the design of stables, investment planning and individual coaching.

ForFarmers also offers tools to analyse and use data collected by the company, which show individual farmers the potential for improvement, how to monitor progress of specific programs and support scenario planning for both the individual farmer and the wider sector. ForFarmers also uses feed models which incorporate a range of scientific knowledge. Based on targeted planning, analysis and the application of this international knowledge, ForFarmers is able to provide the optimal nutritional solution for any individual farmer. “Sustainability is in our genes: healthier animals and an efficient use of raw materials have always been the prime objectives of farmers and ForFarmers.”

An integrated approach to sustainability ForFarmers is committed to sustainability. However, this commitment is not just to the long-term viability of the farm, but to the whole feed value chain: the environment, animal health and welfare, as well as individual people and society in general.

ForFarmers has introduced an innovative nutritional parameter for the amount of phosphor in dairy feed: ‘True Phosphor’. This new nutrient helps farmers to determine more precisely the need for phosphor for their cattle, on the basis of their milk production and milk composition and to better target their phosphor supply. ForFarmers believe that many businesses can decrease phosphate production by reducing phosphor intake and, ultimately, the amount of phosphate in cow manure. Cows need a certain minimum amount of phosphor: generally an average of 3.5 grams of phosphor per kilo of feed is assumed to be necessary for optimal health and production. The new nutrient ‘True Phosphor’ takes more variables into account. The need for phosphor not only depends on the production levels but also on the amount of fat and protein in the milk. A cow with a high milk production needs more phosphor than a cow with a low production. The phosphor intake from the different feed products also varies as there are large differences in phosphor accessibility between them. By taking all these variables into account it is possible to match supply and demand more precisely, creating the best of both worlds: a reduction of the phosphate footprint and a reduction in costs of feed.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

115

LEVERAGING SCALE, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE As an international company, ForFarmers actively deploys knowledge and expertise from one country to another. An interesting example is the reduction of the amount of antibiotics prescribed to sick animals. The Dutch government has approached the issue through a voluntary ‘covenant’ with its farm sectors, including farmers, veterinarians and feed suppliers. This includes setting a target of 75 per cent reduction, from a 2009 base, by 2015, clear responsibilities for prescribing and systems to provide transparency about usage. In-feed medication was stopped in the Netherlands in 2011 and this has produced various benefits, including enabling antibiotics to be administered ‘faster on and faster off’ through drinking water and topdressing, while also reducing the changes of unwanted cross contamination. As there is a clear interdependence between health and nutrition, ForFarmers develops innovative nutritional solutions to enhance the immune system, reduce the pathogen load, modify the gut microbiota and stimulate the digestive function. The basis of the company’s approach is that of a truly healthy and productive diet. When there are disease challenges these can be met with specifically designed animal diets. Antibiotics are given as a last resort, since sick animals always need treatment. This multi-factorial approach requires good cooperation between the farmer, the veterinarian and the ForFarmers feed advisor. To facilitate this ForFarmers developed objective measurement tools and systems. ForFarmers is currently actively sharing this experience with the United Kingdom, where the discussion of in-feed antibiotics has recently intensified. It is a clear example of the role ForFarmers can play in the exchange of ideas and knowledge between countries.

116

There are many ways by which the company aims to contribute to sustainability goals. First and foremost, ForFarmers is strategically well-positioned in the sustainability chain, as the company and the farmers are major consumers of raw materials that are in short supply. Small changes in big volumes have great impact within the chain and, as a result, ForFarmers is a very significant influencer of its partners in the supply chain. In addition, there is great focus on diminishing the carbon foot print in its own activities such as in factories and transport. The company has an immediate impact on major issues, for example animal welfare and the environment. As good entrepreneurs and having been founded by farmers, the focus in the strategy has always been to optimise the conversion of feed per animal, contribute to healthier animals and animal welfare, and create less waste, thus resulting in better returns for farmers. In translating these ambitions into actions, attention must be paid to the fact that the conditions formulated by society vary in time and between different countries. ForFarmers has therefore formulated its own proactive strategy to respond to the challenges of sustainability in this changing world. The company is guided by, and works closely with, its partners in the supply chain and with its farmers on these themes, because all are very receptive to changes in their respective markets. In effect they function as the eyes and the ears of the company. The fact that ForFarmers is active in various countries makes it possible to lever the internal knowledge and expertise on sustainability to the benefit of its customers.

“Our international position makes an active transfer of knowledge and expertise between countries possible, to the benefit of all involved.” In much the same manner ForFarmers added the carbon and phosphate footprint to the existing dairy farm economic tool, Milk€fficient, while another example can be found in the tool, Delta-score, which objectively combines disease information, feed composition, slaughterhouse measurement and management factors in the farming of swine. This facilitates the effective collaboration between veterinarian, farmer and feed advisor leading to a significant reduction of antibiotic use on the farm. In this context all innovations of ForFarmers have a direct impact on, and contribute to, animal welfare, financially healthier businesses and sustainability.

For the future of farming ForFarmers is proud of its heritage and roots in many farming communities across Europe. Moreover, the company works confidently day in and day out with all its employees, customers and other stakeholders to achieve a strong future for livestock producers in Europe and for the future of farming. “Relations and trust are of utmost importance.”

ForFarmers

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

117

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no substitute for natural light.â&#x20AC;? 118

Hunter Douglas At Hunter Douglas, sustainability means many things, such as acting as a responsible manufacturer, employer and business partner. However this is not a new concept, but one that has been embedded in the company’s business since its foundation a century ago. By developing and marketing products that manage light, insulate rooms against heat and cold and save energy using natural light, the company helps customers to reduce their footprint with smart design and manufacturing.

Using natural light Hunter Douglas’s strength lies in its ability to develop innovative, high quality, proprietary products that can be found in millions of homes and commercial buildings around the world. As these products share many characteristics that help to manage light, energy and comfort using natural conditions, sustainability is at the very roots of the company. “Everyone at Hunter Douglas is committed to sustainability, which is at the forefront of our design philosophy.” - Aad Kuiper, President & CEO - Hunter Douglas Europe B.V.

Sustainable design and manufacturing Hunter Douglas’s deeply-rooted concept of sustainability is clearly visible in the way it handles design and manufacturing. The company’s approach is to manage

the immediate environment using the best available techniques to reduce environmental impact by protecting and conserving resources such as materials and energy. Hunter Douglas has been improving design and manufacturing techniques for a considerable time. For example, for over 60 years, the company has been recycling and reusing materials in the manufacturing of products, sending less and less to landfill. Hunter Douglas’s broad vision on sustainability can be divided in 5 objectives: • to design products that enhance comfort and indoor environmental quality • to design products that reduce the energy use in buildings • to use the right materials • to reduce the environmental impact of business operations • to conduct business in a socially responsible way.

A SHORT HISTORY In 1919 Henry Sonnenberg founded a machine tool distribution and, later, manufacturing, company in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 1933 he moved his factory to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, moving to the United States a few years later. There he met Joe Hunter, with whom Henry joined forces to develop new technology and equipment for the continuous casting and fabrication of lightweight aluminium, leading to the production of Venetian Blinds. These products were very successful and, in the 1960s, Hunter Douglas expanded into Europe, Australia and Latin America followed, twenty years later, by expansion into Asia. The company’s success was illustrated by the return of the headquarters of the Hunter Douglas Group to Rotterdam in 1971. In the years that followed, the Hunter Douglas Group became market-leader in daylight regulation and solar heat gain control solutions, a position it still holds. More specifically, Hunter Douglas is the world’s leading manufacturer of window coverings as well as a major manufacturer of architectural products.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

119

The first two focus on the effect that window coverings have on the in-house and inoffice climate, climate being defined as the combination of temperature and light. The window coverings shield rooms and offices from the sun while, on the other hand, still allowing light to enter the space. In this way, the products reduce the need for air conditioning systems and thus the use of energy. Whether for homes or offices, window coverings create a good and light working atmosphere, which enhances the health and the productivity of employees. They also reduce the need for artificial light and thus save energy. The third and fourth objectives of using the right materials and reducing the impact of business operations on the environment have always been at the forefront at Hunter Douglas because they go hand in glove with the optimizing of the manufacturing process. The result is that, currently, 98% of the aluminium used is recycled aluminium. Using recycled material takes 95% less energy than making virgin aluminium. By carefully optimising the alloying process, Hunter Douglas is able to produce slat material that has a unique spring-back quality. At the same time, without compromising quality, the design of the classic Venetian Blind has been critically evaluated, which has resulted in less aluminium per square meter. Together, all these measures add up to a reduction in the carbon footprint of the products from 5.8 kg CO2 per square metre in 1970, to 0.8 kg CO2 per square metre in 2016. The measures are part of the company’s ‘Hunter Green™’ and ‘Keen on Green’ initiatives to reduce its energy consumption, water usage and the overall carbon-footprint.

120

The last objective focuses on doing business in a socially responsible way. The company is engaged in many projects with a social dimension, for example as a guarantor backing an Endowment for Microfinance Sustainability, which provides food security on an annual basis for 660,000 poor people, 60 percent of whom are children. Since disbursing its first loan in 2006, the fund has financed further loans for over 175,000 poor micro-borrowers. In Malawi the company partners together with Cordaid, one of the largest development aid organisations in the Netherlands, to help support mothers and children to fight malaria. By installing Hunter Douglas’s robust insect screens in maternity clinics and hospitals, the company is helping provide effective, live-saving protection.

a building, thereby reducing the need for artificial light). Hunter Douglas window coverings, which represent about 85% of the company’s portfolio, successfully meet these objectives and do far more than just cover a window. They enhance the indoor environmental quality and can have a major impact on a building’s footprint. Recent innovations include an advanced home automation system that allows window coverings to be conveniently operated via a smart phone, tablet or remote control based on personalised settings.

More than just covering windows

THE BEST LIGHT THERE IS

Compared with well-insulated walls and roofs, standard double-glazed windows lose ten to fifteen times more heat. This means that, although windows only make up about ten percent of a building’s exterior, up to one half of heating and cooling energy is lost through them. This is why window coverings have such a large impact and selecting the right window covering can save precious resources, control the flow of energy, save on utility costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, homes and offices are made more comfortable with window coverings that reduce heat flow, control solar heat (allowing it in winter and reducing it in summer) and enhance daylighting (by preventing glare and redirecting natural light deeper into

There is no real substitute for natural light. Without it there would be no life. However, the use of natural light as a source of sustainable energy in buildings is often overlooked. Fortunately, architects are increasingly aware of the value of daylight in buildings. However, the presence of large glazed areas is no guarantee for the right level of comfort. Sometimes there is just too much light and heat entering a building. This is where Hunter Douglas can provide its system solutions for light and heat regulation.

Hunter Douglas A GLOBAL FEDERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS

Greener by design Hunter Douglas is a world-leader in the manufacture of sun control solutions, ventilated facade systems and ceiling systems. The company’s façade systems have high aesthetic value and are very durable, its ceiling systems improve acoustics, while its exterior sun control solutions bring the same advantages as window coverings and an even higher reduction in energy consumption. An important aspect is that these products are developed in close collaboration with architects, building owners and contractors, to realize not only their design objectives but also performance requirements for light control, energy efficiency and acoustics. Through this collaborative approach Hunter Douglas is able to develop new and smarter ways to tackle difficult and real-world obstacles by innovating high-performance architectural materials with proprietary characteristics in design, comfort and sustainability. “We make ‘green’ beautiful with stylish solutions for saving energy”.

Some typical examples of ‘greener by design’ products include: • Duette Shades: these were developed in response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s, and were an industry innovation. Their honeycomb construction traps air inside the cells to keep homes warmer in winter and cooler in the summer • GreenScreen Roller Blind Fabric: the first PVC-free solar shading fabric to provide sustainability with flame retardant characteristics, thereby meeting the strictest international standards for indoor environmental control • GreenScreen Sea-Tex: the world’s first solar shading fabric made from plastic waste recovered from shorelines and coastal communities around the world. “We focus on high-performance architectural materials with proprietary characteristics in design, comfort and sustainability for both interior and exterior application.” “We work closely together with architects to bring ideas off the drawing board and into reality.” “Entrepreneurship of the individual company is key in the Hunter Douglas Group.”

It is typical of Hunter Douglas that it is a highly decentralised, global federation which comprises small and medium-sized companies that manufacture and market similar products. This is a unique structure, wherein the companies within the Group are organized along regional lines so that each has its own management team, with a central management team in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Every company operates under its own name in retail and consumer markets, but works closely with other members of its own region as well as the Group. Within the latter, entrepreneurship is key. Each company is expected to innovate its products and exploit market opportunities as if it were a standalone company, while maintaining its cohesion with the other members of the group. Entrepreneurship is also a central element of continuity within the Group. Following a Group acquisition, the original owner or entrepreneur is expected to stay at the helm for at least seven years after the acquisition because he or she was, and will remain, of utmost importance for the success of the acquired company. In total the Group consists of 131 companies with 22,500 employees and is active in over 100 countries. Being part of the Hunter Douglas Group has many merits, some of the most prominent being: • all R and D is shared, resulting in a broad spectrum of innovations • companies get access to markets via other companies of the group • individual companies are part of a larger group and thus have the benefits of scale • it is easy for companies to enlarge their range with products of other group members.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

121

Taking it further Sustainability is, and will always be, deeply rooted in the company’s DNA and, in the light of the global challenges the world is facing, Hunter Douglas is eager to continue its current approach to sustainability through design and manufacturing. A major ambition in this context is, within five years, to have half of the fabrics produced by the company Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM (see text box). Furthermore, all new products will be developed with the Cradle to Cradle® philosophy in mind. Apart from implementing its own sustainability strategy, Hunter Douglas also seeks to guide its business partners, as these are the tangible connection with the final customer. “We take our responsibilities seriously: not only by designing and manufacturing, but by being an excellent example, one which we hope our partners will be as well for their customers.”

122

COLLE CTI ON OF S HOR E L INE P L AST IC F O R C R AD L E TO C R AD L E CE RTI FI E D T M S E A -TE X T M S H AD ING FABR IC .

THE BEST LIGHT THERE IS ‘Cradle to Cradle®: Remaking the Way We Make Things’ is a 2002 non-fiction book by German chemist Michael Braungart and the American architect William McDonough. It is a manifest detailing how to achieve their ‘Cradle to Cradle’ design model. It calls for a radical change in industry: a switch from a ‘Cradle to Grave’ pattern to the Cradle to Cradle pattern. It proposes that “reduce and reuse cycle” methods perpetuate the former and that more changes need to be made. The book discourages downcycling, but rather encourages the manufacture of products with the goal of upcycling in mind. This vision of upcycling is based on a system of “lifecycle development” initiated by Braungart

and colleagues at the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency in the 1990s. As products reach the end of their useful life, they become either “biological nutrients” or “technical nutrients”. Biological nutrients are materials that can re-enter the environment, while technical nutrients are materials that remain within closedloop industrial cycles. The recycled aluminum used by Hunter Douglas is one of these technical nutrients and so are the polyester fibres in its fabrics and HeartFelt® ceiling system. The new HeartFelt® modular linear felt ceiling system from Hunter Douglas is Cradle to Cradle® certified, as is its classic Venetian Blind.

Hunter Douglas

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

123

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want the highest yield with minimal impact on the environment.â&#x20AC;? 124

Incotec As populations grow and competition for fertile land increases, agronomists are continually challenged to produce more food with fewer resources. For half a century, Incotec has specialized in boosting the yield of vegetables and field crops by enhancing seed. In so doing, the company is contributing to sustainable agriculture by providing innovative technologies that contribute to a steadily increasing food supply for a growing world population.

Specialist in seed protection Before Incotec started to propagate its technology worldwide by developing subsidiaries on all continents, it had already experienced several decades of growth. This started with seed coating activities in 1968 when the company was still a department of the seed company Royal Sluis. Business expanded rapidly following the launch of the ‘Incotec’ company (from ‘INtegrated COating and Seed TEChnology’) and, as a result of the acquisition in 2015 of Incotec by Croda, a speciality chemical manufacturer, an even broader and more innovative portfolio of seed enhancement products is being developed for the market.

essence, Incotec influences the development of the seed, seedling and young plant, by starting with the seed itself. Today, the company has a broad portfolio with seven main technological groups to maximize seed performance in the areas of upgrading, priming, disinfection, film coating, encrusting and pelleting, application of actives and additives and analytical quality testing. The results of these optimised seeds are convincing: the yield can increase by 200 - 300% in comparison with non-treated seed.

The company’s current portfolio shows a combination of products that greatly enhance yield, with the ultimate goal of maximising the best quality and the maximum productivity from each individual seed, but with the least impact on the environment. In

So, why do seeds need to be coated in the first place? To answer this, it is worthwhile taking a step back to explain the added value of seed treatments in general and this can be summed up by the following: disease and insect pressure can reduce yield and cause spoilage.

Protecting plants

“We apply plant protection products directly onto the seeds prior to sowing in order to enable precise and efficient protection of the seed and of the resulting seedling during the early stages of its growth.”

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

125

Incotec’s seed treatment produces a significant reduction of the amount of crop protectants used, estimated to be as much as 80-90%, when compared to in-furrow or spray applications. The addition of a formula as a film coating, together with ‘Plant Protection Products’ (PPPs), during the seed treatment process brings many additional benefits. It binds the PPPs onto the seeds to allow an excellent retention of the active ingredients. Dust emissions are thereby reduced making them safer for seed treatment operators, growers and non-target organisms, and it also greatly improves processing, planting and cosmetics in comparison to seeds without film coating. Another benefit is that it enables application of controlled amounts of nutrients.

SEED VALLEY Incotec is one of the many specialized companies that, together, form ‘Seed Valley’ in the northwest of the Netherlands. Here one can find the international centre of plant breeding and seed technology: the base for dozens of innovative companies that develop high-quality vegetable and flower varieties for the horticulture sector. What Silicon Valley means for IT and software is what Seed Valley means for the development of plant varieties and seed technology. Seed Valley is the

126

home of the most innovative green fingers in the world! Companies located in the area develop new and improved flower and vegetable varieties that give higher yields, are resistant to drought, or which are suitable for modern cultivation methods. From Seed Valley, plant reproduction material and associated technology is exported to customers worldwide, contributing to a healthy and flowering planet.

Every seed species and every seed cultivar within a given species displays its own size, shape and surface properties that translate into specific technical requirements for the coating in order to fulfil its key functions. Furthermore, the broad range of crop protectants registered for seed enhancement applications creates an extra level of complexity, as every PPP formulation interacts with the coating components in its own way. Seed treatment slurries generally combine several PPPs with a film coat product, so that the number of combinations is endless! The Research and Development team at Incotec tackles these needs to achieve the best possible outcome by developing film coat formulations for specific crops and by targeting superior properties for both the broadest possible range of varieties within a given species and for the main PPP slurries used in the seed treatment industry. In some

Incotec BEING PART OF CRODA

cases, film coat products may be tailored for a customer to tackle new or unresolved problems such as problematic PPP slurry, or a seed variety that is difficult to coat, or even to achieve a special colour for the coated seeds “Increased farming yields help to feed the world’s growing population”.

Feeding the world With an ever-growing world population and less arable land available, the yield per seed and per square meter will become more important. Incotec contributes significantly to the growth of vegetables and field crops by making higher yields possible, thus enhancing food supplies for the increased population while reducing the use of crop protecting chemicals and other additives. In the immediate future Incotec intends to further specialize in the application of biological ingredients. For example nitrate (a combination of nitrogen and oxygen) is important for the growth of a crop and normally ‘added’ by using fertilizer. However there are microorganisms that can

transform nitrogen from the air into nitrate, thus making fertilizer obsolete. While a very attractive proposition in theory this can create challenges in practice, one of them being how living material such as a micro-organism or mould can be both kept alive in the coating and activated at the right moment. Furthermore every biological system is different in size and metabolism so it is hard to fine-tune the biological ingredients. Despite these challenges, the strategy is clear: to stimulate the shift of protection from crop to seed and from traditional chemical ingredients to biological ingredients. “Our products offer the basis for the most efficient and effective way of growing vegetables and field crops.”

Total seed enhancer Step by step, Incotec has developed into a ‘total solution seed enhancer’, giving the company a unique position in the market. Its knowledge spans all the dimensions needed to enhance the quality of the seed, its germination, the seedlings that emerge and the adult plants. The ultimate goal is, perhaps unsurprisingly, to achieve the highest possible

Since December 2015, Incotec has been a member of Croda International, a specialist chemical manufacturer. With 4,200 employees working in 36 countries, Croda focuses on developing and delivering a wide range of practical products to its customers across nine markets, including personal care, health care, coatings, lubricants and crop protection. Sustainability is integral to Croda’s business: from the raw materials they source and the way they use them, to the ingredients they create and the people who produce them. Croda’s very first product was Lanolin, a natural and sustainable ingredient created as a result of processing sheep fleece for textile industries. Over 90 years later, about 70% of the company’s raw materials still come from natural, renewable, sources. Within the Croda Group, Incotec holds an independent position, thereby keeping its own identity and strategy. However, as part of Croda, Incotec gains many advantages such as access to relevant knowledge and experience in the development and application of new ingredients, which can be used specifically for seed coatings, and thus offer interesting cross-overs. Also, Incotec can use considerable in-house knowledge of the chemical and physical character of crop protectants. Moreover, Croda has a wide range of analytical methods which can be applied for non-invasive, predictive analysis of seeds. Another synergy is the potential application of existing technologies and delivery mechanisms as applied in other Croda businesses. Finally, Croda offers Incotec a broader and more refined system of sales offices and distribution, strengthening the latter’s market position.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

127

yield. Incotec offers an integrated approach in which the many restrictions, limitations and challenges presented by both the seed and the environment are being addressed. This complete and integrated approach is the result of continuous innovation and perseverance. It takes entrepreneurship, time, patience and dedication for the type of progress achieved by the company. It is the rare combination of knowledge of seeds and process technology that gives the company a strong competitive edge. In this way Incotec has built an impressive and unique body of knowledge, represented by the craftsmanship of its employees and, with successive innovations during recent years, this seed enhancing company has been able to finetune the seeds to the specific conditions of different geographical locations so that the highest yield will be obtained.

128

been further enhanced by close cooperation with partners. For every challenge Incotec has worked hard to find the right partners, whether they be seed breeders, universities or other. In some cases these may comprise various combinations of enterprise. By working together such partnerships and collaborations can create new insights and new technologies. “We show that incremental, or ‘disruptive’, innovation ultimately leads to major new markets and value networks.”

“Seed-enhancement technology is the bridge between the seed companies and healthy and vital plants, thereby enhancing the yield per seed.”

There is also a social dimension to Incotec’s innovation. As a typical ‘flat’ organisation, employees are closely involved in R&D and other continuing activities. Success for Incotec is a combination of technological and social innovation, the latter creating the right environment for the first. Knowledge is kept up to date by making it available and accessible to all employees whatever their location. Staff are trained and educated from the head office in Enkhuizen and problems are widely shared, with knowledge and expertise brought in from all over the world.

Innovation has always benefitted from thirdparty input and the company’s success has

“To get the highest yields possible one should line up all our products and be amazed by what a difference we can make.”

Understanding nature Incotec’s ambition is to constantly enhance the quality and possibilities of the technologies. One of the big questions in this respect is how genes can be activated (‘switched on’), or deactivated (‘switched off’), in the seed. For example, the stress mechanism should be activated before the stress itself occurs; by so doing the reaction of the plant is more adequate. Another interesting innovation has been the introduction of beneficial microorganisms on seeds to make plants more resistant. Nature itself knows many of these types of combination or mechanism and the challenge is to understand them. Using its seed enhancement, Incotec wants to contribute to feeding the world. The world comprises many local markets in different stages of development, each of which has its own unique characteristics, dynamics and challenges for seeds. “We want to stay in close contact with the needs of growers and local markets in order to optimize the effect of seeds.”

Incotec SEVEN WAYS TO OPTIMIZE THE YIELD OF CROPS To enhance the vitality of the crop and protect it against external influences, Incotec offers a combination of technologies that greatly enhance the yield per seed. Upgrading by separation: Processes in which the best germinating seeds are separated from less well germinating seed. The seed is selected on the basis of specific weight, appearance or internal characteristics. Priming: The timely starting and stopping of the germination process under controlled conditions. Disinfection: The removal of transmittable diseases by various processes. Film coating: The application of a, usually coloured, film around the seed, while preserving the original form of the seed. Encrusting and Pelleting: Changing the form of the seeds by applying a coating that makes them easier to sow mechanically. Application of protectants and stimulants: The application of PPPs, growth stimulators and micro-organisms on seed, which protect seeds and plants against diseases, stimulate root and plant growth and enhance the uptake of nutrients. Analytical quality testing: Quality control and breeding support for seed companies using a broad pallet of biochemical, molecular and analytical tests and technologies.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

129

“Sustainability is part of Lely’s DNA.” 130

Lely For Lely, nature and farming go hand in hand and sustainability has always been an integral part of doing business. Whether this concerns the development of new products for milking, feeding, housing or caring, Lely helps farmers and always starts with the cow!

Putting the cow first Life on the farm has changed as automation and innovation have alleviated hard labour. In recent decades, Lely has played a leading role in this change, with its unique vision for agriculture: prioritising both the well-being of cows and the needs of the farmer. Lely’s fascination with technique and innovation goes back a long time. As children, the brothers Cornelis and Arij van der Lely sat in their parents’ farm playing with a box of Meccano, trying their best to give form to their ideas for alleviating the hard-physical labour of farming. In 1948, they turned their ideas into reality when they founded the company. Successful innovations, such as the finger wheel rake and the Lely fertiliser spreader followed each other in quick succession. But it was, with the development of the ‘Lelyterra Power Harrow’ in 1968, that Lely made its real breakthrough, thereby changing traditions in agriculture. This development also marked

the internationalisation of the company and an unprecedented growth in sales.

the farmer can focus on individual tasks or animals that need attention.

Healthy cows

“Cow health and well-being are of vital importance for production at dairy farms.”

Until recently, farming in general has been very labour-intensive, with much repetitive work for the farmer. Cows have been milked and fed at certain times only during the day, sometimes waiting in a row for a lengthy time before attention. Although this might seem efficient, the health and well-being of the cows is also of vital importance for dairy production. For this reason Lely has developed a wide range of products for use in the barn that are all based on the principle of ‘free cow traffic’, in which robots take over the repetitive work of the farmer, such as milking the cows, collecting manure, feeding or pushing the feed. As a result the cows decide themselves when to eat, drink, relax or be milked, while

This transition from efficiency to individuality and free cow traffic stimulates herd activity and ensures a natural rhythm. This results in healthy and stress-free cows that have less illness and live longer. So what do farmers have to gain from all this? The answer is simple: healthy cows lead to better milk production. In the concept of free cow traffic, the natural behaviour of the cow determines the design of the barn and work processes. In practice it also proves to be a very efficient way of working, allowing the farmer more flexibility and more time for other farm activities, leading to a lower work load. This lower work load is of importance for the continuity of dairy farming where

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

131

work sometimes can be very demanding. Lely strives to automate repetitive processes such as feeding and milking and to develop systems that make the farming business model profitable in the long run. In turn the latter can prove more interesting for both the current, and next, generations of dairy farmers.

the fodder or monitoring a specific animal. The weighing floor in the robot weighs cows at every milking while new and improved markers in the management program alert the farmer if an individual cow loses weight too quickly and/or loses too much weight altogether. This enables the farmer to act proactively and to intervene at the right moment.

Robotic milking

The introduction of Lely’s Astronaut milking system has led to a method of business that now ranges from ‘hands on’ to ‘managing’ a farm. This is a totally new and different concept of dairy farming as the focus moves to such matters as optimizing the quality of the fodder, refurbishing milking sheds and data collection. Lely supports this conceptual change by offering additional services such as farm management systems that link all aspects of dairy farming, such as milking and feeding.

At the centre of the free cow traffic concept is Lely’s Astronaut robotic milking system. It is the most reliable ‘employee’ one can image, ready to work 24/7 all year around. Introducing the robotic milking system has revolutionized working on the dairy farm as milking is its most labour-intensive activity and has a direct effect on the farm’s profitability. With a robotic milking system, the farmer enters a different world, whereby the milking of the cows is no longer the centrepiece of his or her existence. With well over 20,000 robotic milking systems sold to date, Lely is one of the global market leaders, a success that is clearly evident. The Astronaut offers a unique daily insight of the production and well-being of every individual cow’. Milk is analysed at every milking, allowing the farmer to closely monitor herd and individual cow performance. This enables the farmer to act or react quickly when necessary and to be able to concentrate on optimizing both the quantity and quality of milk production. The information automatically generated by the milking system gives an opportunity to focus on enhancing the wellbeing of the cow, for example by varying

132

“The cows are stress free and that leads to quiet barns.”

Cow data The introduction of robotics has not only created data but also many related opportunities. To assist the farmer, farm management systems link several of the processes, such as milking and feeding. This produces real-time business information on both the herd and the individual cow, data that can be monitored by the special applications that Lely provides under the name, ‘Time for Cows’ (T4C). Lely T4C is specially designed for automatic milking by the Lely Astronaut milking robot.

It also links with other Lely equipment, such as the Vector automatic feeding system. T4C translates data from the barn and the individual cows into usable information for a clear understanding of the results of a farmers work. Reliable data now can be used to make the right decisions. T4C comes in many applications. For example, T4C Total Health is a smart databased system which can tell a farmer much about the individual health of a cow. Data is gathered and converted into a health analysis for each individual animal and from this analysis, a ‘total cow health score’ can be computed. This score makes it clear which cows require attention and allows farmers to take immediate and targeted action. Such action might range from a marker in the management program to separate the cow after milking, to a visual check in the barn. ‘Health Attentions’ is a freely available overview in T4C Office as well as in T4C InHerd. “Today, we are all about data and automation.”

Optimal barn design In Lely’s vision, the correct individual care of cows improves the performance of the group as a whole. With optimal barn design that focuses on the cows, a farmer can create an animal-friendly environment, which is conducive to cow health and well-being. Furthermore this can produce the lowest possible workload for farmers who are then able to work more efficiently while devoting their full attention to the care of cows in

Lely

an animal-friendly and pleasant working environment. This not only improves the health of cows; it also leads to a better yield and lower costs. Lely helps farmers to realize optimal barn design. Some of the company’s smartest solutions include: The Discovery Collector. This is a manure robot specifically designed for barns with solid floors. The Collector does not push manure, but vacuums it. This makes the build-up of manure, in which cows stand, a thing of the past. By introducing the Lely Vector in 2012, the company provided a ground-breaking innovation: automated and flexible fresh feeding. Efficient feeding has a positive effect on cow health and milk yield as well as a positive effect on the energy consumption in the barn. Mixing the right portions in the right quantities and releasing them just at the right moment requires knowledge, understanding and time; time that a farmer can easily save by making the transition to automatic feeding. The feed kitchen concept helps this by allowing feed to be stored for several days. The Vector therefore reduces the farmer’s personal workload, allowing more planning time and flexibility.

The Lely Juno allows the regular pushing of feed to be within the cows’ reach all day and every day. Each cow, even those lower in the hierarchy, can eat the fodder it needs for optimal rumen health and growth. A well-fed cow with the right nutrients delivers more milk in the tank. As the feed is always within reach at the feed fence, the cow can eat at any time of the day or night. “Dairy farming will have to become more innovative to feed a growing world population, but this is only truly possible when the cow is positioned at the centre of all systems.”

Sustainable in-house production In order to react swiftly to changing market conditions, Lely develops its products inhouse at its own production facilities. Also, the company works closely with customers and suppliers worldwide. This enables continuous innovation and is an excellent way for the company to keep in touch with ever-changing demands from its customers. “We know our customers, some for generations and, as many of our engineers have a farming background, there is a tight fit with the world of the clients.”

Starting from the design phase, Lely has a keen eye for sustainability. Machines are designed to use as little energy and raw materials as possible, and to last as long as possible. The focus is on electric propulsion and ever smaller machines. Also, during production, the energy and materials used are closely monitored to make the impact on the environment as small as possible. The machines have a long lifespan and many can be revised and updated, thereby further extending the lifespan. All these elements add to the concept of the sustainable dairy farm. “Sustainability is part of Lely’s DNA.”

Drive for innovation Lely’s ever-growing range of sophisticated products demonstrates the company’s drive for innovation. Using its substantial established base, it has captured farm practices and knowledge and incorporated these into specific management systems. Farm automation has become its main business approach, facilitated and enhanced by the increasing use of sensors on farms

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

133

and new technological possibilities for farm management systems. The data generated by such systems are then combined and processed to become highly useful information for the farmer. Lely’s objective is to provide dairy farmers with insights into their farm processes and outcomes, which will put their results into perspective. This will improve cow health and optimize daily business operations. A good example of this is the connection between the Lely Vector automated feeding system and the Astronaut milking system. This provides farmers with the ‘feed efficiency number’, which is a real-time indicator of the effectiveness of forage harvesting and conservation to achieve optimal milk production. Converting data into real-time information helps farmers to make the best decisions as early as possible and to turn them into actions. Proper processing of these data in combination with decision support systems will ultimately improve animal monitoring and decision-making, thus further enabling Lely to support farmers in their choices and create a bright and sustainable future in farming.

134

LELY CAMPUS

MASSAGE AND FOOTBATH… FOR COWS

The Lely Campus in Maassluis, is one of the most sustainable business complexes in Europe. The campus comprises the international headquarters of the Lely group and two production facilities housing over 500 employees. Architecture, landscape, technical installations, construction, interior and lighting were integrally conceived prior to the specification phase. This integrated design approach made it possible to achieve a high level of sustainability for this building. The Lely Campus is the first mainland European project to obtain a BREEAM-NL 5 stars certificate.

Lely takes cow care to another level with two ‘personal’ cow products: ‘The Luna’ and ‘The Walkway’. The former provides cows with their own masseur. This cow brush provides an effective way to remove scales and dust from the cow’s skin while simultaneously stimulating the flow of blood. Designed with the animal’s natural behaviour in mind, the brush is directly driven by a motor and activated when cows rub up against it.

“Farmers have the natural habit of taking good care of nature and the environment because they are an integral part of it.”

‘The Walkway‘ is a cow footbath for reducing hoof disease and premature lameness. Cows with healthy hooves feel good and are more productive. The product is extremely userfriendly thanks to its automatic water and chemical fill (two different chemicals in the right concentration) and its automatic emptying and cleaning system. A major advantage of such a permanent hoof bath is a quieter herd.

Lely

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

135

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Services, sales and innovation cannot be seen as separated.â&#x20AC;? 136

Meyn Rising consumer demand for high-protein foods and changing customer preferences have spurred the global market for poultry meat processing equipment. One of the innovative leaders in this market is Meyn Food Processing Technology. The company is a prestigious worldwide supplier of equipment and systems for the poultry processing industry and regularly sets new benchmarks for animal welfare.

For the love of chicken The poultry processing industry is deeply rooted in the ‘Oostzaan’ region of The Netherlands, where Meyn was founded in 1959. The first machine developed by the company was designed to break eggs for industrial bakeries, but soon it was followed by a machine to process poultry, more specifically, chicken. This processing machine formed the basis of the company’s current success.

Meyn also maintains strong investment in intelligent solutions, based on a number of international standards. With its mission, ‘Meyn feeds the world’, the company continues to promote the products it has developed since its early days: innovative machinery for the poultry processing industry.

Meyn was taken over in 2012 by the USbased company, CTB. This was an important step that further guaranteed the company’s long-term stability. Today, Meyn has three production sites, Oostzaan, Poland and the United States, with a world-wide network of one thousand employees and thirteen sales offices that enable close and direct communication with customers.

Meyn’s customers appreciate total solutions, starting from the ‘greenfield’. From this the ideal poultry processing lay-out is designed and integrated in the plant drawings, with Meyn’s consultants cooperating fully with local architects. The construction of the plant is synchronized with the installation of the poultry processing equipment. Testing is carried out at an early stage and the whole processing line is turnkey delivered to the customer.

Wall-to-wall solutions

“We offer wall-to-wall solutions, which means that we supply everything within the walls of a slaughterhouse.” - Erik Blom, Managing Director.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

137

Meyn’s systems include live bird handling, humane stunning and killing, bleeding and plucking. The primary poultry processing ends when the bird is still whole, following which the birds are cooled before being partitioned into breast portions, wings, drumsticks and other cuts. Also, in what’s called the “secondary process”, deboning can take place to produce breast, leg and thigh fillets.

ADVANTAGES OF POULTRY Poultry (chicken, turkey and duck) is in many ways an interesting product: it is cheap to produce, eaten all around the world, creates no religious barriers and is nutritious. When people change from vegetables to meat, chicken will very often be the first protein product they eat. Furthermore, when compared with beef, poultry is a very sustainable form of food as the former has a carbon foot print per kilo that is four times larger than that of chicken.

138

The total portfolio encompasses more than fifty pieces of equipment. Customers can either purchase the entire process, which is termed a ‘wall to wall’ solution, or individual pieces of equipment. Additionally the company offers planning and IT, transfer and conveyor equipment and by-product handling. All in all it is a complex system with a high interdependence between the various components. As high line speeds and large quantities are involved, even small deviations or improvements can have a major impact. The company also offers training and maintenance services, because the success of the equipment depends greatly on the way it is operated and serviced. In today’s markets, where cost of ownership becomes increasingly important, Meyn focuses on these services because they are the key to optimal performance and return on investments. Working with the customer, Meyn is able to address specific needs, whether these require regular equipment check-ups or a comprehensive total service package comprising major overhauls, parts, training and advice. Service provision is responsible for about one half of the

company’s turnover and the service engineers can become the innovative ‘eyes and ears’ for Meyn. When combined with feedback from the sales force, the company is then able to judge the full picture from customers and, as a result, can offer fully customized solutions.

Not every chicken is the same As every country has its own regulations and the size of the animals may vary from country to country, there are a large number of variations in equipment. For example, the permitted line speed in the United States is 9,000 chickens per hour, while in the European Union this speed is 15,000 chickens per hour. There are several reasons for this but, significantly, it is because each individual chicken has to be inspected at the end of the process and the way of inspecting varies. Apart from this, regions and customers often want their own specific solutions because of the differences in consumer demands. In Western Europe the breast fillet is more popular than the leg meat; in Asia it is the reverse. In some countries the chicken feet are a delicacy; in others they are simply waste for pet food.

Meyn Another challenge can come from the variety of chicken breeds. In Southern Europe the customer wants to be able to choose from different breeds as each one can have specific characteristics when it comes to taste, size and physiology. A poultry processing line should be able to process several chicken breeds.

Innovation Meyn puts great effort into research and development to create top-quality machinery. Legislation can be quite different from country to country and the attention to animal welfare is increasing. Against this backdrop, Meyn developed a revolutionary solution for stunning chicken by using C02 before the birds are killed. “We make smart machines and take care of product traceability.” Pre-slaughter distress is predominantly caused by live tilting and shackling of fully conscious birds, which is considered a major animal welfare issue in the stunning process. Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) of birds in their transport containers eliminates live handling and can reduce pre-slaughter stress. The gradually increase of CO2 dazes the birds, a method that produces less stress for the chicken and thereby more tender meat. It is also a Halal approved way of slaughter, important for the Muslim consumer. Meyn’s innovation strategy is partly focused on developing more ‘clever’ equipment, for example to collect and process data per chicken, as tracking, tracing and data

gathering from ‘Farm to Fork’ are becoming ever more important. The consumer in the affluent western society wants to know where, and under which circumstances, his or her meat was raised and processed. For example, the time allowed for chickens to grow to maturity (what is termed ‘the slow growing chicken’), is becoming increasingly an issue for the consumer, with the result that the processing chain is expected to produce the relevant data. Meyn is able to do this, as well as providing other relevant data, not only for every individual chicken that is processed, but also on an aggregated level. The latter enables the company to analyse the quality of chicken meat produced by the individual farmer, the circumstances influencing this quality and to compare this with the data from other farmers. The company expects to increasingly become a data platform that can, on the one hand, advise farmers on how to grow the best chicken and, on the other, inform suppliers of chicken feed of the effect that their food has on the different types of chicken under varying circumstances. The poultry market is an increasingly competitive environment. In order to stay profitable, creative solutions are essential that focus on maximising revenue over the complete production chain. Due to increasing line speeds, which process more birds per hour, a small difference in yield per bird, in product mix or logistics, can have a huge impact on financial results. Continuous improvements are the key to success, but it is sometimes hard to see where they can be found in the whole process. To answer these types of question, Meyn has technology

THE POULTRY PROCESSING EQUIPMENT MARKET Meyn is active in more than one hundred countries in Europe, the United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America, with some customers processing more than one billion chickens per year. The company serves more than 2,000 customers and holds 35% of the world market. The number of competitors is small, mainly comprising Dutch companies which, together, hold 70% of the world market for such food processing equipment, thus underscoring the dominant position of the Dutch industry in this sector. Because of the complexity of the process and the equipment, the entry barriers for this market are high, safeguarding the position of the contemporary manufacturers.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

139

water creating the need for yet more energy to keep the water at the right temperature. The design of the Meyn scalder water basin creates an energy saving of more than 16%. While seemingly a small improvement, when applied to a throughput of 15,000 chickens each hour, it really can make a difference.

services that help customers to obtain a clear view of the possible opportunities for improvement. Meyn’s key technologists have global experience in poultry processing and, through use of the company’s knowledge base and their individual expertise, they can benchmark the customer’s facility to the best practices and optimized processes.

Sustainable solutions Apart from animal welfare, Meyn also looks at other sustainability aspects of its machinery. Customers can order what is termed a ‘CO2 reclaim unit’ which enables re-use of 80% of the CO2 used for gas stunning. After stunning the birds need to be defeathered. This traditionally involves the use of large quantities of hot water in a basin with a temperature slightly below 60°C, through which the chicken travels. The new Meyn Jet stream scalder utilizes high pressure water streams instead of air streams in the water as the latter requires a lot of energy to continuously inject new air due to evaporation. Moreover, the evaporating air cools down the

140

Another sustainable solution comes from a new way of cleaning. The poultry processing plant needs daily cleaning with large quantities of water and detergents. Meyn has recently introduced a new solution where water is mixed with air under high pressure. Millions of water bubbles create a larger cleaning surface and therefore clean more efficiently. This significantly reduces the use of both water and detergents. Since 1959 Meyn has always produced high quality and durable equipment with a technological lifecycle of up to twenty five years. Customers therefore benefit from their initial investments for lengthy periods before equipment needs to be replaced. However, when replacement is needed, part of the initial investment continues as Meyn machines are built on a common platform, the ‘ECP frame’, which can be re-used when the machine is replaced. Other parts of the processing machines are standardized to the maximum possible so, without effort, some parts can also be re-used for other machines, thereby resulting in an additional reduction in waste. Meyn tries to make its equipment as free from human interaction as possible. A fully automated system would be best, not only from the human point of view, but also

from an entrepreneurial and cost saving perspective. In line with this goal, the replacement of parts is made as simple as possible, without having to dismantle the entire machine.

A healthy future Meyn looks confidently towards the future. Poultry is the healthiest kind of protein and has the lowest CO2 footprint; it is relatively cheap and there are no religious limitations. Due to this, it is estimated that the market will continue to increase for another twenty five years. “Our aim will be to further support customers in their ambition for greater productivity and increased yield and efficiency. “ One of Meyn’s ambitions is to create a slaughter house without any direct human interference by using mechanisation, automation and robotization, as the character of the work is such that the presence of people is best reduced to the minimum. A step by step approach, in close cooperation with the customer, will form the company’s future strategy, with data gathering and analyses offering interesting opportunities to enhance the quality and efficiency of the whole chain. In summary, a fully automated and contamination-free poultry processing system will be the most desirable and innovative result of all Meyn’s efforts and, in many ways, its holy grail. “We are optimistic that we can keep growing in this dynamic market.”

Meyn

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

141

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With endolysin we have developed a real game-changing technology.â&#x20AC;? 142

Micreos A century ago infectious diseases were the number one cause of death. With the discovery of penicillin in 1928, it seemed bacterial infections were a thing of the past. But through the excessive use of antibiotics, resistance emerged and spread rapidly. Now, the World Health Organization is ringing alarm bells, as we are threatened by a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill. Micreos has taken a leading position with its completely new approach to fighting bacteria, that of targeting only unwanted bacteria while leaving intact those essential for our wellbeing.

Entering the post-antibiotic era The Dutch company Micreos, founded in 2005, develops targeted antibacterial products, based on phage-technology, as a replacement for antibiotics. Phages are the most abundant micro organisms on our planet, present in high numbers on our skin and in our gut, environment, food and water. In nature, phages use bacteria in order to multiply, killing the bacterial host in the process. Every two days, via this process, approximately half of all bacteria is kept in check by phages. During millions of years of evolution many different bacterial species have evolved, with which phages have co-evolved, leading to the development of different phages for different bacterial species. Micreos has developed its technology based on a targeted killing mechanism. Using phages and phage enzymes, called endolysins, which cut the cell wall of the target bacteria, thus

killing these in the process, as well as through phages (phage-engineering). Micreos’s technology is applicable in many areas, including human health, animal health, food safety, and agriculture. The company’s targeted antibacterial products circumvent many of the disadvantages of conventional antibiotics and are considered a sustainable alternative to antibiotics.

Scientific approach Micreos believes in solid scientific foundations for the delivery of real solutions. For this reason the company collaborates with many universities, institutes and customers, examples of which include the Swiss Federal Technology Institute ETH Zurich, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dutch Burn Centers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ENDOLYSINS • Highly specific for an individual target organism • Active against drug-resistant strains • Suitable for daily suppression therapy and prophylaxis • Resistance not expected • Synergistic with other agents • Effective against biofilms • Can be adapted to specific needs • Non-toxic, with no build-up in the environment

“Nature has developed answers to many modern day challenges, technology helps us benefit.” - Mark Offerhaus, Founder & CEO Micreos

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

143

Micreosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deep rooted research has led to many innovations in targeted antibacterial technology, which enable it to easily convert its technology into products. The company runs its own R&D centres and production facilities in Bilthoven (endolysins) and Wageningen (phages) and has successfully brought its products to market directly and through partnerships.

Good or bad? It is a common misconception that all bacteria are bad for people, when in fact quite the opposite is true. Most of them are beneficial and protect humans and it is evident that the human microbiome, comprising billions of beneficial bacteria, is necessary for our health. However there are of course many bad bacteria, which can cause irritation or infection, or are implicated in the development of diseases such as cancer. A century ago, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death. The first antibiotics became commercially available after the Second World War and for the first time in history bacterial infections could be effectively treated. The use of antibiotics rapidly increased, but this caused two major problems. Firstly, antibiotics do not distinguish between good and bad bacteria, so they also effect the former. As beneficial bacteria are an important part of our body, and an essential part of the human immune system, the effect can be counter-productive, as is the case for example with inflammatory bowel disease, eczema, and many other inflammatory

144

conditions. Scientists believe that our changed lifestyle, excessive use of antibiotics, including antibacterial preservatives in many skincare products, in products used for daily washing and in a diet of ready-to-eat food products, has resulted in an enormous increase of inflammatory diseases, now affecting millions of people. Secondly, the use of antibiotics can lead to side effects and resistance. As antibiotics are broadly used, often inappropriately, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;superbugsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has become a global concern, a concern that is rising as no new antibiotic has been introduced to the market in the past twenty five years.

A new approach In 2005 Micreos set out to develop a new antibacterial technology that could compensate the disadvantages of antibiotics. Based on its long-term collaboration with the Swiss Federal Technology Institute, ETH, in Zurich, Micreos developed a technology that is viewed as a real game-changer. The central role in this technology is played by endolysins, enzymes that destroy the wall of only the targeted bacterial species, killing these in the process. With endolysins it is possible for the first time to kill only the unwanted bacteria, including antibiotic resistant strains, while leaving the beneficial bacteria intact, and without creating resistance. This unlocks a completely new approach to dealing with the bacteria around us, one that enables daily use as long

Micreos as needed while preserving the important biodiversity on the human skin and in the human gut.

Micreos products Based on its technology, Micreos has developed a range of targeted antibacterial products, applicable in many areas, including human health, animal health, food safety and agriculture. The company’s Phageguard products are used against dangerous food pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria and are sold in an increasing number of countries, including the USA, the EU, Canada, Australia and South America.

Human Health In 2013, the company introduced a first series of endolysin based products, under the Gladskin brand, for people with chronic skin conditions such as eczema, inflammatory acne, rosacea and psoriasis. The endolysin Staphefekt SA.100, the world’s first endolysin registered for human use, is the active ingredient in these Gladskin products. It kills only the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria, including the feared MRSA-variant, often referred to as the ‘hospital-acquired infection’. People with skin barrier defects due to chronic skin conditions are prone to infections and the majority of all skin and softtissue infections are caused by S. aureus. Gladskin products are available as creams and gels and have already had a life changing impact for thousands of people. As

antibiotics have side effects, are non-selective and induce resistance, they are not suitable for long-term use, for example for chronic conditions. In contrast, Gladskin products are targeted and induce no resistance, making them suitable for daily suppression therapy and prophylaxis. Gladskin has the same positive effects on acne, rosacea, folliculitis, furunculosis and psoriasis, making it the perfect ‘first choice’ maintenance treatment for inflammatory skin diseases. In October 2014, Staphefekt XDR.300, a liquid solution against S. aureus, was introduced to the market. Other products from Micreos are in pipeline to target E. coli bacteria, associated with childhood diarrhoea in developing and threshold countries, and products against the C. difficile bacteria, a very resistant bacterial species which can cause fatal hospital diarrhoea.

THE SECRET LIES IN… NATURE! Micreos’s proprietary technology is based partly on principles and mechanisms derived from nature and which are used by the natural enemy of bacteria; phages. Phages kill roughly half of all bacteria on the planet every two days when they use bacteria as a host to reproduce. They “co-evolved” with bacteria over hundreds of millions of years and, as different bacterial species evolved over time, so did their respective phages. In order for new phages to be ‘released’ from their bacterial host cells, certain enzymes called ‘endolysins’ are assembled, which effectively cut the bacterial cell wall from the inside, killing the bacterial cell in the process. As this step is essential for the reproductive cycle of phages, this has been perfected over a period of time by targeting the essential parts of the bacterial cell wall, which do not mutate, making the development of resistance far less likely than with antibiotics. Phages and endolysins are bacteriaspecific, but in addition they are very specific within bacterial species/genus boundaries. Thus they can be used for targeted control of undesired bacteria and will not affect commensals on the skin or in the intestinal tract. Neither will they affect ‘good’ bacteria in foods and the environment.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

145

From consumer product to pharmaceutical product The strategy of Micreos in recent years has been to focus on reaching the consumer market through patient associations, the groups that are often most keen to see meaningful innovation. With thousands of people having used and rated the product, Gladskin has proven to meet the requirements of these patient groups. As a next step Micreos is now registering several other pharmaceutical products that, importantly, can be endorsed by large-scale experiences from the consumer market, including patientand case-studies, backed up by studies from university medical centres. Targeted indications include atopic dermatitis, wound infections and cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (a form of cancer associated with S. aureus as a trigger), atopic dermatitis, diabetic wound infections and folliculitis. “Endolysins and synthetic phage-technology offer unprecedented possibilities in the fight against bacteria.”

Food Safety: Belief in the power of nature Micreos firmly believes that nature itself provides the answers to many modern day challenges. PhageGuard is the result of that belief: effective organic phage products to make food safer. Micreos has produced products under the name PhageGuard against Salmonella bacteria and Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which are particularly dangerous for pregnant women,

146

the elderly and those immuno-compromised. For its food safety products, naturally occurring phages are used. PhageGuard Listex and PhageGuard S are specifically targeted to kill Listeria and Salmonella, leaving the desirable bacteria intact. They can be used to protect even organic foods, and are easy to apply, via spray, mist or dip. They can also be used directly on food contact surfaces to prevent cross contamination or in the processing environment to address hot spots and biofilms. PhageGuard products are cutting edge food safety tools for cooked meat, poultry, fish, dairy, cheese, fresh produce and more. The phages kill pathogenic bacteria without becoming an ingredient itself. They have no effect on taste, colour, texture or odour of the final product. Micreos’s food safety products contribute to a better world, built on safer products, healthier animals and happier consumers. “Our PhageGuard brand contributes to a better world: safer products, healthier animals and happier consumers.” The company’s development pipeline currently includes R&D projects in the areas of human and animal health, agriculture, tree and plant disease, and crop protection.

Entering a new era Considering the huge potential of Micreos’s technology, it is arguable that the company can lead the way to a world-wide postantibiotic era with new, targeted and highly effective drugs for humans and animals.

This is an ambitious road and, in order to be successful, the company has outlined a twofold strategy. Firstly, Micreos wants to extend the range of products for the consumer market. There are many more applications possible and many bacteria that could be targeted by ‘their’ endolysins. Secondly, Micreos wants to make the step from the consumer market and consumer products to the medical world and pharmaceutical products; a strategy for patients that can be both broad and deep, with many people effectively freed from skin and other diseases that hamper their daily life. Micreos products can have a lifesaving effect. The company’s ambition is to be at the forefront of innovation with healthier humans, healthier animals and safer food. “Our products will have the same game-changing effects on food, animal health and agriculture as on human beings and we might be standing on the threshold of a new future with a thoroughly changed relation with bacteria and their effects on humans, food and animals.”

Micreos PHAGES: FACTS AND FIGURES • The term bacteriophage is commonly used in its shortened form, “phage”. • Phages are the most abundant microorganisms on earth and are naturally present in our water and many of our foods. • On fresh and processed food products, often more than 100 million viable phages per gram are present. • Phages and phage-enzymes are harmless to humans, animals and plants. They are present in high numbers on our skin, in our gut and in our environment and help preserve our bacterial balance. • Phages are the natural enemy of bacteria, and therefore are logical agents for the control of bacterial pathogens, such as S. aureus (including MRSA), Pseudomonas, Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter. • Phages (and endolysins) are bacteriaspecific, but in addition they are very specific within bacterial species / genus boundaries. Thus they can be used for targeted control of undesired bacteria and will not affect commensals on the skin or in our gastrointestinal tract. Neither will they affect ‘good’ bacteria in foods (e.g. starter cultures) and the environment. • Phages are usually between 20 and 200 nanometres (nm) in size. A phage is approximately 100 times smaller than a typical bacterium. • Phages are generally composed entirely of proteins and nucleic acids and their eventual breakdown products consist exclusively of amino acids and nucleic acids. Therefore they do not leave an ecological footprint.

AB OV E : M I CR E OS HUM A N HE A LTH OFFI CE I N B I LTHOV E N . BE LOW: M I CR E OS FOUN D E R M A R K OFFE R HAUS I N CON V E R S ATI ON W I TH KOFI A N N A N W I TH HI S W I FE N ANE L AG E R G R E N ANNAN.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

147

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We contribute to the architectural designs of today and tomorrowâ&#x20AC;?. 148

Mosa In the future buildings will contain only sustainable materials that have been responsibly designed and produced and whose use does not pose any health risks. This vision has led Mosa to be the first (and currently only) tile company in the world with a Cradle to Cradle Silver certificate.

Cradle to sustainable building In 1883 Louis Regout, the scion of a famous Maastricht family of industrialists started manufacturing tiles in the most southern part of the Netherlands. Over the course of its more than 130-year history, Mosa developed into an innovative producer of high-quality products. Today, the company is independently owned by the Dutch investment firm, Egeria. Mosa believes that the company’s strength lies in being able to offer unique and distinct tile concepts for walls, floors, facades and terraces, all of which are aimed at the high end of the market. Not only architects, but also project developers, builders and even tile makers, are important influencers in the decision-making process. “Our focus is on enhancing the beauty of natural materials with desired functionality and creating timeless ceramic surfaces.”

Every year, Mosa’s ceramic tiles find their way from the factories in Maastricht to fifty countries on four continents. Mosa is known in the market to make significant contributions to architectural designs. Design in terms of esthetics, functionality and sustainability is a key driver in Mosa’s strategy. Mosa is committed to upholding sustainable design and production practices based on Cradle to Cradle® principles. Mosa’s mission of enhancing the beauty of natural materials with desired functionality and creating timeless ceramic surfaces is built on the following five pillars: • • • • •

People that go the extra mile Products that look like no other Service that is second to none Innovations that add value Sustainability for generations to come

Flexibility and design Design is at the core of Mosa’s DNA. The inhouse design team is continuously engaged in the development of new products. The company closely collaborates with architects, also regarding custom work. Mosa Terra Tones, Mosa Murals and Mosa µ [mu], have won various international design awards, others have been nominated for design prices. As architects are important drivers for Mosa, the company is able to address specific requests thanks to its capacity for innovation. The company often collaborates with architects who strive for a personal signature and identity in their designs. While the average manufacturer bases its production capacity on series of 10 to 20,000 m2, Mosa works on a scale of 500 to 1500 m2. Even smaller quantities can be produced as desired, starting at a few 100 m2. Architects can even apply to Mosa for the execution of their own designs.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

149

Innovation The appearance and technical quality of products is very important to Mosa’s customers and with that for the company. Mosa tiles are famous for this. The tiles are chemically inert and can last for hundreds of years, during which time their appearance and technical quality will remain completely unchanged if subjected to normal use; even when used in high-traffic applications such as train stations and airport terminals. “Our floor tiles are very tactile as they lack the synthetic top layer that many other products have. You actually feel the natural materials the tile is made of. This is a very distinctive feature of our tiles compared to tiles of other manufacturers thanks to the combination of the materials used and our production process.” Innovation can be found in many forms in the organization, product innovation being one of them: Mosa produces not only a steady stream of new designs, but Mosa is also strong in digital innovation. An example is the newly developed data selection tool. With this tool, Mosa provides product information for 2D and 3D design software in a variety of formats. By means of wizard, clients can quickly find the product information for a chosen product in the right format, such as DWG, IFC, JPEG, DXF, or PAT. The wizard allows to download the desired information; an architect can then simply import it into the relevant software package. Another form of digital innovation leading to an even more effective circular material use is the Mosa Pattern Generator, which makes

150

CRADLE TO CRADLE (C2C) The C2C label enjoys widespread recognition and contributes to positive scores for Dutch and international green building labels such as LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, and HQE. In various (inter)national databases, the impact of Mosa tiles on these sustainability labels is clarified.

Mosa’s Cradle to Cradle products contribute to a healthy indoor climate and are VOC-free. In addition to having positive national and international material scores, these products contribute to building labels, which underscores the company’s commitment to looking beyond tiles.

Mosa mercury, cadmium, during or after their long lifespan. Moreover, the tiles are by nature VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) – free.

a design of a contemporary interior more convincing and easier to achieve. The tool allows a free choice from all possible formats, grids, textures, and colours that can then be exported to the preferred 2D and 3D design software. These sketches lead to feasible tailored work in no time. This makes it even easier to present a design attractively.

Great gains in every field Sustainability is Mosa’s foremost priority. To achieve this, the company adheres to the Cradle to Cradle philosophy, which helps to make a positive contribution to society, economy, and our planet. In 2007 the company started with a comprehensive program to implement the Cradle to Cradle concept. In 2010 the first certificate was awarded and, in the following year, Mosa was the world’s first ceramic tile company to gain full Cradle to Cradle Silver certification for nearly its entire collection. Years of research and investment have yielded even more results in the form of a very effective production process and all kind of relevant certifications, making the company fit for a

sustainable future. In this way the Cradle to Cradle philosophy has brought ideological gains, economic gains and commercial gains: a win – win situation for all involved. Mosa was the world’s first ceramic tile company to produce Cradle to Cradle Silver certified tiles. In the Cradle to Cradle program, products are assessed based on five criteria: purity of raw materials, recycling, water and energy usage, and social conditions. Pure materials The use of pure raw materials forms the basis for a Cradle to Cradle process as these materials make sure that the product is safe for human health and the environment. This is independently verified for all materials in the product. The main components of tiles - clay and sand – are natural ingredients that are abundantly present in nature. The pigments and glazes used to give the tiles their tactile and aesthetic qualities however were initially a challenge, which took development resources as well as an intensive dialogue with suppliers, to be solved. Mosa tiles do not emit toxic substances, such as lead,

Optimal recycling Other requirements for Cradle to Cradle are the suitability of a product for unlimited reuse and the recyclability. The raw materials Mosa uses make sure the tiles can be reused for tile production or in other applications. Also recycling is arranged at Mosa by reusing production waste, processing secondary materials and collecting cutting waste from tiles at larger projects. Wall tiles and floor tiles contain a significant percentage of preconsumer recycled content, making Mosa tiles suitable for reuse in a circular production cycle. Water management Cradle to Cradle regards water as a scarce and precious resource, which must be handled properly. Reuse is an essential part of this. All water for both Mosa’s factories is purified on site and the production cycles are now closed-loop to the greatest extent possible, which means Mosa requires 60 percent less water than before. And there is more to come… Mosa’s goal is to ensure the discharge of production process water is reduced to a minimum by 2020. Energy management Cradle to Cradle is not just about the amount of energy used; it is also about the source of that energy – because renewable energy sources are limitless. Green energy now covers a third of Mosa’s energy needs. The company continues to expand this and is currently searching for an alternative source

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

151

for the natural gas used to heat the kilns. Until this source becomes available, Mosa will focus on energy-saving projects and the reuse of residual heat. This has enabled Mosa to reduce CO2 emissions by 48 percent over the last ten years, while fine particulate emissions have dropped by 91 percent to almost zero. Social conditions Good working conditions is also part of the Cradle to Cradle philosophy. Mosa opts consciously to continue its sustainable production in Western Europe, where it is close to important consumer markets and can use materials from the area: almost 90 percent of Mosa’s raw materials come from monitored suppliers in the region. Mosa’s competence centre is also located near its factories. Mosa is committed to creating a safe and pleasant environment for its employees, for nearby residents, and for people around the world who live and work in buildings featuring Mosa tiles. “We remain loyal to our home base Maastricht.” Mosa clearly demonstrates how a Cradle to Cradle policy benefits all elements of its business, as there are not only ideological gains to be made, but also many convincing economic gains. Furthermore, and very importantly, using Cradle to Cradle certified materials leads to credits for LEED, BREEAM and DGNB, the world’s leading sustainability assessment methods for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings. It is widely accepted that a Cradle to Cradle certificate will become increasingly important in the procurement process of building materials.

152

Going for gold The next step for Mosa is twofold. Firstly, Mosa is looking forward to the moment when the transition to green energy can be completed. Secondly, Mosa aims to analyse the whole of a product life cycle. For example, once disposed of by a consumer, (‘post-consumer’), tiles are generally reduced to debris and can only be used in ‘downcycling’ applications such as base material for road construction. Although cutting losses are currently collected on the building site, this later disposal problem needs a fresh solution. Mosa is making the step to ‘design to disassembly’ by designing a workflow that enables easy release of the tile so they can easily be collected and reused. This fits in with the larger concept of the circular economy and its focus on the sustainability of buildings as a whole. A recent example of this approach is the Bluewater project in Park 20|20 close to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Here, Mosa developed a click-on system for the ceramic facade, and the fact that Mosa tiles are produced to be C2C, enables a building to be much more flexible. As a result, the facades

can be changed throughout the years without making any financial sacrifices. This project was based on the ideas of the American architect William McDonough, one of the founders of the Cradle to Cradle concept. “McDonough shows different ways as to the ways you can deal with waste. We were deeply moved by his philosophy that a building is ultimately a large collection of materials, and that demolition costs money over time. But if you construct a building in a flexible manner, using better materials, then you actually create residual value in the long run. Mosa engages with its clients in thinking about these things.” - Coert Zachariasse, CEO of Delta Development Mosa is currently focusing on full Cradle to Cradle Gold certification, realizing that the benefits might lag from the initial efforts to be done. However, as already proven with its Silver certificate, acquiring the Gold certificate will have long lasting impact. It will enhance the company’s strategic position and it is consistent with the vision of Mosa to care for the generation to come.

Mosa

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

153

“Our focus is on offering our passengers a good train journey.” 154

NS Dutch Railways People travel and, from an economic and social perspective, mobility has many benefits. However it also brings quite high environmental costs. Travelling by train is more sustainable than by car and therefore, in the vision of the Dutch Railway company, NS, the train will remain, after the bicycle, the second most sustainable mode of transportation for the future.

Sustainable travel made possible Nederlandse Spoorwegen, or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands and its history goes back almost 200 years when, in 1837, the ‘Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg Maatschappij’ (HIJSM) was founded. While today the small land area of the Netherlands is served by almost 7,000 kilometers of railway track, there were, until 1860, only 325 kilometers. It was only after the government of the time decided to lay a national railway network and permitted a private company, ‘Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen’ (SS), to utilize the majority of the public railway tracks, that construction started to speed up. By 1885 there were 2,610 kilometers of track and by 1900 the railway network as we now know it was almost complete. The merger of these two companies (HIJSM and SS) in 1939, brought NS into existence.

Today, NS runs 4,800 scheduled domestic trains a day, as well as providing international rail services from the Netherlands to other European destinations. It also operates franchised or concessionary services on a number of foreign rail networks through its subsidiary, Abellio. The Dutch rail infrastructure is maintained by an independent network manager, ProRail. Freight services, formerly operated by NS Cargo, merged with the German DB Schenker group in 2000. With 30,000 employees and 1.1 million train journeys a day, NS plays an important role, having both a major economic and social impact on Dutch society. “We have a significant impact on Dutch society: in terms of mobility, safety, emissions and expenditures. That is why we consider sustainability to be so important.” - Roger van Boxtel, CEO

A good train journey In recent years NS has been working hard to significantly improve the company’s performance for its passengers: in the company’s own words, from average good to exceptionally good. To achieve this, the company chose to prioritize three core activities: delivering improved network performance, providing world-class stations and contributing to the ‘door to door’ journey. The first priority, an improved performance on the main rail system, includes the highspeed network and the international train services that run on that network. Secondly, a train is useless without a station. Travellers expect stations to offer convenient connections and a safe and comfortable stay while waiting for their next connection. This is why NS aims to develop and maintain world-

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

155

TRAINS AND BICYCLES: PERFECT PARTNERS

WIND ENERGY FOR TRAINS: HOW DOES IT WORK?

The bicycle brings together the strategy of an integrated journey. It is a well-known Dutch icon and, in reality, the most sustainable way of travelling. Because the train and bicycle complement each other so well, NS is offering rental ‘OV-bikes’ to travellers on almost all of its stations. Therefore with the integration of the trains and OV-bikes, a sustainable and flexible door-to-door journey becomes a reality.

NS consumes a massive amount of electricity, all of which is now generated by windmills. In order to guarantee a steady supply, a total of eight windmill parks are involved, all located in northern Europe. Most electricity will be generated by the new Dutch windmill park in the IJsselmeer, ‘Westermeerwind’. The other seven windmill parks can be found in Sweden, Finland, Belgium and the North Sea. Combined, these windmills will feed the grid with enough power to provide NS with the amount of green energy needed, but in a balanced supply so that the trains can run even when there is no wind in some areas. Therefore there is no direct connection between these windmill parks and the NS.

Furthermore, this also proves to be a very sustainable business model. As NS keeps ownership of the bicycles it can focus on quality, availability and maintenance, while the traveller does not have these responsibilities, being just the user of the bicycle. This model enables the bicycle to be better used, better kept and have a longer lifecycle than in the traditional model, thus contributing to sustainability. As the NS also feels it is responsible for the public space around the stations it offers lavish on-site bicycle parking spaces. The largest in the world, in Utrecht, has a capacity of 12,500 bicycles and is a co-creation of the NS, ProRail and the city of Utrecht.

156

NS Dutch Railways class stations in close collaboration with ProRail and in consultation with local governments. Last, but not least, NS’s ambition is to provide customers with a first-class service from door to door, by offering an integrated customer journey. “Our traveller’s journey begins at a front door and ends at another. This means we must provide accurate and reliable travel information, make it easier to pay and offer convenient connections to other modes of transportation, such as buses and trams.” NS believes it is also responsible for the quality of the public space in and around the stations, as this is both an integral part of the journey for the passenger and for the cities that NS connects. “In everything we do, we must answer one simple question: how does this make the traveller’s life better?”

Footprint A mobile and accessible society contributes to a healthy and vibrant economy. Trains provide a very sustainable way of travelling, much more so than almost any other means of transportation, and they also brings people together. However this still has its environmental and social costs. That is why the NS strives towards sustainable business operations whereby its activities add economic, ecological and social value to both the company and wider society. NS’s ecological footprint is largely determined by CO2 emissions caused by its energy use

(such as traction power of electric trains) and the waste generated by stations, trains and NS workshops. This is why NS focusses on reducing CO2 emissions by improving energy efficiency and using renewable sources. NS’s CO2 emissions are largely due to operating trains (90% of consumption) with only 10% of its energy consumption resulting from facilities. Therefore the company has a strong focus on energy consumption for transportation and has set itself the goal of a 35% reduction in the energy used per passenger per kilometer by 2020 compared with 2005 levels. To achieve this goal NS has multiple strategies such as more efficient trains, more efficient driving and increasing occupancy levels, the latter by encouraging people to travel during the off-peak hours, thereby improving occupancy levels while reducing energy usage per passenger NS also reduces its footprint by returning its waste into the cycle of raw materials in cooperation with its suppliers. The goal is to process all of the waste that is produced at the stations, in trains, at work sites and in offices, back into sustainable raw materials. The priority is to increase the opportunities for re-using and reducing the waste flows. NS has set the goal of re-using 75% of its waste by 2020. Together with ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, NS signed the ‘Green Waste Deal’ in early 2015. The company will expand facilities for separating waste from trains and stations and will examine how to reduce waste during the purchasing process with more re-use opportunities.

100% green The negative environmental impact from a railway operator with electric trains mainly stems from the use of fossil fuels for the production of electricity. This causes air pollution through emissions of CO2, SO2, NOx and fine particulates, creating a negative impact on climate, nature and health, as well as having social costs. To address this NS sought to reduce the negative impact to almost zero by using green power. As a result of this strategy, NS was able to announce in early 2017 that 100% of Dutch trains now run on green electricity. “We are very proud that we can offer our travellers the option of truly climate-neutral travel, without any CO2 impact.” The basis of this sustainable mode of travel was laid in 2014 when NS signed, on behalf of Vivens (the Association of Rail Carriers), a long-term contract with sustainable energy provider Eneco for the supply of traction power for all Dutch trains. The required energy is 1.4 terawatt hours. This is equivalent to 1% of all electricity used in the Netherlands, or all the energy used by the inhabitants of Amsterdam per year (of which NS trains use 1.2 terawatt hours). However, NS has not staked a claim to any existing sources of sustainable energy and does not replace any existing energy customers. As a result it actually stimulated the market to add projects to the total amount of green energy generated in the Netherlands. Also NS’s buildings and stations run on Dutch wind power. After this first step, NS intends within a few years to have implemented the use of

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

157

TRUE VALUE NS uses the ‘True Value’ method to articulate the economic, environmental and societal impacts of the company’s business and the way these interact. The analyses and insights help the company to improve the dialogue with stakeholders and to provide transparency. Because it translates these values into euros, it can be an instrument to integrate social, environmental and economic value in decision or policy making. In 2013 NS started to quantify the effects of its activities and has been the first transportation company to go public with such information, thereby hoping this will give stakeholders better information, as well as making the company more conscious of the impact, both positive and negative, of its activities and on other modes of transport. In the future it will broaden and deepen the scope of the True Value method, to take into account its role as employer and the effects of diversity.

158

green gas for its buildings and stations, as well as green fuel for the buses that replace trains during periods of track maintenance.

improve its service to travellers, by providing a comfortable journey from door to door, thereby acting as a leader in sustainability.

“Our ambition is to make climate-neutral travel possible by 2020: for our customers, our planet and our future.”

Sustainability will therefore remain at the core of the company’s strategy, involving suppliers and also customers.

“We don’t use green energy that was already being produced, but energy from specially built windmill parks dedicated to deliver their power to our trains. The Netherlands is the first country in the world where electric trains run on 100% wind power!”

Sustainability leader By providing more than one million train rides per day, NS is, for many people, the connection between home and work, between family and friends and all of the other people in their lives. For the foreseeable future, the train will remain the only mode of transport that can take passengers to the heart of a city centre in an unhindered, sustainable and safe manner. For more than 175 years the train has been a unique way to get from place to place; a source of pride for more than 30,000 NS employees. For the future NS seeks to further

In order to play such a leading role NS needs to guide its many suppliers in the supply chain and to show them the importance and commercial possibilities of a sustainable approach. Put another way, NS is aiming to change attitudes throughout the value chain. For the more than 600,000 individuals carried each day, small changes can have a large impact, not only for the NS but also for wider society. Finally, the company’s many sustainable business cases are of interest to other companies, amongst which are the retail concept of railway stations, the provision of door to door transport, the OV (public transport) chip-card, bicycles and the role of transportation companies in the public spaces around stations. With a company as large and as diverse as NS there will be many opportunities to combine a healthy business with a keen eye on sustainability.

NS Dutch Railways

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

159

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a company does not add value to society as a whole, it has no right to exist.â&#x20AC;? 160

Randstad As a global leader in the Human Resources services industry, Randstad combines a passion for people with the power of today’s intelligent machines. In this way, the company supports people and organizations to realize their true potential.

Adding value to society At the very start of his company, the founder of Randstad, Frits Goldschmeding, had already mentioned the importance of an enterprise adding value to society. He proved that his company could fulfil that promise as, more than half a century later, value creation remains the main driver behind Randstad’s strategy. By helping candidates find suitable jobs and develop their full potential, while also working with employers to find the people who best fit their organization in order to sustain their success, Randstad creates value for society as a whole. Today, Randstad is a leading global staffing and recruitment company. It has more than 36,000 employees, who work in about 4,750 branches or in-house locations, in 39 countries. Each day on average, Randstad will have deployed over 625,000 candidates in temporary jobs, while placing over 180,000 candidates in permanent positions each year. When put together, all such job placements

mean that Randstad finds jobs for about 2.2 million individuals. As Frits Goldschmeding stated in 1960 when founding his company: “If a company does not add value to society as a whole, it has no right to exist.” However, the company is more than just a large and influential global player. By helping candidates find suitable jobs and develop their full potential, Randstad provides them with independence, as well as job satisfaction, dignity and respect. The company also supports people to achieve personal growth and to reach their true potential, while creating value for corporate clients by finding the people who best fit their organization in order to successfully develop their businesses. All in all, Randstad takes the lead in shaping the world of work and creates value for society as a whole.

“We have always looked further than the simple transaction.” - Jacques van den Broek, CEO

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

161

Tech and Touch: a balance between man and machine Digital transformation is a very important pillar of Randstad’s overall future planning and is part of Randstad’s broader ‘Tech and Touch’ strategy. As digitalization is rapidly changing not only the way people live and do business but also the way people work and connect to jobs, new online HR solutions are fundamentally changing the ways by which clients and candidates want to be served. This is why Randstad is always alert to the potential of the latest HR technologies; digital innovations that improve the way the company connects with its clients and candidates. Technology empowers ‘Randstad Touch’, which is based on more than fifty seven years of building relationships with clients and candidates, as well as in-depth knowledge and experience in the field of HR services. It is the company’s strong belief that real connections are not made from data and algorithms alone, but require human involvement, empathy, intuition, and instinct. “We have data with a human touch.” - Jacques van den Broek, CEO Randstad has the ambition to be a leader in what is termed ‘HR Tech’. With the Randstad Innovation Fund or ‘RIF’, (the company’s strategic corporate venture fund), the company fuels innovation in this area. The fund invests significantly in the wider HR sphere, aiming to develop the company’s current portfolio into areas of significant expansion, with particular focus on such opportunities as online platforms, big data analytics, machine learning,

162

sourcing, screening and selection tools. Some recent investments from RIF have included: • Brazen: this allows organizations to host online recruiting and networking events, leveraging a timed ‘many-to-one’ chat interaction. The text-based channels increase engagement, especially for Generation Y and Z (those born shortly before or after the millennium), increase conversion of passive talent (potential employees who may not be actively job seeking at a particular time), while contributing to employer branding. • Pymetrics offers a unique way of sourcing, engaging and sorting/matching candidates based on ‘gamified’ psychometric assessments. The twenty short games assess candidates’ soft skills (i.e. interpersonal skills as distinct from direct or technical jobrelated skills), by measuring ninety cognitive and emotional traits beyond education and general background. • HackerRank is an online recruitment community and assessment tool, using coding challenges in a variety of programming languages to source, rank and match top programmers. Currently, over two million developers are part of the HackerRank community.

CONNECTING THE DOTS Randstad believes every individual brings something unique to the workplace and that every workplace can teach individuals something new about themselves. It is therefore a mutual exchange. Randstad loves to ‘connect the dots’. The company believes real connections are not just made from data and algorithms. It also takes into account empathy, personal communication and human instinct. So, when Randstad brings the passion of more than 36,000 HR professionals together with the power of today’s intelligent machines, magic will happen. It allows the company to dive deeper than a resume or individual job opening alone and, as a result, to ask the right questions in order to precisely pinpoint what its clients and candidates need. This creates a smarter and more personal HR experience.

Randstad

Creating value for society Randstad is well aware of its responsibilities to society; and that makes its goals ambitious, which are to touch the working lives of 500 million people worldwide by 2030. Ambitious though this may be, one should not underestimate the scope of the company’s network. For example, through the online ‘Monsterboard’ platform, Randstad is already connected to over 300 million people. This offers many possibilities to better touch and impact on the future careers and lives of individuals. This is very important as people often ask themselves too late if they are fit for such developments. A good example of this impact involves candidates aged over 45 who can be asked to have their employability tested and their results compared with a peer group. Then a gap analysis is made, followed by a custommade education programme to strengthen the position of the candidate in the market. In this way people can prepare themselves for a future in which the content of a specific job might change dramatically over the years. Such a programme requires a clear

view ahead, with appropriate continuous learning as a prerequisite in order to stay fit for the future. Randstad is in a position to have such a view of all the developments in the market and their impact and thereby assess the competences needed in future. With its access to huge quantities of data the company can make the difference in the employability, world-wide, not only of a single person but also of society at large. Additionally Randstad has a vast ‘matching capacity’. It has wide knowledge of the kind of expertise needed and where this can be found. However this role is not just appropriate for the individual: Randstad has an important and growing role in society by offering continuity and impartiality. Its vision is not political as this can often obscure part of the reality. The reason for this involvement is the fact that Randstad wants to add value to society and is in a position to do so. The company notes that flexibility is vital in both the development of the market and in work itself. This means that many rules and regulations affecting social security, labour law and pensions

need a more modern approach. Flexibility of thought and employment should not mean insecurity for the people involved even though this might not mean a guarantee for a specific job. However work itself should be guaranteed if individuals take responsibility and invest in themselves, for example through education. Randstad can and wants to play an important role in this switch in thinking and to show employees how to make themselves fit for more than one future role.

Local initiatives Adding value for Randstad not only means contributing to society on an international level. The wider Randstad community also participates in many local social and volunteering initiatives. In every country Randstad addresses local issues with local people and with a local approach. Several of Randstad’s operating companies have a foundation through which they support social initiatives and organizations. In Spain, where unemployment has been a major issue for decades, especially

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

163

among more vulnerable groups, Randstad Fundación has launched a variety of social employment projects designed to secure equal opportunities in employment. The foundation develops individual training plans to create job opportunities for people at risk of exclusion: disabled people, longterm unemployed aged over 45, immigrants, victims of gender violence and single-parent families. Additionally, it sets up recruitment processes with partner companies and counsels them in hiring people with different capacities. The Randstad Fundación also partners with the Victoria Association, which supports female victims of domestic violence. Together, they have launched activities to encourage employment and economic independence of these women, for example, workshops on how to search for jobs, interview skills and body image. Since the start, the foundation has also been a contributor to the Public Administration Centre and supported immigrants to enter the labour market. In Argentina, Randstad runs various projects and supports local programmes. One supported for many years is the programme against child labour called ‘Jardines de Cosecha’ (Harvest Kindergarten). This runs during the harvesting season to provide rural workers with a safe place to leave their children during the day. The programme also raises local awareness about child labour and offers children alternatives in the form of a training process for future employability. On average the twenty two child centres welcome over 2,600 children each year.

164

In the Netherlands, Randstad is fighting unemployment with a special employment programme called ‘+Power’, which is aimed at those aged over fifty and Dutch employers. With the Dutch government and a wellknown former professional football player as ambassador, Randstad raised awareness, trained people, and arranged ‘meet and greets’ with employers at twelve local events.

Corporate contribution to global challenges Randstad’s ideas for its contribution to society matches the global sustainable development goals launched in September 2015 by the United Nations. Countries all over the world have adopted these goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. As an HR services provider, Randstad is focusing on the goals, and relevant sub-targets, for which it is best placed to make a major contribution. These are: Goal 8: ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’. Goal 4: ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. Goal 5: ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’, and Goal 10: ‘Reduce inequality within and among countries’. Randstad has integrated these sustainability goals and relevant sub-targets into its own reporting framework. In turn this has been

VOLUNTARY SERVICE OVERSEAS An excellent example of how Randstad tackles local initiatives on a global scale is the partnership started by the company with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in 2004 to provide support to communities in the neediest countries. VSO is the world’s leading development NGO (non-governmental organization) that fights poverty through volunteers. It is unique in the way it brings people together to volunteer their knowledge, experience and skills in developing countries. The volunteers share such expertise in areas such as finance, education, healthcare, HR, and business management. Randstad supports VSO by recruiting volunteers, facilitating its staff to go on volunteer placements, by financially supporting VSO and through ad-hoc opportunities.

communicated and promoted across all layers of the organization and translated into Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all operating companies. The latter are reported on a quarterly basis. “We want to contribute to a sustainable future, in which we play an active role on numerous subjects, such as employability and the future of labour in general.” - Jacques van den Broek, CEO

Randstad

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

165

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How salinity gradients could power us.â&#x20AC;&#x153; 166

REDstack Imagine a technology that generates energy from saline water and which can be applied all over the world where fresh water meets salt water: a technology without any CO 2 production, with no side effects and an output that is predictable, easy to scale, available 24 hours a day and every day of the year. REDstack has developed such a technology which it is rapidly evolving towards commercially viable production.

Blue energy with RED technology In 2005, two Dutch companies, Landustrie and Magneto Special Anodes, decided to start a new company with the goal of developing and commercializing ‘RED’ (reverse electro dialysis) technology and to use it for energy generation. REDstack generates energy from the difference in salinity of two water flows, i.e. fresh and salt water. The potential is enormous and is globally available: any area where a river flows into the sea is a suitable location for the application of RED due to the natural abundance of both types of water. Fresh water is combined with sea water in a membrane pile, or ‘RED stack’, to which the company also owes its name. Salt and fresh water are mixed in a controlled manner, from which electricity can be generated. The resulting brackish water mixture is then returned to the sea and the generated electricity is distributed through the grid. This way of generating energy is

called Blue Energy: a completely sustainable source of electricity. “Our mission is to provide completely sustainable and commercially-viable electricity production by using reverse electro dialysis.” - Rik Siebers, CEO REDstack

Water as energy Reverse electro dialysis is a method by which energy is retrieved from the difference in the salt concentration between seawater and river water. The energy created is called blue energy and relies on ion-transport through ion-selective membranes. During reverse electro dialysis, salt and fresh water are let through a stack of alternating ‘cation’ and ‘anion’ exchange membranes (membranes that only allow certain ions to pass through – see ‘Blue Energy’ Text Box). The potential chemical difference between salt and fresh water

generates a voltage over each membrane, the total potential of the system being the sum of the differences over all membranes. Therefore the difference in ion concentration between fresh and salt water, combined with the tendency of natural forces to balance the difference, is the key to the hidden energy. The amount of energy that is stored in water equals that gained by a waterfall of 200 meters, with the principal residue being brackish water. In RED, as in a fuel cell, the cells are stacked, creating 25 kW capacity in a module about the size of a shipping container. “The key to the hidden energy we can generate is in the difference in ion concentration between fresh and salt water, combined with the tendency of the natural forces to balance the difference.” - Pieter Hack, shareholder, REDstack The amount of electrical energy generated is, in principle, determined by the concentrations of the two solutions, the composition of

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

167

BLUE ENERGY In 1954, Richard Pattle suggested that a huge untapped source of power should be present, in terms of lost osmotic pressure, in any location where a river mixes with the sea. However it was not until the mid-1970s that the reverse osmosis pioneer, Professor Sidney Loeb, outlined a practical method of exploiting this potential using selectively permeable membranes. The technique was perfected in the Netherlands around the year 2000 by three PhD students who worked in close cooperation with Wetsus (the European centre of excellence for sustainable water energy) and its ‘Blue Energy’ team. REDstack, in collaboration with Fuji and Wetsus, is now progressing this research by scaling up the RED technology in a pilot installation on the Afsluitdijk. Reverse Electro Dialysis (RED) is based on the principle that ionic compounds, such as salts, dissolve in water into equal parts of positively and negatively charged ions, thus creating salt water. A RED system uses ion-exchange membranes which separate fresh and salt water and control the mixing of the ions between the two solutions. One type of ion-exchange membrane only allows positively charged ions to pass (known as a ‘cation-exchange membrane’ or CEM), while the other only allows negatively charged ions to pass (known as an ‘anion-exchange membrane’ or AEM). When salt and fresh water are fed on either side of a pair of these membranes, the ions will passively diffuse from the salt water into the fresh water, whereby all the positively charged ions will only be able to diffuse through the CEM, while all the negatively charged ions will only be able to diffuse through the AEM. In this way, the positively charged ions will move in one direction and the negatively charged ions in the opposite direction. The opposing movement of the positively and negatively charged ions creates positively and negatively charged poles, further creating an electrochemical cell that can be compared with a battery.

168

Blue Energy: energy from fresh and salt water Breezanddijk

Province of Friesland

Wadden island Texel

Afsluitdijk

IJsselmeer Province of Noord-Holland

Breezanddijk

Pilot Blue Energy

Brackish water outflow Fresh water inflow

Blue Energy: how it works?

Salt water inflow Electricity

brackish water

salt water

Electrolyte Membranes allowing negative ions to pass Membranes allowing positive ions to pass Electrodes

fresh water

Wadden Sea

REDstack Where rivers flow into the sea

the dissolved salts and the temperature of the water used in the electrochemical cell. However the actual generated electricity is also dependent upon a number of technical factors, such as the membrane selectivity and the internal resistance of the cell. These are parameters where REDstack and its partners are focusing their research. The technology has several remarkable and unique selling points: it is clean, produces no carbon dioxide, generates energy 24/7 and can guarantee the necessary base load for the stability of the energy grid, especially when shares of sustainable sources such as wind and sun fluctuate. The foot print of the installation is about half of that of a conventional power station and the power generated does not lead to any pollution. There is also no competition with other users of fresh water as the raw material entering the power station is literally at the end of line. “Apart from electricity, the only other thing that comes out of our facility is brackish water, which would be the result anyway of flowing fresh water into the sea.”

The seawater/river water combination is the most abundant salinity gradient resource in the world. Wherever a river flows into the sea, there is a possible location for RED energy generation. Some locations that already appear promising for RED include Eastern-Canada (Québec, Newfoundland, and Labrador), the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America, the eastern coast of Russia, the Mediterranean Sea, the Norwegian coast and, of course, the Rhine delta in the Netherlands.

Energy from waste streams Although the combination of seawater and brine is much less abundant than the sea water/river water combination, there are very promising possibilities from using seawater and brine due to the fact that both of the feed water components have high salt concentrations. Brine can be sourced from waste streams of either a salt production facility or a seawater desalination plant, transforming an otherwise costly by-product into a power producing resource. The concept has been successfully implemented on the Italian island of Sicily in a facility that produces salt directly from the Mediterranean Sea. Another application is power generation in combination with sewerage water or ground water, or with water flows that are part of industrial production processes, for example those emanating from cheese making or mining. Another application of RED technology can be found in the Middle East: the desalination of

sea water to create drinking water creates a waste product that is ‘double salt’. Therefore there is ample opportunity for RED power generation in the combination of salt and double salt water.

Storing energy Another potentially promising application of this technology is to store energy. This concept uses an isolated stack, equipped with a saline solution and ion-exchange membranes, to charge and discharge electricity based on the ED/RED principle.

Upscaling RED technology In recent years the RED technology has proven itself in the pilot installation of REDstack on a Dutch dike: the Afsluitdijk. This is REDstack’s largest and most ambitious project. With its project partners, Fujifilm and Wetsus, REDstack has combined efforts to work on research, development, and upscaling of the RED technology. A major step forwards for the project was achieved in May 2014 when the world’s first RED research facility using ‘real-world’ feed waters was put into operation. The goal of the pilot installation has been to investigate RED performance with natural fresh and salt water, and to improve the RED technology for real-world applications. REDstack is working towards a cohesive understanding of the RED technology with the mission of providing completely sustainable and commerciallyviable electricity production.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

169

ENERGIZING DELTAS The Netherlands has an internationally recognized reputation in the water security industry with respect to dike-related technology. A new ‘shoot on the tree’ comes in the form of the energy dike. This is a water security infrastructure project that combines the traditional functionality of a dike or dam (namely, water security) with sustainable electricity production. At the interface between salt and fresh water, there is a potential for electricity generation using RED technology. In the case of the Afsluitdijk, in the Netherlands, it is also possible to use turbines to harness the energy of water that is periodically emptied from the IJssel Lake into the Wadden Sea through sluices. These two renewable energy techniques, commonly known as Tidal Energy and Blue Energy, can also be applied to dikes in other delta areas around the world. In this way the Dutch position as world leader in water security and sustainable energy will be strengthened.

170

REDstack is responsible for designing, optimizing, and building the stacks, including the appropriate preparation and assembly. Furthermore, the company is also responsible for the daily operation of the facility. The location has challenged the technology: the Afsluitdijk separates the fresh water of the IJssel Lake from the murky waters of the Wadden Sea, the latter in reality not necessarily providing the best conditions, as it is clear salt and fresh water that create the highest efficiency. However even under the condition presented at the pilot site, the technology delivers energy as predicted. The ground-breaking activities of REDstack have not gone unnoticed. In 2016 the company was nominated as one of the three National Icons of the Netherlands, this nomination being applied to organisations that innovate in the field of energy, food or water supply, health care or mobility. The Icons are supported by a government minister, who functions as an ambassador for the company. With its nomination, REDstack strengthened its position in the market, becoming of greater interest to potential investors. Increasing efficiency and scaling up RED

In the past few years much experience has been gained in the pilot plant on how to optimize the process. Already the efficiency of the membranes has greatly improved, from 0.01W per square meter in 2003, to 2W per square meter by 2014, while the cost of producing the membranes has been reduced. A further aspect that adds to the stack’s efficiency is the increased knowledge about how different ratios between fresh and salt water yield different amounts of energy. Such developments have challenged REDstack to seek another suitable location, which it has found at Katwijk, a town where the Old Rhine flows into the North Sea. Here it has built a more powerful demonstration installation which generates 780KW, far exceeding the 50KW target output for the Afsluitdijk. “With our technology it is possible to produce about 10% of all energy consumption, this being completely climate neutral and with no side effects.” RED technology indeed has the potential to be one of the keys to the future generation of sustainable energy. REDstack is in a very strong position to play an important role in the current transitions in energy generation.

REDstack

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

171

“The world’s population is expanding at a rapid pace and a growing number of people must be fed.” 172

Rijk Zwaan As a company that develops vegetable varieties and sells the seeds produced from them, Rijk Zwaan is right at the start of the food chain. This independent, family-run, company makes a significant contribution to better food production and to the health and well-being of people all over the world.

Sharing a healthy future Rijk Zwaan is a specialist horticultural company, based in De Lier. It focuses on the development and sales of high-quality vegetable seed varieties for professional growers, both in greenhouses and outdoors. Rijk Zwaan, the founder of the company, started selling seeds in a Rotterdam shop in the 1920s and by the next decade was an early adopter of laws developed by Gregor Mendel, the pioneer of the new science of genetics. Mendel had already demonstrated that the inheritance of particular traits in plants followed particular laws. These laws formed, and still form, the basis for the methods of plant breeding practised by Rijk Zwaan. By the 21st century the company had become one of the top five largest vegetable breeders in the world with a broad product base of more than one thousand varieties, across twenty-five different vegetable

crops. These are sold in more than one hundred countries through thirty local sales subsidiaries and numerous distributors. Although vegetable breeding still has its origins in practices that have evolved for a century, it is now combined with high-tech selection techniques, sophisticated data analysis and robotisation. “We invest thirty percent of our annual revenue in research and development, although varieties can only be assessed ultimately in the field: that is why we perform selection trials at breeding locations around the world.”

Solutions for Global Challenges Rijk Zwaan’s varieties stem from a wide range of market demands and wishes. These may come from consumers or chefs, for example

based on tastes and appearance, from growers seeking high yields and disease resistance, from supermarkets looking for long shelf life and attractive presentation or from the food processing industry, searching for increasingly efficient processes. All varieties are tested by the growers. Only if a variety succeeds in practice, it can be sold. Seeds form the basis for the world’s food supply: without seeds, there would be no plants and therefore no vegetal food. Rijk Zwaan feels that it has not only the opportunity to make vegetables tastier, more appealing, easier to prepare and even healthier, but that it can also develop varieties that provide solutions for global challenges. A good example is the development of two product lines; convenience lettuce and snack vegetables. These can contribute to the fight against obesity by making a

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

173

valuable contribution to increased vegetable consumption and a healthier lifestyle. Vegetables are a healthy addition where the diet is rather ‘one-sided’. Rijk Zwaan is also firmly convinced that making strong hybrid varieties for different regions enables small-scale local growers to play a key role in building a sustainable food supply. Hybrid varieties have a much better quality and yield. “Our work brings with it a considerable social responsibility because the world’s population is expanding at a rapid pace and a growing number of people must be fed using a finite number of natural resources.”

Transferring Knowledge The company not only sells seeds but shares its knowledge with growers and other partners in the vegetable chain, such as retailers, food manufacturing companies, vegetable processing companies and restaurants. By sharing knowledge of production techniques and product sales, Rijk Zwaan helps growers to improve their yields.

174

In countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda, Rijk Zwaan initiates public/private partnerships to professionalise the vegetable cultivation sector. Together with local partners, the company trains the frontrunners among the growers, so that the cultivation and market knowledge they acquire then spreads to adjacent villages like oil on water. By such methods also farmers who do not purchase any seeds from Rijk Zwaan have a chance for a better livelihood.

Developing new Sustainable Varieties Sustainable varieties may also need less energy, water or crop protection agents and have a higher yield. Rijk Zwaan can also improve quality by incorporating resistance to plant diseases and plagues or by increasing productivity. This means that farmers do not need to use as many crop protection agents and can make better use of their land. In addition the company’s innovations can increase the shelf life of vegetables with the result that there is less spoilage and food wastage and the vegetables can reach more people. With new shapes, colours, tastes

and ease of preparation, consumers can be tempted to eat more healthy vegetables. The company does not develop varieties that are subject to genetic modification regulations.

Innovation and Creativeness Rijk Zwaan’s entrepreneurship is based on continuously developing and implementing new ideas. By always focusing on market demand it can provide solutions to the demands of the market and wider society. For example this may include: • Better emergence and protection of germinating plants. • Varieties suitable for organic cultivation (forty percent of the company’s product range). • Varieties specifically designed for sustainable hydro cultivation. • Drought tolerance and salt tolerance for cultivation with little water or with brackish water. • Vegetables that can be efficiently processed, thus resulting in less waste.

Rijk Zwaan

Biodiversity

CHINA: ‘FEEDING TOMORROW’S CITIES’

To be able to innovate it is important to access the genetic variations offered by nature. It is therefore logical that the environment and the earth’s resources are treated with respect and in a sustainable way. Rijk Zwaan contributes to this not only by working with gene banks that assemble and manage collections of biological material but by financing collecting missions to enable gene banks to expand their collections and to safeguard genetic sources for the future. Once sourced the company also helps to document, characterise and augment the material.

The agricultural sector in China is undergoing major modernisation. This is necessary not only to produce enough food for future populations, but also to increase the quality of the produce. Rijk Zwaan wishes to play a role in both of these aspects. The large-scale process of upgrading China’s traditional agriculture methods into a modern and efficient cultivation industry involves hundreds of millions of farmers and millions of hectares of land. Seeds play an important part in this transition as breeding companies are able to continuously introduce plant varieties with ever-better combinations of desired characteristics such as improved flavour, shelf life or appearance and better traits from a grower’s perspective. A higher crop yield per m2 and new and improved disease resistances enable agricultural land to be utilised more efficiently and reduce the amount of crop protection agents needed.

Consideration for the Environment Environmental consideration requires Rijk Zwaan to continuously review all of its business processes in the search for sustained improvement. Specifically this means that, in addition to people-orientation and economic interests, the environmental aspect is an important factor in all decision-making processes. For example this can encompass careful use of resources, materials and energy,

Rijk Zwaan started its first activities in China in 1998. Today, the company employs 140 people at its subsidiary in Qingdao, Shangdong Province, and works with about thirty demonstration stations across the country. In cooperation with many government bodies, institutions, other vegetable seed companies and both local and national partners in the Chinese vegetable chain, Rijk Zwaan introduces new varieties and transfers knowledge about cultivation and marketing to help growers to create extra value. Furthermore, each year, Rijk Zwaan invites hundreds of Chinese agriculture professionals to the Netherlands so they can see modern agriculture techniques for themselves, enabling them to put their new knowledge to good use on their return to China. China’s growing middle class and rising interest in the topics of health and food safety are increasing the demand for high-quality, reliable and varied food products.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

175

the re-use of waste water or the exploitation of biomass. Rijk Zwaan maintains its own environmental management system that focuses on all aspects of the company’s activity with the objectives of reducing the consumption of energy, water, raw materials and crop protection agents, as well as equally seeking to produce less waste, light and noise. “The company uses thermal energy storage systems at various locations. These systems store heat in the ground in the summer, which can be used for heating in the winter. By contrast, cold water is stored during the winter, which is then used for cooling in the summer.”

Business ethics As Rijk Zwaan is active all over the world, the company’s business ethics are very important. The company endeavours to maintain honest business practices with due consideration of values and standards. These apply equally to all countries. This high company standard is also demanded of its partners. For example, in its contracts Rijk Zwaan explicitly includes a clause stating that the company does not

176

permit child labour and, in order to ensure this does not occur, the company’s products are subjected to external audits. “In collaboration with the IESE Business School in Spain, the company has developed an intensive three-day Business Ethics and Company Culture programme which focuses on the means to ensure honest and ethical business. All directors and business managers complete this course.“

A ‘People Company’ Achieving autonomous growth by capitalising on opportunities has been the company’s strategy since 1924. Yet Rijk Zwaan remains a ‘people company’, seeing its 2,800 employees as its most important asset. Its first and most important goal has been, and remains, to provide all its employees with an enjoyable and sustainable job with good terms and conditions of employment. This produces a strong company culture that is centred on involvement, teamwork and loyalty. Rijk Zwaan is a relatively ‘flat’ organisation and employees are given room to act independently.

This focus on the employees promotes motivation and commitment, with the result that: • Employees can feel that Rijk Zwaan is ‘their own’ company, thus creating company loyalty which can motivate effort. • There is consideration for the needs and health of all employees. • Management is ‘people-oriented’. • Employees have lifetime job security. Each year, the employees are given an opportunity to purchase shares in the company thereby increasing the sense of ownership and belonging.

Food for thought Rijk Zwaan is growing rapidly, but so too is the world’s population: such growth presents both opportunities and challenges. With the extensive experience of its highlymotivated employees, as well as its profound knowledge and numerous long-term collaborative partnerships, Rijk Zwaan is both well-placed and keen to contribute to a healthy and sustainable future.

Rijk Zwaan AFRICA: ‘FOCUS ON THE LONG TERM’ Rijk Zwaan is directly or indirectly active in the whole African continent. A subsidiary ‘Rijk Zwaan South Africa’ has been established, but the company also recognizes the enormous potential of northern Africa, although the situation there is very different. Countries such as Algeria and Egypt can face quite different challenges compared with the south of the continent, for example the growing of crops in saline soils. Such problems have required Rijk Zwaan to develop specific varieties to cater for this. In western Africa, growing conditions are in the main excellent, but the quality of cultivation varies considerably, requiring different appropriate varieties. In eastern Africa (a fourth distinct region on the continent) ‘Rijk Zwaan Afrisem’ is also developing a range of appropriate varieties, a process that is well established as the company has been active in Tanzania since 2002. Although Rijk Zwaan pursues a segmented approach in such regions, it very consciously elects to develop only hybrid varieties, as these have a higher quality than the standard ‘OP’ (‘Open-Pollinated’) varieties. This means that serious investments from growers are necessary, although this high-quality seed ultimately brings added value through higher yields and better-quality vegetables. The company focuses on growers who can and want to create their markets, a professional approach that still requires Rijk Zwaan to source and demand the same high standards of seed quality as anywhere else in the world. However the choice of hybrids does not mean that the company’s emphasis is only towards large nurseries. Rijk Zwaan’s intention is that small farmers too will see the advantages of hybrids and that they will grow vegetables of a higher standard. This is why the company pays considerable attention to the transfer of knowledge, by travelling from grower to grower, organising commercial demonstrations and using SMS to spread crop tips and success stories. While this is a lengthy process, Rijk Zwaan is convinced that this is the best way to make use of the potential of this special continent.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

177

“We want to value all parts of our crops.” 178

Royal Cosun As a global agro-industrial group of companies, Cosun’s ambition is to get the most out of its raw materials. This is good for both the environment and the company’s profitability, as well as meeting society’s demand for responsible products and production methods. Working with farm produce and using advanced technology in large-scale processing, Cosun prioritises sustainable growing techniques and efficient processes that minimise both waste and harm to the environment.

Creating value from crops Royal Cosun was established nearly 120 years ago by Dutch sugar beet growers who had organized themselves into a cooperative. By so doing they were, and still are, able to ensure that their crops were processed and had access to the appropriate markets. Furthermore this ensured that the cooperative received a steady supply of raw materials, thereby making Cosun an agro-industrial group that is firmly rooted in the primary sector. Today, the cooperative is a business with an annual turnover of more than €2 billion, about 9,000 members (and shareholders), 3,900 employees (fte) and is active in more than thirty countries.

thereby serving all stakeholders of the group. Cosun is organised into five business groups and some smaller units. The businesses that belong to the parent company are Suiker Unie, Sensus, Aviko, SVZ and Duynie. All Cosun’s industrial activities are based on the largescale processing of vegetable raw materials, also known as green biomass, into food and non-food products. Because the company is ‘backward integrated’, the business groups have direct access to raw materials, creating a security of supply that is one of several unique selling points of the company.

Cosun has a strong focus on sustainability, while retaining an ambition to obtain the most from its raw materials. This is good for the environment and profitability, yet also meets society’s demands for responsible products and production methods. Cosun’s mission is ’Excelling in creating value from crops’,

Biorefinery: the road to sustainability Cosun’s ambition is to make optimal use of all its vegetable raw materials. While it has traditionally concentrated on foodstuffs that have primary, high value, applications,

virtually all the group’s businesses also supply ingredients, or residual flows, that are used in animal feed or non-food applications. These latter flows include natural food fibres, animal feed, starch, natural aromas, recoverable minerals and fertile soil. Once all the usable substances have been recovered, the residues are increasingly being fermented to produce ‘green’ energy. “The residual waste from the one, is the raw material for the other.” - Albert Markusse, CEO

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

179

The key to successful cascading is clustering. The residues from one of Cosun’s group members are often the raw material for another and what applies to Cosun can even apply to other parts of the industry. The various companies within Cosun provide clear examples of how raw materials can be disassembled into useful elements, such utility also applying to residual flows, thereby contributing both to the profitability of the business and to sustainability. The latter is to be expected as it is a subject that has always been at the very the core of the company. In particular, the Duynie Group serves as a prime example of Cosun’s ‘circular thinking’. Within Duynie, everything is focused on obtaining maximum value from organic co-products used in food or beverage production. Duynie acquires these residual flows, adds value to them and offers them as feed to local farmers or, in the case of the residue of carrots, collects, processes and dries them to be used in pet food. Another example is beer broth from breweries, which is also processed for feed. In a world where resources are becoming scarce and society increasingly demands sustainability in all areas

180

and operations, Duynie is a good example of how to transform residual flows into new products. Aviko’s customers are found in the food service, fast food, retail and industrial sectors. The company is a world leader in the production, processing and sale of potato products from its supply of over 1.5 million tons of raw potatoes each year. The company maintains a wide product range, including fresh and frozen potato fries, steamed and cooked potato products, cooked snacks and appetisers, granules and flakes as well as many potato specialities. Sustainability has an important place in this production cycle. Residual potato flakes are processed by Duynie and sold as feed to pig farms, while the starch in the waste water is recollected by drying and offered as potato starch, an ingredient for food, animal feed and wallpaper paste. This ingenious process, that utilizes all parts of the potato, is not only relevant for Aviko, but can be used by all potato processing plants word-wide. “To be really sustainable you should combine everything at the same time.”

Suiker Unie’s factories process more than nine million tonnes of sugar beet a year into dry granulated sugar or liquid variants. The company is a good example of an organisation that recognized the importance of reducing energy at an early stage. Since the Dutch government initiated energy saving in 1990, Suiker Unie has focused on reducing energy consumption per production unit and with considerable success. Energy consumption per tonne of sugar has been cut by half since the policy was initiated, thereby already complying with the Paris Agreements on Climate Change for 2050. Furthermore all the sugar beet is fully used. It is transformed into sugar, molasses and residual flows. The sugar finds its way to the processing industry as an ingredient for soft drinks, confectionery, desserts and ice cream, cakes and baked goods, as well as Suiker Unie’s own consumer products: sugar cubes, syrup, icing sugar and brown sugar. The molasses is used as breeding material, for example for penicillin, while the residual flows (still often mineral-rich) can be sold to famers as beet pulp for animal feed or as a dressing to enrich farmland. Sugar is also one of the building blocks for bioplastics (e.g. PLA) that are produced by for example Avantium, another participant in this book. After the entire biorefinery process, the remaining residues are collected and used as raw material for the fermenters of Suiker Unie, making the company the largest green gas producer of the Netherlands. The residues of this fermentation process are, in their turn, collected and used by farmers on their land.

Royal Cosun As sugar beet consists, for a great part, of water, such residual process water can be fed through an anaerobic methane reactor where it is fermented, resulting in green gas that is used in the company’s production processes. The resulting CO2 is used in greenhouses and stimulates the growth of crops. This intricate and over-arching system shows how sustainability can be an integral part of the production process, fully utilizing the potentials of the raw material and combining them with a sound business model. SVZ supplies high quality fruit and vegetable ingredients to food and drink manufacturers around the world. Its purees and juices have various applications in beverages, dairy, ice cream, jam, bakery, soup and baby food. The company’s entire supply chain has been made more sustainable by supplying the small fruit growers in Eastern Europe with special fruit genera that need less crop protection, thereby saving the environment. SVZ has the highest ranking at the ‘EcoVadis’ sustainability index and the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative (SAI) Platform, and has committed itself to aim for a 100% sustainable supply chain for fruit and vegetables by 2030. Sensus processes chicory roots into an innovative ingredient: inulin. This prebiotic fibre is an excellent substitute for sugar and fat. Thanks to its qualities, inulin is very suitable as part of a healthy and responsible diet. Again, all residues are used for feed or the production of green gas.

TOWARDS A BIOBASED ECONOMY: CLUSTERS ARE THE KEY The interconnection of the various business groups and their processes within Cosun is a fine example of the possibilities that can cascade advantages and opportunities for wider industry. The key is to establish clusters in which the various production processes and their residual side streams are interconnected.

Many sectors that used to operate as entirely separate entities now have a stake in the biobased economy and are forging increasingly close ties. Examples are clusters between agriculture and chemicals, paper and energy and agrofoods, a good example being Nieuw Prinsenland, a Cosun initiative.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

181

COSUN INNOVATION CENTER Cosun has a long-established history and broad experience of large scale processing of agricultural feedstocks into various products for multiple markets, built on its core competencies of optimization, development and the introduction of new and innovative processes. These activities are supported by

Focus on biorefinery The earlier mentioned process of biorefining can also be illustrated by reference to its possible final products, which range from high to low added value: • Pharmaceutics • Food • Animal Feed • Fine chemicals • Fuel. Cosun’s ambition is to convert biomass into an end product with the highest possible value and in the most sustainable way of processing the precious vegetable raw materials. If that is not possible it will focus on the next level and so on, with the use of biomass as fuel as a last resort. A well-balanced portfolio is profitable for the group, its shareholders and stakeholders, as well as for the environment.

New products Apart from the focus on sustainability in its current portfolio, Cosun invests in biobased products, particularly as these are seen as

182

good substitutes for existing fossil based products. The group’s activities range from development, through manufacturing, to supply of biobased functional chemicals and, as a result of major investment in the development of innovative biobased chemicals and materials from renewable, vegetable resources, it seeks to secure a place in this growing market at an early stage. “Our major challenge in developing new products from biomass is to find solutions that have the highest added value, no waste (i.e. closed loops) and the lowest energy input.” This involves pure Research and Development on a laboratory scale which may result in new products and applications. The potential demand in the market also plays its role in this phase and when both appear promising, the feasibility for a scale-up has to be determined. Cosun has its own pilot factory in Dinteloord to test and improve biorefinery processes in collaboration with business groups and their customers. The pilot plant makes it possible to produce larger batches of the various new products on a semi-production scale. These are only a few of the broad range of

the company’s technological R&D specialists and business groups. ‘Creating value from knowledge’ is the driving force behind this approach. The innovation centre is an inspiring place where Cosun’s technological specialists and business developers work with external parties such as customers, suppliers and universities, to create new products and applications.

biobased products and applications that are possible and which serve to create the optimal use of biomass with a high added value and to contribute to a sustainable future. “We have been biobased for about 120 years. Today, this is better understood and appreciated than ever before.”

Another 120 years Cosun strives to create continuity within the group and the cooperative for all its members and other stakeholders. “The cooperative has already existed for almost 120 years and we intend to stay in business for another 120 years. That is another way of saying that we are aiming for a sustainable future in a broad perspective”. ‘Creating value from crops’ remains the corporate mission and with its proven knowledge base, Cosun seeks to extend its portfolio of biobased products in close cooperation with all its stakeholders. The objective: to create the sustainable future that Cosun has already been working towards for the past 120 years.

Royal Cosun

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

183

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed to change from selling to advising and from manufacturing to co-creating and co-design.â&#x20AC;? 184

Royal IHC Although holding a leading position in the manufacture of specialized vessels, Royal IHC is forced to reinvent itself following the global crisis in the oil, gas, mining and dredging markets. The company changed its primary focus to design, engineering and servicing, in addition to its historic focus on manufacturing. In close cooperation with customers, IHC is now shaping the maritime equipment of the future.

Co-creating the maritime future In the highly competitive market of equipment and vessel manufacturing, price levels are always under pressure. To avoid damaging the company in a spiral of price competition, Royal IHC decided to reinvent itself and focus on creating maximum added value with its design and engineering capabilities. In this new approach customers take a central role. A further change has been to focus on the servicing and support of equipment and vessels during their operational lifecycle. Close relationships with customers no longer stop at the moment of delivery, but continue throughout the entire lifespan of the vessel or piece of equipment.

The customer in the lead For IHC the customer is always in the lead. This strategic positioning close to the customer has major consequences for the way

IHC conducts its business. IHC’s customers are not only to be found in Europe but, increasingly, throughout the world. As a result of this global expansion, the company has started to operate from a regional and local perspective, by transforming its existing service hubs into regional offices with a focus on sales, services and engineering close to local customers. Vessels and equipment are also produced locally (termed, ‘local for local’). Every region has its own challenges and often unique solutions. Therefore, instead of applying the ‘one size fits all’ solutions that might have been tried in the past, IHC now adapts its focus to the specific demands and circumstances of each customer. This worldwide evolution can be seen in the variations of business focus in the company’s regional offices, for example: Australia, mining; Brazil, offshore and dredging; Houston, offshore; the Middle East, dredging; and

Canada, mining. To support these regions, the Royal IHC offices in the Netherlands and the UK have developed into the company’s main knowledge centres. The regional offices are therefore at the forefront of the interactions with customers: they are the company’s antennae and leaders in the shaping of the customer satisfaction ‘roadmap’. By so doing, the customer and company develop close relationships that enhance the speed by which solutions can be found, to the benefit of both. These relationships particularly fit IHC’s modern aspirations: the company wants to become the customer’s preferred partner by offering integrated solutions. To meet this ambition the ratio of ‘blue collar’ to ‘white collar’ workers directly employed by the company has changed : from about 3:2 to 2:3. Also the company’s own manufacturing capacity has been reduced from four yards to two yards. This highly enhances the flexibility

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

185

to subcontract manufacturing to regional manufacturers, while commissioning is still performed in-house by IHC companies, thereby reducing the overall price of equipment and vessels but still maintaining IHC’s quality levels. The transfer of knowledge and expertise to the regional markets is an important trend, fuelled by local governments that want production and servicing facilities close to home. IHC has acknowledged this development and adapted to it by not only stimulating this transition but also by supplying training for local crews to optimize the use of the manufactured vessels and equipment. All this requires more ‘soft skills’ (for example collaboration/ communication) and an open attitude. From historically being a somewhat closed company that guarded its knowledge, IHC and its employees have learned instead to share their knowledge with their international colleagues all over the world. However such sharing does not stop at the level of manufacturing, as customers are also involved. Experience and creativity as the basis for development are not only found within IHC or others at the manufacturing level, but also within the customer who will often know far more about the circumstances under which equipment and vessels operate than might the equipment supplier. By combining these flows of knowledge the final product will offer a better and integrated solution for the customer. “The time has ended that all engineering, manufacturing and support knowledge came from Europe: increasingly the regions will take on these roles and we should adapt to these changes.”

186

Royal IHC Innovating for sustainability The strategic repositioning of Royal IHC towards design, engineering, and services in close cooperation with customers brings with it major sustainability opportunities. Feedback from local markets can be combined with global intelligence to optimize equipment and vessels, based on the most important trends and shifts in customer demand. A first example has been the production of a dredging vessel with a dual fuel capability. With this vessel IHC moved into an uncharted business terrain where regulations are scarce. This project also required a more open attitude toward the specific knowledge of other companies, for example regarding gas installations for large ship engines. Other innovations focused on hull design and fuelefficient diesel electric engines, with the aim of reducing the impact of vessels and equipment on the wider environment. Sediment management is another object of research. As it is regularly contaminated, it is frequently moved from harbours and dumped somewhere else. IHC took on the challenge to study this practice in order to find alternatives to dumping, which resulted in a method to use the slurry as a raw material for building. A similar innovation with a positive environmental impact is the conversion of sand to rock. This is very advantageous where the latter is needed to protect newly acquired land against flooding but where the necessary rock can only be sourced hundreds of kilometres away from the shore. Apart from the physical effort needed to transport the rock over such distances, there is also a considerable impact

on the environment to be considered. IHC has now developed a technique to convert sand into rock in situ, thereby solving a number of such problems and reducing the negative impact on the environment. Tunnelling is another subject of interest to IHC. The laying of new cables or new sewer pipes normally has a great impact and disturbance to city ecosystems and can create traffic jams that have a very bad impact on the environment. To address this, IHC is developing the technique of Micro tunnelling. This involves tunnelling under existing buildings where the impact is minimalised for both people and environment. Pigs is another technique related to tunnelling, comprising a small device that finds its way through tunnels of all dimensions to check the condition of pipes for damages, ruptures and corrosion. This technique, when combined with fast hardening substances, can enable repairs to be performed ‘en route’ without the need to break up roads and block traffic. All these innovations have a focus on sustainability and have less to do with building equipment and vessels as such, but more with developing clever solutions by engineers who have a clear view of the needs and challenges faced by society. As a final example, IHC is exploring new solutions for the decommissioning phase of equipment and vessels, a phase that hitherto has only cost money and where no-one appeared to feel much responsibility for the environment. IHC now focuses on a strategy of ‘design to disassemble’ so that in the final decommissioning phase parts can be reused instead of being reduced to waste.

Thinking in chains Despite this transition, IHC will still be building equipment and vessels because building knowledge and experience are indispensable when developing innovative new equipment and vessels. The company also feels responsibilities towards its employees who, for the large part, have been working for IHC their whole life. But to stay ‘on board’, IHC’s employees will have to change in the sense that more flexibility will be expected from them. One of the most important changes is thinking in terms of ‘collaboration chains’ i.e. you are part of a larger chain and each link in the chain has to trust the one preceding and deliver to the one following. “Industry is no longer only hardware: it has become knowledge”. Thinking in collaboration chains is an important element in the newly evolving IHC: sharing knowledge between customers, competitors and suppliers is becoming increasingly important. While all such knowledge can be found in various systems it should, ideally, be unlocked by a shared portal. Such systems exist in other sectors, but shipbuilding has been lagging in this respect. IHC’s ambition is to synchronize the sector’s systems and knowledge, which will enhance efficiency for all parties involved: customers, manufacturers and suppliers. The knowledge can also contribute to minimizing the tendency by engineers to over-specify designs and, as a result , to reduce the consumption of raw materials.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

187

“Data as such are not that interesting, but the application of data can offer added value.”

IHC wants to further develop this whole pallet of innovative ideas that, on the one hand, will have a profound impact on the whole company while, on the other, will individually have a positive effect on sustainability issues.

Using data and knowledge A new competitive advantage has resulted from this long-term relationship and close cooperation with customers. Royal IHC generates large quantities of data through condition-based monitoring during the operational lifecycle of the vessels and equipment IHC has built. This results in valuable input for the design and engineering of new vessels and installations, resulting in higher quality products and enhanced customer satisfaction both now and in the future. Overall therefore the company has changed course from an emphasis on hardware to a more intangible part of the process surrounding the production of vessels and equipment: design, development, engineering and service support. This change

188

in focus has led to a higher added value and better position in relation to competitors, especially in the eyes of many of IHC’s customers. “The customers should get the feeling that we can solve their problems in a creative and efficient way that can’t be found by others”. This transition of the company has also had its implications on human resources and the knowledge base. In the new company philosophy, IHC often chooses to partner with other successful organizations instead of trying to solve issues single-handedly, for example in Brasil where a partnership with a service company has broadened the base of knowledge and expertise of the combined companies thereby creating a better joint position in the market. The use of ‘big data’ is a powerful tool for IHC to realize its ambition of creating maximum added value from the company’s design and engineering capabilities. Such acquired data, in combination with available engineering knowledge, will shape the company’s future.

For example, IHC dredging vessels are currently operating with a ‘one man’s bridge’. However, in the near future, a ‘no man’s bridge’ is a real option as IHC has all the necessary data regarding the way such vessels behave under different working circumstances. Therefore, using satellite information, the vessel (a relatively slow object) can be operated and controlled from a distance. Availability of data also makes it possible for a customer to monitor the state of the vessel and the progress of production in real time. The condition-based monitoring of systems and subsystems also facilitates proactive servicing. Finally, the new strategy brings new choices for Royal IHC, for example whether the company will continue to sell hardware or pursue the business model that is seen in aviation, where large equipment or parts may be leased for a period rather than bought outright. Another important choice is whether the company will keep building specialized equipment and vessels or whether it may be able to meet the wishes of the customer with a portfolio of fairly standardized equipment and vessels. So, while the future shape and course for the company remains to be finalised, it has made a fresh start and built a solid base to face the changing times in maritime equipment design.

Royal IHC

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

189

“SADC is all about long term value creation and ‘patient’ capital.” 190

SADC In the current transition to a new circular economy, innovations are generated in quick succession. Recognizing the opportunities these innovations offer, Schiphol Area Development Company (SADC) seeks to fulfil an active role and add value, not only to its own business practices but also to the region and the business environments it develops.

Shaping circular economies Schiphol Area Development Company (SADC) was established in 1987 by public and private sector parties that were eager to utilize the economic potential of Amsterdam Airport by joining forces and thereby strengthen the region’s competitive position both domestically and internationally. Their ambition was to develop Schiphol into a dynamic hub of aviation in order to act as an accelerator for economic growth. State of the art business parks were seen as essential for facilitating foreign direct investment and the growth of jobs: the reasons why SADC was specifically founded.

of Amsterdam, the Province of NorthernHolland and Schiphol Group. The model brings shareholders and stakeholders together and guarantees solid decision making with an eye for all interests involved.

Today, SADC still develops high quality and accessible nationally and internationally competitive business locations in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. The company operates a governance model in which four shareholders each hold a 25% stake: the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer, the City

The real strength of SADC lies in the develop ment of state of the art business parks.

“Our governance model is internationally renowned and functions as an example of how to tackle multiparty decision making in the field of sustainable business park development in an airport region.” - Jeanet van Antwerpen, CEO

Making connections

“We have a thorough knowledge of the market and new developments, from which we can offer revolutionary concepts such as the Green Data Center Campus and Circular Valley.”

Another strength of the company is, like Schiphol Airport itself, in making connections. The company connects businesses and developers to government agencies and research institutes, significantly enabled by SADC’s participation in a large number of networking, knowledge and business organizations. In this way, the company not only connects ideas but also develops them with all participants into new market and business concepts. “Our strength lies in connecting. We connect people with one another; businesses and developers to government agencies and research institutes.” For SADC, the main theme for the coming years is the transition to a circular economy. The circular economy itself is not ‘rocket science’, but rather about stimulating economic growth in a way that simultaneously improves the quality of life and does not

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

191

Towards a circular economy ONCE A CUSTOMER, ALWAYS A CUSTOMER

cause any harm. This delivers value in multiple respects, by designing out waste, minimising negative impact and using renewable energy. The way businesses wish to operate and collaborate in a circular ecosystem profoundly affects the business environments that an enterprise seeks to create. SADC’s goal is to understand that, in order to respond and even to lead the way, such leadership is all the more vital, as prominent companies will only wish to establish a presence if they are offered the best possible business climate. All important is the resulting business climate. This is broadly defined and includes elements such as the architectonic quality of individual buildings, the setup of public space within the business park, services and the human scale of the total business park, all of which are important in the fight for human talent. This intrinsic value is becoming increasingly important in the decision-making process of companies. The efforts of SADC in recent years have resulted in the creation of a broad portfolio of business locations along the western corridor between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport, each with its own work-specific qualifications.

192

SADC’s primary market comprises the many businesses that choose to locate in the Amsterdam Airport Area, along with their employees. The focus on SADC’s ‘residents’ has to start early, with careful monitoring of global developments in order to be able to offer businesses an optimal working environment, both now and in the future. From the residents’ perspective, SADC’s role starts with helping them to find a suitable location on one of the available business parks and then guiding them through the permit application process and construction phase. Additionally, there is a strong focus on the needs of their employees. Making their lives easier and helping businesses grow is what is of utmost importance to SADC. But with the motto ‘once a customer, always a customer’, service does not stop after a company has moved into its new location. SADC continues to offer a broad range of services such as security, digital connectivity, maintenance and public transport.

In earlier decades, the economy developed according to a linear model. Natural resources were used and depleted, resulting in high levels of pollution. “Humanity has made a significant impact on our environment and quality of life. For us, it’s hugely important to stimulate economic growth and to improve quality of life at the same time. But you can’t achieve this with just a few changes here and there. What you need is a wholly different economic model.” That new model is the circular economy and SADC has translated this model into three principles for the development of workspaces, buildings and business parks. The first is the technological cycle: according to this principle a building is nothing more than a warehouse full of solidified materials. Design for disassembly will make it possible to harvest these buildings when they need a facelift or are made obsolete. The second principle is that of the bio-based cycle, or more specifically the question of how to deal with waste water. A solution is ‘decentral sanitation’: waste water is processed and purified locally and then reused. The last important principle is that of the tran sition from ownership to use. In this the ownership of all the different components of the built environment increasingly stays with the companies who created them, in order for them to re-use the materials at the end of the life cycle. Companies who used to own buildings still might own the shell, but now pay for the use of such items as light, furniture, elevators, solar panels and even windows or street pavement.

SADC GREEN DATACENTER CAMPUS The Green Datacenter Campus initiative is an efficient and, above all, sustainable datacenter ecosystem under development. The Campus, which will cover an area of about twenty hectares, aims to use 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources and reuse 100% of waste heat. SADC and the Green IT Amsterdam Foundation joined forces in order to create and link a sustainable and digital infrastructure. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, which includes the Haarlemmermeer municipality, is already a popular place in which to establish datacenters. By offering more space for them, full advantage will be taken of the economic opportunities offered by the digital economy. The campus will be a place in which data centers, service partners and data center specialists from the worlds of IT, energy, engineering and knowledge can come together to form a datacenter ecosystem. The advantages for the latter include campus security at zone level, adequate power supply and the space to expand and capitalize on the excellent connectivity, thanks to the world’s largest internet exchange point, AMS-IX, which is in close proximity. The Green Datacenter Campus will create unique opportunities for facilitating pioneering initiatives, such as the stable integration of renewable energy and heat exchange. For example, the supply of residual heat can be combined in a single infrastructural supply and connected to the nearby greenhouse horticulture area. Together with GreenIT Amsterdam and market players, efforts are being made to find innovative solutions that will contribute to the transition towards a circular economy. The campus is already attracting considerable international interest and the first datacenters are expected to be set up by 2019.

Influencing the future As an area developer, SADC needs to cooperate closely with project developers, investors and end-users in order to create a state of the art business park. To maximize its influence, SADC has moved beyond its current practice of sustainable area development to focus on circular area development. In order to offer five varying levels by which it can influence, guide and control this transition, the area developer differentiates between: • The companies own business practices: embracing the principle of ‘practice what you preach’, SADC started to make its own business practices circular. The company will determine what can be can achieved both in the short and longer term. • Areas: the focus is on material reuse, minimally and without loss of quality, closed recycling loops, the use of renewable energy, and stimulating diversification. • Buildings: SADC encourages its partners and customers to build real estate according to circular principles. • Businesses: SADC attempts to exert maximum influence on entrepreneurs

to apply circular principles in their own business practices. SADC helps, for example, by connecting them to companies that offer ‘circular service provision’, for example, in the field of renewable energy. • National and regional: SADC’s influence is applied to remove obstacles to circular development embedded in laws and regulations. This pertains in particular to zoning plans and regulations regarding energy and water. In its role of area developer, SADC has initiated themes that the owners of the buildings can take into account and can incorporate in the development and actual building stages, for example, decentral energy, heating and water provision. There are an increasing number of reasons to manage energy well. Clients demand green labels and a focus on sustainability, legislation is becoming stricter and transparency is now seen as ever more important. Furthermore, cost reduction remains an important item. One of the tools that helps this area developer to influence beyond its own business practice is the on-line tool Hello Energy. This enables

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

193

building owners to monitor, manage and communicate their energy consumption in an easy and insightful way. It also gives a benchmark of the energy consumption and costs of the building, including a proposal for the best purchasing conditions and a comparison with other buildings. Another initiative with a similar aim is the Zero Waste Workshop jointly organized by SADC and ZeroWasteLab. Through this, SADC aims to stimulate and facilitate companies to significantly reduce their costs by separating their refuse into valuable waste, while working together on logistics and recycling. Zero waste means significant gains in terms of expenditure and sustainability. Roughly translated, the motto of the workshop is: ‘Where there’s muck, there’s money’.

Valley: the first circular hub in the world An area within Schiphol Trade Park called ‘Valley’ is being developed in accordance with a circular development plan. The ambition is to create a ‘circular’ business community comprising the area, the buildings and the businesses.

194

One of the first concrete developments was the Circular Expo that opened its doors in April 2016. Valley will become the first circular hub in the world, a place where circular challenges from around the world will be solved collaboratively by a unique mix of stakeholders. Valley offers the complete spectrum of facilities and services to facilitate the transition to a circular economy; work and collaborative spaces, maker spaces, fabulous laboratories and pilot plants. “Valley is a community and environment, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Positive restlessness There’s a sense of ‘positive restlessness’ at SADC that has much to do with the enormous untapped potential represented by the transition to a circular, smarter economy. At this moment there are a number of concrete projects, but not nearly as many as could be accomplished by combining manpower, funding and energy. SADC aims for a bigger and even more ambitious approach, because the future is being shaped today.

SOLAR ENERGY SADC is always looking for different ways to supply power to its development projects. Locally generated energy consumption fits the company’s objectives to contribute to the development of circular work locations. Solar energy is one such important source. SADC, with F&S SOLAR, developed a solar park at the Groene Hoek site in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. This project involves the installation of 127,456 solar panels on a site measuring 26 hectares. The panels will generate around 15 MWh per year, producing enough energy for some 4,500 households. It will also yield a reduction in CO2 emissions of 5,580 MT. The agreement has been signed for a term of 25 years. The Solar Park project adds to the ambition of municipality of Haarlemmermeer to be energy neutral by 2040.

“We need to do more, do it better, and do it together; and above all, keep blazing new trails!”

SADC

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

195

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sustainability is becoming more and more a qualifier for doing business.â&#x20AC;? 196

Smit & zoon Smit & zoon is a global player in the leather industry, with an active role in making the leather value chain more sustainable. Collaborating with agents, distributors, customers, fashion brands, non-government organizations (NGOs) and many other bodies, the company acts as a catalyst in making the leather value chain safe and more environmentally friendly. With this leading role and an ambitious research and innovation strategy, Smit & zoon is not only a successful business but also confident it can transform the leather industry.

Transforming the leather industry The company’s history began almost 200 years and seven generations ago when Albert Smit, captain of the ship “De Koornzaaijer”, founded Smit & zoon. Originally the company traded in dried codfish, salted herring and medicinal cod liver-oil, but soon expanded its activities to trade in animal oils, vegetable oils and proteins. From there, Smit & zoon gradually developed into a specialized leather chemicals company. “Our philosophy is to change the industry from within.” - Hans van Haarst, CEO Today Smit & zoon offers its customers, who comprise tanneries world-wide, products for the leather-processing industry; more specifically for the wet-end and finishing stages of the leather-making process. The company’s products have a necessary and important effect on the characteristics of leather, for example softness, stretch, water

repellency, fashion and colour. Smit & zoon leather chemicals can be found in many highend brands of footwear, hand bags, furniture upholstery, automotive interiors and other leather goods.

A sector in rapid development Leather processing is an industry with a larger than average impact on both the environment and working conditions in numerous countries. It is the company’s ambition to make the leather value chain largely sustainable by 2025 and therefore, in order to accomplish this, it must expand its collaboration with other players in the industry as, historically, the leather production value chain has been very fragmented. The diverse customer base complicates this ambition as tanneries operate in

different markets, both geographically and economically. Some of them primarily produce leather for the automotive industry; others for shoes, bags or furniture. Consequently, they all have different requirements and demands. Furthermore many tanneries are located in developing countries, where sustainability and corporate responsibility are not high on the agenda, although this is rapidly changing. World-wide, tanneries are under pressure to adapt from many different directions: media influence, NGOs, increasing consumer demands for confirmation that the leather products they are buying are produced sustainably and assurances that the environment is being respected compared to the effects of available alternatives. Tanneries are also showing a growing focus on sustainability by applying everimproving standards while, at the same

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

197

time, governments are imposing tougher regulations. This generates a strong call to action throughout the value chain, to support Smit & zoon in its efforts to create a more sustainable leather industry. To fulfil this role, the company has developed inspiring activities to improve sustainability and education at the important intersection of innovation and responsible quality management.

Tannery of the Future One fine example of an initiative that could showcase a sustainable leather industry is Tannery of the Future. This project, which was created by CSR Netherlands (the centre of excellence for Dutch companies that are striving towards corporate social responsibility), involved the specific involvement of Egbert Dikkers from Smit & zoon, independent leather expert Hans Both and Antoinette Gast from fair-trade leather importer Tuyu. The group noticed a rising demand in Western markets for highquality leather products made in conditions that are less harmful to the environment and for people, with the result that such development was pressuring brands, retailers, importers and tanneries to create a futureproof and socially-responsible industry. The prime question that emerged was therefore: what are the requirements for tanneries to be fit for a sustainable future? From this basic question the project group developed the ‘Tannery of the Future´ CSR self-assessment tool, designed to enhance

198

the awareness of tanners, retailers, brands and traders. The document covers all major issues and its intent and design are pretty straight-forward. It provides references to sources of in-depth information and guidance, and the self-assessment also includes a paragraph on future plans. Questions cover fourteen different aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility, answers to which give the interested and relevant parties, tanneries in particular, an initial indication of areas in which they can become more sustainable. For example, these include housekeeping, waste management, working conditions and wages. The ‘Tannery of the Future’ self-assessment works as a prelude to full certification, for example from the Leather Working Group (an international body seeking to improve environmental stewardship). Again, the ultimate goal is to make the leather value chain largely sustainable by 2025. “We claimed a leading role in the ‘Tannery of the Future’ project, not only because of our ambition to be the catalyst in this process, but also because we have the knowledge and expertise which we want to share with others.” - Egbert Dikkers, Director Sustainability Yet another interesting dimension of the cooperation between NGOs, governments, businesses and competitors in this project is a sense of urgency for fundamental change towards sustainability in the sector.

Smit & zoon THE SIMPLICITY CONCEPT: SAVING WATER AND ENERGY Tanneries consume large amounts of valuable, and sometimes scarce, water in their processes: up to 30 m3 per ton of raw hide in a standard tanning process. Although a substantial part of the water consumption in leather production takes place during what is termed the ‘beamhouse’, or pre-tanning, process, a lot of water can be saved in the wet-end process as well. Smit & zoon is confident that it can significantly reduce this amount. To achieve this, Smit & zoon introduced ‘Simplicity’ in 2013, a concept that optimizes tannery processes, saves water and energy and thereby saves costs. Small scale tests have demonstrated that, on average, savings of 40% in energy and 50% in water can be achieved by implementing the Simplicity concept. The final results for processes applied to largescale production will differ. Nevertheless, these results show that, by implementing the Simplicity concept and rethinking post-tanning operations, tanneries can achieve genuine savings in the amount of water and energy used in comparison to conventional methods. Parallel of this, Smit & zoon works on improving the uptake of chemicals in leather in order to reduce the volume of chemicals in the waste water, thus enabling tanneries to reduce their effluent treatment costs and decreasing the environmental impact of the tanning process.

Leather naturally

Research and innovations

As a member of the ‘Leather Naturally’ initiative, Smit & zoon promotes the use of globally-manufactured sustainable leather and seeks to inspire and inform designers, creators, and consumers about its beauty, quality and versatility. The leather industry is facing intense competition and pressure: on the one hand from synthetic materials manufactured from non-biodegradable petrochemical derivatives and, on the other hand, from special interest groups. Leather Naturally seeks to stimulate discussions based on facts, to highlight the natural beauty of leather and, even more importantly, to educate the buying public, designers and youth about leather and the leather industry. What is significant is that the leather value chain is, in a true sense, a value creating chain. It processes hides (in reality a waste product) and, ultimately, produces a high quality and luxurious product.

To stay ahead of competitors, Smit & zoon places increasing emphasis on technology, research and development, while maintaining a keen eye on sustainability. In order to retain leadership in this sector, Smit & zoon invests heavily in research and innovation, while working closely with the best people available in the industry.

“Leather is a truly sustainable material. Hides and skins are a by-product of the meat and dairy industry that would otherwise be turned to waste. By transforming them into leather, we are creating a product that is both natural and long-lasting.” - Egbert Dikkers, Director Sustainability

“The key is close co-operation between our chemists, sales- and technical team, , knowledge institutes, strategic raw material suppliers, customers and (fashion) brands, to develop the best added value for our customers and leather consumers.” - Egbert Dikkers, Director Sustainability By maintaining its own R&D facilities, physical testing centres and using the latest equipment, the company facilitates innovation. Some of its latest innovations, geared towards the same goal of making the entire leather industry sustainable, include products such as: • SAFETAN™: a range of new retanning agents that meet strict RSL (Restricted Substances Lists) standards, thus making it

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

199

THE SMIT & ZOON PRODUCT PASSPORT: A SUSTAINABILITY COMPASS A good example of Smit & zoon’s catalyst role is its Product Passport. This provides an easy to use overview, with data on the performance of Smit & zoon’s wet-end chemicals on both leather and on the environment. It also provides answers to the growing need for transparency and traceability of substances throughout the leather value chain. With the Product Passport, tanneries are able to understand the performance and environmental effects of the chemicals they use. It offers a unique combination of detailed information on haptic, physical and environmental properties. Smit & zoon has collected data on many of its products. Starting from 2017, the company is sharing the available information both inside and outside the organization. By using the data from the Product Passport, its customers are able to gain more knowledge about which Smit & zoon products to use, in order to make high quality leather with the lowest possible impact on the waste stream. In so doing, tanneries can make significant cost savings in the area of effluent treatment. In addition, Smit & zoon continues to map data from the other products in its portfolio, the knowledge gained then being applied to the development of new, more sustainable, products.

200

possible to produce high quality leathers meeting strict conditions on emissions. • The Smit & zoon ‘Product Passport’: offers tanneries an easy to use overview with data on the performance of Smit & zoon’s wet-end chemicals on both leather and on the environment. (see text box) • SMITOOLS: tools to help tanneries to make post-tanning processes simpler and sustainable, for example to help them avoid formaldehyde based rejections, to avoid or deal with fatty spew on leather, as well as other useful guidelines to improve quality and sustainability of leather products. Smit & zoon’s research team continuously works to develop new bio-based products, to reduce emissions and, by improving the uptake of leather chemicals in the leather, to reduce the volume of chemicals in the waste water. This is beneficial to all parties: tanneries save costs by using less and thereby decrease the negative impact of the tanning process on the environment. Moreover, based on the data in the Smit & zoon Product Passport, tanneries are able to choose their wet-end chemicals more wisely. Smit & zoon’s

leather technicians are helping to develop optimal recipes, enabling tanneries to produce beautiful leather while reducing their environmental footprint. The focus of Smit & zoon as a family owned company is continuity. Therefore sustainability forms an important part of its future. Sustainability and innovation will continue to be important strategic drivers and the company will continue to work closely with its customers and fashion brands on developing new products and services in this area. By intensifying these collaborations, Smit & zoon seeks to make the leather value chain sustainable by 2025 and, in order to do this, the company will continue in its efforts to maintain a leading role in the industry.

Smit & zoon

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

201

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our full service circular model will unburden you completely.â&#x20AC;? 202

SNEW Planet Earth’s raw materials are running out. In 20 years’ time, over 30% of all raw materials may have disappeared. In our consumer-driven society, innovative products are increasingly being manufactured without paying much attention to these depleting resources. With a fast-growing global population, this could have catastrophic consequences, even though there is enough in the waste yards to delay this for decades.

Making electronical equipment circular SNEW approaches things differently, striving for a circular economy in which products are reused in one way or another. Such an economy is a necessary development for a sustainable future. The company has developed a unique and circular model in which the raw materials of existing equipment can be reused rather than disposed of. It has a vision and passion for the return of the raw materials that we have borrowed from the Earth, as well as to empower disadvantaged people. Normally, end-of-life equipment is immediately recycled, which is not necessary and even burdens the Earth. In a circular system the raw materials of existing equipment are reused instead of misused. Where the economic life of a product usually stops, SNEW continues. What is termed the ‘3R-concept®’ (recollect, reuse and recycle), focusses on lengthening the lifecycle of a product.

As a first step, SNEW precisely identifies the equipment and then filters it for reuse. Following that, reusable equipment is refurbished and is offered again for use as ‘As New’. Unusable equipment can be reused again as spare parts or will otherwise be completely dismantled and reduced to raw materials. This creates the full circle which will prevent the depletion of raw materials as well as minimising the massive problem of ‘e-waste’. The 95% reuse of equipment in the auto motive sector functioned as the inspiration for the concept developed by Martijn van Engelen. Coming from the automotive sector, Martijn believed it is was unacceptable that no other sector seemed to have a decently working recycling system and that little or no time was spent on the idea of a circular economy. He therefore maintained that any industry can produce without any loss of materials and energy.

S N E W I S W I N N A A R CI R C U L AR AWAR D 2 0 1 8 IN D E CATAG O R IE M A A K I N D USTR I E .

“We have to start thinking circular! Let go of linear-thinking and you will see that solutions are available. Every industry can ‘unmake’ things.” - Martijn van Engelen, CEO

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

203

“In the automotive sector, 95% of cars are reused and recycled. In other sectors this is an unknown phenomenon. This is strange, especially taking into account that the materials used are as precious, or even more precious, than the materials in automotive equipment.”

Recollect, reuse, and recycle PASSION FOR REUSE Martijn van Engelen, who founded SNEW in 2013, had a passion for reusing materials from an early age. His original roots lie in automotive engineering and he was involved in the foundation of STIBA, a branch organisation of the car breaking industry. During this time he became fascinated with spare parts and the processes and potential for their reuse. About 25 years ago he made the transition to Telecoms and IT and has had his own company since 1996 with two branches in Africa. All his experiences in both these fields resulted in the inspiration and drive to create a similar concept of reusing products for the ICT market. From this inspiration and drive, SNEW (a company title derived from as ‘As New’), resulted. “The raw materials are running out because they are used up instead of used again. Reuse first, recycle later!”

204

SNEW developed a clever circular economic system, positioning itself as an important and indispensable link in the supply chain. Cooperation with all such links and the creation of sustainable partnerships is most important at SNEW and the key to its success. The concept, which is based on reversed logistics, makes it of interest for companies to hand over their depreciated ICT equipment. SNEW collects the Telecom and IT equipment from these companies and in its sorting facilities in Belgium and The Netherlands the equipment, wherever possible, is refurbished for a second life. For SNEW, it is not only about giving second chances to products but also to people who are not able to participate independently in the labour market, for example due to disability. The company therefore combines social empowerment with doing business as usual. Its people work daily on the best refurbished products with the highest quality. Customers receive a clear overview of the submitted items so they can see exactly what has happened to their equipment, for which SNEW pays a fair price. In addition to this

open exchange of information, customers know they are actively contributing to solving global resource and waste problems and that this contribution is a participation in ISO 20400 (circular procurement). The reuse concept can be applied in Western countries, just as well as in developing countries. In the former the focus is on Asset Recovery, while in developing countries the focus is on Urban Mining. To achieve the first of these, Asset Recovery, the cycle is extended by giving the collected and refurbished product a second life. In Western and developed countries these refurbished products are sold for a lower price than new products, but with the guarantee that, when they reach the end-of-life status, they will be taken back by SNEW. In developing countries, it is also possible to maintain the circular process. Refurbished products are being sold at an affordable price but old equipment can be handed in for an additional discount. SNEW remains responsible for the return of the products, a responsibility that SNEW takes seriously. Also by setting up Tech Terminals with trainers and proper recycling facilities, local people can be encouraged to recycle the equipment themselves. By doing this they have access to IT and the internet which stimulate education, so that SNEW and its customers are seen as supporting the United Nations’ goals to have resolved the world of extreme poverty by 2030. For customers this means a unique CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) plus implementation at once, without much effort.

SNEW

This is a process that is well known to Martijn van Engelen, who has had multiple branches in Africa specialized in doing just that. With this process, called urban mining, it is possible to turn the enormous junk yards filled with e-waste into a successful, circular, business model. What makes the SNEW concept special is that it is based on existing procedures and regulations, such as ISO and WEEE (The EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Waste, Electrical, Electronic, Equipment Directive). The concept can easily be extended to medical and household equipment. Furthermore, the products and activities are completely transparent and track-and-traceable. As the reuse and recycling of end-of-life equipment is a sensitive debate, SNEW makes a great effort to guarantee 100 per cent transparency of its processes.

From linear to circular at a One-Stop-Shop SNEW offers a total solution for the future of used ICT equipment. Besides offering a fair

URBAN MINING SNEW recently joined forces with 1We, One World Experience, for a special project: 1We SNEW. This is aimed at local people in developing countries. The project enables local people to acquire a computer at, what is for them, an affordable price. Furthermore local people can further lower the price by exchanging their own equipment. In this way, SNEW not only makes modern equipment more affordable but also helps to remove or lessen the junk yards, piece by piece. This so-called urban

mining will make junk yards smaller and help to restock raw materials. The project targets schools and other learning places to empower the pupils. Over the next few years SNEW expects to give thousands of school children a basis for a better future and to provide the much needed training that help people to service and, ultimately, to disassemble equipment. In this way the raw materials stay part of the circular economy.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

205

price for depreciated ICT equipment, the company has created additiona services to extend its lifecycle in a manner as responsible as possible. This is achieved through its ‘One-Stop-Shop’ services. With this formula SNEW makes the transition from linear to a circular economy easily accessible for all kinds of businesses, relieving them of problems associated with ageing equipment. SNEW specializes in the maintenance and servicing of existing, functioning equipment. The company’s skilled technicians can extend the lifecycle of this equipment by using Service Parts (i.e. spare parts) in cases where ICT equipment breaks down but may still have years of functional life remaining. Refurbishment is also a crucial part of this lifecycle extension and it is something SNEW has been doing for decades. With such ‘reversed logistics services’ clients can leave all the hassle to SNEW. These services can include the full uninstallation of workplaces or datacentres, data removal or even project and strategy support. SNEW has experience drawn from a huge variety of ICT projects.

Adding value to waste Until recently, companies and consumers had to pay a high price to have old equipment recycled: sometimes this is still the case. SNEW is at the forefront of a new era in which waste has appreciable value and the company has the tools to make this value accessible to anyone. To support resellers

206

and to stimulate reuse and recycling through the chain, SNEW has developed a sales tool, which lets resellers, and their customers make more profit. Now resellers can give their customers extra discount when they hand in used equipment. “Companies should start to make sustainability an integral part of the DNA of the organisation.”

Paradigm shift SNEW’s future ambitions are to expand its activities into more countries and to act as an example for other businesses. Moreover, a real paradigm shift is needed in the thinking of using and reusing raw materials. The mountains of e-waste will keep growing as long as product life cycles keep shortening, a feature of the manufacturing market that mainly focuses on selling new products. As a result of this approach, mountains of raw materials are being labelled as junk. Even worse, most manufacturers in the current ‘linear economy’ perceive second-hand products or reused products as a threat to their sales. To keep the stocks of raw material at an adequate level and to stop inappropriate use of the Earth, companies and people should be aware that to share is to multiply and that they should no longer see each other as competitors but as partners working together to create shared values. Martijn van Engelen wants to create a real movement. In his mind, and in the mission of SNEW, what could be better than to use depreciated equipment to keep the Earth and the next generations safe?

MOUNTAINS OF E-WASTE While raw materials are running out because they are used up instead of re-used, mountains of raw materials are being labelled as junk. Europeans and North Americans produce the majority of the world’s electronic waste, a large part of which ends up in developing countries where people try to make a living under terrible conditions by recycling raw materials on waste mountains. As a result, in the past few decades, these ‘electronic mountains of waste’ have grown considerably by our inexhaustible hunger for gadgets. In China alone the amount of e-waste has doubled in five years. In the period 2010–2015 the amount of waste in the whole of East- and South-East Asia has grown by 63%. As a result of the ever-shortening lifecycle of electronic gadgets, the growing number of products and a growing population with more earning power, the future does not look very promising.

SNEW

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

207

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The combination of the characteristics of the potato and our technology has unprecedented advantages.â&#x20AC;? 208

Solynta In many parts of the world, communities face a constant struggle to produce enough food to survive. While the potato is known for being a nutritious alternative to rice, corn or wheat, that also needs far less land and water, this huge potential has never been properly exploited. Solynta has found a way to unleash the full potential of the vegetable while improving it at the same time.

Holy Grail for potato breeding There have been two major drawbacks to the exploitation of the potato’s full potential. Firstly there is the lack of healthy starting material and, secondly, that favourable traits could not be combined to create new and improved varieties by breeding, as is possible with most other vegetable crops. However in 2009, after three years of research and several unproductive ‘dead-end’ avenues, Solynta had a major breakthrough when the company achieved proof of principle that classical hybrid tomato breeding techniques could be applicable to potatoes: the ‘Holy Grail’ of potato breeding. The results of Solynta’s discovery have been that, to grow one hectare of potatoes, it is possible to use just 25 grams of pristine seeds (‘true potato seeds’), instead of relying on up to 2500 kilos of bulky, perishable, diseased or degenerated seed-tubers to produce sufficient healthy starting material. Furthermore, with this discovery, potato

varieties can be improved by combining favourable traits from different parents, for example combining disease resistance from one parent with high yield from the other parent, exactly as is already used, for example, for tomatoes or melons. “Our discovery enables easy global distribution, and – for the first time – healthy and high yielding potato crops are available to every farmer in the world.” - Hein Kruyt, CEO Since this breakthrough, Solynta breeders have worked diligently to build and improve potatoes with an ever-improved and more comprehensive set of traits by constantly crossing and ‘selfing’ (see Glossary Text Box), thereby steadily building a platform collection of potato parental lines. Having established the tipping point for this germplasm platform in 2017, Solynta started developing elite parent lines, which will be used to produce new potato varieties from seeds with

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

209

Drawbacks of current potato breeding techniques

GLOSSARY True potato seeds (TPS): the real seeds of a potato plant which are found in its berries, which can be sown to start and grow into a full potato plant with potatoes (tubers). Seed-tubers or seed-potatoes: specially grown potato tubers to be used as planting material by putting last years seed-tubers in the ground, to allow them to grow into potato plants with potatoes for consumption. Elite parent lines: male and female potato parent lines of superior quality with fixed genetic makeup, that can be crossed resulting in offspring combining both parents’ favourable traits. Crossing: sexual propagation of a cross between a female and a male plant. Selfing: making a cross where the same plant is used as female and male at the same time; mostly used to preserve or stabilize the genetic make-up of the plant. Cloning: non-sexual propagation (often done by cuttings), to make an exact genetic copy of the plant.

210

improved characteristics for consumers, processors and farmers, while also having manifestly lower environmental impact. Imagine the benefits of sending grams of pristine seeds by regular mail instead of tons of diseased and perishable seed-potatoes in climatized shipping containers, quite apart from the development of better tasting, more nutritious, disease resistant and climate resilient varieties. This combining of traits has been practiced for years with foods such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and cucumbers, but no-one to date has ever effectively achieved it for potatoes. “For the first time in history, breeders can now quickly combine favourable traits of different potato varieties to make better tasting, disease resistant and higher yielding, improved varieties and make them globally available almost instantly through healthy true seeds.” The huge potential of this breakthrough technology has already been recognized with several awards, including the Food Valley Award and the Rabobank Innovation Prize, while the Dutch Government laureated Solynta as a ‘National Icon’.

Until today, potato breeders have been doomed to a rather chaotic trial and error method, in an extremely unfavorable numbers game. When trying to combine eleven traits in a single variety the number of possible combinations is already overwhelming and it would require the surface of fifty ‘Planet Earths’ to find the one single plant with the right eleven combinations. It is therefore impossible to imagine what this would mean if one tried to focus on the forty to sixty traits that Solynta is currently working on. This traditional chaotic trial and error process still delivers next to no progress in potato development, demonstrated by the fact that the Russet Burbank variety (1875) is, after more than 125 years, still the largest potato variety in North America, while Bintje (1905) remains a leading variety in Europe. Even when using the traditional potato breeding method, a new variety is finally selected (one shouldn’t call it breeding), often after more than twelve years, the breeder basically has only one plant which still needs to be clonally multiplied until there are sufficient quantities of seed-tubers to commercialize. The latter is only achieved by putting one potato in the ground and at the end of the year harvesting approximately ten potatoes. These ten are then planted the following year to grow one hundred tubers and so on. At this rate of increase it often takes seven years or more before commercial volumes of seed-tubers of the new variety are reached.

Solynta

Apart from the time delay caused by this clonal multiplication, an even greater potential problem is that, during this process, there is an inevitable build-up of diseases and degeneration in the potatoes as each round progresses. Even when the highest standards of phytosanitary measures (which are costly) are taken, the result is that the seed-tubers are degenerated and diseased when they are used as starting material by a farmer. This results in severe yield loss and pressure from diseases. Additionally, even before the farmer can get his hands on the seed-tubers, there are often difficult logistical problems to deal with. The tubers are heavy, bulky and perishable, they are difficult to store and handle and, if phytosanitary standards are not met, importation will be blocked.

Solynta’s Hybrid breeding Hybrid breeding is a traditional breeding method that does not involve genetic modification technology. Solynta’s breeding technology works by sexual propagation; the crossing of elite female and male potato parent lines to produce new hybrid offspring

which combine the best features of both parents. Instead of a very slow chaotic trial and error process delivering disordered results, as has been the practice over centuries, hybrid breeding is extremely goal directed, predictably, fast and efficient. A hybrid cross produces offspring which are better that their parents, a result termed ‘hybrid vigour’. This sexual crossing of the two parent lines results in berries with thousands of true potato seeds per plant instead of only a few potatoes, resulting in much faster multiplication of a new variety. Since the offspring of a sexual cross are pristine true potato seeds (TPS), these are completely free of diseases and therefore make excellent starting material for potato growers looking to grow new varieties. Furthermore 25 grams of TPS, compared to 2500kilos of perishable potato tubers as starting material, also makes a world of logistical difference. The technology also enables the rapid development and deployment of new varieties to meet specific requirements. “We can now quickly adapt, improve and commercialize varieties to meet changing requirements from consumers, farmers, processors and climate.”

Targeted breeding: killing two birds with one stone Hybrid potato breeding has not been seen as the Holy Grail of potato breeding for nothing. The advantages are paramount: the time needed to develop new varieties is much faster, predictable instead of chaotic, goal directed and efficient. This results in almost unlimited opportunities for adding value for consumers, farmers and processors, with a manifestly lower environmental foot print. Disease resistant varieties can reduce pesticide use by up to 80% or even deliver completely organic potatoes, as well as offering better taste and nutrition, higher yields, scope for better processing as chips and fries, reductions in waste and costs, better storability, higher resiliency to changes in climate, and much more. 25 grams of seed replaces 2500 kilograms of tubers These Solynta varieties can be grown from so called ‘true potato seeds’ rather than the ‘seed-tubers’ (the specially-grown potatotubers which are used as starting material) which are usually used to grow potatoes. Just

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

211

25 grams of pristine true-seeds can replace 2500 kilograms of bulky and perishable seedtubers. The logistical benefits alone are a game changer for farmers all over the world. These true potato seeds will be sown and grow into fully developed potato plants with tubers. Depending on the climate and business economics, they will then grow into either first-generation seed-tubers to be used as starting material for next season’s production crop, or immediately into a fullscale production crop. Put simply, using true seeds makes the supply chain much shorter. Because Solynta focuses on producing true-seeds rather than tubers and, because each potato plant can produce thousands of seeds at a time, it is possible to produce enormous quantities of new, improved hybrid seeds very quickly, to meet immediate global demand. Solynta’s true-seed based system can produce twenty-five million “copies” in a year from one plant, compared with only eight “copies” from the traditional tuberbased system. Furthermore, all these pristine seeds are completely free of diseases, instead of the seed-tubers which are diseased.

212

A hidden gem unlocked As the world’s fourth largest food crop, already eaten and enjoyed in almost all countries, potatoes are relatively cheap, highly nutritious and low in fat. Potatoes produce more food, more quickly, on less land and with less water, than any other major crop. It is highly recommended by the FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) as a food security crop. Given this background the vegetable potato could, and should, play a much more important role next to cereals, rice wheat and corn, in reducing undernourishment and hunger. For example, China recently declared the potato a strategic crop, since its unique nutritional value, combined with low water needs, makes it the food for the future. But as every farmer will tell you, the single most important variable in a good harvest is healthy starting material and this is what is limiting potatoes from achieving their full potential in large parts of the world. As a result the ‘hidden gem’ of the potato is prevented from maximizing its ability to fight malnutrition and hunger. As an example, in order to get quality seed-

potatoes produced in the Netherlands to Ugandan farmers, the tubers have to be shipped in climatized containers to Mombasa, cleared by customs and transported to their final destination, often over dirt roads. The process can take weeks, which can result in delivery too late for planting or no delivery at all, as the seed-tubers are perishable. Or, despite their quality when dispatched, have become diseased, and as a result they may be destroyed by customs because phytosanitary regulations forbid the import of diseased plant material. Finally, the cost of such logistics is not small; seed-tubers selling for 20 cents a kilo in the Netherlands cost five times that sum in Uganda. So instead of using quality seed-tubers as starting material, the farmer may be condemned to repeatedly use potatoes saved from previous harvests, adding to disease pressures and resulting in very low yields. However, Solynta’s technology has the potential to help solve these problems by dispatching true seed in envelopes by regular mail instead of as perishable tubers in bulk containers. Solynta’s true seed solution delivers potatoes that produce significantly

Solynta higher yields (doubling existing yields seems a conservative estimate) than the current seed-tubers used, while the true seeds are completely free of diseases compared to seedtubers. True seeds are also far easier to store and transport than tubers, which are bulky, quite perishable and difficult to handle in developing countries, resulting in significant reductions in transport costs and carbon emissions.

by a demonstration project funded by a prestigious EU H2020 research grant, where the company demonstrated that it could combine (stack) a double resistance against late blight in a variety in a span of only two years, thereby creating durable disease resistance without genetic modification. To date this had only been possible using the latter technologies.

Initial focus on the developed world

Fast forwarding the developing markets

Solynta has long realized that its technology could be an important contributor to feeding the world, but as a start-up company with limited cash it had to focus first on already developed and technified markets. Create added value for farmers by developing disease resistant varieties, saving significant costs from reduced pesticide use. Solynta and farmers would therefore benefit from the application of its products while, at the same time, the diminished pesticide use would benefit the planet. Once the company’s cash flow would become stable and positive, as stated in the original business plan Solynta would extend its business into developing markets. A serial approach; at first in developed markets and then into those that were developing.

Solynta always envisaged that, with its hybrid breeding technology, the hidden potential of the potato could be unlocked and thus contribute to reducing malnutrition and to help feed the world as its population grows from seven to over nine billion people during the next thirty years. However the real urgency

of the global food problem only became clear to Solynta when one of the jurors of the Dutch Government’s National Icon Laureate Committee showed that, even today, more than 30,000 people die of malnutrition each day. This insight motivated Solynta to see if, instead of the serial development process, it could develop a parallel one; fast forwarding to the people with most urgent needs. The first results of this decision, from initial field trials in the Congo, produced examples of a three-times higher yield. Twenty eight tons per hectare instead of eight tons. Clearly demonstrating the potential of healthy starting material from Solynta’s true potato seeds. The next steps are clear: creating special varieties adapted to local conditions and resistant to local diseases and to ensure robustness. In order to acquire the necessary local knowledge and experience, Solynta is engaging with a number of local partners.

Solynta started by focusing on solving the devastations caused by late blight. This is the disease that caused the great famine in Ireland around 1845, but is still a worldwide problem today, costing farmers billions of dollars a year in pesticides, yield loss, labour cost and environmental impact. Solynta’s solution to this problem was proven in 2017

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

213

Commercial use Solynta is almost ready to launch its new product on the market. The company expects its seeds to be ready for commercial use in just two years with an almost endless potential for further new product development of specific varieties for different needs and circumstances. These will enable consumers to benefit from better taste, better nutritional value, and increased convenience; farmers from higher yields, less pesticide use, climate resilience and varieties adapted to soil types; and processors from lower waste, better fries, better chips and improved starch. Additionally, Solynta’s research lines are also being used by renowned research institutes and universities to discover and disseminate important traits such as tolerances to heat, drought, flooding and salinity in order to be responsive to projected climate change. In order to maximize the scaling of its invention and business model, Solynta is engaging with partners further along the chain, for example for seed production, seed processing, coating and distribution, as well as organizations representing farmers and processors in order to fully understand their needs. With such comprehensive help, the new products will be able to grow faster for everyone’s benefit while Solynta can focus on what it does best; developing new varieties with added value thereby contributing to feeding the world in both developed and developing markets with more nutritious food and with less environmental impact. “Solynta will contribute to future wealth and wellbeing and contributes to solving important societal problems.” - HRH, King Willem Alexander

214

THE POTATO AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) Solynta is convinced that the potato can play an important role by contributing to the solution of important societal problems. The most important of these are: No poverty – In many places potatoes are the most profitable crop a farmer can produce. By providing excellent and healthy starting material Solynta can more than double the yield in developing countries and, by such means, help to raise millions of farmers and their families out the poverty trap. Zero hunger - The potato produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop. Solynta can more than double the yield in developing countries, helping to significantly reduce hunger. Through fast targeted breeding of improved varieties with beneficial traits like drought, heat and salinity tolerance, as well as improved nutritional value, it can contribute significantly to fighting malnutrition. Responsible production - The new products will help to limit pesticides and waste. Besides the contribution to these major SDGs, Hein Kruyt firmly believes his company can help to solve these and other major societal problems with the objectives of ensuring healthy lives, promote well-being for all ages and improve the availability and sustainable management of water. However the company believes it can also promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; and even contribute to improve the position of women. How? “By making the potato crop more profitable for the farmer families, they will increasingly be able to send their children, especially their daughters, to school, thereby improving their prospects for a better future!”

Solynta

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

215

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are no longer seen as part of the problem, but part of the solution.â&#x20AC;? 216

Unilever Unilever has embedded sustainable growth in its organization. With the ambition to be a force for good, this multinational company is driving positive change and sustainable growth throughout its business, by taking action with its brands and its partners. The scope is wide and varied: for example by building better self-esteem for girls and young women through its Dove brand; bringing the company’s carbonpositive ambition to life; or improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

A force for good With consumers becoming more socially, environmentally and civically motivated, Unilever is increasingly embedding sustainable thinking into its day-to-day activities. However, this is not all new. Unilever has, from its origins, been a purposedriven company. Today, such a purpose is simple but clear: to make sustainable living commonplace. The company believes this is the best long-term way for its business to grow and, to achieve this, has made it its new business model. Yet this search for growth is not an exclusive or over-riding objective. At the same time the company is actively seeking to reduce its environmental footprint and increase its positive social impact. This vision is translated into goals in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan which sets ambitious targets that will stretch the company, for example, on the one hand, how the company sources raw materials and, on the other, how consumers use its brands.

“We cannot close our eyes to the challenges that the world faces. We must, and can, make an explicit and positive contribution to addressing them.” - Hanneke Faber, President Europe and Member of Unilever Executive Team

Being part of the solution There are a number of developments that have influenced Unilever’s position in the discussion on sustainability. Firstly, modern people expect businesses to play an active role in the field of social change. Consumers are increasingly acting as global citizens and, as such, they tend to see business as part of the sustainability solution, rather than, as in the past, a part of the problem. Businesses are perceived to have a longer life span than governments. They tend to have less complex decision-making processes and can more speedily come up with concrete plans. Unilever is in the position to formulate long term goals and strategies, while politicians and governments have a much shorter time horizon and can often only act locally. As a result, businesses like Unilever are very capable of making change happen while still working in close cooperation with governments, for example to introduce new technologies and products which

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

217

create a real and lasting impact. Consumers, in their role of global citizens, can clearly see things change when such businesses start acting. Unilever has always seen this changing role as a big opportunity and acted accordingly. “Consumers in their role as citizens worry about sustainability and the impact of the products they buy.” Unilever has integrated sustainability into its brands, its innovation and supply chain with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP). This plan has three major goals: • Improving health and well-being for more than one billion people • Reducing the environmental impact of Unilever’s activities by 50% • Enhancing the livelihoods of millions.

Improving health and well being

A SUSTAINABLE HERITAGE Unilever’s commitment to sustainability goes back a long time. In the late 19th Century, Jurgens and Van den Bergh, two Dutch family businesses of butter merchants, had thriving export trades to the UK and become interested in a new product made from beef fat and milk, called margarine. This, they realised, could be mass-produced as an affordable substitute for butter. A few years later in the UK, William Hesketh Lever, founder of Lever Brothers, wrote down his ideas for Sunlight Soap, his revolutionary new product that helped popularize cleanliness and hygiene in Victorian England. It was: ‘To make cleanliness commonplace; to lessen work for women; to foster health and contribute to personal attractiveness, that life may be more enjoyable and rewarding for the people who use our products’. While these events took place long before the phrase ‘Corporate Mission’ had been invented, such ideas have stayed at the heart of Unilever. Furthermore, the words of William Hesketh Lever still live on in Unilever’s modern corporate vision: helping people to look good, feel good and get more out of life.

218

Lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation and poor hygiene cause millions of preventable deaths each year, particularly among children. According to the World Health Organization tackling these closely interconnected issues has the potential to prevent at least 9% of global disease, and 6% of all deaths. Evidence shows that individuals will be healthier and happier, and communities more productive, if they have greater access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. Therefore, improving access to these basic needs is essential to lifting people out of poverty. Addressing social challenges is not just good for society; it is also good for business. This is why Unilever develops health and wellbeing programmes such as oral care, hand washing and good sanitation. There is a clear correlation between brushing teeth, regular use of soap and access to sanitation, and the increased consumption of toothpaste, soap and toilet cleaner. Therefore health and hygiene brands such as Lifebuoy, Domestos, Signal and Pureit, aim to improve health through better hygiene. These everyday products, soaps, toilet cleaners and toothpastes, as well as Unilever’s innovative water purifiers, can help prevent disease and improve people’s health and well-being, ultimately helping to save lives. However, the company is well aware that providing quality, affordable products is only part of the solution to improving health through hygiene: people need to change their habits as well. This is why Unilever runs major campaigns to promote enduring change in the everyday behaviours that matter to health.

Unilever Enhancing livelihoods for millions

Halving the environmental impact of business Unilever’s second major goal is to expand its business whilst decoupling the environmental impact from such growth. The company considers it to be of utmost importance to reduce greenhouse gases, water usage and waste within its manufacturing and operations, as well as across the wider value chain. Furthermore the aim is to source all its agricultural raw materials sustainably. “It is hard to reduce the environmental impact of how consumers use Unilever products. But in those areas where we have control over our impact, such as in purchase and manufacturing, excellent progress is possible.” Unilever is actively pursuing the following environmental goals: • Tackling climate change by halting deforestation • Championing sustainable agriculture and food security • Helping consumers to use less water, less energy and to recycle more • Making manufacturing and distribution more eco-efficient • Advocating public policy to tackle climate change. By such goals Unilever seeks to play its part in tackling climate change and to reduce the depletion of natural resources. However, it also makes good business sense to reduce risk by securing sustainable sources of raw materials, to cut costs through reducing packaging and higher manufacturing efficiencies, and to appeal to more consumers with sustainable, purpose-led brands.

Unilever’s third major sustainability goal is to contribute to the economic wellbeing of many communities, through employment, training and the value chain.

GREEN TEA Tea is the most popular non-alcoholic beverage after water. Being the world’s largest tea packer and leading in sustainable sourcing, Unilever has taken the initiative to make a significant and positive impact on communities and the environment, as well as securing high quality tea for its much-loved brands. How? By committing to sustainably sourcing 100% of its tea, including loose tea, by 2020. “For us, this commitment presents an enormous opportunity because our brands, which include Lipton, PG Tips and Brooke Bond, connect us to millions of people whose livelihoods depend on tea production. We source tea from farmers on 750,000 smallholdings, mostly in Africa and Asia, as well as our own estates in Kenya and Tanzania. Our tea supply chain gives us the opportunity to enhance livelihoods on a significant scale.” Unilever has made good progress so far to meet its objectives. It has been sourcing all the tea for Lipton tea bags from 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ sources since the end of 2015 and, by 2016, 75% of its total tea volumes were from sustainable sources.

The value chain of the company’s supplier and distribution networks involves millions of smallholder farmers, distributors and retailers, many of whom are women. In developing and emerging markets, the company has an even greater impact. The ultimate goal is to deliver both business growth and positive social impact. “We are embedding human rights across our business and are using the power of our brands to advocate important social issues directly linked to our consumers.” To achieve this the focus is on: • Driving fairness in the workplace: by implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights throughout the company’s activities, as well as working with suppliers who commit to promoting fundamental human rights. • Advancing opportunities for women: empowering five million women by advancing opportunities for women in Unilever’s operations, promoting safety, providing up-skilling and expanding opportunities in the company’s value chain. • Developing inclusive business: by improving the livelihoods of 500,000 smallholder farmers and the incomes of five million small-scale retailers, as well as by increasing the participation of young entrepreneurs in the value chain.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

219

PROMOTING ‘REAL BEAUTY’

Good for business and society Unilever’s dedication to investment in sustainability pays off in many ways. Firstly, the brands related to sustainability grow significantly faster than the ‘traditional’ ones. “We’re already seeing strong results from our long-term approach. In 2016 our 18 Sustainable Living brands grew 50% faster than the rest of the business: and they delivered over 60% of our growth.” Another advantage of Unilever’s long-term sustainability policy is a lower risk profile: the chances of raising a contentious issue on one of the products are reduced and handling such an issue, should it arise, becomes easier and more effective. Thirdly, sustainability has a positive effect on Unilever as an employer brand: attracting young professionals becomes easier. Each year about 1.5 million people apply for a job at Unilever, emphasizing the company’s special position in the labour market. The main reason why young people apply is the sense of purpose gained by working at Unilever, which creates involvement and makes possible a different way of attaining professional growth. Last

220

but not least, the sustainability strategy has a positive effect on the company’s corporate reputation in general. The result is that many different types of group or organization are eager to cooperate with Unilever in order to help achieve its sustainability goals. These cooperations can involve consumers, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and many others, with the result that the partnerships created can have a huge impact. In the future Unilever will keep focusing on the major goals of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. In time the company expects to realize all these goals with new sustainable solutions, for example through use of total renewable energy and zero waste on all sites. But the biggest impact is expected to come from the brands and as a true marketing organization, Unilever plans to create even more sustainable living products. In this way Unilever will, apart from offering sustainable products, create public debate, thereby helping people to look good, feel good and get more out of life.

Globally, eight out of ten girls opt out of key life activities when they don’t feel good about the way they look. Dove (a Unilever brand for skin care products) has a mission to ensure the next generation grows up enjoying a positive relationship with the way they look by helping young people raise their self-esteem and realise their full potential. Recently, the brand took another step in its mission to help women realise their potential personal beauty by recommitting to ‘real beauty’ with the Dove Real Beauty Pledge: three vows that the brand promises to uphold for women everywhere: The first pledge is that Dove will always feature real women, never models. “Models reflect a narrow view of beauty. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone and therefore features real women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair colour, type or style.” The second pledge is that Dove will portray women as they are in real life. “We never present the unachievable, manipulated, flawless images of ‘perfect’ beauty, which the use of retouching tools can promote.” The third pledge is that Dove will help girls build body confidence and self-esteem. For over ten years, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has educated more than twenty million young people in body confidence and self-esteem and has become the biggest provider of self-esteem education globally.

Unilever

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

221

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vion is a bridge for its farmers to the global market.â&#x20AC;? 222

Vion Humans are omnivores and have the ability to get all the nutrients they need from numerous types of food. Proteins are an indispensable part of this variety in order to achieve a wholesome diet. Moreover, proteins of animal origin have the highest nutritious value and are a source of a number of vitamins that humans are unable to get from other foods. One of the leading meat companies, Vion Food Group, puts its focus on food safety, transparency and animal welfare.

Wholesome food for a growing population The history of Vion goes back to the 1930s when the Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Organisation (in Dutch, the ‘ZLTO’, an association for entrepreneurs working in agricultural sectors) was founded. In 2003 the ZLTO decided to fund investment of its members farming in meat production, that could be a leader in its field and secure access to global markets for its members’ meat products. In the following years Vion became an international meat producing company with twenty four production locations in the Netherlands and Germany and sales offices in sixteen countries worldwide. The company is active in sixty four countries and employs 11,500 people. Through its three divisions (Pork, Beef and Food Service) Vion provides fresh pork and beef as well as by-products for retail, food service and the meat processing industry. The company has an international focus, with a global customer base and market leadership

positions in its home markets in Germany and the Netherlands. Vion is a global top-100 food company, as a result of becoming the sixth largest meat producer in the world and one of the top three such companies in Europe. At Vion’s production sites, the company processes pork and beef into semi-finished and finished products for both domestic and export markets. High quality fresh meat is delivered to meat processors for a wide range of meat products, such as cold cuts, meat snacks, smoked sausages, pizza toppings, frozen hamburgers and dried hams and the company is an important supplier to leading retailers and other sectors of the meat industry. For example, the company produces and packs ready-to-cook products such as cutlets, medallions and paupiettes, as well as seasonal products such as gourmet selections and stuffed roasts. The product range also includes innovative products that contain no

meat, for example noodle sticks for out of home markets and caterers. About 80% of the meat products are exported as fresh, cooled or frozen, with the company focusing on delivering its products world-wide by use of optimal sustainable logistics.

OPTIMAL VALORISATION MEANS NO WASTE An average pig of 119 kg produces 55 kg of meat and an average bovine of 575 kg produces 195 kg of meat. This means that the majority of the raw material is not used for human consumption. However Vion optimises the valorisation of animals so that 100% of every pig is used for human consumption, animal feed or other products. Nothing is wasted.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

223

Focus on food safety Every day 100 million consumers on the globe have a meal which includes Vion products: what is termed ‘Vion inside’. Food safety is therefore a ‘conditio sine qua non’ and the company plays an important role in the control of food standards for public health in order to ensure that the food is safe and wholesome. “We invest continuously in modern facilities and rigorous quality management.” To verify compliance with food safety and customer demands, Vion has all its production sites certified according to the rules of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). The company uses the food safety standards of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the International Featured Standards Food (IFS Food). To control risks in the supply chain, Vion encourages its suppliers to adhere to and certify their activities under an independently organised Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) scheme, such as GlobalGAP, the German QS (Qualität und Sicherheit), or the Dutch Integrale Keten Beheersing (IKB). On-farm audits are carried out by independent certification bodies but, as a major stakeholder, Vion contributes to the design and organisation of these schemes. A number of dairy companies also design, organise and control their own ‘on-farm’ quality schemes and Vion procures dairy cows for slaughter from farmers that are members of these schemes.

224

MOST-MATERIAL CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) TOPICS It is obvious that a company cannot contribute to all sustainability goals by itself. This is why Vion developed a list of relevant CSR topics (corporate self-regulation built into the business model) and weighted these topics based on the frequency of contact with stakeholders, key issues of other stakeholders and research among consumers. The result is a list of thirty relevant CSR topics for each stakeholder group, comprising eighteen social topics (including animal welfare), nine environmental topics, and three economic topics. As the meat industry has received a lot of attention in recent years, particularly on matters related to health, product integrity, animal welfare, environmental impact and pricing, these topics are of concern to many stakeholder groups, and are therefore covered in one or more topics on the list. Next, in order to define the most relevant topics out of all thirty, Vion performed a materiality analysis based on two dimensions: 1. The extent to which the topic has an influence on the assessments and decisions of stakeholders 2. The significance of Vion’s social, environmental and economic impact on that topic

For some topics Vion is able, in part, to control itself, for example food safety and animal welfare during slaughtering. For others, where the company may be in the middle of the food chain, it will have an influence on others through cooperation, for example with customers and suppliers on the issue of sustainable farming. The end result of the latter has been the production of a list of nine topics related to sustainable livestock farming, which Vion believes are most material and impactful. These comprise: Four social topics: Animal friendly husbandry; Antibiotics; Organic and Traceability, Three environmental topics: Environmental aspects of farming (such as greenhouse gas emissions, water use, energy consumption, waste management and manure storage); Biodiversity and Sustainable feed. Two economic topics: Local origin/regionality and Sustainable pricing. Although the company is active in a much broader environment, these nine topics are at the heart of VION’s sustainability strategy.

Vion

Animal welfare When it comes to animal welfare, Vion has rated all its meat producing facilities in the major areas that are under its direct control. These include, the quality and distance of animal transport, the training of the special animal welfare officers who handle live animals, the quality of the animal resting facilities during journeys (lairage) and the stunning of all animals before slaughter. These advanced animal welfare programmes and organic product concepts have been developed in close cooperation with animal welfare organisations, retail partners and customers. Some of these concepts have, by now, been applied in the market for over ten years and prove that such coordination can be successfully built into the supply chain from farmer to plate. Vion also has market programmes such as ‘Good Farming Star’ and ‘De Groene Weg’ (The Green Road) which create sustainable pricing schemes and guaranteed market access for farmers that produce according to these animal welfare programmes. “With animal welfare, we focus on all major areas that we can control: the quality and distance of animal transport,

the quality of lairage (holding pens) and the stunning and bleeding of all animals.” Under their Good Farming Star (GFS) programme, 185 Dutch pig farmers deliver their animals to Vion with a major achievement in 2016 from the introduction of the concept to a broader range of products including processed meat. This has stimulated the full utilisation of the animal’s carcass. Vion is fully involved in this market programme and provides individual farmers with the opportunity to tell their experiences on the Internet. When buying GFS products, the consumers can, if they wish, scan them using the QR codes on the packaging, which accesses the website, goodfarmingstar. com, in order to trace the end product back through the supply chain to the farmers. The market label for Vion’s organic pork, ‘De Groene Weg’ (The Green Way) is the biggest organic meat chain in the home market. The meat fulfils both the EU organic, and the ‘three star’ Beter Leven Keurmerk (‘Better Life’), requirements. The main advantages in the organic system are: • Pigs have more space and outdoor access

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

225

• Barns are enriched with straw bedding • Tails of the pigs are not regularly docked • Transportation time to the slaughterhouse is a maximum of six hours. Within ‘De Groene Weg’, sixty-five Dutch organic pig farmers deliver their pigs to Vion to produce organic pork mainly for the Dutch and German market.

Transparancy is key Meat has been the object of numerous societal debates that have derived from a series of media-based scandals. According to Vion, these scandals and their impact can lead to a ‘live hidden to live happy’ approach. In its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report the company provides a clear vision, strategy and actions that are taken. With this report the company intends to stimulate discussion and creativity among its stakeholders on the themes of food safety, transparency and animal welfare. The CSR report also clearly defines for employees what the company is about and the path to continuous improvement.

226

“Meat is the object of numerous societal debates that have derived from a series of scandals in the media. We believe that ‘transparency’ has been the weakest characteristic of this industry and for which it has often rightfully been criticised. We have decided to not hide our way of working from our stakeholders, but to be open and communicate with our stakeholders and society at large.”

The global challenge of producing wholesome food One of the biggest global challenges for the coming decades will be to produce wholesome food for a growing world population. Animal proteins will play a crucial role in the diets of the next generations. “As the meat industry is fragmented there is no doubt that is up to large companies as ours to show true leadership.” Vion is working together with its stakeholders on solutions to the challenges of the meat industry and is a frontrunner on topics such as food safety, transparency and animal welfare.

FEEDING MANKIND Proteins are an indispensable part of a wholesome diet for mankind. Proteins of animal origin have the highest nutritious value and on a global scale about 25% of the average diet comprises animal proteins. Vion as a food company is active in producing two of the most important forms of animal protein (pork and beef), which represent 60% of global meat consumption.

Vion

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

227

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really love to share our knowledge and to innovate with our employees and our partners.â&#x20AC;? 228

Witteveen+Bos The work of an engineer is dedicated to shaping society in a responsible manner. The skills of designing require a continuous weighing up of how these activities will affect people and the wider community. At Witteveen+Bos, people adhere to basic principles directly related to those of sustainable development.

Towards a new society The engineers at Witteveen+Bos are striving to pass on a better world to future generations; a world where they will be able to make their own choices. This is why they advocate the use of sustainably obtained commodities and materials, as well as applying the principle of life-cycle analysis. “Our solutions, both designs and advice, make allowance for the ‘here and now’ to meet the needs of those who live in contemporary society: but we also give thought to the ‘there and later’.” - Stephan van der Biezen, CEO Witteveen+Bos Witteveen+Bos attaches great importance to its independent position and its corporate culture. The company wants its employees to excel by utilise their talents to the full and, in this way, to maximise value for clients. Guided by these ambitions, the engineering firm has formulated four overarching strategic goals:

• To create added value for society through projects • To develop talents • To add value through its business operations • To create economic value These goals form an integral part of the company’s thinking and can be found at all levels and in all aspects of the company’s work.

A SHORT HISTORY In 1946 architect W.G. Witteveen and Professor G.S. Bos established an urban planning engineering and consultancy firm called ‘Stedebouwkundig advies- en ingenieursbureau Witteveen en Bos c.i.’. The two had met each other by chance and the chemistry between them worked from the start. The partnership contract was penned on just one sheet of A4 paper and survived until 1 January 1958 when Witteveen retired. Their successful association was built upon trust and reliability. In the years that followed Witteveen+Bos became one of the leading engineering firms in the Netherlands and, today, has a workforce of 1,100 worldwide. Throughout its life the company has remained strongly dedicated to the critical quality attributes cherished by the founders: to be expert, reliable and committed.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

229

A broad and integrated portfolio Witteveen+Bos offers its customers, both public and private-sector, a broad range of integrated expertise along the four business lines of the company. These are: Deltas, Coasts and Rivers: safety in delta regions The company’s Deltas, Coasts and Rivers business line focuses on the challenges encountered wherever land meets water. Witteveen+Bos addresses these challenges by opting for an integrated approach that takes safety, nature, economic development, liveability and sustainability into account, with the overall aim of ‘living with water’. To this end Witteveen+Bos designs ‘soft’ solutions such as dunes and wave-absorbing embankments, as well as ‘hard’ hydraulic engineering structures such as dikes, pumping stations, locks and ports. The company’s work focuses increasingly on anticipating potentially hazardous situations, since prevention rather than cure allows resources to be used more efficiently. For an integrated approach which offers state of the art solutions, Witteveen+Bos combines the latest insights into delta technology, flood safety, ecology, hydraulic engineering and water management. Energy, Water and Environment: the wellbeing of people, planet and nature The Energy, Water and Environment business line focuses on sustainability, health and safety. Through its projects, Witteveen+Bos contributes to a safe and healthy human environment, a sufficient supply of clean water, energy efficient production processes,

230

a healthy ecosystem and energy generation from renewable sources. The latest knowledge on drinking water, wastewater, energy, climate, air quality, soil quality, waste management and asset management is applied worldwide. Built Environment: resilient and sustainable cities The Built Environment business line plans and designs resilient and sustainable urban areas. As the world’s population, and the proportion of people living in urban environments, continues to grow, economic, cultural and recreational activities are increasingly clustered in and around cities. This process of urbanisation places the quality of life in urban areas under great strain. Measures are therefore required, particularly to address challenges relating to urban water management, drinking water provision, air quality, heat stress, accessibility, noise hindrance, and the transformation of areas and buildings for other uses. Witteveen+Bos uses an integrated design approach and involves relevant stakeholders in the urban environment. Infrastructure and Mobility: growing demand for mobility The Infrastructure and Mobility business line supports Witteveen+Bos’s clients to improve accessibility and mobility, by devising sustainable, safe and economical solutions for all transport modalities. During all project phases, Witteveen+Bos provides advice on infrastructure, underground construction, tunnel safety, railway infrastructure, road construction, traffic and transport. The company’s comprehensive approach and leading expertise, including new techniques

for design and building information management, enable it to offer the best advice and make Witteveen+Bos an effective partner for collaborative ventures. Sustainable design principles With sustainability as its over-arching guide, Witteveen+Bos has developed its own sustainable design principles that bring the more recent Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations into practise. The principles are an integral part of the thinking and working of the company at all levels: strategic, tactical and operational. Through these principles the business lines can focus their activities towards SDGs such as health and wellbeing, clean drinking water, sanitation, and affordable and clean energy. This focus on sustainability is clearly recognized by customers and can be seen as one of the unique selling points of the company.

Sharing knowledge as part of an inclusive culture A free flow of knowledge and information is one of the strong points of Witteveen+Bos.

Witteveen+Bos In a company comprising people working from nineteen offices in eleven countries, it is necessary to share and combine knowledge as much as possible and to integrate this in the various projects in order to offer integral concepts. This sharing of knowledge is part of the company’s inclusive culture and a very real drive within its employees. With new knowledge and expertise being developed every day at multinational locations, this culture allows the company to learn fast from its successes and mistakes, which is necessary to maintain a leading position. This internal and interdepartmental linking of such communication occurs naturally within the organisation because of its existing and strong mutual solidarity.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRINCIPLES Witteveen+Bos adds value through projects by using its sustainable design principles: • Nature-based design: using natural processes to improve design (‘building with nature’) • TRIAS: limiting and optimizing the consumption of resources and energy (to reduce total life cycle costs of a design) • Circular design: ‘waste = resource’ approach of projects by closing energy and material cycles • Multi- functional design: looking

for additional functions and optimal combinations of functions • Flexible design: a future-proof design for today that can easily be adapted to meet the changing needs of people and different climatological circumstances • Participatory design: including all stakeholders to work together on designing and improving the living environment • Societal design: designing for society by combining technical and societal measures to achieve the project goals.

Cooperation is a constant in the company’s working methods and this sharing of knowledge also extends to its project partners. When co-design and co-creation are added to this knowledge transfer, the result is the international success enjoyed by Witteveen+Bos. This is also very practical: local rules and regulations can differ from country to country and this specific knowledge can be supplied by local companies that are the logical project partners. Furthermore, many partnerships that start with a project develop into valued longterm joint companies that create an optimal mix of design knowledge and local expertise. Sharing knowledge and thereby developing people skills through training and coaching are regarded by Witteveen+Bos as societal responsibilities for the company. These are translated as one of its strategic goals, demonstrated as knowledge transfer to foreign partners and customers. This attitude has an

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

231

A HIGHLY DIGITIZED SMART CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM

interesting effect, in that it gives the company a discernible competitive edge: customers see Witteveen+Bos as a trusted partner that distinguishes itself from its competitors.

Innovation is key In today’s world innovation is key for engineering firms. Clients expect state-of-the-art technology in-house and they expect it to be used. To go the extra mile Witteveen+Bos has a strong focus on innovation, especially ‘bottom up’ innovation initiated by its employees, as the latter’s workface and practical knowledge is often the basis for new insights and fresh ideas. To maintain its leading position Witteveen+Bos also invests in fundamental new knowledge through cooperation in projects with knowledge institutes and universities. Despite such breakthrough technologies, ‘innovation’ in its everyday work sense is not so much a question of always inventing. It is about putting new developments into practical use and creatively incorporating existing technologies in new applications. This requires a creative mind and a broad outlook on the world. Every customer is invited to share his

232

or her ideas on innovation to inspire each other and to contribute to a more sustainable world.

Adding value together Witteveen+Bos is a company owned by its employees through a unique shareholder system. All levels of employees are shareholders whether they are associates, partners or senior partners, the shares being divided between them. This stimulates entrepreneurship and supports the before-mentioned open and inclusive culture in which all employees feel directly involved in the company. It is also why Witteveen+Bos wants to grow organically from its own strengths. Sustainable growth of the company enables knowledge to be shared from the various cultures and backgrounds of its employees and, through sharing know ledge with its partners, Witteveen+Bos adds value even more widely to local communities. Performing projects in this way adds societal value that goes beyond the project scope. The result is that in these, and many other ways, Witteveen+Bos seeks to contribute to a better world.

Witteveen+Bos is working as keycollaborator on the development of a Smart Integrated Construction System for Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB), specifically as part of the Nanyang Technological University. The system contains, among other things, an automated construction crane. HDB is Singapore’s public housing authority and HDB flats are home to over 80% of Singapore’s resident population. Smart construction solutions will enable HDB to build more productively and achieve better quality. The Smart Integrated Construction System comprises three modules: Smart Crane System (SCS), Integrated Building Information System (IBIS) and Smart Tracking System (STS). IBIS is the core of the system and will be developed by Witteveen+Bos. It will be the central digital database which serves as a collaborative workspace.

Witteveen+Bos

ACCELERATING INNOVATION A special innovative programme by Witteveen+Bos in 2017 resulted in some interesting ideas, one of them being a sustainable greenhouse concept that addresses issues of hunger, water shortage environmental degradation and several other UN development goals. The core goals of this greenhouse concept are: • To enable food production in areas with extreme environmental conditions, and; • To drastically reduce water usage in the agriculture sector. These goals are achieved by creating a stable indoor production climate and through the use of a sea-water cooling system combined with fresh water harvesting. Furthermore, the greenhouse

is powered by solar energy. Despite harsh climatological circumstances, the greenhouse concept enables year-round crop production and therefore a reliable source of income and improved food security. Another interesting concept is MudMatters. This new model/tool explores the natural capacity of the world’s ecosystems, soil and water to absorb greenhouse gases. Through adjustments in the structure and management of nature, agricultural areas, water systems and soil, the uptake of greenhouse gases may be enhanced. MudMatters will enable managers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and so counter climate change.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

233

GLOBAL CHALLENGES DUTCH SOLUTIONS

W W W. DUTC HI NDUSTR Y. OR G

SUSTAINABILITY

FIRST!

234

SUSTAINABILITY FIRST!

DUTCH SOLUTIONS After having read all these inspiring stories, the question still remains how to tackle the challenges of sustainability. This book shows the reader the way that Dutch companies are dealing with this challenge and from which a number of important points have emerged. Quite a few of the companies described in this book have a focus on the fundaments of materials. Many companies focus on creating a more sustainable world by interventions on a molecular and genetic level, often creating a totally new basis for both production processes and the products themselves. It is interesting to see how many of these new companies have been rapidly evolving from a ‘start-up’ phase to one of being ‘scaled up’, often pushed by internationally leading companies from the ‘old’ economy. These companies are indispensable for a fast acceptation of these innovations and make it possible to produce more sustainable

products in large quantities, which is highly necessary to become a player of some influence in the existing market. Other companies contribute to global challenges with newly developed technologies that have an impact on sustainability. These may be in the fields of energy, mobility or agriculture. Some of them are part of existing international companies; others are on the brink of making this step, or are in the phase of becoming a scale up instead of a start-up. These are all technical developments that have strong roots in the knowledge base of the Netherlands and Dutch industry.

These SDGs can be found in the fields of Zero Hunger, Good Health, Clean Water and Sanitation and Life on Land. Being market leaders in their fields, they show their industrial peers the ways that these global challenges should be dealt with. However, it is not only with products and processes that Dutch companies contribute to the SDGs. The knowledge accumulated in the Netherlands over a long period of time has resulted in quite advanced concepts in services. These have an impact varying from sustainable cities and communities, to quality education and decent work.

Quite a few companies in this book show impressive results from their ability to optimize their products or design production processes that are fully in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

235

Figure 1: Contribution to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals by the companies in this book

SDG icon & number

Avantium Bejo BioMCN Bolidt Certhon Chemport Europe CONO Corbion Ecofys Eneco Group Enza Zaden Eosta e-Traction Forbo ForFarmers Hunter Douglas Incotec Lely Meyn

It is possible to broadly illustrate the compliance of Dutch industry with the SDGs, by plotting the activities of the various companies in a matrix with the SDGs.

Micreos Mosa NS Dutch Railways Randstad REDstack Rijk Zwaan Royal Cosun Royal IHC SADC Smit & zoon Solynta SNEW Unilever Vion Witteveen+Bos

SDG icon & number

236

SUSTAINABILITY FIRST!

Figure 2: Total contribution to each goal by the companies in this book

Although it is hard to formulate definite conclusions on the basis of 34 companies alone, the above results indicate that Dutch industry is particularly strong in the following SDGs: 8. Decent work and economic growth 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure 12. Responsible consumption and production (very strong) 13. Climate action. Of special interest is the number of companies contributing to goal 12. Many stories in this book show that Dutch companies are making significant efforts to develop sustainable production processes. These can be seen as a firm base for future sustainability developments.

Other SDGs to which Dutch companies add less, yet still significant, contributions are: 2. Zero hunger 3. Good health and well-being for people 7. Affordable and clean energy 11. Sustainable cities and communities 15. Life on Land. For the remaining SDGs there seems to be a smaller role, at present, for Dutch industry. However one should take into account that for these remaining goals the contribution of Dutch industry is more situational and complementary, as the SDGs in question may require more effort from governments and other major organisations in the areas involved. These remaining SDGs are:

1. 4. 5. 6. 10. 14. 16. 17.

No poverty Quality education Gender equality Clean water and sanitation Reduced inequalities Life below water Peace, justice and strong institutions Partnerships for the goals.

In conclusion therefore, this book gives a strong overview of the dynamics of Dutch industry in the field of sustainability. The future will tell if, and by how much, these developments will have a lasting impact on our world or, in others words, whether these Dutch solutions are a sustainable answer to global challenges.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

237

238

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jaap Jan Brouwer (1957) studied medicine and law at the University of Groningen. After a short stay at the Ministry of Health he worked for various consultancy firms. He specialized in strategy, governance models and innovations, markets ranging from community work to industry. Apart from being a consultant he is also an author of books, especially on military organisations and the lessons they offer for the civilian world. Giedo van der Zwan (1967) studied business economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He worked for several PR consultancy firms and specialized in corporate communications: building reputations of companies and sectors. One of Giedo’s main strengths is to give ‘consultancy’ language a journalistic twist and being a keen photographer he is able to capture the ‘soul’ of a company with his camera.

In 2012 Jaap Jan Brouwer and Giedo van der Zwan decided to join forces with the start of C2i Business Stories, a consulting and publishing firm dedicated to making business stories that combine inspirational content with an attractive visual presentation. From their consultancy background, Jaap Jan Brouwer and Giedo van der Zwan have a thorough knowledge of how companies are organized, the way they formulate their strategy and how they innovate. C2i translates this knowledge in to attractive publications, such as books, websites, e-magazines, et cetera. Customers and partners can be found among health care organisations, industrial enterprises and governmental organisations. Find more of their work on www.c2i.nl

GLOBAL CHALLENGES. DUTCH SOLUTIONS.

239

COLOP HON

GLOBAL CHALLENGES DUTCH SOLUTIONS

W W W. DUTC HI NDUSTR Y. OR G

SUSTAINABILITY

FIRST! Text

pg 22: Chemport

Jaap Jan Brouwer and Giedo van der Zwan

pg 24: Hunter Douglas

BAL Media, Schiedam

pg 76: Patrick Moore

This issue has been printed in an edition of 4,500.

Translation

pg 78: Geralt and Music4Life

Stephen Mercer

pg 79: Gary Tamin

Publisher

pg 81: Peter Bierman and Damian Hoffmann

C2i Business Stories

Design and layout

pg 106 and 109: Erik Poffers

Nassauplein 15, 2585 EB Den Haag

Josta Bischoff Tulleken and Jan Mak, MagSite

pg 111: Ronald Tilleman

The Netherlands

pg 196-201: Sven Signe den Hartogh

www.c2i.nl

Photography

pg 202-207: Robbert Frank Hagens | Art in Media

Photography rights are in most cases owned by the

pg 210 and 214: Valerie Kuypers

companies described in this book.

pg 215: Anton Dingemanse

In specific cases the photography rights/photographers

pg 228: Port of Rotterdam

name are mentioned:

pg 232: Plein 06

pg 2: Plein06

pg 233: Zwart & jansma Architecten Copyright

pg 4: Mosa

240

ISBN 978-90-820509-7-4

pg 14: Certhon

Giedo van der Zwan has acted as photographer

pg 18: Ecofys / J. Vis

as well and has provided additional images for the

be reproduced or utilized in any form without

pg 20 and 21: ForFarmers

following companies: BioMCN, Lely, Solynta.

permission in writing from the publisher.