Home of Innovation 2019 - Campus Special TU Delft

Home of STORIES ABOUT INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL IMPACT

Innovation NR. 2 - 2019

‘THE NETHERLANDS MUST BECOME QUANTUM-READY’

TU DELFT CAMPUS COMMUNITY THE PERKS OF BEING FULLY CONNECTED

INTERVIEW WITH HANS BOS (MICROSOFT)

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT NEW OFFICE COMPLEX AS THE EPICENTRE OF CAMPUS SOUTH A ROLE MODEL

SPECIAL

CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

READY FOR THE FUTURE

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Paul Althuis

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President of the Board and Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen outlines the future

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INTERVIEW

THE NETHERLANDS MUST BECOME QUANTUM-READY

INCUBATOR

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YES!DELFT: BREEDING GROUND FOR THE ‘MOST AMBITIOUS IDEAS’

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INTERVIEW

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27

INFOGRAPHIC

TU DELFT CAMPUS FIELD LABS

Q&A

AMBASSADOR FOR INNOVATION

Alderman Bas Vollebregt from the municipality of Delft

‘SOCIAL SUPPORT IMPORTANT FOR INNOVATION’

INTERVIEW

SUSTAINABILITY ON THE TU DELFT CAMPUS

STUDENTS

D:DREAM HALL PRODUCES MANY START-UPS What’s behind the success of the Delft students projects?

COLUMN

THE PERKS OF BEING FULLY CONNECTED

Marja Hollander - Community Manager TU Delft Campus

Overview of the current centres of innovation

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THE EXPERT’S VIEW

Marjan Kreijns connects The Green Village with VPdelta

‘AS A CAMPUS RESIDENT, YOU’RE PART OF A LARGER WHOLE’

Anne-Lize Hoftijzer and Danielle ten Veldhuis discuss open innovation

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT ON THE TU DELFT CAMPUS

Machteld de Kroon about the role TNO plays on the TU Delft Campus

Managing director EJ Lugt takes YES!Delft to the next level

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INSIDE STORY

Nicoly Vermeulen - ASR Dutch Science Park Fund – New office complex on campus south

Hans Bos explains why Microsoft opened a Quantum Lab on the campus

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‘CO-CREATION SPEEDS UP INNOVATION’ Anouschka Versleijen (RoboValley) knows how to set up an ecosystem

INTERVIEW

‘TEAM UP WITH TU DELFT AND LET’S CREATE THE FUTURE TOGETHER’

THE EXPERT’S VIEW

28

FACTS & FIGURES

30

INSIDE STORY

X!DELFT: JOINT INNOVATION AT THE TU DELFT CAMPUS New collaboration programme for large companies

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INTRODUCTION King Willem-Alexander opens the Microsoft Quantum Lab Delft.

READY FOR THE FUTURE

This collaboration has become increasingly intensive in recent years.

Companies are getting involved in the development of new technology at an increasingly earlier stage in the process and they want to be as close as possible to the research activities.

Just this year, Microsoft opened a lab on the campus to work on the quantum computer, together with QuTech and TU Delft.

This process is actively supported by TU Delft. The trend can be seen most clearly in the emergence of dozens of field labs and public-private initiatives set up in recent years with the aim of boosting innovation.

This has transformed the TU Delft Campus into a unique place: a highquality ecosystem around TU Delft, focused on innovation. A unique community of researchers, students, start-ups, large companies, knowledge institutions and government bodies collaborating on technological innovations that contribute to solving

IMAGE BY©ANP / KOEN VAN WEEL

This issue of Home of Innovation is entirely devoted to the TU Delft Campus. The campus is developing at a rapid pace. It’s been a long time since it was just a place for excellent education and groundbreaking research. Today, it is also the place where researchers, start-ups, companies and knowledge institutions work together on new innovations that benefit society.

major social challenges in the areas of climate change, energy and sustainability.

In this magazine, we will discuss all these developments. Hans Bos, CTO of Microsoft in the Netherlands, explains why his company wants to have a presence on the campus. Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen explains why the process of innovation in 2018 is so different from twenty years ago.

An overview of all the field labs and public-private partnerships is displayed in a useful graphic. We also give you a first peek at future developments on the campus.

Sneak peek: future developments on the campus >> PAGE 20 & 21

In short, the TU Delft Campus is ready for the future. We’re happy to create that future with you!

Paul Althuis, Director TU Delft Valorisation Centre 3

INTERVIEW PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND RECTOR MAGNIFICUS, TIM VAN DER HAGEN, ON THE NEW FORMS OF COLLABORATION

‘Team up with TU Delft and let’s create the future together’ EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS VITAL WHEN IT COMES TO ENSURING THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY REACHES SOCIETY. TU DELFT HAS ALWAYS WORKED CLOSELY WITH COMPANIES, BUT THE WAY IN WHICH THIS IS DONE IS CHANGING. COUNTLESS INITIATIVES ON THE TU DELFT CAMPUS ATTEST TO THIS, SAYS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND RECTOR MAGNIFICUS TIM VAN DER HAGEN. FACT IMAGE BY ROY BORGHOUTS

QuTech and RoboValley: these are great examples of how the worlds of business and science work together today, says Van der Hagen. A shift is currently taking place from contract research ‘commissioned by’ to what he calls a ‘fusion’, a new form of public-private partnership in which there is a much greater overlap between fundamental research and the development of new products by companies.

X!Delft is a new programme that gives large companies access to all the new developments at TU Delft

QUANTUM COMPUTER

At QuTech, researchers from various faculties, TNO and companies are working on the quantum computer at the same time. ‘There are people working on applications that run on software that has not yet been developed, that uses mathematics that has not yet been developed, on a computer that has not yet been developed, made from materials that have not yet been developed, based on a technology that we do not yet understand,’ summarises Van der Hagen.

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Tim van der Hagen talks to robot Pepper during the X!Delft launch

THE EXPERT

‘Innovation is very different from what it was twenty years ago’ It is all happening at the same time, in the same place. The chain that starts with research and leads to an application no longer exists. ‘It has become a web.’ The same is happening at RoboValley. Companies are not sure exactly what robotics and artificial intelligence can mean for them, but they do know that they have to be in Delft for this. ‘Let’s work together,’ they think.

‘Let’s take stock of the situation together.’

RETAIL

The collaboration with Ahold Delhaize in the AIR Lab is a good example of this. Ahold Delhaize wants to know what artificial intelligence and robotics will mean for its supermarkets and distribution centers. ‘That’s why they are collaborating with us for five years.’

New applications of technology bring new opportunities, for example, to the Albert Heijn stores, distribution centers and other brands of the parent company.

Simultaneous collaboration. Van der Hagen emphasises that this approach is still very new. One of the main differences with how things worked in the past is that companies are turning to TU Delft will less clearly defined problems. Companies are getting involved in the “large-scale developments” that will be taking place over the next ten to fifteen years.

MOBILITY

Take transport companies. They no longer just think: the train, bus or tram has to run even better on time, explains Van der Hagen. ‘That’s still important, but if you want to survive the next

twenty years, you need to know what the mobility system will be like in the future.’ How do people travel the most comfortably and quickly from A to B, including the first and last mile?

“That leads to very different research.”

FUTURE

Van der Hagen expects that this new form of collaboration will also materialise on the TU Delft Campus.

‘If you come here in ten years’ time, you will be struck by a number of things: we will be doing world-class research and providing world-class education.

But the contribution made by companies will also be much more visible.’

There will be much more of an overlap.

‘It won’t be a business park, but it won’t just be a university; it will be a combination of the two.’ Companies will be increasingly drawn to the community on the TU Delft Campus.

But not everyone will be allowed to set up shop here. There must be a shared ambition. ‘They will always have to have a connection with us. They must be innovative companies.’

Theun Baller, the dean of 3ME, is one of the TU Delft staff who help new companies moving to the TU Delft Campus. With prior experience at Philips and a close involvement in the creation of the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Baller has a lot of experience in this area.

“It is my role to connect interested parties with researchers in the different faculties. In principle, companies that want to move here must meet a number of conditions.

The starting point for this is that there should be a shared objective between a company and some of the researchers at TU Delft and the desire to achieve this objective together. Only then can you create an ambitious and effective collaboration.”

Community “When a company or part of it moves to a different location, this has a major impact on employees. They too must be able to recognise the added value of the TU Delft Campus branch. The community plays an important role in this respect.

Therefore, our ambition is to foster a close sense of community between the employees of the various parties present on the TU Delft Campus.

TEAM UP WITH TU DELFT

Such companies will be welcomed with open arms by Van der Hagen.

“Team up” with TU Delft and let’s create the future together, he says. ‘Because that’s what we’re doing: this is where the future is made and we are inviting companies to join us.’ It’s about the long term, about pioneering technology, about researching and developing together without knowing exactly where you’re going. ‘That suits us very well.’

‘The community plays an important role’

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Cryogenic setup for cooling, controlling and measuring the superconducting / semiconducting devices for topological qubits

INTERVIEW

THE EXPERT

Hans Bos of Microsoft Netherlands on the opportunities offered by the quantum computer “When the computer arrives, the Netherlands must be ready to reap the benefits of this revolutionary machine.”

“Science, healthcare institutions, industry, chemical companies, large financial institutions, agriculture and horticulture - all these entities should be able to benefit immediately from the new technology.”

‘The Netherlands must become quantum-ready’ IT WAS A GLORIOUS MOMENT IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR: THE INAUGURATION OF THE MICROSOFT QUANTUM LAB BY KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER. THE QUANTUM COMPUTER IS COMING, HANS BOS, NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER AT MICROSOFT NETHERLANDS, IS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN ABOUT THAT.

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QUTECH Research institute QuTech, a partnership between TU Delft and the TNO, is working on the development of the quantum computer and quantum internet together with the industry.

Microsoft is the major partner for QuTech for the research on one type of qubit: the topological qubit.

“In Delft, we are building an innovation ecosystem around quantum technology, a ‘Quantum Campus’, where all the parties are joining forces to develop both the quantum computer as well as the quantum internet”, says Ronald Hanson, Director of Research of QuTech.

“The development of quantum technology requires a joint effort from science, government and business. With the National Agenda that we have outlined with partners, we now have a blueprint for a national effort to make the Netherlands play a major role in the future of quantum technologies.” www.qutech.nl

“What exactly is the effect of caffeine in coffee?”

Bos brings this up to illustrate the type of everyday questions underlying fundamental research on qubits. It’s a simple question, but we don’t know the answer yet because it involves very complex biological processes. To map these processes, you need an advanced computer. One that is much more advanced and has more computing power than all existing supercomputers combined.

A quantum computer.

“A great many processes in nature are inherently quantum mechanical”, Bos explains. “If you want to know exactly how photosynthesis works, how plants can extract substances from the air and store these in their roots underground: that’s a quantum mechanical process.” If you want to simulate this precisely and make improvements to it, you need a quantum computer. A conventional computer is not big or fast enough.

Numerous other processes are also quantum mechanical in nature. “With a quantum computer you can, for example, use special algorithms to develop personalised medicines that can help you fight diseases in a much more

“Knowledge is the starting point. The goal is to apply it.” targeted manner.” If you understand photosynthesis better, you can produce much more efficient solar cells using a quantum computer.

MA JORANA PARTICLE

In short, with a quantum computer you can do ‘fantastic things’ in healthcare, the energy sector and in many other fields. But first, we have to build this computer, and that is the goal of the Microsoft Quantum Lab on the TU Delft Campus under the leadership of Leo Kouwenhoven.

As professor at TU Delft in 2010, he discovered the first evidence of the mysterious Majorana particle that forms the basis of the so-called ‘qubits’ – a potential building block of quantum computers.

Microsoft has set up several such quantum labs around the world.

Why specifically in Delft now? “We deliberately chose the Netherlands, because of the exceptionally high level of knowledge and the excellent cooperation between the universities at Delft, Amsterdam and Eindhoven”, Bos explains. “This creates a very open environment, one which is highly conducive to knowledge development.”

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INTERVIEW

Ultra high vacuum cleanroom machine for growing semiconductor crystals for topological qubits.

“A quantum computer will be able to crack many of today’s advanced encryptions in no time” The lab is filled with specialised equipment: refrigerators for cooling the qubits to just a few millidegrees above absolute zero and special microscopes that allow you to examine at an atomic level whether the materials are clean.

The clean rooms at TU Delft are also used for this purpose.

NATIONAL AGENDA ON QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES

Part of Bos’ role as National Technology Officer is to ensure that Microsoft’s services and products comply with Dutch laws and regulations.

He is already working on the introduction of the quantum computer. When it actually arrives, the Netherlands must be ready and able to reap the benefits.

“We’re doing really bold, special and innovative things in the area of quantum technology in 8

the Netherlands, and we want to develop these activities further.” In cooperation with a number of other parties, including TU Delft, QuTech and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Microsoft is drawing up a National Agenda on Quantum Technologies. This Agenda expresses our ambition to make our country the international capital of quantum technology.

“We’re on the right path, but if we want to achieve this ambition, we must also be ready when the quantum computer is there.” Science, healthcare institutions, industry, chemical companies, large financial institutions, agriculture and horticulture - all these entities should be able to benefit immediately from the new technology. What needs to be done for this?

“You have to start investing in knowledge and startups without delay and large companies need to start preparing themselves.”

SOFTWARE

This also involves, for example, the development of the appropriate software. Such software is fundamentally different from that on which conventional computers run. “You have to think differently about algorithms and it’s best to get started on that right now.” You also need to identify suitable problems for a quantum computer to solve.” Another challenge will be the quantum-resistant encryption of existing networks and systems, since a quantum computer will be able to crack many of today’s advanced encryptions in no time.

The mysterious Majorana particle forms the basis of ‘qubits’ – a potential building block of quantum computers

ACCELERATING ROLE

Bos is pleased with the interaction between Microsoft and TU Delft for setting up the lab and the way in which the collaboration is progressing.

Both the Campus and Microsoft benefit from this.

“We accelerate the process of putting technology into practice. Naturally, the university is a centre for knowledge development, but knowledge is just the starting point. Application is the goal”, he explains. “This is the key to our role and presence on the campus: we contribute to increasing the value of knowledge development at TU Delft.”

Inside of the cryogenic setup used to cool the topogical qubits to temperatures of around 10 milliKelvin.

The lab forms the core for the research on topological qubits, but Bos emphasises the important role played by other parties in the campus ecosystem in relation to this theme: for example, the TNO is a key supplier of the materials used in the lab. He is also happy that Bluefors - the company that supplies the refrigerators mentioned before - has set up operations at the campus.

Microsoft also works together with YES!Delft, InnovationQuarter and StartupDelta. They play an important role in our ambition to make the Netherlands ‘quantum-ready’ - venture capital, startups that develop advanced algorithms - we need all of this. Students wanting to start up a business here are also encouraged.

High frequency cables in a cryogenic setup for controlling and reading the topological qubits.

ALL IMAGES BY MICROSOFT

MEETING PLACE

Bos expects Microsoft to still be on the campus even ten years from now. Although the campus itself will look quite different then. “Teaching activities will become increasingly digital, and the campus will become more of a meeting place for students and professors and a place where companies and researchers can share valuable equipment”, he predicts. “I think the innovative and positive environment will only become stronger.”

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INTERVIEW

YES!DELFT NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION ON THE TU DELFT CAMPUS. COUNTLESS STUDENTS HAVE GOT OFF TO A FLYING START AS ENTREPRENEURS IN THE INCUBATOR AT MOLENGRAAFFSINGEL ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CAMPUS. YES!DELFT HAS CARVED OUT A CLEAR ROLE FOR ITSELF IN THE ECOSYSTEM SURROUNDING TU DELFT, SAYS MANAGING DIRECTOR EVERT JAAP LUGT. “WE HELP ENGINEERS TRANSFORM A GOOD IDEA INTO A GOOD PRODUCT.”

YES!Delft: breeding ground for the ‘most ambitious ideas’ 10

FACT YES!Delft will become the first fully data-driven incubator in the Netherlands

At the entrance there’s a racing car. Who- ever enters YES!Delft is immediately struck by the unique vibe given off by that car: something exciting is going on here. Inside the building - located in a former warehouse - it’s buzzing with energy.

Everywhere you look, you see the products from the dozens of startups established here. “It’s really important to create a culture of innovation”, says Lugt. “You can do this by making it tangible. You have to be able to put out your hand and feel it.”

NIGHTBALANCE

All around are places for quick team meetings, unexpected coffee corners and flex spaces. On the wall, large images of entrepreneurs and their stories. Lugt is proud of the companies that YES!Delft has produced. Nightbalance, for example, which has developed an innovative device against sleep apnoea. Last year, the company was acquired

by Philips.

YES!Delft helps all these young entrepreneurs through their company’s most difficult phase: getting from idea to product.

They receive advice and help in identifying the right market for their product and learning the basics of doing business.

This kind of help is absolutely essential. “People who start up a company with us have a great deal of knowledge in a certain area, but often lack knowledge and expertise in the area of entrepreneurship”, says Lugt.

IMPROVED CHANCES OF SUCCESS

How do you arrange funding? How do you attract good talent?

How do you create a diverse team that is not just made up of techies? How do you land your first big customer? Various programmes have been set up to help entrepreneurs with these questions. The result: their companies can grow at a faster pace, with a higher chance of success. In this way, YES!Delft plays an important role in bringing scientific innovations to the market.

ALL IMAGES BY YES!DELFT

In addition, YES!Delft collaborates with various parties on the TU Delft Campus. That’s also where the ‘power of the ecosystem’ lies, says Lugt. A great example of this is the collaboration with Ahold Delhaize in the AIRLab, which has been set up to investigate and test the possibilities of robotics and artificial intelligence for Ahold Delhaize’s stores and distribution centres.

POWER OF THE CAMPUS

“This is entirely thanks to the combined efforts of YES!Delft, RoboValley and the TU Delft Robotics Institute”, says Lugt.

“Together, we were able to convince Ahold Delhaize that collaboration with these three parties is going to deliver value: the Robotics Institute for fundamental knowledge, RoboValley for the testing and development of potential applications and YES!Delft for the entrepreneurship aspects”, Lugt summarises.

“Dare to say: I’m going to be the biggest in the world!”

The campus has great potential, he predicts. “The collective efforts of all those parties on the campus, each with their own expertise. If you can combine all of this effectively, it’s just the beginning.”

SMELL OF GRASS

Lugt, with a track record as a successful entrepreneur, is himself closely involved with many companies. “I always feel like a former football player who has become a trainer”, he says. “I can still smell the grass every day.” His most frequent advice to entrepreneurs: show ambition. “Dare to say: I’m going to be the biggest in the world! That’s somewhat lacking in Dutch culture.”

INCUBATOR 4.0

Lugt is also an innovator. He wants to make YES!Delft the first fully data-driven incubator in the Netherlands. “Everything we have in terms of data is stored. We have a detailed overview of all the companies and are assessing how many and which type of companies will outgrow the early-stage phase this year.”

In a few years’ time, machine learning should be able to detect patterns in this.

“Based on historical data, we will be able to predict, for example, that it will probably take four years for a certain type of company to scale-up”, says Lugt enthusiastically.

“We also hope to use the data to derive the factors that determine success.”

GROWTH

In the meantime, YES!Delft continues to grow. Lugt refers to the ‘can-do mentality’ typical of Delft, which also characterises so many entrepreneurs. “Many incubators have to make an effort to attract startups. Here, they come knocking on our door each year with the most insanely good ideas.”

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IMAGE BY TU DELFT

INTERVIEW

IN TWENTY YEARS’ TIME, WE WANT THE TU DELFT CAMPUS TO BE THE ‘PLACE-TO-BE’ IN THE NETHERLANDS FOR DEVISING, DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING RADICAL INNOVATIONS. WHAT DO WE NEED TO FULFIL THIS AMBITION? ANNE-LIZE HOFTIJZER (MANAGER DEVELOPMENT TU DELFT CAMPUS) AND DANIELLE TEN VELDHUIS (MARKETING MANAGER TU DELFT CAMPUS) ON OPEN INNOVATION, COLLABORATION AND A VIBRANT CAMPUS COMMUNITY. “TU DELFT WANTS TO PLAY A PIONEERING ROLE.”

‘As a Campus resident, you’re part of a larger whole’ Workplaces for visitors. It may seem like a small measure, but it’s illustrative of what Hoftijzer and Ten Veldhuis have in store for the campus. More cooperation, with particular emphasis on facilitating this in various ways. “Today, you often see visitors leaving immediately after their appointment, because there’s nowhere to just sit”, says Hoftijzer.

That’s going to change: workplaces with Wi-Fi, good coffee and the possibility to use the meeting spaces should make the campus more attractive to business visitors.

PIONEERING ROLE

TU Delft has been working intensively with the business community for a long time now and this has led to numerous innovations that benefit society. Today, the need for solutions in the areas of 12

sustainability, energy and climate is greater than ever. TU Delft wants to play a leading role in this, says Ten Veldhuis.

“The campus is the ideal place to get started on this: here you can bring together all the parties needed for launching complex innovations in the market.”

CROSS-FERTILISATION

SAM|XL. RoboValley. The GreenVillage.

These are all great examples of the close collaboration between TU Delft, the business community and knowledge institutions such as the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) for the development of new technology. But Hoftijzer and Ten Veldhuis also want the campus companies that work less regularly with TU Delft to connect more closely

with one another and with other parties in the innovation ecosystem around the university.

“What’s needed is that important parties at the campus should not just work next to one another, but also work together with one another to a much greater extent”, says Ten Veldhuis.

“For example, it makes me proud that a company such as ABB cooperates intensively in RoboHouse, the field lab of RoboValley.” This brings it in contact with other parties, which leads to crossfertilisation and knowledge exchange.

Shared ambition It’s important to all be heading in the same direction, says Ten Veldhuis.

“Only if you have the same ambition regarding sustainability and innovation

“The campus helps scientists take their research further, so that they can make a real impact.”

an idea of what’s possible in terms of cooperation”, says Ten Veldhuis.

The companies on the southern part of the campus are explicitly involved in this. “In future, we will adopt an integrated approach to the campus, and the entire area will be named ‘TU Delft Campus’”, she says.

“Our ambition is to transform it into a single large community, so that the companies in the southern part also feel like they’re an integral part of the campus.”

ECOSYSTEM

Anne-Lize Hoftijzer (left) and Danielle ten Veldhuis

can you create a societal impact.”

Parties who want to establish themselves here must fully endorse this ambition. “We want new companies to become sustainable partners. For us, this shared ambition and a meaningful collaboration with TU Delft are the conditions for a successful partnership.”

Open innovation, that’s what it’s all about. “The starting point for both the university and the business community must be to share knowledge, so that both can become better at what they do”, says Hoftijzer.

CREATING PRECONDITIONS

Hoftijzer and Ten Veldhuis play a facilitating role in this entire chain from research to business activity. Creating preconditions. Showing what is possible.

Connecting the parties. It’s not only

about creating workplaces, but also setting up a multi-company building on the southern part of the Campus for companies that are becoming too large for YES!Delft.

“The ultimate goal is to design the campus such that we can provide the facilities needed for a particular type of collaboration at all times”, Hoftijzer summarises.

CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Equally important is setting up and maintaining a campus community.

“We organise events, link the various communities currently present at the campus with one another, support them with facilities and ensure that they come in contact with each other. As a result, new residents can immediately get

What binds all the parties together is that they are part of an ecosystem in which valuable innovations are devised and developed. “That’s what we also tell our scientists”, says Ten Veldhuis.

“Because it is largely for them that we are doing this. The campus is not just a place where they can carry out research.

Our researchers are part of something bigger. The campus helps them take their research further, so that they can make a real impact.”

Next-level innovation campus “If you walk across our campus in twenty years, you will find that researchers, companies and other institutions no longer have their own separate buildings or labs, but are working jointly together on complex social issues”, Hoftijzer predicts.

It’s still an inspiring and challenging place for education and research, but at the same it’s also a ‘next-level innovation campus’, says Ten Veldhuis.

A platform for ‘challenging, complex, social issues’. “Delft has a long history of entrepreneurial engineers who are strongly committed to society. This is a logical continuation of that.”

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INFOGRAPHIC

TU DELFT

CAMPUS FIELD LABS ILLUSTRATION BY KIA, SHOP AROUND

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2. DO IOT FIELDLAB Gateway to 5G+ IoT Research & Education at TU Delft for academic and industrial partners tudelft.nl/internetofthings 3. D:DREAM HALL Home base of the successful TU Delft Student teams tudelft.nl/en/d-dream 4. UPPS: ULTRA PERSONALISED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Stimulating innovations around Ultra Personalised Products and Services upps.nl 5. ROBOVALLEY & ROBOHOUSE Innovation center, startup community and field lab for cognitive robotics and AI robovalley.com 6. VRDML FIELDLAB: VIRTUAL REALITY DESIGN METHODS LAB Using virtual reality for designing, modifying, and re-using new and existing buildings, city districts and landscapes. clicknl.nl/en/fieldlab-vrdml 7. DUTCH OPTICS CENTRE Boosting Dutch industry in the field of optics and optomechatronics to increase utilisation of Dutch science through joint R&D. dutchopticscentre.com 8. POLDER ROOF (POLDERDAK) Research and test facility for water management and climate adaptation in urban areas. vpdelta.nl 9. WATER STREET (WATERSTRAAT) Test location for water drainage in urban environments. vpdelta.nl 10. RADD (RESEARCHLAB AUTOMATED DRIVING DELFT) Experimenting with automated transportation in real-life conditions raddelft.nl 11. YES!DELFT Leading tech incubator in Europe. yesdelft.com 12. DELFT QUANTUM Research and development in quantum technology. qutech.nl 13.FLOOD PROOF HOLLAND Demonstrating and testing of temporary flood defences. vpdelta.nl 14. SAM|XL Automated manufacture of large-size lightweight composite parts for aircraft, wind turbine blades, spacecraft and maritime applications. samxl.com 15. UNMANNED VALLEY VALKENBURG Drones test site at former air base nearby the municipality of Katwijk. unmannedvalleyvalkenburg.nl 16. BIOTECH CAMPUS DELFT Open innovation ecosystem boosting the transition to a sustainable bio-based economy. biotechcampusdelft.com 17. RAS (RESEARCHLAB AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING) Outdoor space for autonomous shipping experiments that brings together everyone involved in autonomous shipping. rasdelft.nl 18. FIELDLAB IN THE NORTH SEA Testing of new products and applications for the maritime sector. proeftuinopdenoordzee.nl 19. DFC: DIGITAL FACTORY FOR COMPOSITES FIELDLAB Open and cross-sectoral innovation in the business of Digital Manufacturing and composite. digitalfactoryforcomposites.nl 20. AMS INSTITUTE Designing solutions for urban challenges and educate tomorrow’s engineers. ams-institute.org 21. RHIA: ROTTERDAM THE HAGUE INNOVATION AIRPORT International testing ground for sustainable innovations in the aviation sector. rotterdamthehagueairport.nl/rhia

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SEPTEMBER 2019

1. THE GREEN VILLAGE Living lab for sustainable innovation. thegreenvillage.org

IMAGE BY CITY OF DELFT

Q&A

FACT The new Delft Campus railway station will be both the most sustainable and smartest station in the Netherlands

Ambassador for innovation

AS ALDERMAN FOR ECONOMY, CULTURE, LAND DEVELOPMENT AND REAL ESTATE FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF DELFT, BAS VOLLEBREGT WORKS IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH TU DELFT. DURING AN INTERVIEW, HE EXPLAINS THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE MUNICIPALITY IN BOOSTING INNOVATION AT AND AROUND THE TU DELFT CAMPUS. “FIELD LABS ARE BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR COMPANIES WHEN THEY SELECT DELFT AS THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS.”

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How do you ensure that the residents of the Municipality of Delft are also able to benefit from the technology being developed at the TU?

“We’re extremely proud of TU Delft and all the innovative solutions for major social challenges being devised at the campus. Of course, the city also has to deal with these same challenges, so we feel it’s important to roll out these solutions in our municipality. In this way, residents also get to see all the things TU Delft is doing.”

Can you give a few examples?

“Take climate change, for example. At the Green Village, we are testing solutions to make streets and neighbourhoods more resistant to increasingly extreme weather, such as heavy rainfall or prolonged drought. This includes innovative solutions such as a bus shelter that can hold water or road surfacing that allows the rain to seep through. We have recently decided to actually implement a number of these solutions in our city.

Another good example is the Do IoT Field Lab (Internet of Things). How do you make sure your city is ready for the digital economy and the Internet of Things, where large numbers of devices will exchange information via an even faster wireless network? We will be testing this in a real-life situation in the field lab, as well as at the new Delft Campus railway station.

The aim is to make this railway station not just the most sustainable, but also the smartest station in the Netherlands.

This is how area development and the application of knowledge developed by TU Delft go hand in hand.”

You’re clearly a fan of the field labs at the TU Delft Campus!

“Yes, and the Municipality of Delft has been closely involved in setting up a number of these field labs. Field labs are very important places for us - this is where researchers and companies can connect with one another. They offer an easy, accessible environment where entrepreneurs can get acquainted with the latest technology. They are our ‘business cards’ for attracting new activities, and through that investments and employment. Both at the campus and in the surrounding areas such as the banks of the Schie waterway, the Delft Tech Park and the DSM site.”

So do you also help companies make the right connections?

“We work closely with the university and the people responsible for the development of the campus to ensure that new companies feel welcome and get off to comfortable start in Delft. This is not just about facilities and buildings, but also about introducing these new companies to the right networks and helping them access talent. We all work from the same underlying idea: if you create a joint ecosystem that companies value, it will have a mutually beneficial effect.”

“Field labs are our business cards for attracting new activities” What role does the Municipality of Delft play in this context within the innovation ecosystem at TU Delft?

“We play various roles. A very important aspect is what I’ve already mentioned earlier: connecting the different parties.

But we also play a facilitating role when it comes to assisting innovative companies that want to establish themselves here. Equally important is what I refer to as the ‘preconditional’ role. We think it’s crucial that the new technology from TU Delft actually gets to the manufacturing companies. That’s why we are making room for the manufacturing industry on the banks of the Schie. Things devised at the campus can be manufactured on the banks of the Schie.”

Naturally, all these new companies are good for employment. Is that important too?

“Ultimately, our goal is to create new jobs, at all levels. This is the most important aspect for the municipality, which is why it is a shareholder in YES!Delft. YES!Delft is an important driver of employment.”

As alderman, what role do you play in all these developments?

“I think my role is mainly that of an ambassador. What happens in Delft also has regional and even national significance.

For example, innovations in the area of climate can also benefit other municipalities.

I have regular meetings with all the aldermen of the Metropolitan Rotterdam-The Hague Region, where innovation is an important theme. The valuable role played by Delft in this area is recognised at the regional level, which is evident from the fact that a number of field labs and YES!Delft have been able to count on regional funding. A welcome confirmation of their regional significance.”

The TU Delft Campus is located in the heart of the city.

How do you ensure that all residents remain involved and benefit from the developments?

“A great example is the collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, where we allow fourth-year students to have a go at solving an urban development problem. This year they have looked at Tanthof and the adjustments needed to get this neighbourhood ready for the future. This resulted in 80 proposals on which we will work. It’s very inspiring to see the professionalism displayed by these young people in helping to make this city even more beautiful. I hope that ultimately every Delft citizen is proud of what’s happening here.”

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THE EXPERT’S VIEW

ANOUSCHKA VERSLEIJEN IS CURRENTLY MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ROBOVALLEY AND PREVIOUSLY HELPED SETTING UP A NUMBER OF OTHER ECOSYSTEMS, SUCH AS THE QUANTUM INSTITUTE QUTECH. SHE IS THE BEST PERSON TO TELL US ABOUT WHY TU DELFT SETS UP ECOSYSTEMS AROUND QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY, ROBOTICS AND OTHER FIELDS OF RESEARCH. “IT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENCE THAT WOULD

‘Co-creation speeds up innovation’ QuTech, RoboValley, The Green Village, Holland PTC, ESP Lab. These are examples of public-private innovation programmes set up by TU Delft in recent years based around, respectively, quantum technology, robotics, sustainable housing and construction, proton therapy and energy transition.

As Versleijen explains, these are all initiatives built around existing, wellfunctioning research clusters within Delft University of Technology. “As a university, we feel that our contribution should not stop when the research is over. We want to actively support and improve the knowledge transfer to the world of business and to society.”

of professors who predicted a shift from theoretical research to a possible application of this technology: the quantum computer. “At that time, they made the conscious decision to focus on this”, says Versleijen. “The combination of high-quality research and working on an application is not a contradiction, but rather a combination you want to pursue.”

The collaborations with Microsoft and Intel for example provide to valuable additional knowledge on software and chip manufacturing. “This pushes forward scientific boundaries faster than would have been possible without these collaborations.”

RESEARCHERS ASK FOR IT

Moreover – both in the case of RoboValley and QuTech – the initial request came from the research community itself. In the quantum research project, there was a group 18

RoboValley was necessary for the further growth and implementation of robotics knowledge to startups and existing companies. A recent large collaboration with Ahold Delhaize in the field of robotics for the retail sector creates a ‘push’ in the world of science.

Unmanned Valley Valkenburg – a hub for testing experimental drones and linked to the RoboValley ecosystem – also boosts scientific research, just as the two Delft robotics field labs SAM|XL and RoboHouse.

“Composite research at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering will benefit greatly from the collaboration with Airbus and the facilities that SAM|XL offers.”

SWEET SPOT

BOOST FOR SCIENCE

It’s a similar story for robotics: scientific developments in the area of machine learning made the TU Delft Robotics Institute realise that an initiative such as

These field labs also offer existing companies the opportunity to capitalise on the latest scientific insights. This new form of collaboration focuses on creating advances in scientific research but

IMAGE BY TU DELFT

NOT HAVE EXISTED OTHERWISE.”

Anouschka Versleijen operates a robot arm in RoboHouse.

“We are constantly on the lookout for the ‘sweet spot’ that benefits both the company and the researcher.”

without losing sight of the interests of the companies. “We are constantly on the lookout for that ‘sweet spot’, where we can do something together that benefits both the company and create progress in science.” This is also why we are setting up these ecosystems on the TU Delft Campus. “Both companies and researchers are present here.”

collaboration with RoboHouse.”

“Co-creation speeds up innovation.

It makes solutions possible that individual parties cannot achieve”, asserts Versleijen. “Sometimes you can develop these solutions by having a company collaborate with students, sometimes with start-ups or a number of researchers, and sometimes with a combination of all these parties.”

CO-CREATION

This collaboration can best be described as a form of ‘co-creation’. “Working together on a challenge leads to better solutions than if each party were to work on it separately”, Versleijen summarises.

RoboHouse is “teeming with co-creation”.

For example, the Senseglove start-up has developed a VR glove with which you can feel and grasp virtual objects.

“These applications could also be used by another company to control a robotic arm, for example. The precise techniques for this can be developed and tested in

university, you have to find a way to work together with these industry labs.”

Another reason for this is that technology transfer or impact itself has become a core activity for universities, a task which they are carrying out with increasing dedication. “It is no longer just about selling patents or promoting spin-offs. To transfer technology in a truly successful manner, you have to start collaborating with each other as early as possible.”

IMPACT

The shift from contract research to new forms of cooperation – where ecosystems are set up around promising scientific themes – is partly due to the type of research, which has become more complex and more interdisciplinary. As far as artificial intelligence is concerned, Google’s research department contributes immensely to the advancement of the field, also at a scientific level. “If you want make a difference in this field as a

ALL SYSTEMS GO

It’s true that the researchers often take the initiative, but the university also plays an important role in the creation of these ecosystems. “Of course, the academic staff are expected to come up with a well-thought out plan, but once you get the green light, there is enormous support from the entire organisation”, says Versleijen. “TU Delft is geared to seizing these kinds of opportunities.”

19

INSIDE STORY

Real estate development on the TU Delft Campus TU DELFT IS THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE NETHERLANDS TO ENTER INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH A.S.R. REAL ESTATE’S ASR DUTCH SCIENCE PARK FUND, WHICH WAS SET UP THIS YEAR. THE PARTNERSHIP FOCUSES ON THE FUNDING, DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF REAL ESTATE FOR COMPANIES AND SCALE-UPS THAT WISH TO SET UP AN OFFICE ON THE TU DELFT CAMPUS.

The first project under this partnership is the development of an office complex housing multiple companies (see box on page 21).

ASR DUTCH SCIENCE PARK FUND

The arrival of this complex is important for start-ups that are becoming too large for the YES!Delft business incubator. The logical scaling up of the activities is currently under pressure, because there is no suitable property available on the TU Delft Campus or elsewhere in the city of Delft.

Companies prefer to invest their money in developing their product instead of new buildings. There is enough demand: research shows that by 2025, companies will need about 30,000 m2 of office and manufacturing space.

The ASR Dutch Science Park Fund is one of the four real estate funds of a.s.r. real estate, each of which has a specific focus area. The fund invests in real estate intended for commercial use located at Dutch science parks, with a particular focus on the 10 most developed science parks in the Netherlands.

Just as at the TU Delft Campus, the fund invests in the local ecosystem by offering suitable premises to commercial parties.

The partnership between the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund and TU Delft enables both parties to build a vibrant community on the campus. It is now possible to develop premises on the TU Delft Campus for different target groups. This reinforces the campus ecosystem, from which both the fund and the university benefit.

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COPYRIGHT A.S.R. REAL ESTATE

THIS WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEM AROUND TU DELFT.

NEW OFFICE COMPLEX AS THE EPICENTRE OF CAMPUS SOUTH THE EXPERT

Nicoly Vermeulen, Vice President Operations of the Executive Board, on the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund: “Collaboration with companies is important so that we can develop new technology and knowledge into products and services that benefit society.

TU Delft encourages this by supporting start-ups, developing field labs and through X!Delft.

Together with the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund, we ensure that these companies find a comfortable home at the TU Delft Campus.”

‘New office complex will become the epicentre of the southern part of the campus’

TU Delft and the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund are currently investigating the possibilities of constructing a new office complex.

The goal is to make this complex the new epicentre of the southern part of the campus. It will be located next to YESDelft.

In addition to the scale-ups that are outgrowing YESDelft, the building will also accommodate SMEs that will be collaborating with TU Delft as well as large Dutch or international companies that can open an office here. In total, the new office complex will be able to accommodate around 800 FTEs. In addition to office space, there will also be a large manufacturing space where companies can work on their product.

Community The community plays an important role. A community space, auditorium, restaurant and co-working spaces will ensure that the building becomes the nerve centre of the TU Delft Campus South and drive the further development of the area.

FACT By 2025, companies will need about 30,000 m2 of office and manufacturing space on the TU Delft Campus.

Artist’s impression of the new office complex next to YES!Delft.

No rights can be derived from this artist’s impression.

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THE EXPERT’S VIEW

‘Social support important for innovation’ TNO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION: THE NETHERLANDS ORGANISATION FOR APPLIED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (TNO) PLAYS AN INDISPENSABLE ROLE AT THE TU DELFT CAMPUS. BUT CREATING SOCIAL SUPPORT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR A SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT OF NEW PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGIES, SAYS MACHTELD DE KROON, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURE AND MARITIME DEPARTMENT.

With a career spanning more than 30 years at TNO, De Kroon knows better than anyone what is involved in ensuring successful innovations and the role played by her organisation in the ecosystem around TU Delft. TNO operates out of various locations at the campus and is an important partner in QuTech and co-initiator of various field labs such as RoboHouse and SAM|XL. Its statutory task is to develop applications for new technology. For this, the organisation is constantly on the lookout for a suitable ‘breeding ground’ for solutions to social challenges. “For my unit, this breeding ground consists of the faculties of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, 3mE and Architecture and the Built Environment”, says De Kroon.

JOINT RESEARCH AGENDA

TNO’s presence at the campus facilitates contact. TNO and TU Delft share valuable research facilities and that drives innovation.

The common research agenda they share does the same. “A very concrete example of this is the 22

recently set up Construction and Technology Innovation Centre (Bouw en Techniek Innovatiecentrum, BITC ) ”, says De Kroon.

This centre will develop the technology required for the dealing with ‘major challenges in the construction sector’ such as making existing housing more sustainable.

The new centre is located on the Bouwcampus.

“A local ecosystem such as this where companies and researchers come together is very valuable as a meeting point”, says De Kroon. “So much more happens here than just ‘meetings’.”

Another significant result of the joint research with TU Delft is the development of the Guideline for the Assessment of Engineering Structures (Richtlijn Beoordeling Kunstwerken, RBK). “This enables engineering firms to make clear and accurate recalculations of the safety of a flyover or bridge.” Studies are still ongoing for designing a similar guideline for wind turbines. Based on this research, Rijkswaterstaat determines when maintenance is required.

Machteld de Kroon

SOCIAL CHALLENGE TAKES CENTRE STAGE

In addition, innovation is increasingly taking place at the ‘boundaries between different disciplines’, where instances of ‘crossover applications’ can also be seen, De Kroon says.

“Fundamental research in one field may lead to an application in a completely different field.”

At 3mE, for example, there is a very strong nanotechnology research group, says De Kroon.

This leads to the development of new materials that can be of great value in the construction sector. “New materials that can make homes more energy-efficient, for example.”

Precisely these types of ‘crossover’ innovations make it essential for all the involved parties to be as closely ‘intertwined’ with one another as possible, De Kroon says. “That’s why the network is so important. That’s why TNO is present at the campus.”

SOCIAL SUPPORT

De Kroon believes that field labs play an important and useful role in the development and testing of new technology. But it is also important to keep an eye on the ‘next step’, De Kroon avers. “Large-scale rollout of new technology in society is a challenge in itself.”

For example, take the aforementioned case of making existing housing more sustainable. “In a field lab, you can demonstrate that it is possible to improve the sustainability of a single home in a single day, but that still does not prove that you can renovate a thousand homes per day.”

Moreover, there are entirely different issues at stake here: you need an adequate work force and you have to deal with rules that may need to be

IMAGE © TNO

According to De Kroon, the strength of the cooperation lies in this ‘common agenda and joint programming’. “You start with a social challenge and then peel off the layers, so to speak, to arrive at the fundamental research and the parties needed for a successful implementation.” The BITC is a good example of this. More than a hundred companies support this initiative, as do a number of public-private organisations and knowledge institutions.

“Fundamental research in one field may lead to an application in a completely different field” adapted. You also have to win over the residents.

TNO has a role to play in this area as well.

“We make the link to the legislation and work on creating social support for new innovations.”

RELOCATION TO TU DELFT CAMPUS SOUTH

At present, De Kroon is located at Leeghwaterstraat, but the possibility of moving her unit to the southern part of the campus is currently under consideration. The laboratory for research on construction materials and energy climate systems may also be set up in a new building there. In this way, TNO can create a greater buzz in the ‘south’. The proposed plans are promising.

“It can become an attractive place to be, where researchers and companies can come into contact with one another. That fits in well with our philosophy.”

TNO’s relocation can act as a catalyst, says De Kroon. “Our 175-strong unit is quite considerable. If we move there, it will immediately generate a lot of activity.” She hopes that the area will develop in the same way as the TNO location at Stieltjesweg, with a supermarket, bookstore and cafés. “A campus you’re happy to call home.”

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Visitors look at the Water Street, a test location for new applications for draining away the vast amounts of water that fall during heavy downpours, which was launched at The Green Village last year.

INTERVIEW

Sustainability on the TU Delft Campus WHEN DEVELOPING NEW, SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THREE LARGE TRANSITIONS IN THE THE AREAS OF ENERGY, CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND CIRCULARITY. THIS IS WHY THE GREEN VILLAGE AND VPDELTA HAVE DECIDED TO COLLABORATE MUCH MORE CLOSELY WITH ONE ANOTHER, SAYS PROGRAMME DIRECTOR MARJAN KREIJNS.

If you are thinking of installing solar panels on your roof, why not consider the possibility of collecting rainwater at the same time? With today’s hot summers, an innovation such as the Polder Roof (Polderdak) – a water storage facility on top of buildings – can help counter the effects of extreme drought.

Similarly, while constructing an energyneutral house, why not start immediately with a design that takes extremely high temperatures into account?

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Kreijns raises these questions to drive her message home. On the TU Delft Campus, considerable efforts are being devoted to creating sustainable innovations and solutions for climate change, at The Green Village and the VPdelta living labs, for example.

But, says Kreijns, you can speed up this process by taking a more integrated 24

approach. She has been heading VPdelta for some years now and, from 1 October she will also be the new Director of The Green Village.

“Over the past few years, the Green Village has developed an incredible testing ground.” She wants to take this further and sees great opportunities for closer cooperation between VPdelta and The Green Village. The Polder Roof can also play a role in the energy transition, because it has a cooling effect in summer and insulates in winter.

SMART MEASURING AND MONITORING

“The next phase is about to begin, and with the recently presented Dutch Climate Agreement at hand, the Netherlands is eager to find effective solutions. We need to invest in places where you can try out new innovations,

where you can make mistakes and learn from them to come to the right solutions”, says Kreijns. TU Delft has “a great deal to offer”: not just the outstanding innovations brought forth by the various faculties, but also its know-how on smart measurement and monitoring.

Here, it is important to focus not just on developing innovations that contribute to achieving the climate goals, but also on the applications that will make the Netherlands resilient to the effects of climate change. “All climate models show that the weather has become more extreme, so there’s no escaping the fact that we have to adapt ourselves.”

VPdelta and The Green Village complement each other well in this respect.

CO-CREATION CENTRE

Both programmes have proven that they play an important role early in the

IMAGE BY ALWIN WINK

“THERE IS MUCH TO BE GAINED.”

THE EXPERT

Marjan Kreijns from VPdelta and The Green Village on creating sustainable impact: “You can speed up this process by taking a more integrated approach and connect energy, climate and circular challenges with one another”

ENERGY-NEUTRAL CAMPUS In addition to the many innovations in the field of sustainability that are conceived, tested and developed on the TU Delft Campus, the area itself is becoming increasingly greener.

The Executive Board of TU Delft has taken a provisional decision to install a geothermal source that can provide heating for the campus buildings.

The university partly generates its own electricity via solar panels placed on TU buildings and for the rest, it purchases green power.

Heating the campus buildings with geothermal energy would signify a major step towards achieving full carbon neutrality.

Moreover, the geothermal source will give a serious boost to geothermal research. Installing such a source on the campus offers us the opportunity to expand and enhance existing research and so become a global leader in geothermal research and education.

“We started VPdelta with 12 start-ups, and now we have more than 100” innovation chain, i.e. in the phase from prototype to product. “If you develop a new type of tile that allows rainwater to seep through easily, you shouldn’t wait till the last moment to involve a municipality that is interested in this”, Kreijns says. Because they will want to be sure that such a tile actually meets their requirements before they start using it. “The Green Village really is a place for co-creation, where potential customers are an integral part of the innovation process.”

It’s not for nothing that The Green Village is currently building a CoCreation Centre. This must become a hotspot where “research, co-creation and inspiration” come together.

Of course, the building itself is also a veritable living lab for innovations: it makes use of circular concrete and a heat exchanger has been built into in the foundation piles so that the

centre can be heated (and cooled) with geothermal energy.

FROM 12 TO MORE THAN 100 START-UPS

Kreijns will continue to head VPdelta, but takes this opportunity to look back with great pleasure on the successes achieved.

“We started with 12 start-ups and now we have more than 100.” VPdelta’s living labs have also been widely successful: the Flood Proof Holland concept has meanwhile been reproduced in Romania, Dutch innovations in smart water management have been implemented in Southeast Asia and the Water Street programme is also a success.

“We’ve already had more visitors at the Water Street (pictured above) than at all our other living labs”, says Kreijns.

“Each week, we receive visits from a number of delegations, because the topic is so urgent.”

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Overview of the D:DREAM Hall

IMAGE BY DREAM HALL

STUDENTS

D:DREAM Hall: A unique concept LAST YEAR, PAULINE OVERES (23) WAS RACING THROUGH SOUTH AFRICA BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE FAMOUS DELFT SOLAR CAR TOWARDS VICTORY. WHAT IS THE SECRET BEHIND THE DELFT STUDENT TEAMS? OVERES EXPLAINS IT.

The Vattenfall Solar Team is one of the best-known student teams at the D:DREAM Hall (Delft: Dream Realisation of Extremely Advanced Machines), a large warehouse next to the Faculty of Civil Engineering. But the achievements of the other teams are just as impressive.

Take Project MARCH, which is developing an exoskeleton that enables people with paraplegia to walk again. Or Forze Delft, which has built a racing car that runs on hydrogen. No less famous is the Delft Hyperloop team, which won Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Pod Competition in 2017.

which they can achieve more. This also ensures a lasting commitment: I still regularly see people walking around here at who were part of a D:DREAM team four or five years ago.”

What do you learn in a D:DREAM team?

“That differs a lot. For example, I have vastly improved my soft skills: giving presentations, conducting discussions with companies, things like that. But, most of all, you learn to work well within a team: for a year I worked every day, from 9 in the morning until late in the evening, in a team of 10 people.

In such situations, you must make sure that you can work well together.

What makes the D:DREAM Hall unique?

“The teams are responsible for everything: finances, technology, required materials and PR. There’s no control from above.

This makes team members highly motivated, as a result of 26

In addition to my regular position (responsible for PR), I was also busy with the team logistics. It was quite a challenge to get the solar car and all its accessories to South Africa.

COLUMN

THE EXPERT

How is the collaboration with other parties on the TU Delft Campus?

Pauline Overes now coaches the student teams.

She has resumed her studies in civil engineering (hydraulic engineering), but is still involved in the activities at the D:DREAM Hall.

She advises the various teams in the area of PR and communications.

“There certainly is an intensive collaboration with the business community. They are the sponsors who supply the expertise, materials and, of course, the funding. But we also work together with start-ups from YES!Delft and the field labs. The MOR team (Modular Office Renovation) has built a prototype at The Green Village and the Vattenfall Team also occasionally conducts tests there. Project MARCH is working together with RoboValley.”

“It is really inspiring for students to get hands-on experience in engineering projects” But the lesson to be drawn from this is that you just have to start somewhere, keep at it and you will get there eventually. This is the mentality in all our teams.”

Running a D:DREAM team is a lot like setting up a company

“Yes, the spirit of working in a small team, building something from scratch and making it a success – that is also a kind of entrepreneurship. I also notice that many start-ups emerge from the D:DREAM Hall. To name just two: Hardt originated from Delft Hyperloop and zepp.solutions from Forze.”

How is TU Delft involved with the D:DREAM teams?

“The university ensures that the teams have the resources they need to be successful. For example, they have made the hall available and the necessary machines. Furthermore, they can of course be assured of a great deal of involvement from the researchers.

Professors are often just as enthusiastic as the teams and are happy to share their knowledge.”

What does the D:DREAM Hall add to the TU Delft Campus?

“It is really inspiring for students to get hands-on experience in engineering projects. Of course, they learn a lot about technology, but it is quite something else to immerse yourself in it for a year. This delivers techies who have already gained some practical experience. We are also proud of what we have achieved. In less than 15 years, we have grown from 2 to 15 teams.”

What will happen with all these innovations?

“Naturally, it’s all about building innovative machines, but we do not have any commercial purpose.

The teams optimise a particular technology, which start-ups can later work on, for example, to turn it into a product. The Project MARCH exoskeleton is a great example of this.

The innovations developed here can eventually help make the technology cheaper – therefore encouraging health insurers to reimburse this, so that patients can benefit from the technology.”benefit from the technology.”

Marja Hollander, Community Manager TU Delft Campus TU Delft Campus: you either work, co-create, study or live here. Yesterday, you shared your new success story on the community platform. This morning, you had an inspiring conversation with a fellow innovator in one of the shared facilities. And tonight you are looking forward to see new start-ups pitch their ideas at the monthly networking meetup, as this is the hottest place when it comes to spinning out technologies into great business ideas.

These are some of the perks of being fully connected in the TU Delft Campus network.

A sense of community is what happens when we start sharing our ideas and find a common purpose. But how to accomplish an environment where we can thrive, when we are situated in separate buildings, sometimes far apart?

According to the interviews I’ve done as a Community Manager, there is a great need for connecting knowledge and resources. The university campus as an online and physical space, with numerous companies, impact tech frontrunners, thought leaders and students with a growth mind-set, could serve as the ideal networked city that enables to meet others, thereby unlocking impact tech opportunities.

The question is not whether but when to start. Let’s start now. I invite you to reach out and become an ecosystem collaborator, after all we can only create a vibrant community if we all join forces.

I’m looking forward to meet you at TU Delft Campus!

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Employment FACTS & FIGURES

COMPANIES & EMPLOYMENT

2018

Total number of established companies

245

Total number of established companies of which startups

Total number of established companies of which spin-offs

Employment of which which startups

Employment of which spin-offs

1000

200

PUBLICPRIVATE INNOVATION CLUSTERS

50

150

2610

QuTech RoboValley Dutch Optics Centre Holland PTC VPdelta

STARTUP ECOSYSTEMS Aerospace Innovation hub RoboValley Yes!Delft

LARGEST COMPANIES ABB Microsoft 3M Applikon Exact

LARGEST INSTITUTES TNO Deltares Haagse Hogeschool InHolland VSL – NMi

MAIN FIELD LABS The Green Village RoboHouse SAM|XL RADD/RAS Flood Proof Holland

LIVING CAMPUS Various catering clusters and supermarket sports and cultural facilities housing for students D: DREAM Hall for student teams Regular events on campus.

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Bachelor programmes

16 PERSONNEL (FTE) Scientific staff

Professional services

3063

2087

Student TU DELFT population EDUCATION 23461

Master programmes

PhD students

32

2799

Professors (fte)

RESEARCH

265

Publications

Promotions

364

6254

Equity

383.1 FACULTIES

FINANCES

Third income stream

151,6

First income stream

Second income stream

504,1

58,4

Aerospace Engineering (AE) Applied Sciences (AS) Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE) Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG)

PATENTS IN PORTFOLIO

203

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE) Technology, Policy and Management (TPM)

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INSIDE STORY

X!Delft: joint innovation at the TU Delft Campus SCIENTISTS WHO ARE WORKING INTENSIVELY TOGETHER WITH THE INDUSTRY ON GROUND-BREAKING INNOVATIONS ON TU DELFT CAMPUS. THAT IS THE CORE OF X!DELFT, THE NEW PROGRAMME IN WHICH DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND LARGE COMPANIES STRENGTHEN THEIR COLLABORATION.

Current corporate partners are Heineken, Nouryon, VolkerWessels, NS, Aegon, Leaseplan, Brunel, Ahold and Rabobank. By making an annual contribution to X!Delft, they kickstart the development of joint innovation programmes. These programmes are drawn up on the basis of both the strategic challenges of the partners and the scientific challenges for the researchers, and are expected to lead to intensive experimentation and innovation within the entire innovation ecosystem around Delft University of Technology: from students and researchers to field labs and startups.

CO-CREATION

The initiative is all about co-creation: the university and industry exploring and applying new technologies together, in a single location, contributing to a better society. X!Delft represents the ongoing shift from contract research to a new, multidisciplinary form of publicprivate collaboration. For companies it is more urgent than ever to be involved at an early stage in the development of new, complex technologies like for instance robotics, artificial intelligence or block chain and to work on societal relevant themes such as the energy transition, reducing the CO2 footprint or finding mobility solutions.

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“If you want to stay ahead as innovative company, you have to think about the long-term challenges” “If you want to stay ahead as innovative company, you have to think about the long-term challenges and start working on them today”, managing director Zwanet van Lubek states.

“It is often about complex problems that companies, industry, government agencies or knowledge institutions cannot solve on their own. Intensive collaboration is needed and that is what we do, here at TU Delft Campus.”

DYNAMIC ECOSYSTEM

As a result, the campus will develop even further into a dynamic ecosystem where partner companies will be more visibly present. For example, Heineken will be working with scientists on various challenges related to the local

versus global sourcing of raw materials, reducing CO2 footprint and use of water, and the development of interesting solutions such as the use of solar energy for the generation of steam. Rabobank wants to know what role it can play in future smart cities. VolkerWessels wants to operate more sustainably and is looking for solutions in its production processes to reduce its CO2 footprint to zero.

SCIENTIFIC QUALITY

The scientific quality is guaranteed in this new way of working together.

Because the companies are partners in X!Delft, good agreements can be made, in the same way as in other partnerships the university is already involved in.

Scientists may publish their research themselves.

X!Delft has been set up together with Roland Berger. “With X!Delft, we are creating a platform where large companies can effectively experiment with new technology, bring new applications to the markets rapidly, in open collaboration, with one of the best universities in the world”, partner Benno van Dongen from Roland Berger says. “That is why Delft University of Technology will increasingly become a key partner in their innovation strategy.”

COLOPHON

PRODUCTION TU DELFT VALORISATION CENTRE MONI OTTE, MALOU SPRUIT, JURJEN SLUMP DESIGN & LAY-OUT BRAND HAPPENING TEXT AND EDITING JURJEN SLUMP TRANSLATION UVA TALEN IMAGE COVER JÚNIOR FERREIRA INFOGRAPHIC KIA, SHOP AROUND!

Rabobank joined X!Delft in May of this year. TU Delft and the bank will together explore ground-breaking innovations in the fields of smart cities, health and agrifood. Second from the left is X!Delft’s managing director Zwanet van Lubek, next to Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen.

On the right side of Van der Hagen, in the back row, stands Bart Leurs, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Rabobank.

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