2
SolarWorks! has over 20,000 solar home systems installed in Mozambique and Malawi, thereby delivering energy to more than 100,000 people in those countries.
Index Let’s Make Impact
4
The Delft Diamond Approach
6
Global Research Areas
8
Global Goals
9
Global Education
10
Global Projects
12
Facts & Figures
14
Science with Global Impact
16
Safe Surgery
18
The Creepy Crawlies that Can Save Lives
20
Re-thinking solar energy
22
Affordable MRI
24
20,000 weather stations in Africa
26
Optical Smart Malaria Diagnostics
28
Floating Homes for the Philippines
30
aQysta: The Self-reliant Irrigation Pump
32
Housing Design in Ethiopia
34
Electricity from Biogas
36
Towards Impact with Entrepreneurship
38
Get Involved
40
Your Call to Action
41
3
4
Let’s Make Impact OUR MISSION
TU Delft | Global Initiative is the platform,
Science for the benefit of people. All people.
portal and booster of science and technology
Worldwide.
for global sustainable development at TU Delft. Through this initiative scientists from TU Delft
OUR GOAL
use their expertise to find concrete solutions
Concrete solutions for worldwide problems.
for worldwide problems. Global challenges that are urgent in developing countries and relevant worldwide.
GET INVOLVED? JOIN US on tudelft.nl/global
Meet one of the Sub Saharan Africa Excellence scholars who has just graduated: Dara Awe from Nigeria. ‘I am quite lucky to be part of the TU Delft | Global Initiative community, where people involved are passionate about using science and technology to find concrete solutions for problems ranging from healthcare, energy, to infrastructure deficits faced by developing countries. This is quite integral to my research interests, especially regarding sustainable and affordable housing.’
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‘With TU Delft you truly learn that nothing is impossible’
The Delft Diamond Approach
➊ ➋ ➌ ➍
➊ 6
➋
Global Challenge
Science
Starting point are global societal
Research for global development
challenges faced by people in
involves creative, out-of-the-box,
developing countries: good health,
high-quality scientific and technological
food security, affordable and clean
innovations with a tangible output such
energy, affordable and sustainable
as tools, services and marketable
housing, clean water, sanitation and
products. Creative minds working in
disaster resilience and response.
multidisciplinary teams to tackle global challenges.
To tackle worldwide problems our approach includes four key elements:
➊ ➋ ➌ ➍
global challenge - start with the challenge science - use our expertise and creative minds co-creation - work together with all relevant stakeholders local impact - aim for tangible solutions
We call this the Delft Diamond Approach
➌ Co-Creation
➍ Local Impact
Close cooperation between
Tangible and sustainable solutions that
TU Delft scientists and local partners
directly improve lives of people living
in Sub Saharan Africa and Southeast
in low resource settings. A healthier
Asia (local universities, companies,
and safer living environment, creation
governments, NGOs, start-ups) to jointly
of economic activity and affordable,
find and create concrete solutions for
simple, sustainable and reliable tools,
global societal challenges.
services and products.
7
Global Research Areas To find solutions for global challenges we focus on the areas in which we have a long-time expertise.
HEALTHCARE
ENERGY
Medical & surgical instruments,
Off-grid energy solutions for
diagnostics
improving energy access
8
WATER
URBANISATION
Clean drinking water, reuse of
Inclusive, healthy and fair living
waste water, water safety and water
environments
resource management
DISASTER RESILIENCE AND RESPONSE From warning systems to the role of data during disaster relief operations
Global Goals In September 2015 the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. Within our research areas TU Delft | Global Initiative contributes to these Global Goals. All our research and decision making is strongly related to these Sustainable Development Goals.
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Global Education From local training to online courses Sustainable global development is impossible without education. TU Delft | Global Initiative educates people from developing countries in Delft (MSc and PhD) and locally through train-the-trainer programmes. At the same time we inspire and support Delft students and researchers to work on global challenges and join our global community. TU Delft also offers Open and Online Education to everyone with access to a computer and internet. These open online courses are also used by teachers in classrooms all around the world, and offer many opportunities for cooperation and partnership.
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‘After gaining all this knowledge, I could install my own solar system using the mathematical tools provided.’ Getting a good education is a challenge for people all around the world. TU Delfts online courses, in particular the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) available to all, have already reached almost one and a half million people around the world, making impact in many lives. For example, Andersson Contreras in Colombia followed TU Delft’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Solar Energy, and now he provides electricity for his whole village. “After gaining all this knowledge, I could install my own solar system using the mathematical tools provided. And the economic results of this system were very satisfactory. I have now been able to produce a continuous supply of electricity for my neighbourhood and make a contribution to greenhouse gas reduction.” For all online courses of TU Delft go to online-learning.tudelft.nl
‘Although studying in TU Delft is challenging, it is really a worthy investment’ Meet one of the Sub Saharan Africa Excellence scholars who has just graduated: Aminat Rasheed from Nigeria. ‘My experience here is not limited to only engineering. I have learnt about different cultures, effective time management, team work and I have improved my leadership skills. Although studying in TU Delft is challenging, it is really a worthy investment considering the quality of knowledge and skills you gain in the process. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the Sub-Saharan Africa Excellence Scholarship, I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by TU Delft | Global Initiative!’
GET INVOLVED? JOIN US on tudelft.nl/global
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TU Delft | Global Projects
Science for the benefit of people. All people. Worldwide. For the TU Delft | Global Initiative Impact Map go to tudelft.nl/global
UGANDA ELECTRICITY FROM BIOGAS
MOZAMBIQUE RE-THINKING SOLAR ENERGY
12
NICARAGUA CREEPY CRAWLIES THAT SAVE LIVES
KENYA SAFE SURGERY
For the TU Delft | Global Initiative Impact Map go to tudelft.nl/global
UGANDA AFFORDABLE MRI
NIGERIA OPTICAL SMART MALARIA DIAGNOSTICS
PHILIPPINES FLOATING HOMES
13
ETHIOPIA HOUSING DESIGN
GHANA WEATHER STATIONS
TU Delft | Global Initiative Global Impact
250+
Delft Global researchers
60
+
14
Delft Global Research Projects
21 Delft Global Student Projects
500 Students
Global Excellence Scholarships
15
active in > 30 countries in Sub Saharan Africa & Southeast Asia
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Startups
€
Research Grants
► 15.000.000 1.000.000 Donations
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Science with global impact
Read all stories on tudelft.nl/global/stories
Jenny Dankelman
HEALTH
Safe surgery
18
We’ve all been there. You have had an
For Dankelman, collaboration is key.
accident, perhaps bruised or broken
Dankelman studies the context in which
a limb. Off you go to the accident and
surgical equipment is used in Sub
emergency department at the hospital.
Saharan Africa together with experts in
In Africa things are not quite that
Biomechanical engineering from Kenyatta
straightforward. Treatment, if available
University in Nairobi, Kenya. “And
at all, is often at a couple of days
Diamedica is a commercial partner in our
travel. Often that is simply too long
project. They have experience in building
and patients are left with impairments
medical equipment for several low- and
varying from minor to life-changing, or
middle-income countries.”
even die.
This TU Delft | Global project is only the start, Dankelman says. As professor of
Worldwide a lack of access to basic surgery
Minimally Invasive Surgery and Intervention
kills more people than malaria, HIV/aids
Techniques she knows all there is to
and tuberculosis put together. That is why
know about keyhole surgery. Using
Jenny Dankelman’s TU Delft | Global project
smart instruments, needles and flexible
is all about developing safe and affordable
catheters, incision size can be brought back
surgical instruments.
considerably, keeping the risk of infection to a minimum. Partners: • Diamedica (UK) • Kenyatta University (Kenya)
‘For maximum impact you want to keep things affordable and simple’
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
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Kenya Science with global impact
Doris van Halem WATER
The creepy crawlies that can save lives
20
Doris van Halem’s aim is to make
Van Halem first recognised the importance
drinking water safe and accessible to
of the role of micro-organisms in water by
all. Not by adding expensive chemicals
accident. It was during a research project
but by using the tiny creatures that
which took her to Ghana, Cambodia and
are already present in it. By using
Nicaragua where she was testing a ceramic
the water’s own naturally occurring
pot filter with tiny holes which filtered out
micro-organisms she is tackling two
harmful bacteria and protozoa.
main health risks associated with
Years later Van Halem and her team
contaminated drinking water: arsenic
achieved another important breakthrough.
poisoning and infectious diseases
They found that it was possible to remove
caused by viruses.
arsenic from groundwater by means of the iron that naturally occurs alongside of it.
Micro-organisms did not figure high on Van Halem’s list when she started looking at
Co-creaton:
alternative water treatment methods. ‘The
• Ceramic filters are produced at local
life forms that naturally occur in water are
factories (Nicaragua)
usually regarded as yukky creepy crawlies. If they end up in a drinking water filter – a process called biofouling – we usually throw a lot of chemicals at them so they die.’
‘Drinking water is seen as water that has very few nutrients for micro-organisms to feed on. And yet this nutrient-poor water has active micro-organisms. The question is how to use this activity for the aim we have in mind.’
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
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Nicaragua Science with global impact
Nishant Narayan ENERGY
Re-thinking solar energy Almost 30% of the 7.5 billion world
Nishant approaches it differently.
population has no or unreliable access
“The beautiful part is that most of the places
to electricity. Because of these peoples’
with electricity issues happen to lie in the
remote locations and geographical or
equatorial and tropical belts. So, solar-
financial limits the electricity grid simply
based solutions are a no-brainer.”
has not reached them, yet. That is why TU
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Delft | Global Initiative Research Fellow
To gain more insights he works closely
Nishant Narayan researches off-grid
together with industrial designer Jan-Carel
solutions with solar energy.
Diehl, an expert on human-centered design with a special focus on emerging markets.
Why not just extend the national electricity
Another important partner is SolarWorks!,
grid? Sometimes people live too far away
a TU Delft start-up company which sells
from the grid, or they only use a very little
solar home systems in Mozambique. “My
amount of energy. Nishant sees the solution
research should be seen as a roadmap
in a modular and interconnected design
of sorts towards achieving universal
for these solar home systems. This idea
electrification. How far can they take the
of a solar-based microgrid is not new, but
technology as it is now? How to be best prepared for the future?” Partners: • SolarWorks! • KamWorks
‘If you want to climb up the energy ladder, you need modularity in your design.’
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
Science with global impact
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India Mozambique
South Africa
Cambodia
Martin van Gijzen HEALTH
Affordable MRI
24
Modern MRI scanners for disease
cost up to three million euros and it takes
detection are commonly used in the
highly specialised knowledge to operate
West but in low- and middle-income
them. Our aim is to develop a simple
countries hospitals are simply unable to
scanner which will cost no more than fifty
afford them. Mathematician Martin van
thousand euros.’ The reason it can be
Gijzen is helping to develop a simple
made so much more cheaply, is down to
MRI scanner that can play a vital role in
the use of a weak magnet. ‘This means
the early diagnosis of hydrocephalus,
the mathematical side of things is much
a condition that affects over a hundred
more complicated and that is what we are
thousand children in Sub Saharan Africa:
working on.’
early diagnosis can prevent severe brain damage.
Partners: • Leiden University Medical Center
Van Gijzen: ‘A normal MRI scanner has a
• Pennsylvania State University (USA)
superconducting magnet and liquid helium
• Mbarara University of Science and
for cooling. It produces a complete, high-
Technology (Uganda)
resolution picture. But scanners like this can
‘Most diseases are not that difficult to detect but you do need the right equipment.’
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
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Uganda Science with global impact
Nick van de Giesen WATER
20,000 weather stations in Africa
26
In the next few decades, the worldwide
That is how the ‘The Trans-African Hydro-
demand for food is set to double. Africa
Meteorological Observatory’ (TAHMO) was
and South-America will be the main
born. Goal: a network of 20,000 weather
producers of the extra food. But how can
stations across the whole sub-Sahara
large-scale agriculture be achieved if
Africa.”
there are no reliable data on the avail
Although there is still a long way to go, with
ability of water, when the rain is going to
500+ stations in 21 countries, TAHMO is
fall, and where? Professor Nick van de
currently already by far the largest producer
Giesen is looking for answers and data.
of scientific weather data in Africa.
“To improve rain forecasts, satellite data and
Partners:
weather models have to be combined with
• Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological
observations on the ground. That’s when it
Observatory
came to us: if we put up low-cost technology
• Oregon State University (USA)
weather stations and accumulate ground
• Decagon Devices Inc. (USA)
data we would have huge impact.
• IBM • Global Resilience Partnership
‘As our climate continues to change, our mission will become even more critical.’
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
Science with global impact
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Senegal Ghana
Chad Kenya
Congo Nigeria Uganda South Africa
Temitope Agbana HEALTH
Optical Smart Malaria Diagnostics
28
To create an optical instrument which
team to tackle one of the most urgent
allows anyone, not just experts, to
problems in Sub Saharan Africa: malaria.
diagnose malaria at a very early stage
Agbana is from Nigeria and has first-hand
of the disease using a simple pin-prick
knowledge of the problem and the local
blood sample, that is the challenge
context. “Every year many people die from
facing the team headed by professors
the disease, especially children. In Nigeria
Michel Verhaegen and Gleb Vdovine
one of the problem areas is diagnosis. The
at the Delft Centre for Systems and
standard method is to take a blood sample,
Control. “An instrument that can be used
put it under a microscope and study it. It’s
on the ground in the African countryside
time consuming, and the accuracy of the
would be a first. It’s a big challenge from
results depends on the expertise of the
a scientific point of view: is it possible to
microscopist conducting the test.
make an early diagnosis of malaria using
In the meantime, a national and
only optical techniques? Can it be done
international network of experts has been
at all? We now know it is possible!”
established and the start-up AiDx Medical has emerged from this project which
Malaria
develops the low-cost, automated, smart
It was TU Delft | Global Initiative Research
malaria screening device.
Fellow Temitope Agbana who suggested the Partners: • AiDx Medical • LUMC • University of Ibadan (Nigeria) • University of Lagos (Nigeria)
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
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Nigeria Science with global impact
Pieter Ham URBANISATION
Floating homes for the Philippines City dwellers in the Philippines are
to provide Ham and Van der Schaik with
dealing with the consequences of
the necessary feedback. ‘The plan is to
frequent flooding on a daily basis.
process all the feedback and build 50 more
This is why TU Delft | Global Initiative
homes and even floating classrooms. The
Research Fellow Pieter Ham has
most important thing is to build homes that
been working on the construction of
families will want to live in and that they will
sustainable, modular floating homes in
be proud to call their own.’
the Philippines. Now the pilot home is 30
ready and the first family to test it out
Partners:
has moved in.
• Municipality of Haganoy • Municipality of Malols
Ham thinks it’s important not to do all the
• Municipality of Macabeb
preparation for the work in the Netherlands.
• Asian Institute of Management
You only know if things work when you are
• Finch Buildings
actually in the process of building the house. You will be faced with challenges that you can’t predict in your lab at home. The pilot house is currently home to a municipal lorry driver and his wife and two kids. They are the first of four families
For the complete story, visit
who will be putting the house through its
tudelft.nl/global/stories
paces for a period of three months in order
‘People showed us their homes. I was shocked to find myself knee-deep in water.’
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Philippines Science with global impact
Juan Carlo Intriago WATER
aQysta: The self-reliant irrigation pump
32
PhD-researcher Juan Carlo Intriago
Based on the current application of the
works closely together with start-up
Barsha pump, aQysta’s flagship hydro-
aQysta, spin-off from the TU Delft, and
powered solution, Intriago assesses the
colleagues Maurits Ertsen and Jan Carel
effects of the ITP-technology in smallholder
Diehl to study possible applications of an
irrigation schemes by means of the
Integrated Turbine Pump (ITP). The device
implementation of a product-service-
operates simultaneously as a pump and
system: ‘The technology might turn out to
a turbine—the latter driving the former—
be expensive, but farmers do need water to
so neither fossil fuels nor electricity are
irrigate their lands. What if they do not pay
needed to support a small-scale irrigation
for the device, but only for what they need:
system: it is capable of generating its own
the service of getting irrigation water from
power.
one height to another?’ For aQysta, information about the dayto-day use of a new pump is important, because it will increase the company’s knowledge of the target group and what the market for this kind of pumps is like. Partners: • aQysta • Comillas University (Spain) • Small farmers from Nepal and Indonesia
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
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Spain
Nepal
Indonesia
Science with global impact
Dick van Gameren URBANISATION
Housing design in Ethiopia
34
Professor Dick van Gameren first got
capital, Addis Ababa. But for many city-
to know Ethiopia years ago, when he
dwellers the new residential blocks are not a
designed the Dutch embassy in Addis
solution to their problems as it is based on a
Ababa. Fascinated by the country
western model of building which ignores the
and its people, he kept returning.
strong social and economic relationships in
One of the things that strikes him
the slums.
about Ethiopia today is that despite a
The plots also generate an income, from
recent building boom, 80 percent of
washing clothes to brewing beer or selling
citizens in the capital city still live in
Injera, a traditional pancake-like bread. In
slums. “How can we design affordable
the new housing estates this entire socio-
homes for Ethiopia’s typical housing
economic structure is lost. Moreover, when
culture?”, he wonders. He asked TU
people are relocated to the new estates on
Delft | Global Initiative Research Fellow
the outskirts of town, they are cut off from
Anteneh Tesfaye Tola to join him in this
their earlier means of existence.
investigation. The challenge is to find a design method Population growth and the accompanying
which maintains the financial and social
rapid urbanisation in Ethiopia have led to
structures, while improving the current living
almost continuous construction in the
conditions. Partners: • EiABC (Addis Ababa University) • Ministry of Construction and Urban Development (City of Addis Ababa)
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
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Ethiopia Science with global impact
Ralph Lindeboom ENERGY
Electricity from biogas For people living in the rural areas
The lack of oxygen kicks off a process
of developing countries access to
in which anaerobic micro-organisms
electricity is often non-existent or
convert the waste material into biogas.
limited at best. Ralph Lindeboom is
The integration of the digester with high
working on a biogas fuel cell system
temperature fuel cells results in a much
which generates electricity from organic
more efficient way of generating electricity
waste (water).
using biogas and on a much smaller or local scale than we’re seeing at the moment.’
36
Lindeboom and his team are studying the application of a biogas fuel cell system
Electricity generated by a biogas fuel cell
for generating electricity in rural settings.
system is currently five to ten times as
Biogas, a byproduct of the decomposition
expensive as solar energy, Lindeboom
of organic matter such as kitchen waste,
estimates. ‘But we think we’ll be able to
animal manure or domestic waste water,
bring the price down significantly in a short
has been used for things like cooking since
period of time.
time immemorial.
Also, our fuel cell will work when there’s no
‘Waste is buried in a hole in the ground, or
sun and it can store energy, so we will need
digester, which is closed off so no oxygen
fewer lithium for batteries.’
can get in. Partners: • Center for Frugal Innovations in Africa
For the complete story, visit tudelft.nl/global/stories
Science with global impact
37
Uganda Rwanda
Kenya Tanzania
Towards Impact with Entrepreneurship The research projects we work on with our partners provide us with new insights, designs, and prototypes for solutions to real-world needs. We should ensure that all the people and organisations that are in need of these solutions, can get access to them. Often, companies play an important role in this, turning technology into 38
a sellable product and distributing it all over the world, creating new jobs along the way. We have witnessed this happening with existing companies that are often already part of our projects, or with new companies that have been created. More than 15 of these companies were started by TU Delft alumni, making use of solutions created for our target countries. They have generated hundreds of jobs, of which more than 75% in the countries where their customers live. In the upcoming years we aim to support even more teams in creating viable companies. Therefore we cooperate with the Delft Centre for Entrepreneurship providing education, both online and in BSc and MSc programmes, the incubator programmes at the YES!Delft incubator, and with the business support from Delft Enterprises. With this growing network of partners, we will work on building an even stronger ecosystem for entrepreneurship in emerging markets.
‘We will work on building an even stronger ecosystem for entrepreneurship in emerging markets.’
39
Get Involved
40
‘More people involved means a bigger impact.’
Your Call to Action Up to this point we described how
We are always looking for new (startup)
we, as University of Technology, aim
or experienced companies that can
to contribute to addressing Global
use the new technologies to develop
Challenges in Low and Middle Income
internationally competitive products and
Countries. None of these results
services. Working with talented and
or efforts can be realized without
motivated students in growing markets in
support of our partners. We therefore
Asia and Africa is an extra bonus.
invite you to contribute in various ways as well.
As a Dutch University of Technology we need fellow researchers in our target countries and in complementing
Are you a TU Delft student?
disciplines, such as societal, governance,
Then choose these Global Challenges
economics and many others to
as your (graduation) topic. Investigate
understand the context better and
parts of the challenges or design a new
develop true scalable solutions.
solution. We foster and grow new relations Are you a TU Delft researcher?
continuously with end-users in our
Pivot part of your work to addressing TU
programs within our selected hubs,
Delft | Global Initiative topics.
such as local governments, medical
Enrich your portfolio with these impact
professionals, NGOs, water managers,
driven projects and find motivated,
city builders, maker spaces and many
creative students.
others.
Are you, as a funding organisation looking for effective impact programs? We have experience in making change happen with education, job creation and cocreation of solutions.
CONTACT US on tudelft.nl/global
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Colophon Editor Maaike van Zuilen Contributing writers Annelies de Bakker Claire Hallewas Roel Kamerling Sophie Oostelbos Translation Hanneke Sanou Photography Frank AuperlĂŠ Design Walvis & Mosmans Many thanks to all researchers, students and entrepreneurs for their valuable contribution.
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Contact TU Delft | Global Initiative Stevinweg 1 2628 CN Delft The Netherlands delftglobal@tudelft.nl tudelft.nl/global twitter.com/tudelftglobal facebook.com/tudelftglobal linkedin.com/showcase/tu-delft-global-initiative
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Concrete solutions for worldwide problems