Today, we went to the innovation expo in Amsterdam Noord. Innovation expo is an event where companies, governmental institutions and knowledge institutes meet and present their work.The innovation expo started as the Club van Maarssen in 2005. Eleven years later it is a biennial event and the network consists of 4000 engaged citizens, policy makers, entrepreneurs and academics.
It was held on the former research and development terrain of Shell, Overhoeks, which is now an under construction neighbourhood. The Overhoeks terrain will be one of Amsterdam’s most sustainable and innovative neighbourhoods.
The innovation expo was was divided in several areas, a food, livability and health area, a water area (for the Dutch water topsector), a mobility and infrastructure area, energy and resources area, big data and sensors area and a built environment area. Our partner in this project, Amsterdam Rainproof, had a stand at the built environment area. At their stand there were start ups, governmental institutions and companies who all had innovative ideas about how to use the space in the city for urban agriculture, making the city greener, the circular economy and how to use rainwater or contaminated water.
The stand of Amsterdam Rainproof at the Innovation Expo (© Amsterdam Rainproof).
Mushrooms that grow on coffee waste, feeding a spirulina algae (in the back) with carbon dioxide. The spirulina algae use the carbon dioxide for growing and produce oxygen for the mushrooms.
Tiles with a hole in the middle for weeds. The weeds on the streets make the city greener, cleaner and more rainproof.
We walked around at the event and talked with some companies that might help us with our beer or the new lake concept. This information could be used for our research on stakeholders. We talked with hemel(s)water about a membrane that filters rainwater and makes it drinkable. Want to know how it is going with our rain beer? Keep posted, we will give some updates next week!
Inside the stand of Hemel(s)water.
Then we went to the water area, where there were many interesting projects about flood protection measures, water quality, floating solar panels and a really cool project, Plastic Whale. We were taken on a plastic waste fishing trip with Plastic Whale in their boat, that was made from the plastic waste they catch in the canals of Amsterdam.
Floating solar panels in the IJ.
Team Rainproof on the plastic waste boat, fishing for plastic waste in the IJ.