Demoday #20 – Energy, Circular, Mobility and Digital

On Tuesday, May 16, Amsterdam Smart City is hosting a Demoday around four transition themes: energy, circular, mobility and digital. We have many great initiatives and issues coming up again that we will deepen and enrich with our network. The Demoday will take place at A Lab. Home to a community of socially engaged organisations, including our partner Cenex.

Demodays are part of our innovation process and designed to encourage the progress of various innovation projects, put help questions on the table, share dilemmas and engage others in projects or challenges. This is done in the form of so-called pitches, with a short help question to the whole group, and in work sessions in which we address some questions with a small group in a little more depth. More information on exactly what the demodays are and why you might want to participate can be found here.

Pitches

• Working together for a greener and healthier Netherlands – Pientere Tuinen
  Pienter Gardens aims to create a greener, healthier living environment by increasing awareness and motivation among garden owners. Pientere Tuinen is a 3-year project in which 7 parties are working together. Pientere Gardens’ unique approach revolves around three interrelated components: 1) Data is collected with a smart sensor, 2) quantitative and qualitative research will be conducted on strategies for healthy, green environments and lasting behavior change, and 3) tailored advice is given to residents on the design and management of their gardens and to come (obvv the data and surveys). Pientere Gardens combines technology/data, participation and social innovation.
• PublicSpaces Conference – PublicSpaces
  How do we build an Internet that works for everyone? An online space that prioritises our health, freedom, and livelihoods and is free from the control of Big Tech? On June 27 and 28, PublicSpaces and Waag Futurelab are hosting the PublicSpaces conference on the theme: a collective Internet. In this pitch, they talk more about the inspiring program full of panels, keynotes, art, mind-blowing culture and more!
• Innovation Pavilion Marineterrein – Municipality of Amsterdam
  The future Innovation Pavilion at the Marineterrein will host several pilots for sustainable innovations. For example, pioneering SMEs are being supported, and the municipality is investigating what change in practices and cultures is needed to implement these innovations on a larger scale. Marlies Veld will take you through the plans for the pavilion in her pitch.
• Will all gas stations soon become charging stations? – About Tomorrow
  Over Morgen is currently developing a “Gas Station Transition Plan. In a short but thought-provoking pitch, they talk more about this project and the question; will all gas stations soon become charging stations? After all, are traditional stations still relevant when in the future we can charge at every street corner? How can the site accelerate the transition to sustainable transportation? And what exactly does the charging station of the future look like?

Workshops

• Digital | ChatGPT and government: opportunities and impact on our work – Jeroen Silvis and Martijn Veerman, Province of North Holland
  Will ChatGPT’s technology revolutionize the way we work and live together? How should governments, such as the province of North Holland, deal with this? What is the impact as the technology behind ChatGPT evolves and is used more and more prominently, outside and inside your own organisation? Is it an efficient way to communicate with citizens, write policy papers, or answer state questions? Or should we not burn our fingers on it at all? During this Demoday, we will delve deeper into the capabilities and potential impact of ChatGPT on government work. We discuss not only the technology itself, but especially the ethical aspects involved. How can officials be included in the responsible use of this technology?
• Energy | (English session) Local smart energy systems and P2P trading governed by citizen’s energy communities; moving from research and innovation projects to replication and upscaling – Danijela Šijačić and Mark van Wees, HvA
  To mitigate climate changes and reduce CO2 emissions and in accordance with different European initiatives like renewable energy directive (RED), Clean Energy Package, and climate-neutral and smart cities mission, transition of energy system to a more sustainable and decentralized one is needed. In Amsterdam, the Buiksloterham demonstration project from ATELIER is paving the way for this transition. It is an innovation R&D project where local smart energy system and P2P trading governed by citizen’s energy coop is implemented. The ambition from ATELIER/HvA is to research how to upscale and replicate that Positive Energy District (PED). HvA invites the Amsterdam Smart City network to help prepare this upscaling (in Amsterdam) by discussing the technical, economic and social perspectives
• Mobility | (English session) Urban Air Mobility: order in the airspace & opportunities for an inclusive mobility system – Kerry Rohrmeier (San Jose University) in collaboration with Amsterdam Smart City partners
  For this worksession, our international guest Kerry Rohrmeier will discuss the future of Urban Air Mobility with the Amsterdam Smart City network. Together with some of our partners Kerry will discuss this futuristic concept and its considerations. The group will dive into matters like maintaining order in the airspace among times of areal innovations, and how urban air mobility could contribute to a more inclusive mobility system.
• Circular | Plastic: We’re loving it! From plastic addiction to trend reversal – Marten Boels, MRA
  The global amount of plastic has doubled since 2000. We are loving it! At the same time, it is really a problem of our generation. For that, we cannot blame anyone but ourselves. And more and more evidence points to the dangers of microplastics: in the environment, in animals and also in ourselves. In short, it is high time for a trend change in plastic use. The purpose of the session is to exchange knowledge and spar about solution directions. Partners in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (MRA) are eager to discuss solution directions.

Does the programme sound interesting to you? You are welcome to join, email info@amsterdamsmartcity.com. The Demoday is from 2:00-5:30 PM with drinks afterwards.