Rotterdam Innovation Market
Not all innovative ideas come out of Silicon Valley and Tokyo. Dozens of innovative products and services are also developed every year in Rotterdam and the surrounding region. The Rotterdam Innovation Market presents seven very different innovations recently developed in the Rotterdam region. The innovations come from those sectors in which Rotterdam excels, such as Port and Logistics, Cleantech, and Architecture & Industrial Design.
Designers and inventors are intensively occupied with what the world of tomorrow could look like and what is needed for that. A future that places less of a burden on our environment and does not harm it. A future in which we are often more personally involved with all sorts of processes that are now the responsibility of big companies. The Rotterdam Innovation Market presents products that could potentially conquer the world, providing services that could make our lives better and easier.
Innovations
A collapsible shipping container that is just as strong as an ordinary one. A windmill that doubles as a house. A process that transforms saltwater into potable water with the help of sustainable energy, or a biologically degradable spray that removes oil from water: these are just a few of the innovations from the Rotterdam region that might soon conquer the world. Sourced in sectors that the Rotterdam region focuses on in particular, these products and services offer the most comprehensive possible overview of innovation in the region. The Rotterdam Innovation Market will also appear on this page in digital form, with background information, images and video material.
The Rotterdam Innovation Market presents seven very different innovations that have recently been developed in the Rotterdam region. The innovations come from sectors in which Rotterdam excels, such as Port and Logistics, Cleantech and Architecture & Industrial Design. Moreover, the innovations are at various stages of development. A few are already available as products, some are now undergoing extensive testing, and others still require funding to facilitate their development. Showcasing the richness of Rotterdam's 'innovation ecology', they share the potential to become 'game-changers'. If all goes well, if tests are successful and enough users and investors can be found, these innovations might well herald radical changes. But the most interesting aspect of innovations is that the outcome is never known in advance and there is no guarantee of success.
Stadsgas
More than 80,000 kilograms of food are thrown away every day in Rotterdam. This organic waste (vegetables, fruit and garden waste) is now transported to an incinerator outside the city, and that costs the municipality more than two million euros every year, even though this waste could generate revenue if it were used to generate energy -- energy that we now pay heavily for. Stadsgas therefore wants to process organic waste locally to turn it into energy and into raw materials for the local horticulture industry. In this way, a waste stream becomes a source of green energy.
Better Future Factory
Better Future Factory is a multidisciplinary design office that focuses on making sustainable and environmentally friendly designs. Better Future Factory develops creative, realistic and sustainable solutions for urgent issues. The starting point is always the principle of the circular economy, in which chains are closed by recycling materials, increasing value and developing activities that contribute to a better future.
Dutch Windwheel Corporation
The Dutch Windwheel adds a unique landmark to Rotterdam's skyline. The design consists of a pair of rings that have been shifted slightly with respect to each other and feature a light, open structure. With its foundations hidden in the water, it appears as if the Dutch Windwheel is floating on the water's surface. The two rings not only look spectacular but also ensure differentiated views. Some forty cabins revolve around the outer ring (a so-called giant coaster), while the inner ring accommodates a hotel, offices and apartments.
Elemental Water Makers
In response to the increasing scarcity of potable water and limit availability of fossil energy, Elemental Water Makers supply systems that make potable water affordable by means of desalination. The desalination system from Elemental Water Makers uses fluctuating solar and wind energy only and works continuously without using batteries.
Holland Container Innovations
The revolutionary 4FOLD container is the world's first and only fully ISO-certified 40-foot HC collapsible container. When unfolded, the 4FOLD meets exactly the same standards as a conventional 40-foot HC container. Four collapsed 4FOLD containers have exactly the same volume as one standard container.
Neste
Neste brengt met de fabricage van biopropaan binnenkort een nieuwe duurzame brandstof op de markt. Door de voordelen van gas boven vloeibare brandstoffen is de vraag naar propaan voor LPG-applicaties groot. Biopropaan is een duurzaam product dat de uitstoot van broeikasgassen bij LPG gebruik zal verminderen. Het nieuwe en milieuvriendelijke product zal binnen een paar jaar worden gelanceerd. Op dit moment fabriceert niemand een soortgelijke brandstof en wordt 's werelds eerste productiesite voor biopropaan gebouwd op de Maasvlakte in de Rotterdamse haven.
OCRS
OCRS ontwikkelde een gepatenteerd olie-opruimingssysteem dat gebruik maakt van een niet-toxisch absorberend middel. Bij olievervuilingen wordt het absorberend middel op het wateroppervlak gesproeid, waar het zich 100 maal uitzet en onmiddellijk een spons vormt die de olie in zich opneemt, waarna de spons uit het water gehesen kan worden. Olie en spons worden daarna van elkaar gescheiden en opnieuw verwerkt tot grondstoffen. Beide producten kunnen vervolgens worden hergebruikt als brandstof voor de industrie.