research project rotterdam

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International Research Project 2024

Experienced in research.

Every year, the IRP offers tailor-made research to companies and organisations that are interested in getting valuable insights for their business in an international market. The IRP has 24 years of experience in performing research projects all over the world. We employ a cost-efficient method to deliver thorough research results.

Highly Skilled Students

To guarantee high quality, highly ambitious, dutch speaking and motivated students will be strictly selected. In cooperation with Bain & Company we accomplish to form a diverse team of 20 top students. Study performance, the ability to work in a team, organisational skills and motivation are the selection criteria.

Whether you want to expand internationally or you want to enter a new market locally, we help you to bring your business to the next level. We are determined to provide a valuable report, which gives you results ready to implement.

The participants of the IRP are willing to work hard with an eye for detail and they are not afraid to step out of their comfort zones. The adaptability and flexibility of the students leads to excellent results year after year. They are able to work effectively and professionally with third parties, making them a great value for your company.

As a participant in the International Research Project 2017 I highly recommend the 20 excellent students who are part of the research team to involve them in a relevant organizational question that your company is facing. Not only will this team of motivated researchers analyze and solve the problem that you have, but will do that from an objective and scientific point of view. This research project combines in an optimal way the independent analysis of company issues and translates this directly into a practical advice. Both desk and field research lead to a contribution of realizing your organizational goals.

First the team came to our office in the Netherlands for a few days to properly define the research-question and gathering the first data. Thereafter, they spent two weeks in Brazil – one week at our sales office and one week traveling around Brazil to visit several customers. During the whole project their attitude was very professional and gentle, like real consultants! Their final report and presentation was impressive and of very good quality. Their statements were based on the interviews, data, or other observations they did. That resulted in good discussions and further investigation of certain statements. Furthermore they used some methods of analysis which we can apply to other sales offices as well. We would recommend this project team, it was nice to work with smart and curious students and they delivered a good result!

Since the first contact with IRP people we felt that we would have the right resources to help us building a detailed analysis on the sectors we were willing to explore as a new opportunity for Rabobank in Brazil. The students were highly motivated, working with dedication in exploring different sources of information with analytical mindset to select those type of information that were critical to develop a business plan. The result could not have been better, and thanks for their meaningful research analysis we were able to pursue a more structured approach towards some selected new industry sectors.

Are you interested?

Explore how we can help your organisation grow. Get in contact with us and request a free research proposal!

[email protected]

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Research project ‘My Rotterdam’: Rotterdammers are critical, but feel connected to the city

The people of Rotterdam view their city like they view their family: ‘You’re critical of them and don’t always agree, but you still feel that bond.’

According to the research project ‘My Rotterdam’, three themes are most important to Rotterdam residents: connection with the city, equal opportunities and concerns about the city. Researcher and project coordinator Petra de Jong presents the findings in the Erasmus Pavilion together with other Rotterdammers.

The audience in the Erasmus Pavilion on Thursday afternoon is a mix of all sorts of different Rotterdammers: local officials, employees of Rotterdam-based organisations, students and interested residents. They have come to see and hear the results of the research project ‘My Rotterdam’. Project coordinator Petra de Jong is presenting the findings in collaboration with Rotterdam-based artists. Her presentation includes a film, illustrations and a spoken word performance. The film is based on the research results and evokes responses from the Rotterdam viewers like ‘homecoming’ and ‘diversity’, but also ‘unease’ and ‘concern’.

Connection, equal opportunities and concerns about the city

“The first thing I noticed in the research results was that every Rotterdammer has a unique view of the city, but there are still some recurring patterns”, De Jong says. The most important recurring elements were then translated into three themes: the way in which people feel connected to the city, the opportunities they see for themselves and others to develop in the city, and the concerns people have about the city.

“Some residents feel a connection to the neighbourhood where they live, while others feel connected to the city as a whole”, De Jong explains. “With regard to equal opportunities in the city, we received a variety of answers. People thought they had good opportunities themselves and that everyone can build a life in Rotterdam, but there were also people who thought that not everyone has equal opportunities and that certain groups of Rotterdammers have a harder time finding their place in the city, such as young people and people with different backgrounds.”

“The concerns that people have in the city are quite varied. The concern about the housing shortage is something that was mentioned a lot, along with concerns about people’s own position and personal safety. Another group focuses more on the political decisions and has certain questions about that.”

These much-discussed themes are highlighted in a film by Neele Schlette. In the film, we see locations in Rotterdam with a voiceover of Rotterdammers sharing their opinions about their city. The audience sees an ever-evolving Rotterdam and high-rise apartment buildings to depict concerns about the housing shortage. Afterwards, attendees share how they feel about the film in one word. They use words like ‘homecoming’, ‘diversity’ and ‘familiarity’, but also ‘unease’ and ‘concern’.

“The most interesting thing in the study is that while people have a critical view of Rotterdam, they still feel a true connection to the city. They really feel part of the city or neighbourhood where they live. It’s a bit like looking at your own family: you’re critical of them and you don’t always agree with them, but you still feel that family bond”, De Jong says.

The researcher thinks this is a hopeful sign for a city like Rotterdam. “In a city as diverse as Rotterdam, that connection means we already have everything we need to effectively prepare the city for all the challenges that might come our way.”

Different perspectives

During the programme, the Rotterdammers discuss each other’s different perspectives in small sub-groups. These different perspectives are addressed during the panel discussion with guests including Rector Magnificus Annelien Bredenoord and municipal secretary Vincent Roozen. On the large screen are messages showing how the Rotterdam residents in attendance at the event view the city. One person wrote ‘a city of contradictions’, while another said ‘a harbour where people from different backgrounds can moor their ships.’

During the panel discussion, Rotterdammers in the audience have the chance to share more of their perspectives and ask the panel questions. Rotterdam resident Varsha Doelam is critical of the municipality’s policy decisions. She illustrates the concerns people have about the city, as De Jong previously mentioned as one of the three main themes in the study. “Rotterdam is an amazing city, but there is tremendous inequality of opportunity and a lot of poverty. Our city has the most child poverty and the least socio-economic security. I think it’s unacceptable that millions of euros will be spent on King’s Day this year, when that money could make a huge difference in addressing poverty”, Doelam says.

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ISS Research projects

Pluralistic research

ISS research projects are set up in line with the pluralistic methods anchored in the ISS research programme. Our projects are interdisciplinary, involving researchers from across the social sciences.

Highlighted projects

Challenges faced by lgbtq+ youth and refugees.

Enabling a better understanding of the life experiences of LGBTQ youth and refugees in The Hague

Societal changes and the decision to migrate - PACES

Making migration and migration policy decisions amidst societal transformations

Commodity & land rushes and regimes

Reshaping the politics of food, climate, labour and citizenship

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Our multidisciplinary, pluralistic research projects fall within one or more of our four research themes. Some projects only touch on one theme, others on all four.

Take a look at our projects in more detail on our theme pages.

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List of all our ongoing and most recent projects

Social protection and inequality.

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Research projects

• LGBTQ+ youth and refugees
• Strengthening training and education partnerships on sexual and gender-based violence (STEPS)
• Technological change in the agro-food sector in the Netherlands
• Changing our story: The pursuit of inclusive education (E+CHOS)
• Understanding transactional sex in situations of humanitarian crises  (ListenH)
• Migrant labour in Dutch agriculture: Regulated precarity
• Tanzania capacity building programme
• Political Economy of Crisis, Complexity and Causality
• Legal Mobilization: Analyzing law-based advocacy
• Creating Postgraduate Collaborations
• Eradicating Poverty: Pathways towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
• Humanitarian governance: accountability, advocacy, alternatives
• Sexual and reproductive health and rights for youth inclusion in Benin
• Transformative Methodologies
• More about Social Protection and Inequality

Conflict and Peace

Related research projects.

• Strengthening Law, Democratization and Media in Ethiopia (LA-DEM-MED)
• When disaster meets conflict
• Transformative Methodologies  
• More about Conflict and Peace

Migration and Diversity

The transformations of national societies and global society

• Revisiting the Migration-Development Nexus from a Cross-Border Perspective
• Making migration and migration policy decisions amidst societal transformations (PACES)
• Deporting foreigners: Contested norms in international practice (NORMS)
• Migrant Labour in Dutch Agriculture: Regulated Precarity
• Strengthening Education and Training Capacity in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Uganda (SET-SRHR)
• 'Count us in': Towards realizing health rights among undocumented people
• Deporting foreigners: Constested norms in international practice
• More about Migration and Diversity

Environment and Climate Change

• All eyes on the Amazon
• Green industrial policy in the age of rare metals (GRIP-ARM)
• Commodity & land rushes and regimes  (RRUSHES-5)
• Well-being, ecology, gender and community (WEGO)
• The rise of digital farming
• Transitioning to the circular economy (ReTraCe)
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ISS research - 'Very good' and 'Excellent' in its Relevance to Society and Viability

Research InSightS

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IHS undertakes specialised international research in partnership with client organisations. This work is focused on advancing urban theories, which is essential for critical thinking development. This research has been instigated and developed for partners including Cities Alliance, the World Bank and UN-Habitat.

In addition to providing the necessary knowledge for advisory work and training activities, academic research also helps identify gaps in capacity within the urban context. IHS publishes this content within working paper series and books on various issues relating to urban studies. The effort also contributes to bridging the gap between research and practice among urban professionals.

IHS also conducts commissioned research. Its clients for research include not only local and national governments but also multilateral/bilateral aid agencies and development banks. Contract research conducted by IHS provides case studies, identification of best practices, baseline studies, and evaluation/assessments of projects, programmes, and policies in urban management and development.

Besides project-based and internal academic research, IHS also provides research opportunities through its PhD programme in Urban Development and Governance. Part of the  Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities (EGSH) , the PhD programme offers participants a chance to learn from urban policy advisers and real-life cases, connect with like-minded people from all over the world and expand their professional network.

Impact Study of Covid-19 on Rotterdam and its citizens

Research project by the City of Rotterdam and Vital Cities and Citizens Erasmus Initiative

Bridging the knowledge gap: IHS Projects

Have a look at our commissioned and non-commissioned research on the project website.

PhD programme in Urban Development and Governance

This 4-year programme is part of the Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities

Photo credit: Thomas La Mela 

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Welcome to DRIFT

How can we help you accelerate transitions to just and sustainable societies.

We are the the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions. Our 30+ experts are dedicated to working on know-how and how-to for fundamental change

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latest — in transitions

Roadmap for working on transitions

Working on a transition like that to a circular economy is complex. If you start working on this as a province or municipality, how do you approach it?

Image bank ‘Energie in Beeld’

35 images of the energy transition as experienced by Rotterdam residents. These are free of charge for South Holland initiatives. Other organizations have the opportunity to expand this image bank.

Dutch companies and the transition to a circular economy

How companies act plays an important role in the transition to a circular economy. DRIFT helped PBL develop a monitor for this.

Communities for Change: Local call for actions

Could your local community initiative benefit from things like outside expertise, peer-learning and coaching? This call could help.

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Arm yourself with the skills and knowledge to shape sustainability and justice transitions. For young professionals (only available in Dutch).

academy — for transitions

Would you like to be a changemaker for justice and sustainability transitions? Do you want your work to be more transformative, but don’t know where to start? The DRIFT Transition Academy offers online and on-site professional education that empowers you to think and act for fundamental change.

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Reflexive Monitoring

This Dutch-language training gives you concrete tools, specifically aimed at learning and adjusting in transitions.

Rotterdam ‘de boer op!’

DRIFT contributes to this unique coalition for more biodiversity, regionally produced food and healthy business operations for farmers.

“Beyond Lux(e)!” for a zero-carbon and resilient Luxembourg

As a finalist in this challenge, we co-created spatial visions for the zero-carbon and resilient future of the Luxembourg functional region.

consultancy — for transitions

With advice and strategic interventions, we help organizations to understand their changing environment and to get to work in a transition-oriented way. We focus on opportunities for fundamental change beyond optimization and aim for multiple value creation.

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Research — for transitions, all our activities are connected to our research.

At DRIFT we study from different angles when and how fundamental social change is possible. We do this in and with practice. So the training and consultancy projects we offer are fueled by our scientific work and in turn enrich our academic activities.

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The Rotterdam Eczema study

Status: Ongoing (March 2017-2023)

Effectiveness of different strenghts of topical steroids in children with eczema in general practice.

About our project

Our research focus, funds & grants, collaborations.

Department of Dermatology

Publications

Dr. G. Elshout (co-promotor), [email protected] Dr. A.M. Bohnen, [email protected] Dr. P.J. van den Berg, [email protected] Prof. Dr. S.G.M.A. Pasmans, [email protected] Prof. Dr. P.J.E. Bindels (promotor), [email protected]

Contact address for the project: [email protected].

Research groups/labs

General practice.

International Research Project

date: 07 October until 21 November 2021

Download Save to calendar (ICS).

The International Research Project (IRP) committee organizes one of the biggest events of the FSR, a two-week consultancy trip to a far-away destination. The project takes place both in the Netherlands and abroad. In July 2022 the team of 20 students travels to an international destination to provide professional consultancy services to international companies. In previous years, interesting places such as Kuala Lumpur, Boston, Sao Paulo & Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi, and Santiago de Chile have been visited. Last year the IRP destination was Europe. 

Every year, the IRP offers tailor-made research to companies and organizations that are interested in getting valuable insights into their business in an international market. The IRP has 20 years of experience in performing research projects all over the world. The students have always delivered useful strategic advice to complex business challenges.

The research will be conducted by a selected group of 20 students, consisting of mostly master students at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam (EUR). The strict selection of students was guided by the strategy consultancy firm Bain & Company to guarantee that a team of top students with various backgrounds was formed. The selected group of students team will dedicate 6 months of their time in order to find the best possible solution for a strategic problem provided by a company. In the preparation phase, the IRP team will be consulting about the goals and wishes of the company-specific research. Through the diversity of the IRP team are they able to tackle a wide range of complex problems. The main focus of IRP is to provide the provision of realistic, refreshing, and valuable solutions to your organization. In the previous years of IRP, student teams have carried out successful projects for companies within a wide range of sectors.

Furthermore, the project is supervised by professors of the Erasmus University Rotterdam and strategy consultants, of the well-known consultancy firms, offering several lectures, workshops and training days for the participating students. This way the students are optimally prepared to provide the best strategic advice to your company.

In addition to that, the information sessions will be held on the following data: - Information Session: 15th of November from 16.00 until 17.00 - Interest Drink: 18th of November from 16.00 until 18.00 

Apply before the 21th of November!

* We only recruit Dutch-speaking students.

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In the know. For the new economy.

We are the center of expertise in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship of Hogeschool Rotterdam. Our practice-oriented research is driving new insights and innovation in education and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We support SMEs by reducing complexity in the major ambitions they have to contribute to societal change, by concretising their issues into clear, company-specific research questions. Together with entrepreneurs, students and lecturers, we look for the answer to the issue at stake, resulting in practical and reliable tools for the business in the region.

We need to fundamentally rethink the functioning of the economy at large. As we are critical socio-economic challenges, due to the climate crisis and the digitization, businesses need to adapt and they need to adapt quickly. We see a leading role for SMEs in this transition towards a green and sustainable future. What is needed is often adaptability and a bit of help to get up-to-speed to work with modern technologies, so that these companies attract the best of people. An agile, futureproof SME helps Rotterdam to stay stable and on top. But, how can we contribute to this ambition? How can we help our entrepreneurs in the region to contribute to this social challenge?

Win-win: innovating SMEs and higher economic education

Our mission is on one hand to inspire the SME community with solid and reliable knowledge about innovation, while at the same time contributing to keep economic education on a top level. With our practice-oriented research, we develop insights and practical toolboxes that strengthen the adaptability of SMEs in the region. We focus on impact, inspiring companies to change business models, by translating technological and social developments into their business model. If these companies can implement the changes, it results in better and sustainable competitiveness for the business. We focus mainly with our research on our key topics: (strategic) leadership, digital economy, circular economy & purpose economy.

We offer practical and independent help for entrepreneurs who would like to lead the way in the societal transition towards a sustainable future, but do not know where to start. We bring professors, researchers, lecturers and students together to delve into a practical issue.

The Challenge

Meet the team

About the Research Center

Archive: download our publications

Research programmes.

Digital Economy

Digital developments are fundamentally changing competitive markets, and they challenge current business models. How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leverage new technologies and better capitalize the data the hold?

Purpose Economy

The classical economic paradigm of maximizing financial profit is no longer sufficient as a framework for action. How do you implement de-growth in practice? How can businesses contribute to solve socio-economic and ecological issues?

Circular Economy

Circular economy is in the spotlight these days. How can products and materials be reused, how can consumption be curbed, and how can we intertwine products and services to reduce our ecological footprint?

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Dr. Jelle van Baardewijk

Professor in Business Ethics

Dr. Koen Dittrich

Koen Dittrich is Professor of Circular Economy at Research Centre Business Innovation.

Dr. Arjen van Klink

Professor Next Strategy / programme director of Research Centre Business Innovation

Dr. Maaike Lycklama à Nijeholt

Professor Finance & Business Innovation

Dr. Arie de Wild

Professor Behavioural Sciences

Dr. Annie Yang

Annie is a professor in Digital Business at the Research Centre Business Innovation of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.

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FSR | International Research Project

date: 30 November 2023

Venue: Rotterdam

Download Save to calendar (ICS).

International Research Project

The International Research Project (IRP) committee organises one of the biggest events of FSR, a two-week consultancy trip to a far-away destination. The project takes place both in the Netherlands and abroad. In July 2024 the team of 20 students travels to an international destination to provide professional consultancy services to international companies. In previous years, interesting places such as Kuala Lumpur, Boston, Sao Paulo & Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi, and Santiago de Chile have been visited. 

Every year, the IRP offers tailor-made research to companies and organizations that are interested in getting valuable insights into their business in an international market. The IRP has 25 years of experience in performing research projects all over the world. The students have always delivered useful strategic advice to complex business challenges.

The research will be conducted by a selected group of 20 students, consisting of master students at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam (EUR). The strict selection of students will be guided by the strategy consultancy firm Bain & Company to guarantee that a team of top students with various backgrounds is formed. The selected group of students team will dedicate 6 months of their time in order to find the best possible solution for a strategic problem provided by a company. In the preparation phase, the IRP team will be consulting about the goals and wishes of the company-specific research. Through the diversity of the IRP team are they able to tackle a wide range of complex problems. The main focus of IRP is to provide the provision of realistic, refreshing, and valuable solutions to your organisation. In the previous years of IRP, student teams have carried out successful projects for companies within a wide range of sectors.

Furthermore, the project is supervised by strategy consultants of the well-known consultancy firms BCG and Roland Berger who also offer several lectures, workshops and training days for the participating students. This way the students are optimally prepared to provide the best strategic advice to your company.

In addition, information sessions will be held where you can ask all of your questions.

Interest drinks 1: 08-11-2023, 15:00 - 17:00 at Paviljoen.

Information session 1: 14-11-2023, 16:00 - 18:00, Langeveld 1.12, Erasmus University.

Interest drinks 2: 20-11-2023, 15:00 - 17:00 at Paviljoen.

If you want to join the International Research Project of 2024, you can apply by submitting your CV and motivation letter. The deadline is  Sunday the 26th of November 23:59 .

*We only recruit Dutch-speaking students.

For more information check out our website ! 

Creating better cities together

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Early bird tickets available! 🎟️

Please help us build inspiring programme tracks for this year’s themes! As with every edition, this year’s Placemaking Week Europe festival builds much of its programme drawing from open source submissions from global placemakers that we receive through our Open Call form. Do you have workshop ideas, relevant projects, wisdom to share, or other programme proposals? Submit to our Open Call!

Hosting city

Our hosting city for this year’s edition is Rotterdam, Netherlands! Rotterdam is a bold, forward, and dynamic city in the Netherlands. It is Europe’s largest seaport and home to people from all corners of the world. Time and time again, the city has had to forge its own path and collectively build – from rebellious creatives to legislators, and from neighborhood leaders to project developers. Everyone has played their part in creating the current vibrant city. Rotterdam is in a constant flux, with a changing harbor, ongoing urban transformations, a growing emphasis on individual expression, and residents with evolving needs. There is also a growing call for a more balanced relationship with water, nature, and addressing climate change. This all leads to a competition for public space and a demand for an innovative and flexible approach to create spaces where people feel a sense of belonging. That is why Rotterdam is working hard to support, protect and utilize placemaking and placemakers for society and the economy.

This edition was amazing!

Placemaking Europe explores transversal topics like gender, multigenerational places, place-based economic development, technology and smart cities, inclusive prosperity, creative bureaucracy, arts and culture, and more. This year’s festival will explore 4 overarching themes that correlate with these approaches to placemaking, as well as with the city of Rotterdam’s distinct placemaking initiatives and goals:

Creating Place & Making it Last

Placemaking isn’t just about temporary interventions; it aims for lasting impact for a more inclusive, resilient, and dynamic urban environment. We invite you to contribute to the discussion on how to acknowledge, define and ensure placemaking within the systemic reality. How can we leverage and integrate the city’s cultural capital into the urban development processes? And how can we achieve sustainable collaborations with the people who are the DNA of a place? Within this theme, we explore the importance of diverse perspectives and communities in shaping the city. We delve into the power of crossovers to come up with fresh and innovative solutions, ranging from experiments and temporary initiatives to long-term transformation.

Climate Adaptation: Together Towards Change

The function of waterfronts has changed over the years, as has the approach and utilisation of these spaces. This theme explores the dynamic relationship between urban environments and waterways, transcending traditional notions of waterfront development. Waterfront placemaking celebrates the natural ebb and flow of the coexistence between urban life and water. We delve into the local stories from past and present, and investigate how local heroes and innovators can develop these areas into vibrant, inclusive, and accessible spaces that build upon the accumulated value. Through these urban narratives, we explore how to enrich waterfronts and in what ways placemaking can contribute to creating connection and awareness around water among our urban residents.

Living with Water: The Flow of the City

Local Power & The Battle for Space

Within this theme, we embrace the powers that make cities thrive, including creatives, artists, community builders, social programmers and everyday individuals. Anyone can be a placemaking hero, and local initiators are incredibly important players in strengthening their ecosystem. Despite often operating without official recognition or financial support, they shape the true identity of a place. Meanwhile-spaces for arts, culture, and community are vital for solidarity, self-expression, and resilience, and contribute greatly to the spirit of a place. Under this theme, we delve into the stories and needs to allow the transformative potential of the placemaking landscape to flourish. We’ll explore how these sometimes overlooked forces can be cherished, and how the continuity of these powers is not only important but essential for fostering vibrant, innovative, and inclusive cities.

The speakers

Shauna Brail

Emily Silverman

Gregorio Lucena Scarpella

David Andersson

Julia Pineda

Shana Debrock

Han Admiraal

Ivana D’Alessandro

Charles Landry

Keilepand is our home base in Rotterdam!

Our home base for the week will be at The Keilepand, located in the Rotterdam Makers District of Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) Rotterdam, which is a special site that tells an impressive placemaking story.

Rotterdam is known for its harbor, lively cultural life, modern architecture and… placemaking. The extensive distribution system including rail, roads, and waterways have earned Rotterdam the nicknames “Gateway to Europe” and “Gateway to the World.” The city’s nightlife is filled with diversity. Glamorous cocktail bars and classic pubs, hip and happening dance clubs and intimate concert venues. Rotterdam also has a varied architectural landscape, including skyscrapers designed by architects such as Rem Koolhaas, Piet Blom and Ben van Berkel. Rotterdam exhibits impressive examples of placemaking and sets a stage for a future of initiatives that cater to diverse groups and that address complex issues across various topics in the city.

In Rotterdam, during Placemaking Week Europe 2024, you can explore the hidden forces in placemaking and aspects of the process that are vital for innovation. Engage in inventive thinking and explore how this can contribute to making your city a more inclusive, resilient, and dynamic urban environment. In this quest we team up with local heroes who sometimes navigate beyond existing power structures to create a sense of place. Next to that we invite you to join the discussion on how to acknowledge and ensure placemaking in the systemic reality. Join us in Rotterdam, let’s create space to make a lasting place!

Check out the last edition!

• Strasbourg 2023

Placemaking Week Europe 2023 in Strasbourg was an exploratory and exciting week in one of Europe’s most renowned and interesting border cities. Learn more here!

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Research Project Maastricht (RPM) is a consultancy institution affiliated with Maastricht University . With more than 35 years of experience , we have become experts in conducting company-specific research at cost-price . In previous years, we have conducted research in rapidly emerging countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and China for both multinationals and SMEs.

We offer various types of research , including market- and sector analyses, partner scans, and investment opportunities as well as finding new distribution channels. If you are interested in exploring opportunities for your business, contact us and we will help you  connect worlds !

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Visit Rotterdam as it transforms itself into a floating city

This flood-prone Dutch city, one of the world’s largest ports, is meeting the challenges of rising seas with innovative architecture.

Facing the North Sea, sliced by three major rivers, and dotted with lakes and streams, the low-lying Netherlands has long been vulnerable to flooding. After the devastating deluge of 1953 killed almost 2,000 people, the proactive Dutch government devised the ambitious Delta Programme , creating dams, dikes, and sophisticated, computer-controlled storm barriers. The ensuing years brought additional flood-taming tactics such as catchment areas that mimic natural river floodplains, and “green dikes” covered in water-absorbent clay and grass to dampen waves. These national initiatives have also helped the country address the growing global problem of rising seas.

Rotterdam , the Netherlands’ second largest city, tackles climate change with a singular inventiveness. Flattened during World War II, the city remade itself, embracing daring architecture . With 85 percent of this delta city below sea level, Rotterdam manages water overflows with creative solutions, such as plazas, garages, parks, and gardens designed to act as temporary reservoirs.

“These [and other] urban projects will make the city better equipped to deal with rainwater, improve our urban mobility, and reduce heat stress, and in effect…make our city more resilient, healthier, and enjoyable for all,” says Arnoud Molenaar, Chief Resilience Officer of Rotterdam.

Here’s how visitors can check out some of these innovative venues themselves.

Buy milk from a floating farm

Some 40 brown-and-white Meuse-Rhine-Issel cows spend most of their day in an airy stable on the top level of the three-tier Floating Farm , a micro-dairy moored in the Port of Rotterdam. (They can also graze on shore.) Robots maneuver about, available to milk and feed them, and to scoop up manure. A solar panel-lined canopy provides the cows with shade and also collects rainwater that’s purified for them to drink. Milk, buttermilk, yogurt, and butter are processed on the middle tier, and wheels of Gouda-style cheese mature on the cooler, lowest level sitting below the water’s surface. “Bringing food production to the city not only reduces food miles but also creates awareness about food production,” says Minke van Wingerden, co-founder of the Floating Farm.

Visitors can buy dairy products in the farm’s shop on shore, which is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They can tour the floating farm itself at these times, following the elaborate signage that guides them through the facilities. They can roam the top floor, watching cows get milked, and then navigate to the level below to see milk- and yogurt-processing.  

Stay overnight in a wikkelboat

Solar-powered and sustainably made, wikkelboats are two-room boutique houseboats, available in Rijnhaven and Wijnhaven harbors (with more locations in the works). Each is constructed from two dozen layers of corrugated cardboard, making them light, while also providing soundproofing and heat insulation. (Their whimsical sounding name is apt, given that wikkel is Dutch for “wrapper.”) Varying in size and amenities, each of the wikkelboats has a well-stocked kitchenette, some a washer/dryer, and some with a five-person outdoor jacuzzi. Guests can rent water toys, including stand-up paddleboards, pedal boats, and canoes/kayaks. “Guests love unwinding in the jacuzzi while enjoying the urban landscape,” says CEO Sander Waterval. Wikkelboats are also available in the Dutch town of Den Bosch.

Savor vegetarian fare in a floating restaurant

A 60-foot-long floating gangway provides access to Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR), located in tranquil Rijnhaven, a former industrial harbor. Constructed of wood, this three-story building is carbon negative and energy positive, with a roof divided between solar panels and grass that absorbs rainwater, dissipates heat, and provides an ecosystem for birds. The cantilevered roof and balconies reduce overheating, and harbor water is used to warm or cool the interior as needed.  

“Combining high-tech with low-tech solutions is an innovative take on sustainable architecture,” says Albert Richters of Powerhouse Company, the project’s architectural firm. In June, the company welcomes the public to its on-site office, as part of Rotterdam Architecture Month’s annual Open Office Day.

One of FOR’s tenants is the upscale restaurant Putaine , designed with abundant floor-to-ceiling windows. Helmed by acclaimed restaurateurs Eva Eekman and Michael Schook, Putaine serves a seasonal menu of small dishes, with a focus on vegetarian items. The artistically presented delicacies offer plenty of sensory surprises, such as barbecued avocado with green curry and yuzu. “We do our very best to operate as sustainably as possible,” says Eekman, who also stocks natural wines. In warm weather, visitors can dine or drink on the waterfront terrace, or take a dip in FOR’s pool.

(Is Amsterdam the new capital of cannabis tourism?)

Visit a floating villa

In Nassauhaven, a disused harbor, the Harbourlofts are 18 two- and three-story villas designed to be carbon-neutral. Each off-the-grid villa is equipped with solar panels, a water purification system, and a biomass installation or heat pump to generate heat. Residents—including the project’s architect, Pieter Figdor, who recently moved in—have access to e-charging stations and shared e-cars and e-bikes. Set on concrete pontoons and anchored to the harbor bottom with steel mooring poles, the lofts are highly stable, though you’ll still feel some motion. Adding to the green sensibility: the villas in this flood-prone area look out onto a nature-friendly tidal park developed both for the aesthetics and as an adaptation to flooding. (The plants help soak up water, as does the clay surface.)

De Rotterdam Tours offers a two-hour, guided floating city tour that includes visits to the quay or the terrace of a floating villa, as well as to the exterior of FOR and a wikkelboat ($527/group, plus $8/per person for a water taxi).

Related Topics

• ARCHITECTURE
• CITY GUIDES
• URBAN PLANNING
• CLIMATE CHANGE
• FLOOD CONTROL

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Research Project: My Rotterdam - Vital Cities and Citizens

As part of the research program Vital Cities and Citizens, the research project aims to learn from citizens what they feel is important in their city, what works well, and what could be improved.

Virtual Place

A lot of scientific research about city life speaks about citizens rather than with citizens. The research project 'My Rotterdam' wants to change that. As part of the research program Vital Cities and Citizens, we aim to learn from citizens what they feel is important in their city, what works well, and what could be improved.

In this study, we gathered information on city life through qualitative interviews with inhabitants of Rotterdam in November and December 2021 and January 2022. We invited them to share their vision on different aspects of city life with us during interviews of 45-60 minutes. This way, we want to gain more insight into the elements that define urban life according to residents themselves.

For the second part of the study, we formulate statements about life in the city based on information and insights from the interviews. In March, April and May 2022, these statements are presented to residents of Rotterdam, who can rank the statements according to their own insight. Based on the results of this ranking, we can identify groups of citizens who share similar views on life in their city.

With this research, we aim to make the voice of a diverse group of Rotterdam residents heard. This way, 'My Rotterdam' strives to contribute to Rotterdam city life. For instance, by making concrete recommendations to the municipality of Rotterdam and other local actors based on what the residents consider to be crucial for the quality of life in the city. We will also share the insights derived from the research in a creative and accessible way with the general public.

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Prepare a grant proposal

If you are considering to apply for a research grant, we advise you to contact the funding officer in your school as soon as possible. The funding officer can help you to explore which grants are available for the project that you have in mind and can explain the precise requirements for your funding application to you. Furthermore, the funding officer can read your draft proposal and provide constructive feedback.

Many types of research grants exist , all with specific requirements concerning the application and eligibility. However, across the range of grant types, it is possible to distinguish key elements that are part of at least most applications. It makes good sense to consider those elements at an early stage, even before you meet with the funding officer. Those common elements are:

1. Your research narrative

Writing a grant proposal is entirely different from writing an academic publication. A grant proposal is less technical and needs to be more of a compelling and selling narrative. The proposal’s style should allow evaluators, who are not familiar with your specific field of research, to still be able to understand what you are proposing to do. Imagine explaining your research plans to a neighbour or a family member; how would you clarify your research to them and convince them that you deserve extra funding? Your funding officer can help you to create a clear and compelling narrative.

The following questions give you a heads start and a basic outline to do this:

• What is your research about / what is the problem?
• Why is the problem you describe urgent and relevant (please use statistics, examples or graphs to justify the urgency of the problem)?
• Why is this research necessary? What are the consequences if we do not execute this research?
• What is your solution to the problem? (More on this below in 2. Expected scientific contribution).
• What are the expected research outcomes?

2. Expected scientific contribution

The grants always concern research projects. Some consideration of scientific quality and the contribution to the creation of original knowledge is therefore always incorporated in the evaluation process.

Key issues here are:

• The state of the art: What has already been achieved and what remains to be solved? What are the key challenges to push the state of the art?
• Key contribution: How will you push the state of the art and achieve scientific progress? What will be the key result of your project?
• Feasibility: Why will you succeed where others have failed? What is your ‘secret’?
• What are the innovative aspects of your research proposal? New methodology, new theory development, existing approach but new application area, etc. 

3. Research track record

The feasibility mentioned above is strongly related to the (individual) quality of the research team. Of course, sometimes the team is just one researcher. In general, the key question here is: are the researchers involved the best people to perform the proposed work?

Issues to consider here are:

• Research focus: Is what you propose aligned with your work to date? What are your contributions so far? Are you really an expert on the topic that you will address in the project?
• Quality of expertise: Number/quality of relevant publications, awards, previous grants, memberships, editorships etc.

4. Expected societal impact

Increasingly funding organizations are under political pressure to link the projects they finance to visibility and impact in society at large. After all, they are spending taxpayers’ money. Often it is difficult to demonstrate a clear link between a research project and an immediate effect in society. Nonetheless, applicants should at least show that they have properly considered how impact could be created and should strive to design an approach that will leverage the take-up of results by others (outside academia). Many researchers find it hard to consider this in sufficient detail, but especially here it pays to be as concrete as possible. Your funding officer can help you to consider effective approaches, based on experiences from previous projects.

• Target audience: who are the main stakeholders who could benefit from your results? (Bankers, school teachers, police officers, health policy makers etc.).
• What dissemination and communication actions would be effective to transfer your results to non-academic stakeholders? (Please think of different dissemination strategies depending on the type of stakeholder you target).
• Expected effect in society: e.g. a reduction of a certain type of crime, better logistics planning, or more effective investment strategies for pension funds. Please quantify if possible. 

5. Implementation

This element concerns the backbone to the credibility of most of the issues mentioned so far: how will you achieve all this? In projects involving only one researcher, this may be straightforward even though the science itself may be complicated. But many projects involve several partner organisations and many researchers (sometimes working in different locations). Especially in those cases, appropriate scheduling of work and an effective governance structure need to be prepared to facilitate the management of the project.

Main issues to consider here are:

• Work plan: structure of the proposed work, subprojects and their independence scheduling in time and allocation of responsibilities.
• Headcount: researchers involved and their commitment (full-time, part-time etc.).
• Governance structure: mandate of the project leader, decision-making structure (only relevant if you are the coordinator of a larger collaborative proposal).
• Budget: expected costs, expected financial contributions (from the funding organization and maybe others as well). Please, consult your funding officer to allow for a correct calculation of the eligible costs. 

Applying for grants is a high risk/high gain game. The probability of success is relatively low. However, evidence shows that chance favours the prepared mind. Your chances will improve if you carefully consider the above elements at the appropriate time and discuss opportunities and constraints with your funding officer and others. Whether you win the grant or not, the design and execution of your research project will benefit from the systematic preparation that you have performed. It provides you with the opportunity to seriously consider your research agenda for the coming years. And a good proposal that was just below the threshold of funding can often be used as the basis for another application. Evidence also shows that professional guidance in this process pays off and increases your probability of success. Therefore, involve your funding officer when you are considering to apply for a grant.  

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Advanced capabilities for emergency response operations (acero).

Hillary Smith

New tools for wildfire response, acero: the future of wildland fire response.

Each year, thousands of wildfires release large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and burn roughly 1.5 million acres of forests and grasslands throughout the country, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Suppressing these blazes is a complex and costly operation – with suppression costs averaging $2.9 billion over a five-year period.

Containing and responding to these fires also requires collaboration among firefighters and ground crews, and the coordination of dozens of aircraft operated by multiple government agencies.

NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project – led by the agency’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California – is using drones and advanced aviation technologies to improve wildland fire coordination and operations.

Current aerial firefighting operations are limited to times when aircraft have clear visibility – otherwise, pilots run the risk of flying into terrain or colliding with other aircraft. That means aircraft are grounded during the night and during periods of heavy smoke.

Drones can help expand the window of time available for aerial suppression because they can be safely operated by pilots on the ground. Using drones for aerial suppression operations would reduce safety risks to pilots and make aerial wildfire operations more effective.

Though drones and other aviation technologies have rapidly advanced over the last decade, emergency responders have been slow to adopt them.

One significant barrier that continues to prevent this adoption is lack of tools and situational awareness for responders to see where firefighting drones are operating. To address this issue, ACERO is developing airspace management technologies to share information between crewed aircraft, drone operators, and ground crews during wildfire responses.

These technologies will provide all responders with common situational awareness and ensure there are no conflicts with aircraft operations. ACERO-developed aircraft safety software will also reduce the likelihood of encountering airborne hazards.

Having this situational awareness will enable responders to safely integrate drones into wildfire operations and continuously suppress and monitor a fire over its entire lifetime, which is not currently possible.

ACERO’s advancements in aerial communication and information-sharing tools and concepts will improve airspace management during wildland fires and provide response crews more timely information to support decision-making during emergency response.

These advancements are critical for enabling new drone missions for aerial wildfire response, like fire suppression, delivering gear to ground crews, and providing communication relays in areas with limited connectivity.

Drones could also be used for prescribed burns, or fires set and controlled by experts designed to burn away the dead brush that acts as fuels and can lead to large-scale wildland fires. Currently, these types of burns are set by a combination of piloted helicopters, ground grew, and a very limited amount of drones.

Remotely operating drones for these operations would be safer and cheaper than deploying ground crews and helicopters. It would also enable crews to execute controlled burns over larger acreages of land each year.

ACERO is collaborating with other government agencies, the science community, and commercial industries to develop a concept of operations for the future of wildland fire management.

The project’s team leads an interagency working group to assess and identify the concepts and technologies needed to address the challenges ahead. ACERO will work with other government agencies to help integrate these technologies into wildland fire operations.

In the coming years, NASA will partner with industry and wildfire response agencies to perform joint field demonstrations of newly developed ACERO-led aviation technologies. These demonstrations will highlight developments from the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Science Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate.

ACERO builds on previous NASA Aeronautics research including Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project and the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management project.

ACERO’s aviation advancements for wildland fire operations support NASA’s contributions to the U.S. goal of reaching net zero aviation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The project also supports the NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility research, which will guide industry’s development of electric air taxis and drones and assist the Federal Aviation Administration in safely integrating such vehicles into the national airspace.

ACERO is funded by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, managed by the agency’s Airspace Operations and Safety Program.

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Press Release

Hkbu projects on disease diagnosis and new chinese herbal medicine receive support from raise+.

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Two translational research projects of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have been awarded funding from the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government.

The two HKBU projects concerned, focusing on a fully automated multiplexing molecular detection platform for disease diagnosis and a new Chinese herbal medicine for treating functional constipation in the elderly respectively, were announced today (28 May) at the Scheme Signing Ceremony organised by the Government.

Launched in October 2023, the RAISe+ Scheme aims to unleash the potential of local universities in the transformation and commercialisation of research and development outcomes, and facilitate relevant collaboration among the Government, industries, universities, and research sectors.

Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said: “We welcome the results of the RAISe+ Scheme and are thrilled that two HKBU projects were being selected for funding support. Securing funding from the Scheme exemplifies the University’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge research and translating it into applications that directly benefit society. This achievement underscores the University’s dedication to driving innovations in Health and Drug Discovery, one of our key research clusters.”

The awarded project Advanced Point-of-care Molecular Systems for Clinical and Non-Clinical Applications, led by Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU, has been awarded funding from the RAISe+ Scheme. It is an innovative and comprehensive diagnostic system with a transformational impact. It can eventually make diagnostic testing services more popular, protect us from the threat of infectious diseases, and safeguard our health.

The platform can achieve fast, accurate, and fully automated detection of more than 40 targets, allowing timely identification of disease-causing pathogens in an hour. It has already been adopted in some clinical settings. The research team is currently developing the second generation of the platform with the goal of further reducing testing time and making the device portable in size. The platform demonstrates the potential for further applications in tests for an extended variety of infectious diseases, cancers, food safety, environmental analysis, and more.

Led by Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Associate Vice-President (Clinical Chinese Medicine) and Director of the Centre for Chinese Herbal Medicine Drug Development, the project on new Chinese herbal medicine for treating functional constipation in the elderly has secured a funding support from the RAISe+ Scheme.

In the Centre, Professor Bian’s team has developed a new drug candidate called CDD-2101, by combining a traditional Chinese herbal formulation and advanced technologies, with research and manufacturing conducted in compliance with international standards. The Investigational New Drug Application has been successfully submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration in 2023 and has been granted authorisation to conduct a phase I clinical trial of the new drug in the US. The project will further support the clinical trial development to make the drug available to all patients in need.

HKBU is committed to driving innovations, research and development, technology translation, and applications with the vision to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities globally, nationally, as well as those under the aegis of the HKSAR Government’s top policy priority on innovation and technology development. With specific focus on the strategic areas of Creative Media/Practice, Health and Drug Discovery, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence applications, and Humanities and Cultures, the University strives to bridge the gap in technology readiness between academic innovation and industry applications.

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ARPA-E Announces $150 Million to Develop Systems that Provide Abundant Primary Energy, Enable Intermodal Energy Transport, and Sustainably Meet Demand for Polymers & Other Materials

DALLAS, TX — Today, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Director Evelyn N. Wang announced up to $150 million in funding to develop groundbreaking technologies to realize ARPA-E’s vision of the energy future. This vision includes three goals that are critical to achieve a sustainable energy and carbon transition with: 1) greenhouse gas (GHG)-free abundant primary energy; 2) an intermodal energy superhighway that transports diversified forms of primary energy; and 3) a carbon transition that sustainably meets the demand for polymers and other materials. ARPA-E Director Wang made the announcement from the 2024 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit , which kicked off in Texas today just outside Dallas. Since the inception of ARPA-E, the OPEN program has served as an opportunity to advance transformative energy breakthroughs in critical areas that fall outside the scope of ARPA-E’s technology-focused programs. Now, as the Agency celebrates 15 years, ARPA-E unveiled Vision OPEN 2024 , a funding opportunity that represents a revolutionary view of our energy future. “Vision OPEN 2024 is designed to develop innovations based on an energy landscape dramatically different than what we have today,” said ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang. “As the world looks to our nation for energy solutions, the United States looks to innovators to make an impact with technology. ARPA-E is calling on innovators to realize technologies that create a world beyond 2050 and sustain future generations.” The three goals set forth by Vision OPEN 2024 require disruptive and ambitious technologies:

• GHG-Free Abundant Primary Energy: This first goal seeks to provide a path to a complete transition of global primary energy supply to GHG-free forms by 2050, while increasing the primary energy supply. This will be realized through innovations that accelerate deployment of GHG-free primary energy and advance both new and nascent technologies.
• Intermodal Energy Superhighway: The goal is to develop an intermodal energy superhighway to transfer energy through several modalities—not just electrical power. A wide range of primary energy will be transferred through various networks (e.g., electrical, chemical, and thermal) designed to support its efficient, reliable, and inexpensive distribution.
• Carbon as a Sustainable Building Block of the Future: ARPA-E envisions a path to a transition from carbon as a source of unsustainable energy to a source of valuable materials. This will be realized through innovations, including engineering plants and algae into “living refineries” of atmospheric carbon; transforming fossil refineries into low-GHG materials factories; applying advanced carbon allotropes to energy technologies and sequestration; and scaling up new polymers that are recyclable by design.

You can access more information about Vision OPEN 2024 on ARPA-E eXCHANGE .

ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact clean energy technologies across a wide range of technical areas that are strategic to America's energy security.  Learn more  about these efforts and ARPA-E's commitment to ensuring the United States continues to lead the world in developing and deploying advanced clean energy technologies.

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