New Dutch
Advanced quantum and chip technology, data-driven agricultural innovations, smart water solutions, renewable energy developments and creative Dutch design. Just a few of the areas of innovation where the Netherlands is actively contributing to shaping future societies. But ask any search engine about the Netherlands and it will show you windmills, canals and tulips: apparently the traditional Dutch image persists.
Let's talk new icons, new heroes and new masters. Let's talk New Dutch!
Innovation runs through our veins. It’s in our DNA. Stemming from our need to keep our feet dry and our cities thriving, innovation and international collaboration has always played an important role in who we are. Today, the Netherlands is a creative and inclusive country that looks towards the future and beyond its own boundaries. We have a strong reputation to uphold when it comes to technology, science and innovation. We rank fifth on the Global Innovation Index. And with almost 390 patents per capita filed last year, we can claim inventiveness as our key value.
Ever seen a Floating Farm? Home to 40 cows, this #newdutch dairy farm floats in the heart of Rotterdam, providing dairy products for locals. It aims to show a new way of bringing farming back into the city, with minimal impact on resources and the environment. At the same time, it emphasizes scalability and customisation for a future where rising sea levels mean that farmland is increasingly out of action due to flooding.
The structure was developed to follow circular design principles. It generates all of its own electricity from floating solar panels and provides fresh water through an integrated rainwater collection and purification system. The cows are fed with grass from playing fields and golf courses in the city, along with waste food products like potato scraps, bran and brewers grains.
The cows are just the beginning. To showcase how easily adaptable a Floating Farm can be, a second farm for eggs and vegetables is being built. The possibilities for food production and innovation are endless; the Floating Farm can be tailor-made with a variety of food products.
Interested in discovering more innovative solutions for livestock farming? Read our article "Glocal solutions for livestock farming".
Innovation campuses across the country conduct ground-breaking research on topics such as energy transition, artificial intelligence, quantum technology and food scarcity, while many companies and non-profit organisations are committed to the transition to a low or even zero-carbon economy. Additionally, startups and citizen initiatives are actively seeking creative solutions to make our planet more sustainable, livable and lovable.
The Netherlands has so much more to offer than tulips, clogs and windmills. Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam feature in the top 50 smart cities in the IMD smart city index (Source: Smart City Index). Eindhoven is one of the most intensive science & technology clusters. The Netherlands has a new story to tell. In the Netherlands, traditional icons and high-tech innovations coexist. Together, they complete the story.
In the coming months, we will bring you typical new Dutch stories. A presentation of new masters and new icons that will be shaping our future.
