Open for Innovation

Sustainable Campus

The centre’s final design is the spatial expression of this ambition. Behind the deliberately simple facade, the office spaces are open, with flexible workplaces. The 1300 or so researchers and their colleagues can no longer retreat into their own offices. For the same reason, the atrium is arranged as a place for encounters, with coffee machines deliberately positioned there. “These are natural meeting places, especially in knowledge organisations,” says Peters.

But Shell’s planned open innovation model goes further than just this building. “We see NTC as the nucleus around which a cluster of smaller and medium-sized companies, all active in the field of sustainability, will spring up,” adds Peters. “Putting all of our research activities in Amsterdam in a single building will also help to create a sustainable campus. That makes this move doubly special.”

The new building continues Shell’s long research presence in Amsterdam. While India and China were considered as cost-saving alternatives, Amsterdam won through in the end. This was due to what Peters calls “a downsizing of our research needs.” He explains: “Not long ago, you had to build a complete simulation site to test an industrial process. Now, you can use a computer. You can do more in far less space. That was the decisive factor. Here, we could achieve two ambitions at the same time: make cost savings and create a challenging environment.”

The new complex’s seven hectares house state-of-the-art research facilities. There are already well-developed plans for a business park around the main building. Thanks to an initiative in which Shell is now closely involved, New Energy Docks already has a list of companies ready to move in. All of which adds to North Amsterdam’s profile as an international centre of creative and sustainable activity, and reinforces Shell’s research activities.

Growing Green - New Energy Docks

• SRTCA is one of the initiators of New Energy Docks. It set up the incubator a few years ago, together with the City of Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) and the real estate arm of the ING Group, among others. New Energy Docks helps start-up companies, working on solutions in the field of sustainability, with advice, housing and finance. So far, 15 companies are using the facilities, including:

• Biotrading: trading in biofuels

• Double Dividend: green private equity house

• Orangegas: natural gas filling points at service stations

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Photo: Krijn van Noordwijk