Our “new normal” could be short-lived, or it might shape society for years to come. Since the Marineterrein Amsterdam Living Lab (MALL) is a place to develop, test, and apply solutions to global urban challenges, we wanted to use the Marineterrein to test and accelerate solutions for a more pleasant and inclusive environment.
Marineterrein Amsterdam
The MALL partners launched this challenge to help shape the new 1.5 meter society and people from all around the world were asked to send in their innovative ideas. The goal was to find solutions that can be implemented, proven and scaled on three challenges:
1. Reopen Restaurants & Cafes — How can restaurants and cafes on the Marineterrein safely reopen and adapt to the rapidly changing governmental guidelines?
2. Access and Use of Public Space — How can we ensure safe access and use of public space on the Marineterrein, especially during upcoming summer months when many people use it for cooling off?
3. Sustainable Practices — How can we use the current corona crisis to support lasting change toward more sustainable practices in Amsterdam?
“Marineterrein is the ideal location to test innovative ideas for a corona–changed world. Proven solutions can be shared and scaled to the rest of Amsterdam region and beyond.”
Leonie van den Beuken, Amsterdam Smart City Program Director
We received 47 submissions in response to the Challenge and following an evaluation by an expert panel, three finalists per category were invited to pitch their solution in front of a distinguished panel of judges. The jury consisted of Bas Beekman (Startup Amsterdam Program Director), Daan Groenink (City of Amsterdam Chief Technology Office Advisor), Giovanni Stijnen, (NEMO Kennislink Senior Program Manager), Kenneth Heijns (AMS Institute Managing Director), Koen Vollaers (Homeland Brewery Co-founder & Horeca Entrepreneur), Liesbeth Jansen (Bureau Marineterrein Director) and Leonie van den Beuken (Amsterdam Smart City Program Director).
During the public online event the viewers were also invited to ask questions and were able to vote for their favourite solution.
The jury of the MALL New Normal Challenge
The Finalists
1. Reopen Restaurants & Cafes
SuperLinda.nl (category winner) — Maarten de Haas presented SuperLinda, an easy to use reservation app that gives insights on crowds which can spread visitors in a safe and hospitable way. Super Linda monitors crowds to show the amount of people on the terrain and has the capability to predict when the terrain will be crowded. People can find all cafés and restaurants in app and reserve a spot via the app. Is the area full? No problem, Super Linda shows automatic alternatives! A pilot is now running on the island of Texel. Super Linda can be integrated in the website of the Marineterrein.
Nocto (public choice winner) — The Stoplight feature allows bars, cafes, and restaurants to adjust and promote their capacity between GREEN, YELLOW, and RED in real-time and consumers have a real-time overview of the remaining capacity across the city. The Nocto Stoplight has been designed to assist with safe, smart, and effective hospitality re-opening.
GUTS Ticket (category finalist) — Uses technology developed for tickets for concerts and theater performances to offer access and provide service in a user-friendly and dynamic way. Ordered and paid from your own smartphone, in order to avoid unnecessary contact, which is not only safer, but also saves on personnel costs and logistical headaches.
Access and Use of Public Space
Cinderela project at Marineterrein Amsterdam | AMS Institute
2. Access and Use of Public Space
Wizzymaps (category winner) — Afke Blanksma presented for Wizzymaps - The map provides information, via QR codes, about the recent corona measures, walking routes, and entrances and exits to public spaces, and also provides general information about the facilities and features at the location. The map can indicate, in real-time, if it is too busy in any given place.
The Social Dot by CitiXL (category finalist)— A three meter diameter picnic “blanket” that is big, round, and red so it is easy to see. It’s iterally a red “dot” you place on the ground to sit or lay on. The "dot" can serve as a "ticket" and permission to manage the total number of people in a public space as well as facilitate camera vision enabled social distancing compliance.
Close to Marineterrein (category finalist)— Provides access to the Marineterrein based on time slots using a website or QR code on location. The terrain remains freely accessible for everyone, but enables a better spread of people and enabling social distancing.
Construction of Living Lab area at the Marineterrein Amsterdam | Photo by Julia Gunther
3. Sustainable Practices
Verdantips (category winner) — Mackenzie Williams Banker presented for Verdantips, a “green TripAdvisor” that locates the sustainable options to eat in your city. It allows restaurants to market their features and sustainable qualities to their target clientele and receive recommendations on the best areas to make the biggest impact on their carbon footprint while attracting customers.
Bubble - je zesde zintuig voor afstand (category finalist)— Bubble is a small portable sensor that gives a signal to the wearer as soon as another bubble is detected within 1.5 meters. Companies or organizations can use bubbles so that everyone can work, shop, study, dine, look at art, etc. with confidence.
Realtime Public Space-finder by Arup (category finalist)— A network of digital occupancy sensors and a digital maps at the entrance of Marineterrein, allowing passersby to understand at a glance where to find a safe place to sit, or where to find other, less-frequented public areas in the nearby vicinity.
Living Lab at Marineterrein Amsterdam | AMS Institute
What’s Next?
The winners from each category, SuperLinda.nl, Wizzymaps, Verdantips, as well as the “people’s choice” winner, Nocto, will have the chance to implement their solutions on the Marineterrein. They will receive access to the knowledge and network of the MALL and Challenge partners to implement their solutions over the next two-six months.
Keep an eye on the Marineterrein the next few months to see these solutions implemented in practice!
About MALL
Marineterrein Amsterdam Living Lab (MALL) is a collaboration between Bureau Marineterrein, AMS Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute), Amsterdam Smart City and NEMO Science Museum. The main goal is to develop scalable innovations that make and keep cities liveable. At this unique location in Amsterdam, various communities in the field of research, innovation, urban development bring their expertise together to develop, test, and apply solutions to global urban challenges.
Marineterrein Amsterdam
Challenge Partners
The MALL New Normal Challenge is an initiative of the Marineterrein Amsterdam Living Lab in collaboration with the Chief Technology Office (CTO) of the City of Amsterdam, StartupAmsterdam and Amsterdam Trade & Innovate.
