Today began our first day in Rotterdam, a city known for its ports and modern buildings that were built after the destruction of the city in WWII. Compared to Amsterdam, the architecture is a lot newer with tall, colorful structures not made out of brick and wood as much as the historically-preserved areas of Amsterdam are.
Our first stop was a floating farm, a multilayered structure intended to serve as the site of growth, collection, processing, and transport of farm products. The farm hosts cows on the topmost layer with micro-greens grown below through UV lights. The cow feed is prepared in the same area where the milk from the cows are processed in the floating vessel, and overall about 50% of the farm’s energy is provided directly by solar panels on the roof. I think by far the most interesting part of the farm is the circular nature. By having as much of the production process in one place, not only does it support sustainability by cutting down on CO2 produced int transportation, but it also allows the farm to engage with the community more and provide fresh food to the local area.
I think it’d be interesting to see how the farm develops in the future, especially since it was only put into existence in 2019. They mentioned that Hurricane Sandy was one of the influences for building the floating farm, but considering the Netherlands doesn’t usually get hurricanes, It’d be interesting to see if the company would consider expanding to other regions and how they deal with the climate. Whether they expand the agriculture in the farm, increase the energy efficiency, or expand into other locations, I’m interested to see where it goes.
After the farm, we took a water taxi across the port to get lunch and visit Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM). Formerly a ship building warehouse, Rotterdam’s port authority took over the space and collaborated with local universities to provide different maker spaces for both students and companies. In addition to access to 3d printers and laser cutters for models and displays, there’s also a metal 3d printer, water lab, and mechanics shop. Depending on your major or trade, students can utilize the spaces and even take courses to further their experience.
Beyond education and innovation, one of the aspects of RDM that was constantly mentioned was the idea of communication and networking. The facility hosts both students and also companies that they believe fit their vision for sustainability and the future. This allows a great opportunity for students to learn about businesses in their career sector, network, and possibly even work alongside them. Not only do the students get experience, but companies are able to recruit and gain exposure through tours around the exhibition space, as was the case for the company Coastruction—they developed 3d printed coral reef bases to aid in the restoration of coral reefs. I appreciate how RDM highlights the practical and human aspect of sustainability of collaboration. While the world has a lot of room for improvement in a lot of sectors, areas like this where ideas and skills are fostered specifically to encourage sustainability are a must. Very inspiring!