A DUTCH POWERHOUSE Groningen Is Leading the Energy Transition 12 DESTINATION GRONINGEN SPACE ENOUGH a GOOD Why City Folk Are Going up North
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GREEN PROVINCE A showcase of sustainable chemistry DESTINATION GRONINGEN YOUNG, SMART AND VIBRANT Living in the Netherlands’ fi fth city Living Working Learning DATA HUB EEMSHAVEN is is why Google settled up north A DUTCH POWERHOUSE Groningen is leading the energy transition 12 DESTINATION GRONINGEN SPACE ENOUGH A GOOD Why city folk are going up north. And why Contents ex-Groningers return PLACE with conviction 06 Mudflats, mounds, waving grain, an ancient university city, festivals GOOGLE IN THE PROVINCE of global allure − Groningen appeals TO KEEP Tech giant Google built a data centre in The Eemshaven. to everyone’s imagination. CEO Pim van der Feltz talks Mostly unknown, however, is that the Groningen attractions and company responsability economy of the future is taking shape THE WORLD here, with a strong infrastructure, 27 an innovative chemical industry, 09 sustainable energy projects and a MUSTARD SOUP groundbreaking agricultural sector. Connoisseurs sharing HUB their recipes of a typical SPINNING The Eemshaven is increasing Not to mention great and affordable delicacy the capacity of its power living. All delivered with almost stations. Infrastructure and data traffic also grow un-Groningen like bravura. In short, Groningen is a powerhouse. 10 20 OPPORTUNITIES Groningen is the ideal GRONINGEN location for entrepreneurs, STATISTICS with its drive for innovation, From wind farms to work ethic and short lines cultural events: clarifying of communication. statistics about the ALSO The economy and northernmost province employment benefit 04 NEWS 35 KM COASTLINE DESTINATION Of the 400 km German-Dutch Wadden Coast, GRONINGEN At 600 MW, Gemini 1 is one FACTS & FIGURES 8.5 percent borders on the province of Groningen. The Wadden are a UNESCO World Heritage Site Houses are still rather cheap, there is more than enough employment and GREEN SOCKET The latest initiatives and 4 Groningen is one of the youngest cities in Europe. e province is home to THE EEMSHAVEN IS THE Fact & Figures unspoilt nature reserves such as Lauwersmeer National Park. e pride of LANDING SITE OF ENERGY Groningen is the 34 km World Heritage coastline, which also serves as the CABLES Groningen supplies the [AB] Netherlands’ green socket. country with Norwegian hydro-electric power, wind 3 energy from the off shore EEMSHAVEN windfarm Gemini, and in the of the world’s largest wind farms. 15% near future, Danish wind energy current affairs LAUWERSMEER OF DUTCH CHEMISTRY SURFACE AREA 3 IS SUPPLIED BY NATIONAL PARK DELFZIJL 2.960 KM² The perfect spot for unobstructed stargazing. The International 7,13% OF THE NETHERLANDS Dark Sky Association offi cially PLEDGE FOR 2020 designated the park as a Dark Sky 4 Park in 2016. On some days you WIND ENERGY IS A WIND TURBINES GOVERNMENT OBJECTIVE may even see the Northern Lights DELFZIJL wind energy in Megawatts Chief editor Wilbert Geijtenbeek 1 N33 2 35 Wind turbines planned, INHABITANTS 1 target capacity 120 MW 2 Delfzijl 582.944 5 Currently: 34 wind turbines Planned: 48 3,4% OF THE NETHERLANDS TOP-5 VILLAGES 6 3 Eemshaven The two tallest wind turbines 1 Niehove in the Netherlands The ‘most beautiful mound 4 Art direction Jannie van de Goor 2 each supply 4.5 MW of energy village in Grunnen’ 16 1 per year. 4.450 855,5 2 Bourtange GRONINGEN Currently 88 smaller wind Historic fortifi ed town turbines, 64 planned. 3 A.G.O. dorp 4 Gemini 1 MICHELIN STAR Factory village of 1915 Off shore wind farm, 4 Zoutkamp 5 85 kilometres off the coast Herberg Onder de Linden 1 of Groningen in the North Picturesque fi shing village Aduard Sea, 150 wind turbines, The Netherlands Groningen 5 Bad Nieuweschans 15 Editors Miriam Bauwer, Since 1992 the only Michelin total capacity 600 MW Protected fortifi ed town INNOVATION star awarded restaurant in Groningen on the German border TOP-6 FESTIVALS 1 Festival Hongerige Wolf NATURAL GAS-FREE IN 2050 YOUNG CITY NUMBER OF STUDENTS Art and theatre festival UP TO 2030, THE GOVERNMENT STILL HAS OBLIGATIONS TO Tomasz Blom, Anouk Brinkman, Hongerige Wolf 1/3 SUPPLY DUTCH GAS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES AGE DISTRIBUTION IN THE IN GRONINGEN BY LEVEL OF 2 Noorderzon Performing OF DUTCH ENERGY Groningen gas production since 1971 in billion Nm3 watt CITY OF GRONINGEN EDUCATION Arts Festival IS SUPPLIED BY 40.288 Performance art festival GRONINGEN 2 Business ideas from the city Groningen 12,7% 15,9% 24% VISITORS 39% fl ocked to Euro- 3 Op Roakeldais 75 sonic Noorderslag Dance and music festival in 2018. Since Warff um 1986, this is the 4 Eurosonic Noorderslag Ellis Emeis, Sterre ten Houte 202.810 80.591 European pop Pop music festival 50 festival, where Groningen INHABITANTS STUDENTS many talented 15,7% musicians have 5 Festival Art Carnivale made an Theatre and art festival and its surrounding area appearance Schildmeer SOURCES: SURFACE AREA, RESIDENTS: CBS. POWER PLANT 25 MICHELIN STAR: RTV NOORD, DAGBLAD VAN 24,7% 37% 6 ZomerJazzFietsTour HET NOORDEN. YOUNG CITY, NUMBER OF 16,7% Impro-jazz festival STUDENTS: GRONINGEN CITY MONITOR. LAUWERSMEER: DARK SKY PARK LAUWERS Various locations MEER. VISITORS EUROSONIC: ESNS. CHEMICAL 3 PRODUCTION: GRONINGEN SEAPORTS. de Lange, Loeka Oostra, ■ 0-18 ■ 19-34 ■ 35-49 ■ mbo ■ hbo ■ wo 1/3 ENERGY, GREEN SOCKET: PROVINCIE 0 GRONINGEN, GEMINI WINDPARK. WIND 50-64 65+ TURBINES: RTV NOORD. PLEDGE 2020: RIJKS ■ ■ OVERHEID, NATURAL GASFREE IN 2050: NAM 1971 ’75 ’80 ’85 ’90 ’95 2000 ’05 ’10 2017 INFOGRAPHIC: JANNIE VAN DE GOOR If you want to help build on the future, there’s no getting around the TopDutch region. Djaja Ottenhof, Naomi Querido GOES GREEN 20 | DESTINATION GRONINGEN DESTINATION GRONINGEN | 21 We in the Northern Netherlands are bursting with energy. With new wind and solar Translation Chris Odijk Chemiepark Delfzijl 22 Final editing Robert van der Broek COOL CITY energy that we use to give the economy a sustainable boost. Hydrogen is another source Projectmanager Onno Dekker experiments with green Hip and trendy, of renewable energy. Thanks to natural gas, we already have the infrastructure in place. Sales Sylvia.Hoogendoorn-Paap@ technology. The government, minus hipster arrogance onebusiness.nl 23 And we aren’t planning to give away that lead. the educational sector, Destination Groningen is an indepen- investors and start-ups are 24 SOLAR ENERGY Energy is also released when entrepreneurs, students and administrators share knowledge, dent editorial special by ONE Business exchange ideas and join forces to bring plans to fruition. That’s how we accelerate the Media Lab, in association with the participating. Fossil fuels GRONINGEN CAMPUS Provincie Groningen, Akkoord van greening and digitization of the world. That’s how we keep the world spinning. Groningen, Economic Board Groningen are facing fierce competition; University and higher 26 WESTERKWARTIER and Marketing Groningen. the next challenge is professional education Farmers and environmentalists Cover image Jurjen Veerman We are green, digital and talented. to reduce costs institutions deliver top talents working together DESTINATION GRONINGEN | 3 DESTINATION GRONINGEN Delfzijl looking for scale-ups with big plans News The country’s The Economic Board Groningen (EBG) first organizes a challenge for companies that smoke-free can contribute to sustainability of the chemical cluster in Delfzijl. There is a community sum of 100,000 euros to be won, explains NEW FORUM Programme Manager Bineke Posthumus (34). NEXT TO An increasing number of locations in Groningen will be What does the match involve? ‘D’OLLE GRIEZE’ smoke-free. The Groningen ‘The Delfzijl chemical cluster aims to achieve Wilco Stollenga and his agricultural drone Smoke-Free project, set up by CO2-neutral production by 2050. This ambition collecting crop data The Martinitoren dominates addiction doctor Robert van can only be realised through innovation. We the skyline of the city of de Graaf, is able to attract an therefore invite entrepreneurs inside and out- Groningen. But not far from increasing number of partici- side of the Netherlands that are active in the the 96-metre high church pants. For example, football energy sector or green energy chemistry and tower, nick-named “Old grey 5G: ON LAND, AT SEA club FC Groningen already Test hall, the plane tester in the plane have developed a new technology or innovative product. It concerns scale-ups that are ready for one”, a new image-defining introduced – at the request Interested parties bastion is being created. of some of its supporters − a next phase and search for a test site to carry AND IN THE SKY may visit the test hall out tests on an industrial scale.’ Although half its size, the a smoking ban on the of BuildinG on Groningen Forum will un- 5G is one hundred times faster than the current standard, 4G, Koeman Stand in the Hitachi working days What are the rules of the game? between 9.00 a.m. doubtedly become an eye- and can send much more data at the same time. At the Zernike Capital Mobility Stadium. ‘The challenge starts early 2019. Participants EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT and 5.00 p.m. During catcher with its exhibition Campus, partners such as KPN, Vodafone, the Hanze University In addition, since the start of submit their ideas through a platform. The test days and special spaces, cinemas, public library, of Applied Sciences and TNO (the Netherlands Organization of the academic year, smoking FUTURE events, the hall won’t categories are green raw materials, electrifica- training rooms and skylounge Applied Scientific Research) explore the practical applications has been prohibited at the be open to visitors. tion and energy innovation. We’re not looking with a rooftop terrace. In 2019 of this new mobile network. In one pilot, ambulance employees entrances of the University of In mid-September of 2018, the doors of BuildinG, for the best idea in the Netherlands, but for a the Forum will be open to were given augmented reality glasses with a camera.