The cities of tomorrow will have us working, living, relaxing and moving around like we always do. But if it is up to these experts on innovation, it’ll all be done more efficiently, more sustainable and more swiftly than we are doing now. Debby Woesthuis and Mark Giesbers are jury leads for this year’s Blue Tulip Awards in the themes of respectively Mobility and Living and Working. Both are actively working towards that future. They see innovation wherever they look, but their main challenge is to bring it all together.
Sustainability in mobility
There’s no doubt for Debby Woesthuis about what the main innovation is in the area of mobility. “Sustainability”, she answers without hesitation. Woesthuis is at the forefront of innovation in how we get around. She is the division manager of buses with Amsterdam municipal public transport operator GVB. The company has the ambition to operate carbon-neutral by the year 2025, so there is a lot of work to be done. “We’re looking at sustainability in the broadest sense. Think about electrifying transport, stimulating cycling, hydrogen as an energy source. There are a lot of investments in e-transport. Battery technology is advancing rapidly. These are massive developments.”