Urban Innovation Institute by WUR, TU Delft, and MIT Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, or AMS Institute, is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. This joint knowledge institute of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has, over the years, grown into a leader in developing science-based solutions for urban challenges.
To mark the occasion, AMS Institute held an anniversary celebration on June 6 at its office on the Marineterrein in Amsterdam, attended by, among others, Mayor Femke Halsema. The AMS Institute was established after a design competition organized by de city of Amsterdam. The winning proposal came from WUR, TU Delft, and MIT, and outlined the creation of an international institute conducting multidisciplinary research on metropolitan issues and developing and implementing solutions for them.
Ron Mazier, chairman of the board of the AMS Institute and WUR’s Director of Corporate Strategy, said, “With AMS Institute, we have created a new, unique ecosystem. Formed by the collaboration between the academic core partners and the city of Amsterdam, with the city serving as a living laboratory. Today, the total value exceeds 220 million euros, and AMS Institute collaborates with more than 1000 private and public partners.”
Mazier cited examples of impactful projects such as the Energielab Zuidoost with citizen involvement, the Kassen van Damsko [World vegetable gardens] in Nieuw West, and circular solar panels on the Marineterrein.
In a publication, The Playbook, AMS Institute provides an overview of a decade of research, experiments, and implementation, based on seven building blocks.