http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/ Blog van Brainport Avenue Do, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 nl hourly 1 http://www.symphony-cms.com http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/bericht/partner-and-expert-meeting-in-lille/ Wo, 15 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100 http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/bericht/partner-and-expert-meeting-in-lille/ Last week in Lille we had a very good partner & expert meeting. The new formula with a lot of time for discussions on the first day during the expert team session, followed by decisions in the International Steering Committee the next day, worked out very well. It also was good to have a dinner and informal contacts during the first evening, before making the decisions. When you talk about issues over a drink, it seems to be much easier to see the completely different way other people look at things. It was also nice to meet Rebecca Grossberg and Liina Tuulik of the Joint Technical Secretariat of Interreg IVB. We offered them some C2C toilet paper, which was an easy way to start the meeting and to explain about C2C. On Thursday they joined the meeting of the International Steering Committee to see how decisions were made and if there was interaction between the partners. I think they were pleased with the way we work together. On Thursday we also joined the seminar on the 21st Century Study of Lille Métropole, which is a part of the C2C BIZZ project. It was interesting to see how different such things are done in France than in The Netherlands, but after a while it became difficult to keep on paying attention, because we had to use translation. On Friday we went back home in the afternoon, satisfied with all that was reached, but also with a lot of work to do in the next months.   http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/bericht/partner-and-expert-meeting-in-lille-this-week/ Ma, 06 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0100 http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/bericht/partner-and-expert-meeting-in-lille-this-week/ This week we have our second partner & expert meeting in Lille. Tomorrow Joni, Anouk and I drive to Lille, to meet Rebecca Grossberg and Liina Tuulik of the Joint Technical Secretariat of Interreg IVB. Since I have never met them before, this seemed like  a good opportunity to get acquainted. They will also join a part of our meeting on Thursday. On Wednesday we start with a discussion on the tool development. This will take all morning. Last meeting in Luxembourg we decided to develop nine tools: - A continuous loops tool; - An guideline on energy; - A diversity guideline; - An economic tool; - Promotion materials; - A Development Framework and a Memory of Understanding; - An inventory; - An ambition document; - A C2C BIZZ Manual, that will be the umbrella for the other tools. Based on the discussion we will have on Wednesday, on Thursday a decision should be made about actions, planning and budget for each tool. This makes me a bit anxious, because I’m not sure we will succeed for 100%. Besides the tool development discussion we will have three thematic workshops, on continuous loops, energy and diversity. These workshops will be guided by The Institute, Ecoparc Windhof and Lille Métropole. So that will be the easy part of the meeting for me. On Friday morning we will have the last part of the meeting and after lunch we go back home. Next week you can read how things have worked out. http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/bericht/brainport-avenue-cafe-26-jan-2012/ Wo, 01 Feb 2012 11:45:00 +0100 http://www.brainportavenue.nl/blog/bericht/brainport-avenue-cafe-26-jan-2012/ Last Thursday we had our second Brainport Avenue Cafe, with C2C as topic for the second time. There were twice as much people as the first time, probably because a lot of people wanted to visit the ‘techniekHuys’.  Over 100 visitors listened to Nicole Ramaekers, alderman of the municipality of Velhoven. She told them about the C2C developments in Velhoven, like in the area of Runport, along the small river the Gender and in municipal buildings. Then Harry Verhoeven, director of the BouwEducatieGroep and founder of the ‘techniekHuys, explained the concept of the building and showed the way old materials are used, energy is generated and different functions are housed. Of course the Cafe ended with a drink. This week I will be busy with the preparations of the second partner & expert meeting in Lille next week. Especially the part about the tool development is still going to take some time. It appears to be really difficult to determine now what will be done in the next three years.