Scenario-based thinking contributes to sustainable mobility and retention of human capital in Curaçao

Through the Urban Strategy platform, TNO is working to combat mobility poverty in Curaçao in collaboration with public and private partners. The deployment of electric buses powered by renewable energy contributes to the energy transition on the island. By training local employees in working with digital twins and scenario-based thinking, human capital is retained for the island, and investment is made in sustainable economic growth.

Over the past four years, TNO has collaborated with the business sector, universities, and government in Curaçao in a Living Lab. Jacqueline Verbeek-Nijhof, Business Developer at TNO, stated: “The goal of this joint research and development program was to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy on the island. At the core of the collaboration is TNO’s Urban Strategy planning tool, which utilises digital twin models.

Municipalities in the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, use this tool to assess the impact of urban policy measures. Large foreign cities like Singapore and San Diego are also now utilising it.

Curaçao is interesting to work with Urban Strategy for several reasons,” says Bart van der Poel, researcher at TNO. “As an island, it’s a closed system; a sort of petri dish with many constant factors. Chain innovations are therefore faster to realise and to scale up. The great potential of solar and wind energy is interesting for the entire Caribbean region, as well as for the Netherlands.”