Plastic Road, Geo Kennis-op-Maat and Innovation atelier win InfraTech Innovation Award 2019

The Plastic Road, the digital database of the subsurface Geo Knowledge-to-Measure of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Innovation workshop of the three northern provinces have won the InfraTech Innovation Award 2019. The awards were presented by Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Public Works on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The Smart Traffic System from Sweco won the Cobouw Audience Award.

Bouwend Nederland chairman and jury president Maxime Verhagen was delighted with all the entries: "I cast no doubt that the sector would not be innovative. The huge number of 67 high-quality entries proves the opposite. It was striking that many entries were submitted jointly. It is precisely this cooperation that struck me, because it is the only way in which we in this sector can face the enormous tasks ahead." The InfraTech Innovation Award 2019 has three categories: 'Product Innovation', 'Process Innovation' and 'Innovative Cooperation'. In total, there were 67 entries, of which nine - three in each category - were nominated by an expert jury. The nine contenders had to pitch their innovations to the full jury on Dec. 7 at the Building Campus in Delft. The jury then chose three winners.

Product
In the Product Innovation category, the InfraTech Innovation Award 2019 goes to the Plastic Road from KWS, Wavin and Total. The Plastic Road concept consists of a prefab, modular and hollow road construction made on the basis of (recycled) plastic. The prefab production, light weight and modular construction of the PlasticRoad makes construction and maintenance faster, easier and more efficient compared to traditional road constructions. The judges were impressed with the concept. "By reusing plastic, the submitters aim to make a substantial contribution to the plastic problem, 80% less use of transportation and heavy equipment, 80% less CO2, particulate matter and other harmful emissions. In addition, the Plastic Road is able to save a lot of excavation work, the entire rubble foundation and a complete storm water sewer."

Process
In the Process Innovation category, the Geo Kennis-Op-Maat project of Basisregistratie Ondergrond, a project of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, took the honor. The jury praised the digitization project. "For the jury, this is the winner because together a step has been taken toward value creation with data. Of the nominees, it delivers the most 'benefit' to society, companies and clients in reduction of errors and costs. From these agreements and collected data, new innovations, applications and services can emerge. The jury believes that the process serves as an example of a process acceleration in the realization of the digitization of the topsoil."

Collaboration
The Innovation Workshop of the three northern provinces and the three northern water boards and market parties present focused on creating more room for innovation. In combination, refreshing new techniques were applied here: no traditional tendering, but a problem statement on 1 A4, to which companies can respond with a maximum of 2 A4s. Then pitching to the client in each other's presence. The jury of the InfraTech Innovation Award was so charmed by the initiative that the Innovation Workshop went home with the prize in the category 'Innovative Cooperation'.

Good ideas
Minister van Nieuwenhuizen was enthusiastic about the many entries, as was evident at the awards ceremony. "The atmosphere of thinking differently, of out of the box, also fuels a sense of optimism in me. Not for nothing does that kind of innovation make my heart beat faster." The minister then explicitly invited those present at InfraTech to report innovations to Rijkswaterstaat. "An awful lot needs to be done on all that infra that dates back to the reconstruction era. Traffic has now increased eightfold and trucks have become three times heavier on average. So we desperately need these innovations. We have a reputation to uphold in the Netherlands. Good ideas have come to the right place and will find their way into practice."

Cobouw Audience Award
Readers of trade magazine Cobouw could vote for one of the 67 entries via the website. Sweco's Smart Traffic system, the efficient control of traffic lights by means of a smartphone app, received the most votes and won the Cobouw Public Prize on Wednesday morning.

In addition to Maxime Verhagen, the professional jury was formed by Michèle Blom, Director-General of Rijkswaterstaat; Annemieke Nijhof, former CEO of Tauw; Gerben Wigmans, Concern Director of Stadsbeheer Rotterdam and Tomas te Velde, Strategic Product Designer TU Delft. The full jury report can be found at www.infratech.nl.

InfraInnovator 2019
The winners of the 2019 InfraTech Innovation Award will get to call themselves InfraInnovators for two years. They will also receive an InfraTech promotional package worth €2,500 or €500 cash.

Innovation Gallery
All entries will be on display during InfraTech 2019 in a special gallery on the exhibition floor. Each entry includes an explanation of, for example, the social and/or practical problem the innovation provides a solution for, what the earning capacity of the innovation is in terms of time/money/material savings, etc., and with whom the innovation can be realized (if it is not yet applied). InfraTech 2019 lasts until Friday, January 18.