[BC Trips] Research Journal #17 - Amsterdam

During our stay in Amsterdam, we were able to go to a few seminars/tours. One was a seminar at the Impact Hub Amsterdam and the other was a guided tour at CIRCL. Both places are highly recommended place to visit if you’re in Amsterdam. Take a look at their sites; very easy to understand what program they have and when; also very easy to signup for them online so please take a look!

(Slogan : "Impacting societal issues through entrepreneurial action")

Impact Hub Amsterdam (https://amsterdam.impacthub.net/) is part of a global Impact Hub network of impact entrepreneurs and innovators with more than 16,000 members in over 100 cities around the world. Impact Hub provides almost everything to move entrepreneurial initiatives. They give access to a valuable network, as well as business expertise, create resources and capital, organize events, host a collaborative working space, and run a series of accelerator programs.

Impact Hub Amsterdam itself is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supports sustainable and circular innovations and initiatives, especially focusing on three key issues: food, plastics, and the circular economy. The seminar we attended was called “Fail Forward : Circular” where 3 entrepreneurs talked about their failure and how they moved forward. A very inspirational talks indeed.

(Circl exterior & interior)

We went to a guided tour of the new pavilion called Circl ( https://circl.nl/). It was an amazing place with great philosophies. The tour itself was basically in Dutch which made it difficult to completely understand, but the guide was very nice to talk to us afterwards in English and explain about the place. Thank you!

Circl is a new pavilion in Amsterdam's Zuidas district. A place created by ABN AMRO where people can share the knowledge about circularity and circularity issue. The building itself is designed and constructed according to sustainable and circular principles. Circl has been created to be energy efficient and easy to disassemble, to make as little impact as possible on the planet. Many of the things used to build Circl have already had a previous life. Other raw materials – from the wood used in its construction to the aluminium on its outer walls – can be put to new uses in the future.

(Circl:  / inside with sustainable issues and tips)

What is interesting about Circl is, it is freely accessible to everyone – you can go to Circl to work, have a drink or a meal, meet people or attend a lecture. The day we were at Circl, we saw people having meetings, seminars, working at co-working spaces, having lunch and even working out at their rooftop bar! It was such a unique and all inclusive space and I immediately wanted to have my own corner at the space to go to every day for work. Both the Impact Hub and Circl further reminded us that Amsterdam and the Netherlands as a whole are at the forefront of the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy. Both are definitely a must see!

(Circl: restaurant, lobby, work spaces)