The real work begins for the Delta Climate Center

Vlissingen City Councilor Geoffrey Sips and Commissioner Harry van der Maas said during the evening in Cinecity cinema that they were proud of the ambitious plans for the DCC. Not only because it brings together six parties (HZ, Scalda, WUR, UU, NIOZ and UCR) for research and education in the fields of water, food and energy, but also because the DCC will be housed at the Kenniswerf in Vlissingen.

Relevant issues

The real work starts now, stressed Scalda director Hendrik-Jan van Arenthals. "We have to make connections between partners and find the added value within the cooperation." The DCC tackles social issues relevant to the region that should not stop at research. With an interdisciplinary approach linking alpha, beta and gamma and the combination of wo, hbo and mbo, research and education are secured in practice within organizations. As a result, projects within the DCC do not get bogged down in years of research, but are applicable to urgent problems in practice.

Complex problems

Food scarcity, sea level rise and lack of clean drinking water are global problems. The DCC works on complex problems such as sustainable protein transition from seaweed, water-storing landscapes and desalination of salt water. "The knowledge created by the DCC is shared with the rest of the world and puts Zeeland on the map." To achieve ambitious goals, partners may have to make difficult choices about the paths to follow, said Edward Nieuwenhuis, dean of University College Roosevelt. "We have to transcend individual goals and short-term gains to make the DCC the center of excellence we believe it can be."

Knowledge Wharf

The launch of the DCC also has a direct impact on the region. "In the short term, we will see many new people come to Vlissingen," Van Arenthals said. Students, researchers, teachers and employees will find a place at the Kenniswerf. The DCC will open its doors in the summer of 2023.