The Resilient Delta initiative, part of the Convergence alliance between TU Delft, Erasmus MC, and Erasmus University Rotterdam, is teaming up with regional partners to breathe new life into aging neighborhoods and make the floriculture sector more sustainable. The Dutch government is backing these efforts with a €20 million investment.
The substantial funding comes from the Region Deals, a long-term partnership between the government, municipalities, businesses, and research institutions, aimed at tackling big regional challenges.
On February 3, 2025, Minister Mona Keijzer announced the outcomes of the latest round of Region Deal funding, with Resilient Delta playing a key role in two selected projects: New Towns and The Floriculture Region. Each will receive €10 million in government support.
New Towns
In the 1970s and 1980s, towns like Capelle aan den IJssel, Zoetermeer and Nissewaard experienced rapid expansion, with large-scale residential developments built in response to housing shortages. Today, these so-called "boomtowns" are face increasing urban decline, with deteriorating living conditions and outdated infrastructure. Together with other Regio Deal partners, the Resilient Delta initiative will address the specific challenges these areas are facing, working toward long-term, sustainable solutions.
The Floriculture Region
The Dutch floriculture sector is at a crossroads, facing critical challenges ranging from soil degradation to the precarious working conditions of migrant laborers. The Resilient Delta initiative will collaborate with fourteen municipalities, the Rijnland Water Control Board and other regional partners to tackle these issues and to ensure a more sustainable future for the sector.
Other regional partnerships
The Resilient Delta initiative is already involved in several Region Deals established in 2024. With the addition of these two new initiatives, it is now a partner in four major projects: Smart Delta Drechtsteden (€25 million), the Waterway Region (€17.7 million), The Floriculture Region (€10 million) and New Towns (€10 million).
"The collaboration with municipalities, businesses, and other social partners is incredibly valuable to Resilient Delta," says Hans de Voogd, program director of the Resilient Delta initiative. "It allows us to unravel and address highly complex societal issues with the support of scientific expertise and insight."
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For further information or inquiries, please don't hesitate to contact Nicolette Stehouwer-den Hollander at stehouwer@eur.nl.
Within Resilient Delta we work in an interdisciplinary way in the academic field, collaborating with societal partners to design resilience solutions in the real-world dynamics of our living lab, the Rotterdam delta. More on Resilient Delta.
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