Abstract for the European Association for Sport Management conference 2015 in Dublin. The abstract describes a study to the economic value of the equestrian sector in the province of Drenthe (Netherlands) and the possibilities for the equestrian sector to optimize its economic value.
Tom van Weert argues that economic, societal and cultural developments in indus-trialized countries push for educational innovation. He sees Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as enabling factor of this innovation. His line of reasoning is the following. Knowledge intensive economies have a need for modern professionals with new qualifications. These professionals have to be able to produce concrete business results, but need also to contribute to essential business knowledge, needed to survive in a highly competitive and changing environment. Knowledge creation is becoming part of working and is therefore not anymore the exclusive right of research institutions. In this light, universities as breeding place of modern professionals, need to redefine their role in much more fundamental ways than simply continuing old practices by modern ICT means. A new educational paradigm is needed, integrating learning, working and knowledge creation. Situation based learning environments may be the materialization of this new paradigm.
The Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis) is one of the lost crops of Incas and has been grown in South America and as a food crop for thousands of years. The seeds are the main source of commercial value regarding the high content of oil (about 20%), protein (about 43%) and carbohydrates (about 33%). A European Union H2020 project, LIBBIO, aims to develop and optimize the breeding and cropping of the Andean lupin in the Europe, and to process the lupin seeds for new and high-value products for consumers and for incorporation into otherproducts. This study works at optimizing the oil extraction from the lupin seeds using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), which has been tested for lupin oil extraction and is advantageous over organic extractants due to the mild operating temperature, costeffectiveness, nontoxicity, and easy post-separation.In the study designed by response surface methodology, the operating pressure,temperature, scCO2 flowrate, and sample mesh size, were investigated on their effect on the oil extraction efficiency. The pressure, scCO2 flowrate and mesh size were found to affect the extraction efficiency significantly. The higher the pressure and the smaller the mesh, the more oil was extracted over a specific period. Optimally about 85% of the oil was extracted by scCO2 compared with conventional Soxhlet extraction using hexane as the extractant. Oleicacid (46%) and Linoleic acid (32%) are the two main fatty acids in the extracted oil. About 80% of the fatty acids are unsaturated. The stearic acid is one of the main saturated fatty acids, which has relatively positive effects on human health to others. The pressure was found to significantly affect the fractions of the saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The content of tocopherols in the extracted oil ranged from 1 to 20 mg/100g oil, which is comparable withliterature value.
This pre-study anticipates to a SIA call focussing on circular and bio-based economy in Brazil. It is linked to the Living Lab Brazil managed by Avans University of Applied Sciences. Although the dairy value chain will benefit from both circular and bio-based principles, this pre-study will be limited to circular systems. There is a vast potential for investment by the Dutch and Brazilian private sector in the dairy value chain in Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. There is also ample room to improve production efficiency towards a more circular system. Notwithstanding the business opportunities in the Brazilian dairy sector, there are challenges in attracting and consolidating partnerships along the circular-based value chain. A better understanding of the demands, challenges and opportunities of the interested Dutch companies is highly relevant to develop sustainable circular-based dairy value chains. Therefore, the goal of our project proposal is the exploration of a potential Dutch business network that is interested to invest in the Brazilian circular dairy value chain, and an exploration of the potential business opportunities for the Dutch and Brazilian dairy sector. The consortium in our proposal is conformed as follows: (a) Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (VHL). VHL is the leading knowledge institute. Vilentum University of Applied Sciences and the Federal University of Viçosa will participate through VHL. (b) Alta Genetics BV; (c) Groasis BV. To achieve our goal we focus on the following questions: What is the potential and what are the bottlenecks for the Dutch private sector (SME’s) to increase business opportunities in the dairy sector of MG? What are the business opportunities to develop and innovate circular-based dairy value chains through the Dutch and Brazilian private sector with dairy breeding and agro-silvopastoral farming as pilots? The outputs of this study will be: A list of potential Dutch private investors, both interested but hesitating and/or already successful. Basically we would like to identify “partners” and to build up a business network where we could match-make the Dutch companies with the Brazilian companies or clients; A pre-proposal including intentions for further collaboration; Three detailed reports with marketing and investment opportunities and/or research strategy in relation to circular-based economy in: general dairy chain, dairy breeding and agro-silvopastoral farming. The latter two topics must be considered as pilots for the entire dairy value chain.
CRISPR/Cas genome engineering unleashed a scientific revolution, but entails socio-ethical dilemmas as genetic changes might affect evolution and objections exist against genetically modified organisms. CRISPR-mediated epigenetic editing offers an alternative to reprogram gene functioning long-term, without changing the genetic sequence. Although preclinical studies indicate effective gene expression modulation, long-term effects are unpredictable. This limited understanding of epigenetics and transcription dynamics hampers straightforward applications and prevents full exploitation of epigenetic editing in biotechnological and health/medical applications.Epi-Guide-Edit will analyse existing and newly-generated screening data to predict long-term responsiveness to epigenetic editing (cancer cells, plant protoplasts). Robust rules to achieve long-term epigenetic reprogramming will be distilled based on i) responsiveness to various epigenetic effector domains targeting selected genes, ii) (epi)genetic/chromatin composition before/after editing, and iii) transcription dynamics. Sustained reprogramming will be examined in complex systems (2/3D fibroblast/immune/cancer co-cultures; tomato plants), providing insights for improving tumor/immune responses, skin care or crop breeding. The iterative optimisations of Epi-Guide-Edit rules to non-genetically reprogram eventually any gene of interest will enable exploitation of gene regulation in diverse biological models addressing major societal challenges.The optimally balanced consortium of (applied) universities, ethical and industrial experts facilitates timely socioeconomic impact. Specifically, the developed knowledge/tools will be shared with a wide-spectrum of students/teachers ensuring training of next-generation professionals. Epi-Guide-Edit will thus result in widely applicable effective epigenetic editing tools, whilst training next-generation scientists, and guiding public acceptance.
De melkveehouderij heeft binnen circulaire voedselsystemen als doel een optimalisatie van het gebruik van veelal laagproductieve grond in interactie met productiesystemen van elders, onder andere door het gebruik van reststromen en mest. Een combinatie van ecologische en economische principes is daarbij het uitgangspunt. Nederlandse bedrijven en organisaties hebben veel kennis ontwikkeld voor het managen van bodem-dier-plant relaties die toepasbaar is in circulaire melkveehouderijsystemen. Doel van ‘Nederland Circular Hotspot’ is om de Nederlandse kennis en kunde over duurzame circulaire landbouw te delen met landen met opkomende economieën. Hogeschool van Hall Larenstein (VHL) heeft een langdurig samenwerkingsverband met de Agricultural Development Trust (ADT) in Baramati, Maharashtra, India. Onder andere via het Centre of Excellence voor Dairy, waarin ontwikkelvraagstukken voor de Indiase melkveehouderij onderzocht worden. Eén van de bij het CoE Dairy aangesloten groepen melkveehouders is de Sahiwal-club Maharashtra, die zich richt op versterking van bedrijven met traditionele melkveerassen. In dit project gaat het projectconsortium onderzoeken of en hoe het Nederlandse producten en dienstenpakket bijdraagt aan verdere ontwikkeling van het korte ketenmodel van de Sahiwal-clubleden. Daarbij wordt het lange-termijn perspectief van circulariteit en klimaatbestendigheid als uitgangspunt genomen. In het project werken VHL en ADT samen met WN-Advies, Aequator Groene Ruimte en Dairy Campus. In samenhang met hun netwerk in Nederland verkennen zij de waardepropositie van hun diensten voor circulaire melkveehouderij internationaal, gekoppeld aan de ontwikkelvraagstelling van de Sahiwal-club over melkafzet, dierproductie en grondproductie.
