The focus of this project is on improving the resilience of hospitality Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by enabling them to take advantage of digitalization tools and data analytics in particular. Hospitality SMEs play an important role in their local community but are vulnerable to shifts in demand. Due to a lack of resources (time, finance, and sometimes knowledge), they do not have sufficient access to data analytics tools that are typically available to larger organizations. The purpose of this project is therefore to develop a prototype infrastructure or ecosystem showcasing how Dutch hospitality SMEs can develop their data analytic capability in such a way that they increase their resilience to shifts in demand. The one year exploration period will be used to assess the feasibility of such an infrastructure and will address technological aspects (e.g. kind of technological platform), process aspects (e.g. prerequisites for collaboration such as confidentiality and safety of data), knowledge aspects (e.g. what knowledge of data analytics do SMEs need and through what medium), and organizational aspects (what kind of cooperation form is necessary and how should it be financed).Societal issueIn the Netherlands, hospitality SMEs such as hotels play an important role in local communities, providing employment opportunities, supporting financially or otherwise local social activities and sports teams (Panteia, 2023). Nevertheless, due to their high fixed cost / low variable business model, hospitality SMEs are vulnerable to shifts in consumer demand (Kokkinou, Mitas, et al., 2023; Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, 2023). This risk could be partially mitigated by using data analytics, to gain visibility over demand, and make data-driven decisions regarding allocation of marketing resources, pricing, procurement, etc…. However, this requires investments in technology, processes, and training that are oftentimes (financially) inaccessible to these small SMEs.Benefit for societyThe proposed study touches upon several key enabling technologies First, key enabling technology participation and co-creation lies at the center of this proposal. The premise is that regional hospitality SMEs can achieve more by combining their knowledge and resources. The proposed project therefore aims to give diverse stakeholders the means and opportunity to collaborate, learn from each other, and work together on a prototype collaboration. The proposed study thereby also contributes to developing knowledge with and for entrepreneurs and to digitalization of the tourism and hospitality sector.Collaborative partnersHZ University of Applied Sciences, Hotel Hulst, Hotel/Restaurant de Belgische Loodsensociëteit, Hotel Zilt, DM Hotels, Hotel Charley's, Juyo Analytics, Impuls Zeeland.
Many lithographically created optical components, such as photonic crystals, require the creation of periodically repeated structures [1]. The optical properties depend critically on the consistency of the shape and periodicity of the repeated structure. At the same time, the structure and its period may be similar to, or substantially below that of the optical diffraction limit, making inspection with optical microscopy difficult. Inspection tools must be able to scan an entire wafer (300 mm diameter), and identify wafers that fail to meet specifications rapidly. However, high resolution, and high throughput are often difficult to achieve simultaneously, and a compromise must be made. TeraNova is developing an optical inspection tool that can rapidly image features on wafers. Their product relies on (a) knowledge of what the features should be, and (b) a detailed and accurate model of light diffraction from the wafer surface. This combination allows deviations from features to be identified by modifying the model of the surface features until the calculated diffraction pattern matches the observed pattern. This form of microscopy—known as Fourier microscopy—has the potential to be very rapid and highly accurate. However, the solver, which calculates the wafer features from the diffraction pattern, must be very rapid and precise. To achieve this, a hardware solver will be implemented. The hardware solver must be combined with mechatronic tracking of the absolute wafer position, requiring the automatic identification of fiduciary markers. Finally, the problem of computer obsolescence in instrumentation (resulting in security weaknesses) will also be addressed by combining the digital hardware and software into a system-on-a-chip (SoC) to provide a powerful, yet secure operating environment for the microscope software.
“Authentieke Vanille uit de kas” richt zich op het ontwikkelen van producten en praktische richtlijnen voor glastelers voor een hogere opbrengst van in de kas geteelde Vanillepeulen uit gezonde planten met meer Vanille en een authentieke geur en smaak. Het hiervoor benodigde onderzoek staat onder leiding van het lectoraat Biodiversiteit en Generade, het Center of Expertise Genomics van Hogeschool Leiden. In het project participeren kennisinstellingen, MKB-bedrijven uit de tuinbouw en bedrijven met expertise in chemie, bodemverbetering en genomics. Het project bestaat uit vier deelonderzoeken: 1. Het bestuivingsonderzoek richt zich op ontwikkeling van een instrument voor optimale overdracht van pollen in Vanillebloemen. 2. Een inventarisatie van het microbioom in Vanilleplanten en -peulen in het wild uit het regenwoud in Costa Rica, plantages op Reunion en Nederlandse kassen zal meer inzicht geven in de correlatie tussen de samenstelling van deze microben en het Vanillegehalte van de peulen en hun lokale geur en smaak. De inventarisatie zal gedaan worden met Next Generation DNA metabarcoding van markers ontwikkeld voor schimmels en bacterieen. 3. Daarnaast richt het onderzoek zich op de fermentatie van de Vanillepeul. Er zal worden onderzocht welke combinatie van microben leidt tot productie van een zo hoog mogelijk gehalte aan precursors van Vanille in groene peulen en een authentieke geur en smaak. Dit wordt gedaan met een combinatie van experimenteel teeltonderzoek en chemische analyses. 4. Momenteel wordt aantasting door schimmels en virussen in de kas met de hand verwijderd. Deze behandeling is kostbaar maar voor biologische teelt de enige optie. Een vierde pijler van het onderzoek zal daarom gericht zijn op de verbetering van het substraat. Met behulp van experimenteel onderzoek zal worden nagegaan welke mix aan microben in het substraat nodig is voor bescherming tegen aantasting door kwaadaardige schimmels.
Lectoraat, onderdeel van NHL Stenden Hogeschool
