Background: Twinning collaborations, where two groups — from educational institutions, hospitals or towns — work together cross-culturally on joint goals, are increasingly common worldwide. Pairing up individuals, so-called twin pairs, is thought to contribute to successful collaboration in twinning projects, but as yet, there is no empirical evidence or theory that offers insight into the value of the pair relationship for twinning. Aim: To explore the contribution of one-to-one relationships between twins to twinning projects, as exemplified in projects between Dutch and Moroccan, and Dutch and Sierra Leone midwives. Methods: We conducted thirteen in-depth interviews with midwives from two twinning collaborations. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using an iterative, grounded theory process, yielding a theoretical understanding of one-to-one twinning relationships for twinning collaborations. Findings: Participant comments fell into four substantive categories: 1) Being named a twin, 2) moving beyond culture to the personal level, 3) searching for common ground to engage, 4) going above and beyond the twinning collaboration. Their interplay demonstrates the value of twin pairs in paving the way for successful twinning. Discussion: A complex combination of contextual inequities, personality, and cultural differences affect the twin relationship. Trusting relationships promote effective collaboration, however, as ‘trust’ cannot be mandated, it must be built by coaching twins in personal flexibility and (cultural) communication. Conclusion: By offering original insights into the ways twinning relationships are built, our research explores how twin pairs can enhance the success of twinning projects.
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Posterpresentatie die een introductie geeft in het onderzoek: "Hoe kan ontwikkelingsgerichte evaluatie een bijdrage leveren aan verduurzaming van DBE waarbij recht gedaan wordt aan kenmerkende aspecten van DBE als onderwijsconcept."
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In this article we look at the various paths taken by transnational and domestic entrepreneurs based on their education and work experience. These act as catalysts for skills that allow migrant entrepreneurs to better position themselves in different markets. Differences in migrant entrepreneurs allow us to better understand the strategies employed and the consequences for society and the economy at both domestic and transnational levels. Earlier research has extensively analysed individual characteristics of migrant entrepreneurs and, to a much lesser extent, the geographical nature of their business activities.This article addresses this gap by looking at the geographical orientation of migrant entrepreneurs’ businesses. The research question is as follows: In what ways are transnational or domestic activities of Moroccan migrant entrepreneurs in the Netherlands and Italy influenced by skills acquired in earlier experiences? We provide empirical evidence on the different paths leading to domestic and transnational activities using a micro-level perspective of the experiences collected in the narratives of first-generation Moroccan migrant entrepreneurs who have migrated to Milan or Amsterdam (N=70).Four different paths combining these two life experiences emerged from the interviews: #1 Job-based, #2 Education-driven, #3 Job-education merger, and #4 By chance (neither education nor work experience). The most relevant paths for migrant entrepreneurs seem to be the first (#1) and third (#3) paths. Furthermore, our findings show that transnationally oriented entrepreneurs have an extended business-oriented education and rely on skills learned, in contrast to domestically oriented entrepreneurs who become entrepreneurs ‘by chance’.
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Airports have undergone a significant digital evolution over the past decades, enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and user-friendliness through various technological advancements. Initially, airports deployed basic IT solutions as support tools, but with the increasing integration of digital systems, understanding the detailed digital ecosystem behind airports has become crucial. This research aims to classify technological maturity in airports, using the access control process as an example to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed taxonomy. The study highlights the current digital ecosystem and its future trends and challenges, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between different levels of technological maturity. The role of biometric technology in security access control is examined, highlighting the importance of proper identification and classification. Future research could explore data collection, privacy, and cybersecurity impacts, particularly regarding biometric technologies in Smart Access Level 4.0. The transition from Smart Access Level 3.0 to 4.0 involves process automation and the introduction of AI, offering opportunities to increase efficiency and improve detection capabilities through advanced data analytics. The study underscores the need for global legislative frameworks to regulate and support these technological advancements.
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''In Nederland zijn ruim 400 bedrijventerreinen met een totaal oppervlak van 112.000 hectaren, ofwel circa 20 procent van het bebouwde gebied. Ze zijn grotendeels verhard, met weinig groen. Daardoor zijn de effecten van klimaatverandering hier vaak groter dan in andere bebouwde gebieden.''
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When my daughter was born eleven years ago, many new worlds opened for me. In addition to the world of diapers and sleepless nights, my use and perception of public space changed. The width of the sidewalk and loose paving stones suddenly became important. First through my walks with the pram and a few years later when my daughter stumbled down the street. In her early years the walk to the local supermarket was a great adventure, because everything was interesting to her: the flowers from the front gardens, the leaves, the twigs of the trees lying in the street, the chains on the yellow fire hydrants, the baker’s shop window, etc. All things that stood out much more at her eye level and stimulated her senses.
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Collaborating with industry partners, the study investigates the use of digital design and robotic technology to optimize the utilization of residual wood. By employing computational design, custom products can be generated from mixed wood batches, enabling circular applications previously unattainable through manual methods. Notably, a reception desk was produced for the Johan Cruyff Arena using over 300 parts of residual hardwood, highlighting market potential for interiors from used wood in hospitality, a sector striving to become more sustainable. The research focuses on developing a smart ‘upcycle wood factory’ powered by Industry 4.0 technologies, integrating automated processing, digital twins for simulation, and a framework for comprehensive impact assessments. This framework facilitates exploration of upcycling opportunities while optimizing economic and environmental outcomes, paving the way for future industrial applications of circular wood solutions.
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Permeable pavements are specifically designed to promote the infiltration of stormwater through the paving surface in order to reduce run-off volumes and to improve water quality by removing sediment and other pollutants. However, research has shown that permeable pavements can become clogged over time and this reduces their infiltration capacity. In order to assess the infiltration of permeable pavements, a variety of infiltration test procedures have been utilised in the past. However, the results have generally been inconsistent, and have shown a large variation in the range of infiltration rates measured. This paper evaluates the performance of two new experimental test methods developed in the Netherlands to more accurately determine the surface infiltration rate of existing permeable pavement installations. The two methods were the falling head full-scale method and the constant head full-scale method. Both of the new methods involved inundating a large area of the pavement in order to determine the infiltration rate through the pavement surface. Double ring infiltrometer tests were also performed to enable a comparison of the results. The study found that the new falling head full-scale testing method produced the most accurate results.
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Designing lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with tailored electrical properties remains a critical challenge for various applications. In this paper we present a novel methodology integrating Machine Learning (ML) and optimization procedures to fine-tune electrical properties in lead-free (1-x) Na0.5 Bi0.5 TiO3 - x CaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics. A comprehensive dataset of dielectric measurements serves as the foundation for training ML models that accurately predict the permittivity (𝜀′) and dielectric loss (tan 𝛿) as functions of Ca2+concentration (x % Ca), temperature and frequency. Two ML techniques are evaluated: random forest regression, and Multi-Layer Perceptron neural network Regression (MLPR). The MLPR model exhibited a superior regression performance, achieving a correlation coefficient of 0.931 and a root mean squared error of 0.029. The MLPR was then optimized by the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) to maximizes 𝜀′ while minimizes tan 𝛿. Within the NSGA-II framework, the optimal values were found at the Pareto curve knee, corresponding to a frequency, temperature, and x % Ca of 609.739 kHz, 398.15 K, and 6.10, respectively, resulting in 𝜀′ equal to 857.87 and tan 𝛿 equal to 0.0120. This approach demonstrates the effectiveness of combining ML andoptimization for designing the electrical properties of piezoelectric ceramics, paving the way for more efficient and targeted material development.
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Intergenerational learning (IGL) has been identified as a viable way to help organizations deal with the problems an ageing worker population brings with it. Information and communications technology (ICT) in its many forms can be utilized to support IGL. This paper investigates the requirements for a game that would help raise stakeholder awareness for IGL, and allow individuals to practice skills related to it. By interviewing members of the European Union (EU)-funded SILVER-project we aim to find out suitable contexts, interventions and mechanisms that allow us to design such a game. Based on the interviews we found out that the game should be easily contextualized so that it works in—or is easily adapted to—different countries and cultures. For example sports or nature could be such contexts. As for mechanisms and interventions we found out that there are many possibilities. We conclude that such a logical combination of mechanisms and interventions that support the selected context must be chosen.
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