Jeffrey Ros

You could say that I'm a "sustainability student", if such a thing exists. Sustainability has become a very broad term, but it has been one of the most influencing words throughout my nearly ending years of studying at TU Delft. That being said, what you can definitely say about me is that I am a gamer. I love playing video games in the periods of time that I can relax.  Unfortunately for me

Willie Wortels unite! Last week, me and some thirty-odd other students went to Texel in order to finalize our vision on a sustainable Texel in 2065. Our aim was to present this vision about what Texel would look like in 2065 and how inhabitants and tourists would live and interact with Texel by that time. Of course we were not there just to tell the Texelers that there is a chance that by that…

a forecast of the transition to a sustainable personal life on Texel in 2065 (have a look at the video/visuals) a general overview of the sustainable island in 2065, and possible transition pathways (report) an impression of  the development of island tourism 2015-2065 (view the documentary)

Accommodate community Linkages: The tourist industry has such a huge impact on the Island by doubling the amount of inhabitants during the summer months, that it could be attractive for entrepreneurs to combine a sustainable showcase with tourist visits. This group's pathways describe an increasing amount of tourism during low season, which would make the island more attractive for entrepreneurs…

In this chapter we will summarize the main findings of each of the chapters' analyses as well as the proposed design for the future system. Chapter 1: Exploring the entrepreneurship subsystem In chapter 1, a very thorough theoretical analyses of the entrepreneurship subsystem was done, looking at 4 different domains interacting with the entrepreneurs (policy, market, culture and finance & support…

This chapter will summarize all the main concepts that were already discussed in our report, which will function as starting point for the bubble week and the field research in Texel. For such, questions remaining to answer were defined as well as expectations and possible tensions with other research groups, working on other topics regarding future self-sufficient Texel.  

Ely, A., Smith, A., Stirling, A., Leach, M. and Scoones, I. (2013). Innovation politics post-Rio+20: hybrid pathways to sustainability?. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 31(6), pp.1063-1081. Maartens, A. (2015). Lecture 3.12.2015 on Urgenda. TU Delft Texelse Courant (n.a.) Texelse Courant. Retrieved on 10.12.2015 from http://www.texelsecourant.nl Verbong, G. and Geels, F. (2010).

  By mapping the picture of the entrepreneurism in the Texel we identified two possible pathways leading from the current state towards sustainable entrepreneurship. We call these two scenarios: “business path” and “hippie path”. These two scenarios varies in the actors, that need to be involved and who need to be the triggers of the change- different blacksmiths are defined. Both of them are…

To begin writing this paragraph, it’s essential to remind what both our current state and our desired future look like. All this regarding the subsystem of sustainable entrepreneurship and the main actors that play in it. The innovative technological solution that follows is just one of multiple possible scenario’s, which in our opinion enables a sustainable transition both system wise and in…

The technological innovations in last decades went forward enormously and it is a necessity for a business to keep up with such changes. The role of the internet as a presence medium will become increasingly important, as it opens up many new possibilities to improve business, supply chains, etc. Also, the utilization of “apps” on mobile phones or tablets will become increasingly interesting way…

Pathways to sustainability, not just technology-based! In their paper, Verbong and Geels (2010) discuss potential transition pathways for the current electricity system. The framework that was applied mainly empathises the inclusion of social dynamics and contexts, rather than simply technological pathways. This absence of social aspects is one of their main criticisms on earlier transition…

In this chapter two pathways of how to reach the sustainable future Texel are discussed and combined. For designing the pathways, the trends already described in chapter 3 were of a great relevance and basically led the way of designing. Several important concepts of the future subsystem were already stressed out in our report. These are: sustainability awareness of entrepreneurs and customers…

ASN Bank (2015. Hoe we idealen waarmaken. Retrieved on 1.12.2015 from https://www.asnbank.nl/algemeen/duurzaamheid/hoe-we-idealen-waarmaken.html?projectId=107 Berlau, J. (2014). Crowdfunding Is Entrepreneurship's History and its Future. Competitive Entreprise Institute. Retrieved on 1.12.2015 from https://cei.org/blog/crowdfunding-entrepreneurship’s-history-and-its-future Bhardwaj, B.R.

Now that we’ve discussed global trends and initiatives, it’s time to shift our focus towards Texel and to find out what potential there is for implementation on the island. Which of these ideas can we describe as plausible for integration on Texel or might already be happening as we speak. And which proposals are unsuitable for Texel and most importantly, why? In the case of green banking , we…

Within the sub-system of sustainable entrepreneurship, several trends and initiatives regarding sustainable development operate on both small and large scale, trying to find ways to establish themselves in their direct context. These trends and initiatives usually have proven themselves on small scale in pilot projects or small sustainable communities and are therefore interesting for actors with…

Walker et al. (2011) found that previous literature and frameworks on social response to renewable energy projects did not present a satisfactory representation of the processes, dynamics and interactions involved. Figure 3.1 shows the framework that they devised as a result, giving a conceptual overview of the elements and processes involved in shaping the interactions that take place between…

Transitions are not just about technology. For a transition towards a sustainable future, people will have to interact, engage and ultimately, accept that change is inevitable. As already described in the previous chapters, the entrepreneurial system consists of many involved actors in the value chain. These not only interact among each other in a certain way, but their interactions are developed…

In general a lot has already been written about variable enterprises in rural areas,  mostly in tourism hot spots or locations in relative proximity of city-regions. However, there is not much known about a specific environment as an island, which with its remote geographies generate different, additional and exaggerated challenges. Many examples around Europe show that enterprises can be…

ASN Bank (2015). Voor de wereld van morgen. Retrieved on 6.1.2016 from https://www.asnbank.nl/particulier/home.html Brown, K.W.; Kasser, T. (2005). Are psychological and ecological well-being compatible? The role of values, mindfulness, and lifestyle. Soc. Indicators Res. 2005, 74, 349–368. Chiras, D.D. (2011). Environmental Science; Jones & Bartlett Learning: Sudbury, Canada   de Zelfpluktuin…

The overall aim should be to create an environment where all the actors involved believe in the importance of sustainability and also making sustainability financially feasible and desirable. We believe that entrepreneurs play a key role in that regard, because many new great technologies and ideas will have to be implemented on the way. Several important concepts of the future subsystem were…

Future sustainable entrepreneurism is a fascinating system to focus on as it seems that the world is now on the threshold of a huge environmental focussed period regarding regulations from the EU, acknowledgment of global warming and sustainable technical innovation. But what does this mean for the daily life of sustainable entrepreneurism and the actors which operate within in? In the next part

stakeholder value chain A stakeholder is any party connected or affected by the company's actions. There are two types of value chains: internal, meaning the organisation of the company itself, and external, which describes the interaction with other parties. The external value chain usually includes consumers, government, lobbying organisations and financial institutions. Managing the external…

sustainability and well-being Texel aims to achieve full self-sufficiency in 2065. In order to achieve an effective transition to a sustainable society, it is important that, next to having technological and policy developments, individuals change their behavioural patterns to reduce their environmental impact (Chiras, 2011). However, this is not so easily done, as people generally tend to think…

Turning sustainable is not just about implementing the right technologies. There are other factors at play as well; social factors, for instance. Creating a sustainable mindset among people is also an important aspect. A lot can be gained by promoting and adopting a more pro-environmental lifestyle. However, how does one engage people into adopting such a lifestyle? Some people believe that…

Traditionally much attention was focused on the established corporations which, because of their corporate social responsibility, already often try to behave environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint; often to increase their corporate social responsibility and thus increase the profit. However, such large organisations also lack flexibility and an often necessary culture to be…

A system or sub-system may be seen as closed-loop chain with well-defined boundaries, interrelations and actors. A sub-system per se could be for example waste, transport, water, food, etc; with taking into account that various systems tend to overlap with each other. Entrepreneurs function as key actors in many of such sub-systems. However, entrepreneurship itself operates within its own sub

Ing. Esther Blom lecturer Sustainable Entrepreneurship TU Delft Questions Sustainable entrepreneurship How would you personally define “sustainable entrepreneurship”? When would you consider entrepreneurship NOT to be sustainable? Could you give an example? Can you think of any important boundary conditions for sustainable entrepreneurship? If any, what do you think are currently the most…

INTERVIEW 1 Dídac Trubat Ponti Design & Innovation Smart | Dairy Questions What type of enterprise is your company and what is the company's business? How did you search for funding of your projects? Are there any other ways of attaining the initial capital for a starting project? How would you define “sustainable entrepreneurship”? What are the main trends regarding “sustainability” in…

For our field research, we decided that we would like to cover as many aspects of entrepreneurship as we can, because it is quite difficult to get a good insight in the local business while not being actually present at Texel. For this reason, we address similar questions as those which we have addressed in our report and which we already looked through by gathering the written data. However, now…

For our field research, we decided that we would like to cover as many aspects of entrepreneurship as we can, because it is quite difficult to get a good insight in the local business while not being actually present at Texel. For this reason, we address similar questions as those which we have addressed in our report and which we already looked through by gathering the written data. However, now…

In the literature, technological transitions are explained using a variety of theoretical frameworks. In this section, three of the most commonly used frameworks will be briefly discussed: the multilevel perspective, strategic niche management and transition management. The multilevel perspective The multilevel perspective (MLP) (Geels, 2002) describes a socio-technical system as a three-layered…

The discussion about necessity of sustainability started already back in 1987, when the Brudtland Commission (1987) defined the well-known definition of sustainability: “Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”. Through its vagueness, this definition enhances the complexity of the…

Didac Trubat Ponti Design & Innovation Smart  | Dairy interview questions What type of enterprise your company is and what is the company's business? How did you search for funding of your projects and are there any other ways of attaining the initial capital for a starting project? How would you define “sustainable entrepreneurship”? What are the main trends regarding “sustainability” in…

Apart from the strategy design and analysing the problem, several interviews with experts were conducted throughout the semester in order to gain more insight into the concept of sustainable entrepreneurship. 

A short while ago, the Delft Energy Club organized a Master Class on ocean energy. The Delft Energy Club is a student-run platform with energy as its core business. They strive to contribute in the transition towards sustainable energy by connecting students, academics and professionals. This particular event was one of many that they organized, and this time I was there to see what the ocean has…

I am moving to a new home. And since I live at my parents, that means I will have to buy a lot of new stuff: A bed, new furniture, a washing machine, you name it. Of course, the most elementary thing to have in any household would be the refrigerator. Like any student with a limited budget, my first idea was to look for a cheap second-hand fridge. When I told my thesis supervisor about this, he…

  Muddling through climate change They are at it again. The twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) (simultaneously the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP)) takes place from 30 November until 11 December 2015, in Paris, France. Will they finally make some tangible and binding agreements to prevent…

Today I found out that one of our government parties has collaborated with an opposition party in order to create a new "climate enactment". This new enactment forces future governments to compose a yearly climate budget, which includes plans on how to achieve climate targets that are also set in this enactment. As is usual within politics, there are parties with arguments for and against this…

"Why do we see so few electric cars on our streets today in spite of the overwhelming positive views on them?" This is the very first sentence that I read while diving into the mandatory literature that I have to read for my course "Engineering for Sustainable Development". And instantly I realize that it hits the spot about why I'd like to become a sustainable engineer. During my bachelor period