On Wednesday 21 June, Mr Eugene Rhuggenaath (Prime Minister of Curacao) and Wim Nagtegaal signed a pioneering Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of TNO in the presence of Prime Minister Rutte. Curaçao and TNO will jointly address a number of issues in the area of the transition to sustainable energy, spatial planning, mobility and traffic safety.
The most eye-catching program is a 'Digital Twin'. This virtual copy of Curaçao is used to gain insight into the current situation and the effects of possible (policy) scenarios. As a result, results from simulations and models are made fully available for the purpose of improving decision-making on complex (spatial) issues.
In all projects we jointly build up knowledge to increase the sustainable quality of the living environment. By applying the accumulated knowledge on the island and exporting it to the region, we are building together sustainable, accessible, healthy and economically viable Curaçao. The Caribbean Office of TNO (based in Aruba) will play a crucial role in the research projects. The topics are substantive both within the domain of unit Traffic & Transport and that of TNO Caribbean, so that we also celebrate a nice collaboration in our own organization thanks to this MoU.
We will use the Digital Twin results, for example, to provide insight into the effects of a new set-up of bus transport, including Mobility on Demand for certain times, certain areas and specific target groups. In addition to investigating the way in which bus transport is organized, we will use the Digital Twin to investigate how electric bus transport can be introduced on Curaçao. The various providers of public transport can then provide a better service to the travelers.
With a view to the quality of life and the transition to sustainable energy, a 'pilot Green' will be set up. This pilot project will investigate how an optimal livable and sustainable living environment can be achieved by means of a combination of new, sustainable technology for energy, water and waste and smart spatial planning. The successes from this pilot are used to scale up to the rest of the island and to the region.
Finally, we will focus on projects that will increase road safety. Including research into 'right-hand-drive', road marking and a pilot with automatic cars.