On June 18th 2013 the second membership encounter took place of the world’s first Sustainocratic venture known as AiREAS. AiREAS is committed to “human health in relation to (air) environmental quality in cities”. It is based on co-creation, a value driven cooperation between business, science, government and the local population of, in this first case, Eindhoven. If fact all key fragmented puzzle pieces of society take responsibility together for a key issue of sustainable progress. Health in this case in relation to the complexity of a dynamic city and environental symbiosis s.a the quality of the air we breath.

The venture applies state of the art technology together with scientific knowledge on the city’s population and current functional reality, introducing all kinds of innovations that should improve the local environment and human health. The first step was to design in an Intelligent Real Time measurement system (ILM) “to make the invisible visible” throughout the city which is also unique in the world. It measures finedust and ultra fine dust while policy makers and scientists make cross reference analysis between pollution and all kinds of other data. In the process transparant interactive communication process takes place with the population to trigger proactive health related social innovation and entrepreneurship. A new culture should gradually appear in which sustainable progress is as important as the economic development of the region. According the high level expertise in science, business and governance, such combined commitment is unprecedented in the world.

The member’s meeting was about the forthcoming installation of the ILM, the next steps to get into profund analysis phase of all the variables, how to communicate with the city and how to present the values created to the rest of the world?

After the meeting an informal barbecue created a first common view of what level of multidisciplinary expertise had been gathered with a commitment to health. Many others are involved too but could not come to the gathering due to professional or other commitments. Those who were there give you an idea with what multidisciplinary force the “healthy city” ambition is addressed as minor step before up the ambition to “healthy planet”.

Membership AiREAS

On the picture:

Local government:

• Edwin Weijtmans (Province, air quality policy)
• Hans Verhoeven (City of Eindhoven, environmental policy)
• Sandra van der Sterren (City of Eindhoven, air quality specialist)

Multinational business, technological innovation:

• Marco van Lochem (Director Imtech) – Marco is also partner initiator AiREAS
• Ronald Wolf (Director Philips Research)
• Carlo Wolff (Imtech – cross reference database specialist)
• Rene Otjes (Program manager at ECN)
• Ernie Weijers (ECN)

Scientific research:

• Nicolas Hamm –  scientific researcher Geo-climate and allergies – Univ Twente
• Gerard Hoek – scientific researcher lung issues around ultra fine dust – Univ Utrecht
• Rene de Groot – medic and researcher heart and vascular around fine dust – Univ Amsterdam

Civilian initiatives present:

• Wen Spelbrink – Environmental Defense and policy influencer
• Rianne van der Zanden – Social Media
• Debbie Langelaan – Journalist and writer, AiREAS website
• Koen Kneppens – regional entrepreneurship
• Nicolette Meeder – schools and education
• Jean-Paul Close – creator of Sustainocracy and initiator of AIREAS

Also present during the encounter were partners and children of the team.

Formal cooperative memberships of all parties gave been signed for 3 to 5 years. In Juli 2013 the ILM will be installed and real time dat will be collected for cross referencing with other data for scientific research. Meanwhile 220.000 of the local population are gradually being involved through initiatives around living green, mobility, energy cooperations, awareness games, etc. This is sustainocracy in action.