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Floriade Expo 2022: continuing the conversation on water, energy and food

The global demand for food is expected to more than double by 2050. Currently, as much of 70% of water and 30% of electricity usage worldwide goes towards food production. As the global water and energy demand are also projected to rise by 55 and 60% respectively, we find ourselves confronted with an untenable situation. In the future the majority of people will live in urban areas, meaning cities in particular need to step up their game. The WEF-nexus conference at Floriade Expo 2022 aims to explore how cities can unite water, energy and food.

Let the games begin! Invictus Games 2020

The 5th edition of the Invictus Games is off to a start in the Netherlands! The Invictus Games is an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick service persons, both serving and veteran. After a two-year delay, the games are all set to go ahead in The Hague. Over the course of a week, 500 differently-abled competitors from 20 countries are ready to participate at various locations around the city. You can catch all the action live from 16-22 April 2022.

Poland mission

The economic ties between Poland and the Netherlands are booming. Exports and investments between the two countries are also rapidly growing. And that is not without reason. Together, we face the same challenges: growing mobility, CO2 emissions and climate change driving the transition to the use of renewable energy - made even more urgent by recent geopolitical developments. Across these areas, the Netherlands is cooperating closely with Polish organisations, the Polish government and our Polish partners. With Poland seeking to develop their offshore wind value chain, the Netherlands can support their mission through knowledge and expertise exchange. Learn more about the Netherlands' mission to Poland in the mission booklet below.

Belgium mission: building a circular sustainable future together

On 19 and 20 May 2022, Dutch entrepreneurs will join a knowledge exchange mission to neighbouring Belgium with a focus on sustainable, circular and biobased solutions within the infrastructure construction and built environment sectors. This high-level mission is led by the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemacher and the Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen.

High-tech innovations that transform lives

We may not always be aware of it, but a revolution is taking place in our lifetime. High-tech solutions are often out of sight, but they are finding their way into our daily lives. Take semiconductors, few of us know exactly what they are, but already they are actually part of 70 percent of consumer appliances.

Biomass India: from agricultural waste to valuable resource

Winter in northern India. A thick blanket of smoke covers the land. This is when farmers burn paddy or rice straw, a by-product of rice cultivation. India, the world’s second-largest producer of rice, is sitting on a mountain of raw material, without realistic options to cash in on it. So each year, farmers burn around 90 million tons of rice straw, releasing a considerable amount of C02 in the process. Under the guidance of NL Works, Indian and Dutch public and private organisations have created the Biomass India consortium to convert this waste into climate-positive products.

Floriade 2022 – Green solutions for urban challenges

We are on the verge of great transitions. Climate change, food security and decreasing biodiversity — all require our immediate attention. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 10 billion people, driving up demand for scarce resources such as water, energy and food. More than two-thirds of this population will live in urban areas. How can we make cities more healthy, liveable and sustainable in the future? And how can the Netherlands help?