Locating the Fieldlabs

Locating the Fieldlabs: An exploratory research on the spatial conditions of the Dutch Smart Industry’s 4.0 fieldlabs

Kolovou, Vivi (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)

Ersoy, Aksel (mentor)
Spaans, Marjolein (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Management in the Built Environment

2020-06-30

The new industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, is already emerging as also the challenges that will arise with its actual implementation. Industry 4.0 is new reality, but it hasn’t been yet fully developed. As a result, there isn’t enough practical knowledge on what will affect the location of the new industries. In order to meet the changes of Industry 4.0, the Netherlands developed an agenda under the name “Smart Industry” with various actions for promoting it, and one of them are the “Fieldlabs”. Fieldlabs are practical experimental environments for innovation, created by multiple actors in which they cooperate in order to succeed in implementing innovative projects in the industrial sector. These fieldlabs are annually multiplied in the Netherlands and can affect the relations of the urban fabric, since people from knowledge institutions, companies and governmental authorities cooperate and co-work in them. The goal of this report is to investigate if and which spatial conditions have an impact on the location choice of these fieldlabs. In order to do this the location factors affecting the fieldlabs will be researched. These location factors are gathered, analyzed and tested on different types of fieldlabs. A literature review on the concepts, will be held together with surveys and case studies in order to approach methodically the goal of this master thesis. Semi-structured interviews with representatives of the fieldlabs are conducted for analyzing better the case studies and getting more useful insights. As an outcome, the main research question is answered and concluded into the location factors that influence the location choice of the Dutch Industry 4.0 fieldlabs. The three main factors are; the core stakeholders and the scope of the fieldlab, from an organizational point of view; the financial power of the fieldlab from an organizational point of view, that translates to dependency on available location; and the network of partners of the fieldlab from a spatial point of view, since it drives the fieldlab to be located in the relevant locations that the network is situated. This research is also including a plan approach with spatial guidelines for supporting the future fieldlabs selecting their ideal location and the cities in order to organize them better, as also relative guidelines for policymakers in order to gain the maximum experience out of the generation of fieldlabs for the future spatial planning.

Fieldlabs
Network
Smart Industry
Industry 4.0
Location Factors
Triple Helix

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ed4d761c-8c76-413a-9899-34ee53fcbeca

Student theses

master thesis

© 2020 Vivi Kolovou