Nibs

The minister announced her decision in conjunction with a presentation that TU Delft’s Superbus management team of Professor Wubbo Ockels (general director), Joris Melkert (project manager) and Dr. Antonia Terzi (chief of vehicle design), gave to the minister and her staff last week. The minister has allocated a 7 million euro grant to the program for the execution of the first ‘step’. The experimental model will demonstrate that it can safely achieve a speed of 250 km/ph. The minister expressed her deep satisfaction with the Superbus as an innovation: “Superbus is one of the few real innovations that I know of in public transport.” She also said she envisioned important spin-offs from this developmental project that could possibly be used for other modes of transport, such as lightweight constructions, accurate navigation (Galileo) and anti-collision radar.
Techno-starters

During the finals of New Venture, two start-up businesses in Delft won the first prizes. Two prizes were also won by Delft entrepreneurs. New Venture is a business plan competition for start-up businesses that awards a total of 85,000 euro in prize money. Of the ten finalists, seven were from Delft. Multifaceted entrepreneur Bert Twaalfhoven awarded the prizes. The TU Delft spin-off companies TANIQ and Ampelmann won the first prize of 25,000 euro. TANIQ uses an innovative fiber technology to develop Airsprings made of composite materials. Ampelmann produces a stabilized platform that people can use to safely step from a boat onto an offshore installation. Incentive prizes worth 5,000 euro each were awarded to Delft starters SmartFins and Delft Dynamics. SmartFins produces a flexible fin for boats and surfboards, and Delft Dynamics is developing a Robot helicopter that can fly unmanned. Three of the four prize winners adhered to the YES!Delft Formula.
Fatal accident

Following the tragic death of Ylva de Haan, the 58-year old staff member of TU Delft’s Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences who died last week after being struck by a cement truck at the intersection of the Mekelweg and De Cornelis Drebbelweg, TU Delft has imposed a new set of regulations for the intersection where the accident occurred. The TU has put up red signs to denote that a number of parking places have been closed. For those searching for a parking place on the Mekelweg, it is no longer permitted to park at the intersection with the Cornelis Drebbelweg. The parking places located next to the gas station are closed. It is still permitted to park on the other side of the street, near the Electrical Engineering Faculty building. Parking places have also been closed at the intersection with the Landbergstraat and de Balthasar van der Polweg. The intersection of the Cornelis Drebbelweg and the Mekelweg has long been a problem spot, with accidents between cyclists and cars occurring regularly.
Tommy Wieringa

Tommy ‘Joe Speedboot’ Wieringa will be TU Delft’s next guest writer. TU Delft rector Jacob Fokkema said Wiergina is a “writer who has much interaction with modern times and the youth of today.” Wieringa will focus his attention on the social responsibility of engineers, although the exact theme of his guest writership is still unknown. Wieringa’s best-selling book, ‘Joe Speedboat’, is about a group of boys who build an airplane in order to watch the mother of a classmate sunbathing naked in her garden.
Help wanted

Part-time jobs available writing for Delta’s English Page, starting next academic year (August/September). We seek foreign students/staff to write articles in English, for payment, on a freelance basis. No experience necessary. We’re looking for enthusiastic, creative foreign students/staff to contribute articles, cartoons, illustrations, photographs. Interested, please send a brief introductory email to: d.mcmullin@tudelft.nl

Superbus

Minister Karla Peijs of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management has decided to award a 7 million euro grant to TU Delft for the design and construction of an experimental demonstration model of the Superbus. The minister announced her decision in conjunction with a presentation that TU Delft’s Superbus management team of Professor Wubbo Ockels (general director), Joris Melkert (project manager) and Dr. Antonia Terzi (chief of vehicle design), gave to the minister and her staff last week. The minister has allocated a 7 million euro grant to the program for the execution of the first ‘step’. The experimental model will demonstrate that it can safely achieve a speed of 250 km/ph. The minister expressed her deep satisfaction with the Superbus as an innovation: “Superbus is one of the few real innovations that I know of in public transport.” She also said she envisioned important spin-offs from this developmental project that could possibly be used for other modes of transport, such as lightweight constructions, accurate navigation (Galileo) and anti-collision radar.
Techno-starters

During the finals of New Venture, two start-up businesses in Delft won the first prizes. Two prizes were also won by Delft entrepreneurs. New Venture is a business plan competition for start-up businesses that awards a total of 85,000 euro in prize money. Of the ten finalists, seven were from Delft. Multifaceted entrepreneur Bert Twaalfhoven awarded the prizes. The TU Delft spin-off companies TANIQ and Ampelmann won the first prize of 25,000 euro. TANIQ uses an innovative fiber technology to develop Airsprings made of composite materials. Ampelmann produces a stabilized platform that people can use to safely step from a boat onto an offshore installation. Incentive prizes worth 5,000 euro each were awarded to Delft starters SmartFins and Delft Dynamics. SmartFins produces a flexible fin for boats and surfboards, and Delft Dynamics is developing a Robot helicopter that can fly unmanned. Three of the four prize winners adhered to the YES!Delft Formula.
Fatal accident

Following the tragic death of Ylva de Haan, the 58-year old staff member of TU Delft’s Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences who died last week after being struck by a cement truck at the intersection of the Mekelweg and De Cornelis Drebbelweg, TU Delft has imposed a new set of regulations for the intersection where the accident occurred. The TU has put up red signs to denote that a number of parking places have been closed. For those searching for a parking place on the Mekelweg, it is no longer permitted to park at the intersection with the Cornelis Drebbelweg. The parking places located next to the gas station are closed. It is still permitted to park on the other side of the street, near the Electrical Engineering Faculty building. Parking places have also been closed at the intersection with the Landbergstraat and de Balthasar van der Polweg. The intersection of the Cornelis Drebbelweg and the Mekelweg has long been a problem spot, with accidents between cyclists and cars occurring regularly.
Tommy Wieringa

Tommy ‘Joe Speedboot’ Wieringa will be TU Delft’s next guest writer. TU Delft rector Jacob Fokkema said Wiergina is a “writer who has much interaction with modern times and the youth of today.” Wieringa will focus his attention on the social responsibility of engineers, although the exact theme of his guest writership is still unknown. Wieringa’s best-selling book, ‘Joe Speedboat’, is about a group of boys who build an airplane in order to watch the mother of a classmate sunbathing naked in her garden.
Help wanted

Part-time jobs available writing for Delta’s English Page, starting next academic year (August/September). We seek foreign students/staff to write articles in English, for payment, on a freelance basis. No experience necessary. We’re looking for enthusiastic, creative foreign students/staff to contribute articles, cartoons, illustrations, photographs. Interested, please send a brief introductory email to: d.mcmullin@tudelft.nl