Launch of the Call for Innovation
In February 2020, the World Bank Group launched a Call for Innovation under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management (WACA) Program in order to find innovative solutions, ideas and contracts that can lead to the development of sustainable ports. The call focused on coastal degradation in West Africa and sought innovative engineering, management, and Public-Private Partnership ideas. It particular, it looked at how large commercial ports affect sediment movements and coastal erosion.
Nomination of a Dutch jury member by NWP
As part of our collaboration with the World Bank, the Netherlnads Water Partnership (NWP) was asked to nominate a Dutch jury member, who is an expert in the field of coastal engineering. NWP nominated Klaas Jan Bos of Van Oord from among its members to sit on the jury during the Call for Innovation Demo Day and Award Ceremony. Other jury members included high-level directors from the World Bank and experts from other partner organisations such as the former Tony Elumelu Foundation’s Director and the Secretary General of the West Africa Port Management Association.
Demo day and award ceremony
The two-day global event, consisting of a Demo Day on 17 November and an Award Ceremony on 18 November 2020, was hosted by the World Bank to select and announce the winners of the call. The five shortlisted competitors presented their proposals to the jury during the Award Ceremony. The Dutch water sector was well represented among them and included Deltares, HKV, Royal IHC, Van den Herik Sliedrecht, Witteveen+Bos and Raadgevende Ingenieurs B.V. As for the winners, both the first and third places were won by Dutch consortia. The second place went to a consortium that included NWP member Deltares.
The first place was won by NWP members HKV & IHE Delft with their innovative WAC-APP that explores the impacts of coastal interventions. The team was awarded USD 30,000 to bring their idea to the next stage.
The second place was won by a consortium comprising Egis, Deltares, and Finance For Impact with its Trans-Sand: Transnational Bypassing Scheme funded by a public-private dredging fund. The team was awarded USD 20,000 to bring their idea to the next stage.
The third place was won by a consortium comprising Witteveen+Bos, CDR International, Boskalis, PENAf, Wetlands International working on SA-PoD, a systems approach for port development. The team was awarded USD 10,000 to bring their idea to the next stage.
NWP would like to congratulate all the Dutch winners. For us, it is more than clear that, yet again, NWP members are on the path to having a global water impact.
