Educational institutes in Groningen to work together on deep underground, earthquake-resistant construction and infrastructure

Thursday 20 February saw the Alfa-college regional training centre, Hanze University of Applied Sciences and the University of Groningen sign an agreement in which they undertook to work together on deep underground, earthquake-resistant construction and infrastructure (Samenwerking diepe ondergrond, bevingsbestendige bouw en infrastructuur). The three educational institutions have decided to work together on the same aims , to meet a common key objective: to draw up and implement an independent, interdisciplinary strategy for developing, sharing and applying practical knowledge of deep underground, earthquake-resistant construction and infrastructure in the North East region of Groningen.

The University of Groningen is taking part in the collaboration via the Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen ( ESRIG) . ‘We are happy to contribute our specialist knowledge and skills’, said Sibrand Poppema, President of the Board of the University. The collaboration between the college for senior secondary vocational education, the University of Applied Science and the University itself will ultimately result in the EPI Centre North-Netherlands, a knowledge platform based at the Alfa-college.

Earthquake-resistant construction

Engel Antonides, Chair of the Executive Board of the Alfa-college, introduced the idea of specializing in earthquake-resistant construction and infrastructure in technical senior secondary vocational education in the North via ‘Van Beving naar Binding’ [From Quake to Cooperative], a symposium organized to explore the implications of gas drilling and earthquakes on the future of construction in Groningen . He gained support from various parties, including NAM, Arcadis, Bouwend Nederland, Hanze University of Applied Sciences and the University of Groningen. ‘Our joint aim is to train professionals who will be able to make long-term repairs to homes and buildings, and prevent further damage both now and in the future’, said Antonides.

Han de Ruiter, member of the Executive Board of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences: ‘Hanze University feels confident that it can contribute to the collaboration via the Academy for Architecture, Construction & Civil Engineering and the NoorderRuimte Centre of Applied Research and Innovation.’