Amsterdam InChange

Met trots presenteren we het jaarverslag 2024 van Amsterdam InChange!

We kijken terug op een bijzonder jaar waarin we niet alleen onze programmaonderdelen verder hebben versterkt, maar ook succesvol de transitie hebben gemaakt naar onze nieuwe naam en branding. Daarnaast hebben we nieuwe vraagstukken opgepakt en onze Challenge-aanpak verder ontwikkeld — lerend door te doen, samen met onze partners.

Het samenstellen van dit verslag is elk jaar weer een feest. De verzamelde Challenges en bijgevoegde verslagen laten zien hoe we samen bouwen aan een rijke, diverse broedplaats: een tussenruimte waar innovatie tot bloei komt.

In dit jaarverslag lees je meer over de Challenges van afgelopen jaar, de events die we organiseerden, en de thema’s die we als netwerk verkenden tijdens kennissessies, werksessies, deepdives en Data Dilemma’s.

Hieronder vind je alvast de highlights. Wil je meer weten? Lees dan hier het volledige jaarverslag 2024.

Highlights

• Nieuwe naam en branding gelanceerd: De officiële introductie van onze nieuwe naam Amsterdam InChange, samen met vernieuwde branding en een frisse visie voor de toekomst.
• 15-jarig jubileum: Ons 15-jarig bestaan gevierd in Ruigoord, samen met ons partnernetwerk en community leden.
• ATELIER verbonden aan ons netwerk: Het Europese ATELIER-project is officieel opgenomen in het netwerk van Amsterdam InChange.
• Mentorstad op internationaal niveau: Een fysiek internationaal programma gehost als onderdeel van het ICC Programma, waarin we onze rol als mentorstad hebben versterkt.
• Challenges opgepakt: Naast diverse andere vraagstukken hebben we ons structureel gericht op belangrijke thema’s zoals mobiliteitsrechtvaardigheid, zero-emissiezones, laadpleinen, circulaire laadinfrastructuur, de coöperatieve metropool, de ondergrond en nutshubs.
• Europese aanvraag Nutshubs: Met een consortium een aanvraag ingediend om de ontwikkeling van Nutshubs mogelijk te maken.
• Data Dilemma’s: Eén van de Data Dilemma’s events in samenwerking met onze partner Hieroo georganiseerd en gehost.
• Interdisciplinaire afstudeerkring: Een primeur! De eerste interdisciplinaire afstudeerkring begeleid in samenwerking met de HvA en de Provincie Noord-Holland.
• 49 delegaties ontvangen: Ook dit jaar hebben we weer groepen van over de hele wereld verwelkomd om meer te vertellen over Amsterdam InChange, het netwerk, en innovatieprojecten uit de regio.

Hoe maken we de stad slimmer, schoner en fijner? Vrijdag 13 juni, tijdens Amsterdam Innovation Day op het Marineterrein laten startups en vernieuwers hun oplossingen zien. Bezoek de innovatiemarkt, volg een tour langs baanbrekende innovaties of doe mee aan de prijsvraag met jouw idee voor de toekomst van Amsterdam.

Elke dag werken mensen aan een betere toekomst voor Amsterdam. Ze bedenken oplossingen voor een slimme, schone en leefbare stad. Tijdens Amsterdam Innovation Day zie je hoe dat eruitziet in de praktijk. Gemeente Amsterdam, AMS Institute, Amsterdam InChange, Innofest en het Marineterrein laten samen met andere vernieuwers hun ideeën en projecten zien. Je kunt meedoen aan demonstraties, tours volgen, testopstellingen bekijken en je mening geven.

Programma vrijdag 13 juni

Innovatiemarkt
Van 14:00 tot 17:00

Stap de wereld van morgen binnen op de innovatiemarkt. Hier ontmoet je de denkers en doeners die onze stad slimmer, schoner en fijner maken. Van duurzame voedselproductie tot slimme mobiliteitsoplossingen – ontdek zeven thema’s die onze toekomst vormgeven.Verken de stands waar vernieuwers laten zien hoe zij werken aan de toekomst van voedsel, digitalisering, zorg, mobiliteit, design, stadsnatuur, bouwen en afval. Stel vragen, doe mee aan demonstraties en laat je inspireren door concrete oplossingen die nu al worden toegepast.

Innovatie Tours

Start om 14:30 tot 15:30

Sluit aan bij een van de gidsen van Innofest voor een inspirerende rondleiding langs de hoogtepunten van de innovatiemarkt. Tijdens deze tours krijg je extra context, verhalen achter de schermen en de kans om direct met de vernieuwers in gesprek te gaan.

Meld je wel even aan via deze link

Prijsvraag: Jouw idee, jouw stad van morgen!

Heb jij een goed idee voor jouw buurt of stad? Een activiteit die bijdraagt aan een fijne, duurzame, sociale of innovatieve toekomst? Doe dan mee aan onze prijsvraag! Of je nou alleen bent of samen met anderen – iedereen kan meedoen! Aan het eind van de middag maken we de winnaars van de prijsvraag bekend. Lees hier hoe je mee kan doen

Tijden

14.00 uur – 17.00 uur

Kaartverkoop

Entree is gratis

As the world grapples with massive challenges—climate change, rapid urbanisation, digital disruption, and growing inequality—some cities are not waiting for top-down solutions. They are rolling up their sleeves and experimenting with new ways to improve life for everyone, block by block. Amsterdam is one of those cities.

That’s why I was proud to share Amsterdam InChanges approach to smart, inclusive urban innovation at the #CIPPCD2025 conference in Aveiro.

Through our open innovation platform, <strong>Amsterdam InChange</strong>, the city has become a global leader in turning lofty global ambitions into practical, local action. But Amsterdam’s model isn’t built around flashy tech or utopian blueprints. Instead, it’s grounded in an essential question: How can we use innovation to improve people’s everyday lives?

Local Action for Global Challenges
Amsterdam understands that the climate crisis, digital transition, and social inequality can’t be solved by government alone—or by technology alone. That’s why it launched Amsterdam Smart City in 2009 as a public-private partnership. What began as small-scale energy-saving pilots has grown into a community of over 8,500 members, coordinating more than 300 projects across the city and beyond.
The approach is rooted in co-creation. Citizens, companies, knowledge institutions, and government actors come together to design, test, and scale solutions that serve the public good. The values that guide the network are clear: people first, openness, transparency, learning by doing, and public value.

The Doughnut as a Compass
Amsterdam was the first city in the world to embrace Doughnut Economics as a guiding framework. The “City Doughnut,” developed with economist Kate Raworth, helps policymakers balance the city’s ecological footprint with the social foundations that all citizens need: housing, education, health, equity, and more. It’s a tool to align every local decision with both planetary boundaries and human dignity.
This framework has inspired circular construction strategies, neighbourhood energy co-ops, and more inclusive procurement policies. It shows that global concepts can become real when grounded in local practice.

Making Innovation Inclusive
One of Amsterdam’s core beliefs is that smart cities must be <strong>inclusive cities</strong>. That means tackling issues like <strong>mobility poverty</strong>, where rising transport costs and digital-only services make it harder for low-income or elderly residents to get around.
Through the <strong>Mobility Poverty Challenge</strong>, Amsterdam partnered with the Province of North Holland and researchers from DRIFT to understand where and how exclusion occurs—and to design better public mobility systems. Pilot ideas like a “Mobility Wallet” (a subsidy for essential travel) and more inclusive digital apps emerged from real conversations with affected residents.
The same inclusive mindset guides Amsterdam’s digital transformation. In the suburb of Haarlemmermeer, officials flipped the script on e-government. Instead of asking citizens to become “digitally skilled,” they asked how government systems could become more <strong>humane</strong>. This led to simplified interfaces, better access to services, and ultimately more trust.

Responsible Tech and Energy from the Ground Up
Tech transparency is another pillar of the Amsterdam model. The city runs the world’s first <strong>Algorithm Register</strong>, giving the public insight into how AI and automated systems are used in services—from traffic enforcement to housing applications. Anyone can access this register, offer feedback, and better understand how digital decisions are made.
In the energy space, the city supports both bold innovation and careful upscaling. At the <strong>Johan Cruijff ArenA</strong>, used electric vehicle batteries store solar energy, powering concerts and matches with clean backup power. At the same time, a coalition of partners led by Amsterdam InChange is working to scale up Local Energy Systems by collecting lessons learned and creating a toolkit for community-led energy.

What Makes It Work?
If there’s one secret to Amsterdam’s success, it’s the governance model: small, neutral facilitation teams guiding large multi-stakeholder coalitions, anchored by public trust and shared purpose. Regular Demo Days allow project teams to showcase progress, get feedback, and adapt. This culture of transparency and iteration helps avoid the so-called “innovation graveyard,” where pilot projects go to die.
The city also embraces failure—as long as it’s shared and learned from. Reports like “Organising Smart City Projects” openly list lessons, from the importance of strong leadership to the need for viable business models and continuous user involvement.

An Invitation to Other Cities
Amsterdam’s smart city is not a blueprint—it’s a mindset. Start with your biggest local challenge. Bring the right people together. Make space for experimentation. Build bridges between local and global. And, above all, put citizens at the centre.
As international smart city ambassador Frans-Anton Vermast puts it: “We’re not just creating technology for cities—we’re creating better cities for people.”

The III International Conference on Public Policies and Data Science

Op 5 juni komen we met het partnernetwerk bijeen voor een zomerse Kennis- en Demodag. We zijn dit keer te gast bij het Huis van de Toekomst in Amsterdam Zuid-Oost. Hieronder lichten we het programma toe.

Over onze Kennis- en Demodagen

De Amsterdam InChange Kennis- en Demodagen zijn regelmatig terugkerende middagen, georganiseerd door en voor ons partnernetwerk. Deze middagen zijn bedoeld om de voortgang van de verschillende innovatieprojecten aan elkaar te presenteren, hulpvragen op tafel te leggen, dilemma’s te delen en meer partners te betrekken bij een project en deze vraagstukken verder te brengen. We starten de middag met een Kennissessie waarin een kennispartner het netwerk verrijkt met specifieke onderwerpen die van belang zijn voor Amsterdam InChange en de transities waar wij aan werken. We sluiten af met een hapje en drankje. De middagen kenmerken zich door een zeer open en vrolijke sfeer.

Kennissessie

De mens in de machine: gedrag als sleutel tot duurzame transities – Reint Jan Renes (gedragswetenschapper Hogeschool van Amsterdam)
De Kennissessie wordt deze keer verzorgd door Gedragswetenschapper Reint Jan Renes. Hij belicht in een interactieve lezing de psychologische kant van duurzame transities. Hij legt uit waarom mensen, ondanks goede intenties en kennis, vast blijven houden aan niet-duurzaam gedrag en wat er nodig is om echte gedragsverandering te bereiken. Met inzichten uit zijn Noblesse Oblige-onderzoek richt hij zich op de rol van welvarende groepen in de klimaattransitie. Thema’s als motivatie, sociale normen en de kloof tussen weten en doen staan centraal. Deelnemers krijgen daarnaast praktische handvatten om duurzame keuzes aantrekkelijker en effectiever te maken in hun eigen werkpraktijk.

Werksessies

Energie | Versnelling van de operatie op het elektriciteitsnet | Thomas Hoekstra en Iris van der Zanden (Alliander)
De energietransitie vraagt van de netbeheerder een aanzienlijke versnelling in het verzwaren van het elektriciteitsnet. Dit vormt een omvangrijke uitdaging, waarbij alle vormen van samenwerking en innovatie noodzakelijk zijn. In deze werksessie richten Thomas Hoekstra en Iris van der Zanden zich tot het netwerk met de volgende vragen: Op welke innovatieve wijze kunnen wij onze operatie versnellen? Van welke innovaties zouden wij nog gebruik kunnen maken, en aan welke oplossingen is bij andere partners in het netwerk behoefte?

Mobiliteit | Inclusive Design | Irisch Ruysch (Vervoerregio Amsterdam) en David Koop (Flatland)
Inclusive design is een ontwerpbenadering die producten, diensten en omgevingen toegankelijk en bruikbaar maakt voor zo veel mogelijk mensen, ongeacht hun leeftijd, achtergrond of fysieke en mentale vermogens. De Vervoerregio onderzoekt hoe ze hier het best een rol in kunnen pakken. Iris van de Vervoerregio en David van Flatland gaan in deze sessie aan de slag met vragen als; Hoe neem je ‘iedereen’ mee in doelgroepenonderzoek? Hoe ga je van onderzoek en beleid over in actie en uitvoering? En wat zijn mooie Nederlandse voorbeelden van Inclusive Design in de praktijk?

Circulair | Circulair ontwerpen en kritieke grondstoffen | James Hallworth (Port of Amsterdam)
Voor veel kritieke grondstoffen zijn we afhankelijk van het buitenland, deze internationale ketens zijn kwetsbaar en vaak ook onwenselijk uit politieke oogpunt. Door ‘circular by design’ principes toe te passen, goed te recyclen en circulair met onze materialen om te gaan kunnen we als stad en regio zelf duurzaam gebruik van kritieke grondstoffen realiseren. Nu gaan er helaas nog een hoop grondstoffen verloren, of middels verbranding of middels export. Hoe zorgen we ervoor dat schaarse en waardevolle grondstoffen niet meer verloren gaan? Wat gebeurt er als we afval niet meer als eindproduct zien? Hoe ontwerpen we systemen, zowel voor productie als de noodzakelijk (retour)logistiek, voor een volledige circulaire stad en regio? In deze werksessie gaan we, samen met de Amsterdamse haven, met deze vraagstukken aan de slag.

Digitaal | TBA

Pitches

Gocimo | Elektrische scooters met een batterijwisselsysteem | Flavie Marie-Dabin
Flavie Marie-Dabin komt pitchen over GoCimo, een Zweeds mobiliteitsbedrijf dat elektrische stadsvervoeroplossingen biedt met een innovatief batterijwisselsysteem. Hun model stelt gebruikers in staat om binnen 10 seconden lege batterijen te vervangen door volle, wat zorgt voor minimale stilstand en ontlasting van het energienet. Met activiteiten in Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö en Kopenhagen draagt GoCimo bij aan duurzame mobiliteit in de stad. Flavie is op zoek naar Amsterdamse locaties voor de oplaadstations en samenwerkingspartners.

Hogeschool van Amsterdam | Ontwerpend onderzoek Civic Protocol Economies | Iskander
Smit
Hoe kan digitale technologie bijdragen aan een sterke, rechtvaardige gemeenschapseconomie? Binnen de onderzoeksgroep Civic Interaction Design (HvA) verkent Iskander dit via het project Civic Protocol Economies. In dit ontwerpend onderzoek worden prototypes ontwikkeld en netwerken versterkt rondom initiatieven zoals energiecoöperaties, buurtdeelplatformen en wooncoöperaties. Doel is om te onderzoeken hoe digitale platformen en protocollen zulke gemeenschapseconomische initiatieven kunnen ondersteunen. Een driedaagse design-charette in september vormt een belangrijke volgende stap.

Interdisciplinaire afstudeerkring Zero Emissie Stadslogistiek | De onderzoeksresultaten! | Jay van den Boog, Chanel Pinas en Stan van der Meer (HvA)
De afgelopen maanden hebben drie HvA studenten een interdisciplinair onderzoek gedaan op de transitie naar uitstootvrije stadslogistiek. Ze liepen rond op Food Center Amsterdam en gingen in gesprek met kleine ondernemers in de food sector. Deze opdracht is een samenwerking tussen Vervoerregio Amsterdam, de HvA en een werkgroep vanuit Amsterdam InChange. Op 5 juni zullen ze ons in vogelvlucht meenemen in hun onderzoeksresultaten.

Levende Lerende Netwerken in beweging | VU Studenten
Hoe blijft een publiek-privaat netwerk duurzaam en relevant? In samenwerking met Amsterdam InChange en Royal HaskoningDHV onderzoeken wij, 4 studenten aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, hoe het concept van Levende Lerende Netwerken toegepast kan worden. Onze casus: het unieke netwerk van Amsterdam InChange. Een lerend netwerk waarin AIC als faciliterende partij publieke en private spelers samenbrengt rondom grootstedelijke transities. Samen verkennen we hoe dit netwerk in beweging blijft en blijvend waarde creëert.

Klinkt het programma interessant? Je bent welkom om aan te sluiten. Laat het ons weten en stuur een korte motivatie naar pelle@amsterdaminchange.com. De Kennis- en Demodag is van 12:30-17:00 met een borrel na afloop.

How do you install district heating in villages with narrow streets and limited underground space? This was the central question during a recent deepdive session hosted in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The session brought together experts from the City of Amsterdam, local officials and experts from Haarlemmermeer, and Arcadis to explore practical solutions to the physical challenges of implementing district heating in dense and complex infrastructure environments.

From complexity to coordination

Amsterdam has years of experience addressing similar challenges in dense urban areas where underground infrastructure is already under pressure. Experts from the City of Amsterdam were invited to share their approach, which combines long-term planning, integrated design processes, and flexibility in applying standards.

Some key principles they shared:

• Planning 15 years ahead: Amsterdam actively involves all utility providers to map out future plans and co-create underground infrastructure layouts.
• Using standard ways of working in the underground (WIOR) and a standardised scheme for subsurface infrastructure planning: These frameworks help assess available underground space and guide decisions when concessions are necessary.
• Embracing alternative methods: Stacking pipelines instead of placing them side-by-side, drilling under roads, or clustering transport cables in walls or consolidated zones are all viable options.

Sometimes, this requires deviating from standard spacing requirements. Such exceptions are only made with strong justification and agreement at the decision-making level.

A fresh look at Haarlemmermeer’s challenges

Participants from Haarlemmermeer acknowledged that they face several pressing issues. With limited space in the underground and a lack of an integrated planning framework, it is difficult to make informed, long-term decisions. Three villages in the municipality are particularly challenging due to their narrow streets and aging infrastructure.

Key challenges included:

• Underestimating the space needed for district heating infrastructure (including expansion loops, communication lines, and insulation).
• Rigid adherence to guidelines, which may not always be feasible locally.
• A missing coordinating role to oversee all the different parties operating in the underground to facilitate collaboration.

Shared lessons, shared responsibility

The session made clear that while every context is different, the challenges of underground infrastructure for district heating are shared across municipalities. The city of Amsterdam is a bit further ahead than Haarlemmermeer, and their expertise was already tremendously helpful. The Amsterdam case shows that smart, flexible planning—backed by clear coordination of all parties active in the underground —can lead to effective, long-term solutions.

Now the task for Haarlemmermeer is to translate these insights into concrete next steps. As one participant concluded, “We need to move from awareness to action.”

Would you like to learn more about this topic? Please contact Noor at [email protected].

Last Thursday, we gathered with the network for the 27th Knowledge and Demo Day! This time, it took place in a special location: above the showroom of the electric car brand NIO. Our brand-new Interim Programme Director Saskia Bosnie hosted the day, guiding us smoothly through the agenda.

In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of the Knowledge Session, Work Sessions and Pitches. Interested in learning more? Read the full reports by our team members Pelle, Noor, Ouassim and Jill (linked below).

About our Demodays

The Demodays are one of the tools we use to stimulate innovation and encourage connection between our partners and community. The purpose of the Demodays is to present the progress of various innovation projects, ask for help, share dilemmas and involve more partners to take these projects to the next level. More information about the Demodays can be found here.

Knowledge Session: Beyond Tech - Taking Control of Our Technology

Sander van der Waal took us through an insightful Knowledge Session on a relevant topic: Big Tech. How can we gain more control over our technology? That was the central question. What if we no longer viewed technology solely through the lens of big corporations but from a broader societal perspective instead? Together with Sander, we reflected on the role of technology in our society, which sparked thought-provoking and engaging discussions. Read Jill’s full report here.

Worksessions

Mobility | Zero Emission Urban Logistics: The Food Center Amsterdam Case
Amsterdam faces a major logistics challenge: from January 2025 onwards, polluting delivery vans will no longer be allowed in the city centre. How can entrepreneurs and suppliers in the food sector prepare for this and turn the transition into a success? Four fourth-year students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) are working together in an interdisciplinary graduation circle to find solutions. They used this working session as a focus group with stakeholders from the Amsterdam InChange network. Read Pelle’s full report here.

Energy | Resident Participation in District Heating Networks
The municipality of Haarlemmermeer is actively advancing the energy transition by prioritizing sustainable heating solutions. As part of this effort, a heat initiative has been launched in the village of Rijsenhout, east of Haarlemmermeer. During this work session, participants explored past successful processes in developing heat networks. The central questions were: What made these projects successful, and why? Read Ouassim’s full report here.

Digital | Combining Regional Strengths for a National AI Strategy
The Netherlands aims to strengthen its position in artificial intelligence (AI) through initiatives like the planned AI Factory in Groningen and recent European investments in AI infrastructure. To fully capitalize on these opportunities, collaboration between AI regions is essential. In this work session, we explored how Amsterdam can position itself within the national and international AI landscape and distinguish itself from other regions, such as Eindhoven and Groningen. Read Jill’s full report here.

General | Contribute to the Development of Ethical Mobile Innovation
We depend heavily on Big Tech companies like Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and more. And with your smartphone, there is no escaping them. Even if you don’t use social media, and use anti-tracking software, some of your data will still be shared and sold. In this session, we worked on the question: Is it possible to develop mobile software which is ethical and functional? Read Noor’s full report here.

Pitches

We also featured a series of inspiring pitches, highlighting ongoing projects within our network. Here’s an overview of the topics presented.

• Nutshubs - Willem van Heijningen (Gemeente Amsterdam)
• 27 Charging Hubs - Hugo Niesing (Resourcefully)
• Zero Emission Urban Logistics - Pelle Menke (Amsterdam InChange)

Our next Demoday will be on June 5.

We depend heavily on Big Tech companies like Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and more. And with your smartphone, there is no escaping them. Even if you don’t use social media, and use anti-tracking software, some of your data will still be shared and sold. This can make you feel pretty uncomfortable. Especially, since most of these tech companies are in the USA and China. This is why, in this session, we worked on the question: Is it possible to develop mobile software which is ethical and functional?

Danny Lämmerhirt from Waag Futurelab works on the MOBIFREE project. This project aims to change the development and use of mobile software in Europe by citizens, businesses, non-profits and governments. In doing so, they want to support the emerging movement for ethical mobile software consisting of organisations that adhere to European values such as openness, privacy, digital sovereignty, fairness, collaboration, sustainability, and inclusivity.

In this session, Danny introduced us to the smartphone they are working on. This smartphone has its hardware from Fairphone (an ethically produced smartphone) and uses a privacy-friendly operating system: Murena. This operating system is an Android fork that doesn’t come with standard tracking software. On top of that, it has an app store with only ethical apps and is connected to an ethical European cloud.

Outcomes

We discussed with the group what values we found most important in an ethical mobile phone when using it for work. The values that were deemed most important by the group were:
- Autonomy: A smartphone allows working wherever and whenever you want. It is an incredibly powerful tool that you can use for so many different things, and it fits in your pocket.
- Independency: We’ve become incredibly dependent on our smartphones. When you lose your phone, you no longer have your money, your public transport card, a map to find the way, etc. On the other hand, this also means that you don’t need to travel with a bag full of tools every time you leave the house.
- Privacy: Constantly being tracked has become normal, but that doesn't mean we’re happy with it. Right now, you don’t have a choice. It would be nice to have a choice, to either pay with your data, or with money.
- User-friendliness: An ethical and privacy-friendly smartphone sounds great, but it also means that you can no longer use many of the apps that you’re used to. Will it still be practical to use? And will it be intuitive? We are all used to a certain way of working and are hesitant to change.

This discussion was definitely food for thought. We all want a more ethical phone, but are not willing to sacrifice much in return…

Are you interested in trying out this ethical smartphone? The MOBIFREE project is currently looking for people who can test this smartphone. They are looking for young adults, civil servants, mobile software developers, and professionals working in humanitarian organisations.

<strong>Would you like to participate, or do you have any questions about this project? Please contact Noor at [email protected]. Special thanks to Danny Lämmerhirt for this interesting session.</strong>

‘Technology is not neutral. We're inside of what we make, and it's inside of us. We're living in a world of connections — and it matters which ones get made and unmade.’ — Donna Haraway, Cyborg Manifesto

With this powerful quote from feminist science philosopher Donna Haraway, Sander van der Waal opened the knowledge session at the 27th Knowledge and Demo Day. What if we no longer viewed technology solely through the lens of big corporations but instead from a broader societal perspective? This question took centre stage in the session, where we, together with Sander, reflected on the role of technology in our society.

From pioneering to big tech

The internet originally started as a decentralised network where everyone could connect with one another. The Digital City, a freenet initiative by cultural centre De Balie and Hack-Tic, was one of the first projects to experiment with data sharing in Amsterdam. It was the first online internet community to come to existence. However, in the early 2000s, big tech gradually took control of the internet. What was once a free and open platform transformed into a space where a handful of companies dictated the rules. Shoshana Zuboff wrote about this in her book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. “Forget the cliché that if it’s free ‘you are the product’. You are not the product. You are the abandoned carcass,” Zuboff states in her book.

Today, we navigate a digital landscape shaped by platforms like Facebook and Google, which dictate how we communicate. We’re all familiar with the well-known image from Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony, where a noticeable shift in protocol placed top CEOs in the front row — traditionally reserved for the President’s family, key political figures, and former Presidents. The internet is now dominated by a handful of conglomerates, which are increasingly influencing decision-making in the United States.
According to Sander, the choice is limited: give up your privacy or remain outside the digital society. But how does this align with European legislation? More importantly, how does this impact our mental health? Recent figures from Amsterdam show that 36 per cent of young people experience mental health issues, with social media cited as one of the contributing factors.

What happens to our data?

Sander illustrated this using a graph on the screen, showing how we unknowingly transmit our personal data hundreds of times each day to unknown entities, which then use it to target us with personalised ads. In the Netherlands, this happens an average of 380 times per day — a relatively low number compared to U.S. states. Colorado leads the way with 987 instances per day. This continues despite the implementation of the GDPR in Europe, which was meant to curb such practices. Lawsuits against data misuse are ongoing, but in the meantime, these processes persist — or even expand.

According to Sander, this highlights a deeper issue: technology is not neutral. Human biases are embedded in it, and AI only amplifies them. Artificial intelligence is already being used in job interviews and to shape personal preferences. This also raises another question: how sustainable is our use of AI? The art project Anatomy of an AI System by Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler vividly illustrates what happens behind the scenes when we ask an AI a question — from the extraction of raw materials to the energy required to generate a response.

Is there another way?

Waag Futurelab champions a new technological foundation. One that prioritizes people over profit. In collaboration with various organizations, they have developed a manifesto (PublicSpaces) that defines how technology should serve society, not the other way around. Here are its core values:

1. Accountable
2. User centric
3. Transparant
4. Open
5. Sovereign

Sander also highlights alternatives such as GPT-NL (an open AI model from the Netherlands), Fairbnb.coop (a fairer alternative to Airbnb), and Fairphone, which offers a more sustainable smartphone option that breaks away from the traditional tech industry. These applications work differently from Big Tech, focusing on giving users more control over technology.

But how do we transition to more transparent, privacy-friendly, and sustainable technology? A thought-provoking question from the audience: Can we still go back? One attendee admitted they don’t use Signal because all their friends are still on WhatsApp, sparking a discussion on ethics and peer pressure. Should change start at the individual level, or does it require collective action?

Seeking digital independence

The dependence on American tech companies is increasingly being questioned. A recent ICC report in The Guardian warned of the influence of major US corporations on geopolitical institutions. Meanwhile, Dutch media have raised concerns about how the country can become independent of big tech. Professors from Radboud University have also recently called for action.

This all leads to Sander’s crucial conclusion: the internet belongs to all of us. As a society, we decide what our digital future looks like. Under the hashtag #MakeSocialsSocialAgain, a campaign led by Bits of Freedom, DeGoedeZaak, Noorderlicht, PublicSpaces, and Waag Futurelab is now urging public organisations to take the first step by adopting alternatives to big tech social media platforms. These platforms are built on public values such as transparency, privacy, and sustainability — and there are plenty of alternatives available. See the screenshot from Sander’s presentation here.

We’re curious: do you already use alternative social media platforms? Or maybe you have some great other recommendations? Leave a comment below, and let’s share our tips with each other.