On 1 October, David van den Burg will start as the new programme manager of DigiShape. With a background in water and soil issues and connecting different stakeholders, he is eager to take over from Chris Karman. In this interview, he shares his vision, goals and ambitions for the coming years.
David, what’s your background?
“I am 56 years old, married, have two daughters and a son and I live in The Hague. I have a background as a soil scientist (geomorphologist) and started my own company in 2003: Ambient. Because I personally really like to work on the content, I have handed over my line management tasks, but I am still involved in what happens in the company. We are now working with 25 people on assignments from the public sector, particularly in the field of water and soil, the physical living environment and dossiers such as nitrogen and climate adaptation. In a personal capacity, I also hold a number of chairmanship positions at, among others, the steering group for the PFAS knowledge programme, the national working group on groundwater and the Dutch Soil Management Foundation. The position of program manager at DigiShape fits in very well with that.”
How did your passion for water and soil come about?
“It started at De Worm, a small river in Limburg that I lived near as a child. When I was 10, that whole river was straightened, turning it into a concrete basin. I hated that, because I liked to go fishing and catch salamanders there. I thought: surely there must be another way? That’s how my passion for the physical environment started.”
What appeals to you about DigiShape?
“Last week I attended my first DigiShape day: ‘The Netherlands is the best-monitored delta in the world.’ I was thrilled to see all those passionate experts working on the content and was also impressed by the expertise available. I realized that at DigiShape, parties find each other that otherwise would not easily meet each other. This raises the general level of knowledge in the water sector. The data component also appeals to me. There are enormous tasks ahead of us, which we will not be able to achieve with the time, money and people available at the moment. The intelligent use of data is crucial to make well-founded decisions about what is really necessary and what can possibly be postponed. DigiShape plays an important role in this, both in the development of innovations and in bringing together, unlocking and enriching data.”
What are your ambitions with DigiShape?
“Let’s start by saying that I’m just joining and that Chris Karman has done a great job of building up DigiShape over the past six years. It’s up to me to continue and build on that. Networking is the alpha and omega of DigiShape, and we must continue to do so. In addition, I see that there is a lot to be gained by carrying out more projects together and thus further strengthening the innovative power of the Netherlands. Private parties in particular benefit from the implementation of concrete projects. This is an important way to generate knowledge and innovation, apart from sharing knowledge alone. That’s why I really want to focus on building a strong project portfolio in the coming years.”
What does it take to expand the DigiShape project portfolio?
“The short answer is: money. Within three years, I want to realise 20 million euros worth of projects. This is ambitious, but concrete goals are essential to make progress. For funding, we often look to governments, where knowledge funds are available. I therefore want to bring governments closer and involve them more actively in the Triple Helix, together with companies and knowledge institutions. They can act not only as financiers, but also as launching customers for innovative solutions. DigiShape can serve as a platform for knowledge sharing and setting up projects that develop and test new technologies. In this way, we strengthen the innovative power of the Netherlands and demonstrate that investments in DigiShape projects contribute to a future-proof water sector.”
Do you have a call for the community?
“I would like to call on everyone to contact me. Whether you have an idea or just want to get acquainted, let me know. At the end of the day, it’s all about ideas and working together on innovative solutions. I will also make the rounds myself, but don’t hesitate to approach me.”
