The expression ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ seems in contradiction with Einstein’s famous words “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious”. And yet, curiosity is vital in all creative processes. And these processes are essential if we want to anticipate the growing volume of traffic on a limited infrastructure. The balance in curiosity and creativity when tackling problems, is embedded in the Dutch Innovation Test Centre (ITC) of the Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute. Within the ITC everyone with a good and realizable idea within the scope of the Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute, is invited to validate that idea. This is done with the aim to implement new infrastructural concepts, fit for the future. Validation is a profound process, it may prove the power of the concept or it takes you back to the drawing board. Within the ITC all kinds of ideas and development stages are represented. The ITC’s validation path helps the entrepreneur to acquire the possible market share and the government to acquire knowledge. Together, they arrive at new ways to tackle problems in current day engineering!The ITC now has a history of four years validating innovative concepts, in which it gained experience on guiding new ideas and concepts of passionate entrepreneurs onto implemented products. (Author/publisher)
Abstract