PHILIPSBURG–A total of 1,113 start-up solutions for St. Maarten from 27 countries have been bundled into an online book which was presented to the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops in December.
The solutions were bundled by StartupDelta. Startup Solutions for St. Maarten was launched at ImpactFest on September 26, 2017. The initiative called on start-ups to volunteer their thoughts on the reconstruction of St. Maarten.
The start-ups offer waste solutions, energy solutions and smart housing solutions. These entrepreneurs can help build back St. Maarten better, but it is also important to stimulate entrepreneurship on the island. Therefore StartupDelta is very pleased that the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom affairs is creating a makerspace for start-ups in St. Maarten, it was stated on website startupdelta.com . Here foreign start-ups can make a soft landing on the island and provide mentoring for local start-ups.
Startup Solutions for St. Maarten is organised in consultation with the Dutch National Coordinator for Reconstruction, the Netherlands Red Cross, and the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
Additionally, organisations that are specialised in humanitarian innovation are involved, such as Open House, Dutch Coalition for Humanitarian Innovation (DCHI), Innofest and ImpactCity. Get in the Ring supported the initiatives by reaching out to their international network which led to an overwhelming response from the start-up community.
One of the solutions is for the use of Smart Water Meters. These water meters from BrighTap can be attached to any standard water tap, pipe or hose to inform in real time of water quality and consumption and help users reduce water bills. It can be integrated in new buildings that are being built.
Another proposed solution is for use of solar-power plants that also improve power quality and availability. Developed technology is used to save energy and decrease the dependency from fossil fuel generators. Energy storage provides continuous power, even if the solar power is not available or if generators don’t work.
An additional proposal is for use of ColdHubs. These are 100 per cent solar-powered, stand-alone, walk-in cold rooms used to store and preserve perishable foods 24/7. ColdHubs ameliorates the impact of food spoilage due to lack of energy to cool food. It is good for preserving fresh food after a crisis.
Another proposal is for construction of amphibious houses made from low-cost bamboo and featuring oil drums in the base of each building. These drums provide buoyancy for the already lightweight material. Each house is anchored to the ground with four steel rods, with the oil drums serving as the base that the house sits on. When the rains come, the house rises on its rods, stopping it from washing away. It would take two hours for a workforce of three men to build a single house.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/72335-start-up-solutions-for-st-maarten-in-book
View comments
Hide comments