In the transition to a smarter and more sustainable campus management, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam plays a pioneering role. Thanks to innovative solutions like Pleq, data-driven decisions can be made to optimize space usage, reduce energy consumption, and deploy facilities more efficiently. Two key figures within this development, Marcel van Heemert and Ilko van Genderen, share their insights on the challenges and impact of smart sensor technology on the VU campus.

The Path to a Smart Campus

VU Amsterdam has been working for some time on the concept of a smart campus. According to Ilco van Genderen, sustainability consultant, the interest in smart campus technology began years ago under various names, such as 'smart buildings' and 'digital campus'. The implementation of Pleq brought a significant breakthrough: real-time insight into space usage and the ability to make operational decisions based on data.

Challenges and Future Vision

Marcel van Heemert, housing programme manager, emphasizes that the biggest challenge at the moment lies in better aligning supply and demand for campus space. “We are currently measuring both workplaces and educational spaces, but we want to approach this differently this year. We aim for a system where we can make real-time decisions based on data.”

The Impact of Data on the Campus

Pleq plays a crucial role in collecting and visualising data. Marcel and Ilco emphasize how important it is that this information is not only available but also made usable for policy decisions.

From Smart Campus to Smart Decision-Making

The next step for VU is to delve deeper into dynamic building management. With the help of sensors and smart algorithms, it can be determined which buildings should remain open and which can be temporarily closed.

The Essence of a Smart Campus

When asked what lessons other universities can draw from VU's experiences, Marcel and Ilco unanimously reply: 'Keep it simple, low-tech and high-impact.'

Conclusion

The implementation of Pleq at VU has led to a new way of looking at space management, energy efficiency, and campus usage. Thanks to the efforts of Marcel van Heemert and Ilko van Genderen, VU has become an example of how a smart campus actually functions. With further innovations and optimizations, VU will only strengthen its role as a leader in data-driven campus management in the coming years.