The theme of the event was Sustainable Urban Development and was based around the eco-city model currently being developed by Grontmij’s OSUD (Office of Sustainable Urban Development) in the Netherlands. Presentations were given not only on the Eco City model, but also on sustainable mobility, BREEAM and the New Energy Institute in Wuhan.
In addition to presentations on Grontmij’s perspective of how towns and cities should be developed sustainably, representatives of the Dutch province of Gelderland and the Mayor of the Dutch city of Arnhem as well as their respective peers from China, the Vice Governors of Hubei and Fujian and the Vice Mayor of Wuhan also gave speeches on their perspective and experiences of sustainable urban development.
Delegates of the event included senior Chinese government officials and managers of companies, including those giving speeches along with prestigious guests from a range of Chinese and overseas property and development companies, a delegation of town planners from Hong Kong and representatives of the Dutch embassy and consulates in China.
To signal Grontmij’s ongoing commitment to developing business in China, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed between Grontmij and Shanghai Xian Dai, who are one of the leading Chinese engineering consultancies in the field of buildings and the built environment.
Group Director, Planning & Design, Gert Dral: ‘The Expo event was the culmination of many months of hard work in formulating a successful two day event aimed at highlighting our sustainable urban development expertise in Europe and China. We have a long-standing reputation in China for delivering innovative, quality projects built over more than 15 years. It was very positive to be able to showcase this in the prestigious surroundings of the Netherlands Pavilion’s VIP room.’
The event formed part of Grontmij’s sponsorship of the Netherlands Pavilion at the World Expo which lasts from May to October 2010. Grontmij is among other high profile companies which are represented in the Netherlands who are sponsoring the Dutch Pavilion ‘Happy Street’.