Dutch guests and Hudson Valley enthusiasts met October 8 – 11 for a deep dive into the potential for ongoing collaboration to build more sustainable, innovative, and multi-cultural economies in our two regions, as the ultimate legacy of a Quadricentennial year focused on “exploration and innovation.”

The Next Economy: Multi-Cultural, Innovative and Green was born when Jolanda Jansen of the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance, Melissa Everett of Sustainable Hudson Valley, and former Poughkeepsie Mayor Nancy Cozean visited the Consulate of the Netherlands in New York and were introduced to management consultants Roel Geuzinge and Thea Groeneveld. Each group had envisioned a conference addressing emerging issues and shared lessons – from the Dutch side, how to deal with cultural and ethnic tensions as the traditionally homogeneous society of the Netherlands opens up to immigration and population growth; from the US side, how to develop a more systematic and energetic approach to mainstreaming green technologies in energy, water, and materials management so that economic vitality and environmental sustainability can be truly linked at a regional scale. Funding from the Consulate and the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial generously supported the events.Held in Poughkeepsie the weekend after the opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson, the event allowed for visits to the Walkway, a local theatre performance, a tour of the energy-efficient fire station in the City, a symposium, and free-ranging conversation. Expertise on multi-cultural community and economic development was convened from Sustainable Hudson Valley’s network through the participation of Enrique Rob Lunski, Ph.D., President of the Poughkeepsie-based Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows; Robert Wright, president of Nubian Directions; Susan Jones, J.D. of the Jacob Burns Community Development Clinic at George Washington University School of Law; educational consultant Ande Diaz, who fosters global citizenship on New England campuses using a “sustained dialogue” model; and actor/writer Candi Sterling, a voice of recent university graduates who hunger for meaningful work that strengthens their communities. Expertise on green technology came from the Cartesius Institute in the province of Freyslan, which has demonstrated large scale marketing of green innovations with such campaigns as the Hundred Thousand Electric Car Challenge (using combined marketing budgets of the car dealerships and a push from government to build momentum). Gavin McIntyre, CEO of the Troy-based Ecovative Design spoke of the new paradigm in business development, “biomimicry,” tuning industrial processes toward the low temperatures and nontoxic feedstocks common in nature – and strengthened the international linkage by reporting that his youth-led start-up has primary funding from none other than the Dutch government.

For two days, the group exchanged views and sometimes struggled. Candid questions included “How do you deal with the taste of the water in New York, with all that chlorine?” and “How can you expect us to share our emotions so deeply – we’ve just met!” In spite of diverse expectations, the group was held together by a sense of possibility and an investment in creating something new and genuinely game-changing.

Three partnerships were created for ongoing work: in sustainable energy, water management, and materials/ design for industry (sometimes known as “cradle to cradle” product stewardship or “design for the environment). A conference next spring in Amsterdam will bring the partners together again. In the meantime, a practical design project is being quietly incubated for announcement later in the year. Sustainable Hudson Valley is organizing an online presence for the partnership as it grows. Right now, conference materials can be viewed at www.sustainhv.org. Inquiries, participation and support are welcome!