Airports increasingly turn to automation to improve efficiency and reduce emissions, yet a gap often remains between proving a system works and integrating it into daily operations. At Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the autonomous 400 Hz ground power connection, which allows an aircraft to switch off its engines/APU after arrival, illustrates this gap: a Proof of Technology showed it can be performed autonomously, but not how it should be integrated into the inbound operation.

This thesis treats that integration not as a technical problem but as a socio-technical one, focusing on the divergence between Schiphol, as infrastructure provider, and the ground handlers, as operational users. Mapping the current operation and analysing where their interests pull apart revealed five tensions, each a point where positioning the system was not enough and an explicit design choice was needed. Resolving these in co-design produced shared choices on deployment, autonomy and role division, co development, safe behaviour, and digital integration.

To hold these choices together under an uncertain future, they were synthesised using an Adaptive North Star: a direction deliberately kept open to change rather than a fixed endpoint. This direction was made concrete through three artefacts: a Horizon 3 operational concept, a horizon-based roadmap organised around learning milestones, and a phased set of requirements.

The thesis contributes an approach for moving autonomous airside systems from technical feasibility towards operational integration, built around the operation a system enters rather than only the task it performs. For Schiphol, it provides a grounded basis for further pilots and decisions. ... Read more

The Mekong Delta is a densely populated and economically vital region in Vietnam. However, it faces severe coastal challenges threatening the livelihoods of the 20 million people living in the area. Mangrove deforestation, land subsidence, and sea level rise cause erosion and coastal retreat. To tackle these challenges, the Living Lab project combines long-term research, stakeholder engagement, and nature-based solutions to promote sustainable coastal management. However, research outcomes often remain fragmented and informing relevant stakeholders often proves difficult. This results in limited follow-up action taken.

This report introduces the Digital Living Lab, an online environment that makes complex research understandable and actionable for policymakers. It provides a theoretical background and translates technical information into clear insights that support decision-makers in choosing and implementing effective interventions. The platform follows a location-based storyline: content is organized per site and links drivers, processes, stakeholders, and interventions, emphasizing site-specific solutions and helping decision-makers weigh intervention options and long-term effects. The platform also features interactive maps displaying mangrove coverage over time, playing well into the visual and evidence-based orientation of decision-makers.... ... Read more