Feature Strategic Initiative: Holland In-Situ Program (HIP)

The EURODEMO consortium is very pleased to endorse the Holland In-situ Program (Holland In-Situ Proeftuin, HIP), NL, as EURODEMO "Feature Strategic Initiative" in the field of soil and groundwater remediation.
HIP is a strategic initiative from 10 contractors and  TNO - with the support of  SKB and the Ministry of Economic Affairs - which will lead to 24 pilot applications of different in-situ remediation technologies with at least 10 different contractors, land owners and authorities on different sites between 2006 and 2009.

HIP is featured by EURODEMO as it covers core EURODEMO priorities in an applied and integrative way:

• aiming to tear down market barriers for and increase confidence in innovative in-situ remediation technologies through knowledge transfer to the market
• frame capabilities and limitations of in-situ technologies by demonstrations on "real-life" full size contaminated sites
• involve key stakeholder groups in the program and improve their collaboration
• share costs between the actors
• provide decision-support and decision support tools based on past field applications.

EURODEMO regards this as a very practical and highly recommendable stimulation of the dutch market, as innovative methods are here demonstrated to key stakeholder groups in practice.

The HIP program covers three topics:

• pilot projects with technical focus
  
• pilot projects with process and cooperation focus
  
• the development of the SOILECTION decision support tool.
  

The pilot projects are geared to address existing market bottlenecks of technology specific or more general knowledge gaps.

Backing up the program with past research and field experience, respective decision support tools, and a steering group additionally increases stakeholder confidence. Finally and maybe most importantly, pilot applications of innovative in-situ remediation technologies in close co-operation with key stakeholders like authorities and consultants may also stimulate the inclusion of such innovative methods within policies, operational and decision-making processes, which is seen by EURODEMO as key for the applicability of innovative methods.