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People, facilities and software make Deltares
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future. We should be aware of the fact that
technology can change quickly and in unex-
pected ways: payback times are, in practice,
short and investments can suddenly become less
productive. The challenge is to keep our data and
software manageable, and that includes the cost
side, while continuing to lead the way in new
developments.
We are investing in experimental environments
that are separate from the production environ-
ment. This is very clear to see in our new iD-Lab.
This is a data and model facility where we are
working on visualisation technologies, interac-
tive modelling and planetary models for flood
risks, land subsidence and water scarcity. The
iD-Lab is home to experiments involving collabo-
rative research looking at the response to
emergencies. We are continuing to build on the
development capacity of our workforce in the
field of e-science: big-data analysis, data-driven
modelling, data-driven visualisation, interactive
modelling and data validation. We are keeping an
eye on developments through technology scans
and by calling in external expertise. Where
possible and useful, we are developing software
in collaboration with private parties from
outside the organisation, for example in user
communities. The underlying principle here is,
and will remain, that the software will ultimately
be open-source.
Our goal is:
•
To be a pioneer in the development of the
data and software integration in our fields.
•
To use our open-source software more as a
carrier and distributor of knowledge.
We will do this by:
•
Adopting a targeted approach to the
extension of our open-source software and
the associated international communities in
terms of data handling and computing
techniques for water and ground modelling.
•
Making the iD-Lab a successful experimental
environment for data, modelling and
visualisation.
Deltares Strategic Plan
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