AMS Institute is a unique transdisciplinary urban innovation ecosystem, rooted in its founding institutes TU Delft, Wageningen University & Research, and MIT, and shaped by its partnership with the City of Amsterdam.
As a thought leader, accelerator, and learning community, we develop groundbreaking scientific insights, imaginative solutions, and impactful technologies. We research critical and interconnected challenges in mobility, energy, circularity, digitalization, food and climate adaptation to accelerate the development of tangible metropolitan solutions.
“At AMS Institute we focus on research with impact. These urban challenges are complex and multifaceted and require a combination of diverse expertise and perspectives to create feasible and meaningful solutions”
Stephan van Dijk
Director of Innovation
We research, design and share metropolitan solutions
We research critical and interconnected challenges in mobility, energy, circularity, digitalization, food and climate adaptation to accelerate the development of tangible metropolitan solutions.
Directly jump to our project portfolios per urban challenge: Smart Urban Mobility | Urban Energy | Climate Resilient Cities | Circularity in Urban Regions | Metropolitan Food Systems | Responsible Urban Digitalization
We provide a springboard to the next generation of urban engineers
Knowledge is essential in developing a deep understanding of – and sustainable solutions for – our cities of today and tomorrow, and it’s equally important to educate, attract talent and disseminate knowledge to benefit the Amsterdam Metropolitan area. Our master Metropolitan Analysis Design and Engineering (MSc MADE) – a joint degree WUR/TUD program is at the heart of our educational activities. In addition to the master's program, we offer a wide portfolio of educational activities, including professional and online education via MOOCs.
We accelerate tangible urban solutions
Building on research conducted in and with the city, we transform insights into concrete, scalable, and commercially viable solutions. All our research, educational activities, and collaborations create new opportunities: ideas for next steps and startups that just need to see the light of day. Through our business incubation programs (AMS Startup Booster and Amsterdam Circular), we stimulate entrepreneurship. In addition, our Prototype Team transforms scientific concepts into functional prototypes and proof-of-concept solutions through user-centered design, technical development, and testing. Together, these activities help innovations move from research to market and society, ensuring tangible urban change beyond the research phase.
We orchestrate a collaborative space and learning community
AMS Institute, founded in 2014 by Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, brings together the interdisciplinary expertise of these three leading universities at the heart of Amsterdam’s metropolitan challenges. It is precisely this combination of knowledge and transdisciplinary perspective that uniquely positions AMS Institute to research, design, and drive urban innovation.
Collaborative learning is at the core of AMS Institute. We apply our Living Lab way of working in the majority of our projects, combining real-world experimentation with research and stakeholder engagement. As a networking organization, AMS Institute works with a broad coalition of stakeholders — including academic researchers, industry, civil society, policymakers, and the wider urban innovation community—to share knowledge and co-create solutions. Our close partnership with the Municipality of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area lies at the heart of this mission.
“The AMS Institute eco-system of scientists, lectures, students and staff is the biggest asset and foundation of our institute. They are our thriving community that create the ideas, talent, collaborations and solutions to re-invent cities.”
Zwanet van Lubek
Managing Director
We strengthen thought leadership in urban innovation
At AMS Institute, we advance thought leadership in urban innovation. We provide a platform for experts at our events and (scientific) conferences, while also nurturing thought leadership within our test environments and research projects. By actively shaping the conversation, communicating insights throughout the research process, and engaging with the press, we demonstrate new ways to tackle urban challenges and inspire action across cities, policymakers, and the wider urban innovation community.