After years of preparation, the Scale Up Future-Proof Synthetic turf Pitches initiative is now truly getting underway. The Dutch municipalities of Haarlem and Amsterdam are aiming, to a certain extent, to become the cradle of “synthetic turf pitches with added value.” If all goes well, the concept can be adopted elsewhere in Europe as well.
By: Guy Oldenkotte
For a long time, the Netherlands and the Dutch sports surfaces sector HAVE set the international benchmark in terms of quality and innovation. However, with other countries starting to adopt synthetic turf surfaces too, this position has been rivalled. The persistent practice of awarding tenders based solely on the lowest price has done neither the industry nor Dutch society any favours. Not only has this made many companies reluctant to take risks by pursuing new ideas, the shift in sentiment and the changing climate have also made the public more critical of the introduction of new standard synthetic turf surfaces.
Bundled tenders
The Scale Up initiative aims to address both issues. By bundling the tenders for the renovation of nearly 300 synthetic turf sports pitches over the next 10 years and allocating the work to pre-selected consortia, individual companies within these consortia should feel sufficiently empowered to develop new innovations once again.
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