The Knowledge and Development Centre (KDC) is a foundation with the objective to support the development of Schiphol Mainport. The KDC was founded by the Dutch aviation partners: KLM, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Air Traffic Control The Netherlands (LVNL) in 2006. The KDC provides a platform for applied research and development with the aim to innovate aviation in The Netherlands. The goal is to find valuable and innovative solutions for the sustainable development of Mainport Schiphol. This task is executed by defining and realizing target oriented projects with close consultation of both the air transport sector and the department of Infrastructure and Water Management (IL&T). KDC projects typically address complex problems that require involvement of multiple stakeholders and research institutes.
The KDC foundation was established 15 years ago, on March 30, 2006 as an initiative of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. At the request of the Ministry, LVNL, Royal Schiphol Group and KLM started a collaboration to jointly develop innovative solutions for aviation in the Netherlands and in particular for the Mainport Schiphol. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has been a consistent supporter of the KDC collaboration throughout the years!
Since 2006 more than eighty innovative subjects were developed and made ready for industrialization. By doing so we developed know-how and created insight. In the world of innovation not every idea makes it to implementation, and in the case of KDC, about one third of the subjects do. As KDC we view this implementation ratio as a reflection of the type of research we do: a balanced mix of truly innovative studies and development of near-term solutions.
We want to thank all our partners that have joined us in our effort to innovate air traffic management in the Netherlands: KNMI, MeteoGroup, NLR, To70, MovingDot, Ferway, Adecs Airinfra, Delft University of Technology and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. For more information, visit the KDC website!
The activities in KDC are managed on the basis of a research agenda. The KDC research agenda contains a work program for the development of Mainport Schiphol, in particular the airside part of the Schiphol operation. KDC program is closely aligned with the strategic goals of the department of Infrastructure and Water Management and is supported by initiative from both the sector partners and KDC knowledge partners. The current knowledge partners of the KDC are: NLR, KNMI, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), TU Delft, To70, MovingDot, Adecs Airinfra and FerWay.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE), which is part of the KDC, is a framework for collaboration between the aviation sector and universities. A structural collaboration has been established with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) and the Technical University (TU) Delft. Students are provided with the opportunity to develop innovative solutions in both bachelor track and master track theses. The KDC provides the sector partners with university coordinators to develop local innovation needs into graduation assignments.
KDC has invested in the development of the Schiphol APOC with this study that outlined the decision model for the Airport Operations Plan.
This is a study into how Schiphol and the regional airports will develop. Options of flight scheduling and integral ATFCM for the airports: Schiphol, Rotterdam, Lelystad and Eindhoven are studied.
KDC researched the expected increase in capacity for departures at Schiphol Airport, after the introduction of the recategorisation of the Wake Turbelence Categories (WTC), or called RECAT-EU.