Roaring engines, music, and the smell of burning rubber: from June 21st, Assen will revolve around everything motorsport-related for nine days. With its 50th anniversary, this edition of the TT Festival promises to be the best party of the year once again. Next to over a week of festivities, there’s also space for innovators to gather feedback from the now 250,000 annual festival visitors. In collaboration with Innofest, more than 20 innovators have tested their social or sustainable innovations at the motorsport event in recent years.
May 28, 2025
Eight years of innovation at the TT Festival
A big party with a golden touch
From rock to pop and from dance to Dutch artists; in June, Assen’s city center will be transformed into a large festival ground with various stages. Besides music, there’s plenty of entertainment for everyone who loves motorsport. As part of the anniversary year, various activities are being organized this year leading up to and during the festival. Moreover, it’s a double celebration, because the festival, founded in 1975, is celebrating another milestone in addition to its 50th anniversary. In 2025, it will be exactly one hundred years since the first TT race took place on the roads of Drenthe. These two unique anniversaries are a good reason to make this edition an extra festive event.
TT Festival as a Living Lab
In 2016, the event was first used as a living lab when pioneering innovator BouWatch tested sustainable light masts. That successful test grew into a structural collaboration. Since then, more than 20 innovators have tested their prototypes in a dynamic environment with a large and diverse audience.
Because the festival takes place in a city, a suitable test location can always be found for the innovators. Depending on what is being tested, the innovations can be tested at an appropriate location. The TT Festival has quiet, busier, or backstage locations where innovators can conduct their tests. By gathering feedback from the festival audience, they can improve their prototype and thus make a greater impact.
Which innovators will be testing this year and have tested in previous years, can be read below.
2025
CC Diagnostics – at-home tests that save lives
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, but is entirely preventable with regular screening. However, current methods miss many cases and are invasive. CC Diagnostics developed a test that detects 97% of cases and works six times faster than existing techniques. This test is suitable for self-sampling, allowing women to easily screen themselves at home. The test focuses on early DNA changes (methylation) that can lead to cancer and is available in a user-friendly kit for laboratories. This makes early detection simpler and more accessible.
Folded Solar – a mobile and modular system that directly generates sustainable energy
The demand for local, sustainable energy is growing rapidly, especially in infrastructure and at the Department of Defense. Folded Solar offers a mobile and modular system for sustainable energy generation, consisting of a foldable solar panel system, battery, Energy Management System (EMS), and optionally a generator. This system enables users to directly generate and manage sustainable energy without a grid connection or polluting generators. Folded Solar reduces the use of fossil fuels and battery transport, resulting in an efficient, scalable solution for remote locations.
Nowaste Oatbar by Tante Restante – using residual streams for a healthier and more sustainable snack option
Tante Restante offers a healthier and more sustainable snack option: the Nowaste Oatbar. This bar is rich in protein and fiber and promotes gut health. What makes this snack unique is its use of residual streams such as brewer’s spent grain and ‘oranjekoek’ (Frisian spice cake) edges. By reusing these ingredients, production costs, water, CO₂ emissions, and agricultural land are saved. It’s a simple recipe with significant ecological and economic benefits. Upcycling is the future, and Tante Restante is responding to this by enabling climate-friendly choices for consumers and producers.
App4Support – an app that supports sports trainers in positively guiding children
New youth trainers often struggle with children’s difficult-to-understand behavior, such as anger or shyness. App4Support offers a solution by providing trainers with pedagogical tools to respond effectively to this behavior. The app offers real-time tips on the sports field and also helps trainers explore alternatives outside of training. With the app, trainers learn to positively guide children’s behavior, which contributes to a better sports climate and prevents children from dropping out.
Green Gear – reusing camping waste for new products
Green Gear reuses camping waste, such as tents, air mattresses, and sleeping bags, to make new products like toiletry bags and fannypacks. This helps reduce the amount of waste and promotes the circular economy. By repurposing used materials, Green Gear contributes to a more sustainable product and offers consumers a conscious choice for reuse.
2024
Distribugs – an innovative meat substitute from beer and insects
Distribugs has developed a meat substitute, the “BierBurger” (BeerBurger), made from brewer’s spent grain and insects. This burger utilizes residual streams from the beer industry, reduces CO2 emissions, and offers a sustainable protein source. During the TT Festival, Distribugs tested the taste, texture, and acceptance of the BierBurger, as well as people’s willingness to pay for this product, using tastings and a tear-off survey card.
Besides the burger, Distribugs also offers dried insects and insect powder – both sources of sustainable protein!
Greenwall – a sustainable green sound barrier
Greenwall designs and produces soundproof screens made from sustainable and organic materials. These screens contribute to a quieter environment by absorbing sound. During the TT festival, they are testing a new, mobile version of these screens: The Coffee Corner. This green wall is ideal for placing on terraces and at workplaces to create more privacy and tranquility.
Greenwall is now widely used and installs green sound barriers along schools, roads, factories, and industrial sites, among others.
House of Basics – fighting wool destruction
In the Netherlands, there are approximately 854,000 sheep that collectively produce 2.5 million kilos of wool per year. Unfortunately, over 1.5 million kilos of this is destroyed each year, including the valuable wool of the Drenthe Heath Sheep. House of Basics is committed to saving this wool from destruction by making sustainable products from it. This not only helps the environment but also the sheep farmers. During the TT Festival, House of Basics tested public interest in products made from this wool and researched what price people were willing to pay.
Nowadays, valuable woolen items can be ordered via the House of Basics website.
Tante Restante – sustainable ice cream from residual streams
Tante Restante’s mission is to combat food waste by converting food residual streams into new products. One of the products they have developed is ice cream made from Oranjekoek, a typical Frisian delicacy with candied orange peel. During the TT Festival, Koen from Tante Restante presented this special ice cream to the public to test if there would be a market for ice cream made from residual streams.
Tante Restante continues its efforts to combat food waste.
2023
Nieuws van de Bouw – the digital community liaison manager
The TT Festival is a big party for most people, but unfortunately, it can also cause nuisance for local residents. Therefore, it is important that the festival remains easily accessible for the city’s inhabitants so that action can be taken quickly if people experience inconvenience. In 2023, the TT Festival tested whether communication with local residents is more effective via the Nieuws van de Bouw platform. This platform offers a central place for information and complaints, making communication more transparent and efficient.
Nieuws van de Bouw can now be used for a project website and app, sending resident letters, managing reports, using a real-time dashboard, and promotional materials.
Uppact – UnWastor: festival waste gets a new life
A large amount of waste is often left behind after festivals. Uppact is committed to recycling this waste and giving it a new life. Their innovation, the UnWastor, recycles all plastic and textile waste. They convert this into high-quality, new, and recyclable products, such as building materials. This way, the festival also benefits from it in the following edition. During the TT Festival in 2023, they investigated what waste was left over so that in 2024 they can collect the waste to make new products. Together with a student team, they observed how the waste was collected and how festival visitors handled their waste.
Driven by impact and with a new factory in Delfzijl, Uppact continues to expand in the fight against waste.
Vitalokaal – learning about a healthy lifestyle
Vitalokaal aims to inspire and inform people about a healthy lifestyle, with an emphasis on healthy nutrition. Their approach is based on fun, tasting, experimenting, and above all, experiencing what nutrition can do for you. At the TT Festival, Vitalokaal tested how they could best convey their message about healthy eating.
Vitalokaal remains the vitality platform where you learn how healthy living and taking good care of yourself is fun, tasty, and above all, easy.
AeroCount – measuring the difference in emissions between an electric and a fuel car
Although electric cars do not cause nitrogen and particulate matter emissions through combustion, they do create particulate matter through tire wear. AeroCount developed an advanced particulate matter meter to measure the differences in emissions between electric and gasoline cars. During the TT Festival, they investigated whether the particulate matter meter is capable of measuring the difference in emissions between the electric car from Top Dutch Solar Racing and a fuel car.
AeroCount’s particulate matter meters are now widely used and contribute to a healthier living environment in every household.
Emit IT – faster help during incidents
The Drenthe startup Emit IT used 3D mapping during the TT Festival to create current drone images of the festival site, giving the command post at the town hall direct insight into the locations of incidents. In addition, various groups of first aid responders were equipped with a unique tracker that can function independently of the mobile network. Thanks to this advanced technology, the first aid, police, and security of the TT Festival could react quickly.
Emit IT has since been able to apply the technology at multiple events and locations.
Top Dutch Solar Racing – a car that runs on solar energy
The multidisciplinary student racing team Top Dutch Solar Racing designed and built their own solar car. To ensure the team was well-coordinated for their participation in a race in Australia and to gain insight into possible obstacles, the students took their solar car for a test drive during the TT Festival.
A new team is now at the helm of Top Dutch Solar Racing, continuing to improve their car’s design.
Included cards – breaking taboos with an inclusive card game
The card game from Included cards aims to break taboos and stimulate open conversations about topics such as sex, gender, and identity. By addressing these themes in a playful and accessible way, Included cards wants to normalize the conversation about them and promote inclusion. The added value of the card game was tested at the TT Festival.
Included cards has since created conversation starters for the workplace, secondary schools, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Watermeln – a mobile power supply with zero emissions
Watermeln’s hydrogen generator is a sustainable and innovative alternative to the traditional diesel generators often used for power supply at festivals. This generator delivers the same powerful performance as a diesel generator but is also completely sustainable, without any noise pollution or harmful emissions. This contributes to a cleaner and quieter festival. The hydrogen generator was tested during the TT Festival.
Watermeln has since been deployed at several leading festivals and construction sites, and the company continues to grow.
2022
LUST – a beer with a message
Sexual harassment is a serious problem: 53% of women and 19% of men face it daily. Notably, two-thirds of sexual harassment cases occur under the influence of alcohol. The women of LUST therefore developed their own beers, with which they aim to offer a solution to this problem. By placing quotes from their own experiences on the labels and running campaigns, they want to create awareness and make sexual harassment discussable. During the TT Festival, they engaged in conversations about sexual harassment in their LUST lounge.
FestiVR (Indietopia) – remote festival experience with VR
FestiVR by Indietopia aims to make the festival experience accessible to people who cannot be there physically, for example, due to mobility problems or distance. They do this using 360-degree cameras and VR technology. During the TT Festival, they recorded the TT Night Ride and showed these images via VR headsets to, among others, residents of a nursing home. This allowed them to enjoy the festival remotely.
OmniDrones – a safer festival through drones
Drones offer new possibilities to make festivals smarter and safer. From the air, they can be a valuable addition to the existing network of cameras. Drones are more flexible and mobile, allowing them to be quickly deployed during incidents or to monitor crowds. OmniDrones tested their drone, specifically designed for event security, on the roof of the HEMA department store. This test provided insight into the practical applicability of drones in a crowded festival environment.
OmniDrones continues to work on making festivals smarter and safer from the air.
SimCPR – a life-saving CPR wristband
SimCPR®Pro is the first CPR wristband that provides real-time feedback on the quality of chest compressions. Different colored lights indicate whether you need to perform CPR faster or deeper. In collaboration with the first aid responders at the TT Festival, they tested whether the wristband works well in a practical situation. This test yielded valuable information about the reliability and user-friendliness of the device.
The SimCPR Pro Trainer is now available online. Additionally, SimCPR has introduced the CPRTEST self-training method in the Netherlands to train medical personnel more efficiently in CPR.
2021
CASTODIAN – a life-saving motorcycle helmet
Motorcycle accidents often lead to serious head injuries. To reduce the number of victims, CASTODIAN developed the Helmet Device for Saving Lives (HDSL): a small sensor device that can be placed in the front of a motorcyclist’s helmet. This sensor analyzes data and shares insights and advice so that motorcyclists use their helmets as safely as possible. During World Superbike, CASTODIAN tested the prototype of their developed sensor and the accompanying app. The entrepreneurs also talked to motorcyclists about their knowledge of helmet safety and their preferences and wishes regarding the data the HDSL can provide.
CASTODIAN continues its commitment to saving lives.
2019
TukAid – Ambulance conversion kit for a tuk-tuk
Emergency aid is not a given in all parts of the world. TukAid developed a toolkit that allows a local tuk-tuk to be easily converted into an ambulance. The innovation pilot at the TT Festival brought the entrepreneurs into contact with first aid responders, patients, and ambulance personnel. These interactions provided essential feedback for the further development of the prototype, making the toolkit better suited to practical needs..
MonkeyWings – a drone on a tether system
For safety reasons, ordinary drones are often not allowed to fly in places where many people gather. However, drones can be of great value at events, for example, for taking overview photos or monitoring crowds. MonkeyWings developed a drone on a tether system, which increases safety. At the TT Festival, the MonkeyWings prototype took to the air above a crowd for the first time, yielding valuable data on the applicability of drones in this context.
Jakx – an unmanned cloakroom system
In places without a cloakroom, leaving your coat unattended often carries the risk of theft or loss. Jakx offers a solution with their secure coat rack with a lock. At the TT Festival, Jakx tested three different prototypes with visitors. By collecting direct feedback, they were able to optimize their product.
2018
Millow – a pulsating pillow
Stress is a growing problem in our society, and festivals can sometimes be overwhelming. Millow developed an innovative pillow that helps people to relax for a moment. The pillow produces a slow, pulsating movement that mimics a heartbeat, thereby promoting relaxation. At the first aid post at the TT Festival, it was investigated whether stressed visitors actually became more relaxed by using this pillow. The results provided insight into the effectiveness of the Millow in a busy environment.
Intellecture – counting people with a smart camera
Effective crowd management is important for the safety and comfort of festival visitors. Intellecture developed a smart camera system that automatically counts the number of people in view. This system was tested at the TT Festival to automate the crowd management process.
Intellecture was founded in 2010 and remains a specialist in security management.
The Stackening – an interactive LED screen
The Stackening created a unique and interactive LED screen that offered visitors the opportunity to participate in the festival in a new way. Festivals, sports clubs, and charities, among others, can use the screen to generate extra income. At the TT Festival, The Stackening’s prototype was subjected to its very first practical test. Visitors could pay to display a text on the screen, which provided valuable feedback for the further development of the product
2016
BouWatch – hybrid solar-powered light masts
Traditionally, light masts often run on polluting diesel generators. BouWatch developed an innovative solution: hybrid light masts that operate (partially) on solar energy, supported by a battery. These lights were tested in a real festival environment at the TT Festival. The results were promising, and BouWatch’s solution is now more widely used, both in the construction sector and at festivals and events. They thus contribute to a more sustainable event landscape.
In 2022, they changed their name to BauWatch, with an ‘a’, to reinforce their international approach. BauWatch has since grown into an ambitious market leader in Northwest Europe, with branches in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, England, Spain, and Italy.