Looks at the environment we live in, seeing opportunities at hand and combining design insights with science and technology.

The Dutch have an unprecedented advantage in how to manage challenging water issues and threats. Can the Netherlands use its precarious relationship with water to stay afloat through the climate crisis and make the transition towards a low emission future at the same time? 

Design being a first indication of human intention, Matthias Massling as a design student at Fontys has always been intrigued by the man-made world we live in, searching for the answers to what, how and why things are as they are. Combined with his interest in science and technology now, as one of our youngest speakers at TedXVenlo 2021, his appealing talk will advocate the need for action, helping to bring solutions to the scale of just a neighborhood in the City of Venlo.

Mother Earth 

Old enough to understand and grasp the threats like climate change and how CO2 emissions will affect future generations and young enough to become part of those immanent dangerous forecasts, Matthias Massling is eager to become an ambassador for change. With a whole new technique, a promising solution in how to stop heating our homes with gas, he will tell you the story of how to think global and act local. In the way we cherish Mother Earth, we can also use ‘Mooder Maas’ (local dialect for the river Meuse) in Venlo to solve one of the challenges, heating our homes in a rather groundbreaking manner.

Looking at the environment we live in, seeing opportunities at hand and combining his design insights with science and technology, Matthias works within a team of students at Fontys Venlo University of Applied Sciences and of professionals in the Business Innovation Learning Lab (BILL). 

TedxVenlo 2021

“It’s a great opportunity to improve my public speaking skills, which comes in handy as a designer. Presentations are a big part of the job. But also because I feel it gives me the opportunity to further advocate my cause, even if it is just a little.”  

Clearly, Matthias 22 years young, is still modest about the skills and opportunities he brings to the main stage of the Maaspoort (What’s in a name) at TedxVenlo 2021. With Matthias on board a challenging future lies ahead. Can Venlo be as strong as the river that runs through it?