Zeeland Schakelt

02

What we looked into first

Before we started building, it had to be clear what does and does not belong on the platform. We worked that out together with the province and the partners.

• What already exists elsewhere? The rules, exemptions and times for the tunnel are on werkaandetunnel.nl, the official source. We do not need to repeat them.
• Where is the biggest gain? In work and travel: workspaces, meeting rooms, sharing rides and the transport that already exists, such as the ferry and the shuttle buses.
• How does it stay privacy friendly? Visitors do not have to leave any personal details. Only people who offer something share their details.
• Who approves what goes on it? That had to be settled before anything went online, along with who runs the platform.
• Is it recognisable? The design matches Werk aan de Tunnel, the campaign around the closure.

03

The choice, and why

The common thread: the platform brings people together, it does not arrange things for them. That comes with a few deliberate choices.

• Free and without an account. Searching, responding and posting an offer cost nothing and you do not have to sign up for anything. Providers update their offer through a personal link.
• No bookings through the platform. When you find a place or a ride, you get in touch with the provider and arrange the rest together. That keeps it simple and means we store as little data as possible.
• Everything is checked before it goes live. An AI check flags anything unusual, a person decides.
• Tunnel information comes from the source. For rules and exemptions we link to werkaandetunnel.nl, so there is never an outdated version anywhere. If something changes there, we are alerted automatically.
• Its own address. On zeelandschakelt.nl we can make changes quickly ourselves, without waiting for another party.
• The data stays in Europe. The database and servers run in Frankfurt, as agreed with the province.

04

What we delivered

Agensea came up with the concept and the name, designed and built the platform, and makes the material to share it. It started as a working demo; after the assignment it was ready for everyone within five weeks.

What is in it

• Workspaces, study spots and meeting rooms on both sides of the tunnel
• Shared rides, the ferry and the shuttle buses in one place
• The Crossing: a trip planner that works with the tunnel time blocks
• A personal commuter plan, no account needed
• Ask a question: an AI assistant that answers straight away and never makes up places
• The impact: a page showing what the platform delivers so far
• An admin environment where we review listings, answer questions and follow the numbers
• Posters, flyers and posts to share the platform

Who did what

05

What changes day to day

What changes for the people who use it?

• Commuters search by town for a workspace, room or ride, and use The Crossing to work out when to leave.
• When you find something, you respond through the platform. The provider receives the message and gets in touch.
• Providers post their place or ride in a few minutes, without an account. They are notified as soon as it is live, with a link to update it later.
• A week after a response the platform asks whether it worked out. That way we measure what it delivers instead of estimating it.

The real effect on traffic at the tunnel only shows once the east tube is closed, from January 2027. Until then the impact page shows what we already measure, such as visits, listings and commuter plans made.

06

Where it stands now

Zeeland Schakelt launched on Tuesday 15 September 2026 during the Eat & Meet at Dockwize in Vlissingen and has been open to everyone since. There are listings from businesses and organisations on both sides of the tunnel, including in Vlissingen, Goes, Terneuzen and Hoek.

Agensea runs the platform throughout the closure: reviewing listings, answering questions and building further on what users and partners tell us.

Timeline

1. June 2026

   The idea presented as a working demo to the province and the partners

2. 10 August 2026

   Assignment confirmed, building starts

3. 15 September 2026

   Launch during the Eat & Meet at Dockwize

4. 11 January 2027

   The east tube closes

Contribute

Companies that want to keep the region reachable can contribute financially. Agensea matches every contribution with development hours, so the platform keeps growing during the closure. Read more at zeelandschakelt.nl/bijdragen.