This communication aims to provide a framework on how to integrate the concept of Circular Economy (CE) when addressing real-life urban challenges such as resource scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, waste, and high consumerism (Williams, 2019), through delivery of courses to students of various educational backgrounds. As part of the mission of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) to be at the forefront of promoting sustainability through education and research, the Faculties of Technology and of Business and Economics joined forces to launch a new minor namely Circular Amsterdam: Mission Zero Waste. This minor focuses on the challenges and opportunities towards the circular transition in Amsterdam as well as in other European cities, by applying system level of thinking and real-life practical cases.CE model is a shift from the traditional linear “take, make, and dispose” way of doing business, to promoting circularity of the waste product through the 3R principles (reduce, reuse, recycle), which is nowadays extended to using 9R principles (0-Refuse, 1-Rethink, 2-Reduce, 3-Reuse, 4-Repair, 5-Refurbish, 6-Remanufacture, 7-Repurpose, 8-Recycle, and 9-Recover) (Potting et al., 2017). Transitioning to CE model needs intervention and multidisciplinary approach at different levels, hence requiring systems level of thinking. This means that technical, organizational, economic, behavioral, and regulatory aspects should be taken into account when designing business models, policies, or framework on CE. In the case of the minor, a system change including the challenges and opportunities needed in the cities, will be approached from different perspectives. In order to do this, the minor requires collaboration on a real-life problem using multiple backgrounds of students that include technical, economic, creative and social domains, as well as various stakeholders such as businesses, policy makers, and experts in circular economy.This minor will provide in-depth knowledge and skills based on its two tracks. The first track is called Circular Design & Technology. It focuses on the role of technology in CE, technological design, material use, production, use of circular resources in production, and impact analysis. The second track is called Circular Governance & Management. This track focuses on viable business case development, circular supply chain management, finance, regulations, entrepreneurship, and human capital. The focus of this communication will be the second track.Multidisciplinary teams each consisting of approximately four students will work on different projects. Examples of real-world, practical cases related to Circular Governance & Management track include: (1) development of business models addressing resource shortages and waste in the cities, (2) influencing consumer mindset when it comes to recycling and use of circular materials and products, (3) development of financially viable circular businesses, with due consideration of different instruments such as traditional bank loans, green/social bonds and loans, crowdfunding, or impact investing, and (4) tracking and reporting their sustainability performance with the voluntary use of sustainability metrics and reporting standards in order to better manage their risk and attract capital. These projects are linked to research expertises in AUAS. The course activities include (guest) lectures, workshops, co-creation sessions, excursions, presentations and peer reviews. The learning goals in the Circular Governance & Management track include being able to:1. Understand the foundations of CE and theory of change;2. Apply systems thinking to show how different interventions, such as consumer products, logistics models, business models or policy designs, can affect the transition from the existing linear to a CE model;3. Design an intervention, such as a product, logistic concept, business model, communication strategy or policy design supporting the CE, using students‘ backgrounds, ambitions and interests;4. Understand the financial and regulatory framework affecting the management and governance of (financially viable) circular businesses, including government incentives;5. Evaluate the economic, environmental and social impacts of developed intervention design on the city and its environment;6. Provide justification of students‘ design according to sustainability performance indicators;7. Collaborate with stakeholders in a multidisciplinary team; and8. Present, defend and communicate the results in English.
Deze publicatie richt zich vooral op het concept Design Based Research,gezien vanuit het perspectief van de bijna 40 lectoren die de hogeschool rijk is. Dit lectoratenoverzicht kan worden beschouwd als een atlas of reisgids waarmee de lezer een route kan afleggen langs de verschillende lectoraten. De lectoraten die actief zijn op het gebied van de Service Economy worden beschreven in hoofdstuk 2. De lectoraten die actief zijn op het gebied van Vitale Regio worden beschreven in hoofdstuk 3. De lectoraten die actief zijn op het gebied van Smart Sustainable Industries worden beschreven in hoofdstuk 4. De lectoraten die actief zijn op het gebied van de hogeschoolbrede thema’s Design Based Education en Research worden beschreven in hoofdstuk 5. Tenslotte wordt er in hoofdstuk 6 een eerste aanzet gedaan om één of meer verbindende thema’s of werkwijzen te ontdekken in de aanpak van de verschillende lectoraten. Het is niet de bedoeling van deze publicatie om een definitief antwoord te geven op de vraag wat NHL Stenden precies bedoelt met het concept Design Based Research. Het doel van deze publicatie is wel om een indruk te krijgen van wat er allemaal gebeurt binnnen de lectoraten van NHL Stenden, en om nieuwsgierig te worden naar meer.
Recycling of plastics plays an important role to reach a climate neutral industry. To come to a sustainable circular use of materials, it is important that recycled plastics can be used for comparable (or ugraded) applications as their original use. QuinLyte innovated a material that can reach this goal. SmartAgain® is a material that is obtained by recycling of high-barrier multilayer films and which maintains its properties after mechanical recycling. It opens the door for many applications, of which the production of a scoliosis brace is a typical example from the medical field. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine and wearing an orthopedic brace is the common non-invasive treatment to reduce the likelihood of spinal fusion surgery later. The traditional way to make such brace is inaccurate, messy, time- and money-consuming. Because of its nearly unlimited design freedom, 3D FDM-printing is regarded as the ultimate sustainable technique for producing such brace. From a materials point of view, SmartAgain® has the good fit with the mechanical property requirements of scoliosis braces. However, its fast crystallization rate often plays against the FDM-printing process, for example can cause poor layer-layer adhesion. Only when this problem is solved, a reliable brace which is strong, tough, and light weight could be printed via FDM-printing. Zuyd University of Applied Science has, in close collaboration with Maastricht University, built thorough knowledge on tuning crystallization kinetics with the temperature development during printing, resulting in printed products with improved layer-layer adhesion. Because of this knowledge and experience on developing materials for 3D printing, QuinLyte contacted Zuyd to develop a strategy for printing a wearable scoliosis brace of SmartAgain®. In the future a range of other tailor-made products can be envisioned. Thus, the project is in line with the GoChem-themes: raw materials from recycling, 3D printing and upcycling.
Chemical preservation is an important process that prevents foods, personal care products, woods and household products, such as paints and coatings, from undesirable change or decomposition by microbial growth. To date, many different chemical preservatives are commercially available, but they are also associated with health threats and severe negative environmental impact. The demand for novel, safe, and green chemical preservatives is growing, and this process is further accelerated by the European Green Deal. It is expected that by the year of 2050 (or even as soon as 2035), all preservatives that do not meet the ‘safe-by-design’ and ‘biodegradability’ criteria are banned from production and use. To meet these European goals, there is a large need for the development of green, circular, and bio-degradable antimicrobial compounds that can serve as alternatives for the currently available biocidals/ preservatives. Anthocyanins, derived from fruits and flowers, meet these sustainability goals. Furthermore, preliminary research at the Hanze University of Applied Science has confirmed the antimicrobial efficacy of rose and tulip anthocyanin extracts against an array of microbial species. Therefore, these molecules have the potential to serve as novel, sustainable chemical preservatives. In the current project we develop a strategy consisting of fractionation and state-of-the-art characterization methods of individual anthocyanins and subsequent in vitro screening to identify anthocyanin-molecules with potent antimicrobial efficacy for application in paints, coatings and other products. To our knowledge this is the first attempt that combines in-depth chemical characterization of individual anthocyanins in relation to their antimicrobial efficacy. Once developed, this strategy will allow us to single out anthocyanin molecules with antimicrobial properties and give us insight in structure-activity relations of individual anthocyanins. Our approach is the first step towards the development of anthocyanin molecules as novel, circular and biodegradable non-toxic plant-based preservatives.
“Empowering learners to create a sustainable future” This is the mission of Centre of Expertise Mission-Zero at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS). The postdoc candidate will expand the existing knowledge on biomimicry, which she teaches and researches, as a strategy to fulfil the mission of Mission-Zero. We know when tackling a design challenge, teams have difficulties sifting through the mass of information they encounter. The candidate aims to recognize the value of systematic biomimicry, leading the way towards the ecosystems services we need tomorrow (Pedersen Zari, 2017). Globally, biomimicry demonstrates strategies contributing to solving global challenges such as Urban Heat Islands (UHI) and human interferences, rethinking how climate and circular challenges are approached. Examples like Eastgate building (Pearce, 2016) have demonstrated successes in the field. While biomimicry offers guidelines and methodology, there is insufficient research on complex problem solving that systems-thinking requires. Our research question: Which factors are needed to help (novice) professionals initiate systems-thinking methods as part of their strategy? A solution should enable them to approach challenges in a systems-thinking manner just like nature does, to regenerate and resume projects. Our focus lies with challenges in two industries with many unsustainable practices and where a sizeable impact is possible: the built environment (Circularity Gap, 2021) and fashion (Joung, 2014). Mission Zero has identified a high demand for Biomimicry in these industries. This critical approach: 1) studies existing biomimetic tools, testing and defining gaps; 2) identifies needs of educators and professionals during and after an inter-disciplinary minor at The Hague University; and, 3) translates findings into shareable best practices through publications of results. Findings will be implemented into tangible engaging tools for educational and professional settings. Knowledge will be inclusive and disseminated to large audiences by focusing on communication through social media and intervention conferences.
