On 21 March, the ‘Green Innovations’ symposium will take place at Lifeport, organised by the Lifeport Circular Lab helix group. In the chapel of Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, we will explore together how innovative projects contribute to a sustainable future for our region.
Leading experts will gather here to share the latest insights on sustainability, circularity and innovation in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region.
Ruth Klein is Programme Manager for Smart Sustainability at The Economic Board and explains: “A year and a half ago, the first Lifeport Circular Lab symposium took place at HAN. There, the helix group presented three thematic hubs involving collaboration between knowledge institutions, businesses and the government: Soil Valley, VIA-T and Lifeport@ Innovation Hub Circular.
This time, we’ll draw inspiration from three researchers from the region, and then explore the potential impact of this research in the three thematic workshops.”
Three regional experts
These keynote speakers will provide an introduction to their respective fields.
Bernard van Gastel, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Digitalisation at Radboud University, on research into the sustainability of software use, including its effects on society.
Ute Sass-Klaassen, Professor of Sustainable Forest Management at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, on research into the restoration and conservation of forests and the improvement of their various functions.
Sjors Witjes, Senior Lecturer in Strategy at Radboud University, on how we organise the energy transition.
Translation to practice
Klein outlines how this is then put into practice: “Together with the audience, we will translate that innovative research into practical application. This will be done in collaboration with the entrepreneurs, students and other participants present.
One of the speakers, for example, is Bernard van Gastel, who conducts research into AI and IT. What does the increasing use of these technologies actually mean for sustainability? Of course, you can endlessly use new techniques to carry out better analyses, but collecting, analysing and storing all that data also consumes a great deal of energy. How can we strike the right balance?
During the speakers’ briefing, something wonderful happened straight away: Ute was immediately captivated by Bernard’s story. She works, amongst other things, with sensors that measure sap flows in trees, and she immediately realised just how much data this generates – and therefore also what it costs to store all of it. I saw collaboration take shape right there and then, within the teams. I hope to see this happen again on 21 March!”
About the helix group Lifeport Circular Lab
“We are currently working with the helix group to develop The Economic Board’s Strategic Agenda. This agenda sets out our ambitions for the next five years, which we aim to translate into concrete actions. One such ambition, for example, is to integrate our ‘Smart Sustainability’ theme into the three key sectors in our Lifeport region: Energy, Health and High Tech.
In the helix group, we are working together to identify what we need to do to achieve this, for example by drawing up a joint research agenda, or by steering towards changes in specific study programmes.
Such a joint regional agenda helps with prioritisation and provides clarity on the actions and forms of collaboration we need to undertake. It is within the framework of this joint agenda that we are organising this symposium together.”
Week of the Circular Economy
The symposium will take place during Circular Economy Week and is part of the Circular Four Day event that the organisation Lifeport@ stages every year.
