'We ensure resource security in the region'

27 February 2025 Research news item

With the 'Circular Top Region Arnhem Nijmegen' project, associate professor of sustainability and circularity Sjors Witjes and Kristie Lamers, director of Lifeport@ hope to drive the transition to a circular economy.

Our society runs on what the earth provides us: raw materials. These are needed for our packaging materials, electrical appliances, our food and much more. The need for raw materials is increasing worldwide. At the same time, we also waste a lot of raw materials. "We are getting to the point where raw materials are running out and becoming unaffordable," says Sjors Witjes, associate professor at Nijmegen School of Management. "The only sustainable solution is to reuse raw materials more and thus guarantee our resource security. We need to move from a linear to a circular economy."

Witjes wants to stimulate this circular transition together with important chain partners within the project Circular Top Region Arnhem Nijmegen, part of the Region Deal Healthy Green Growth. The project's leader is innovation network Lifeport@. By building a bridge between entrepreneurs, researchers and government, we work together to find solutions to circular issues, says director Kristie Lamers. "We are the lubricant and bring the different parties together."

"It's all about cooperation. That's easy said, but hard done."

The project consists of three initiatives: a research program, a Triple Helix Ecosystem and the Lifeport@ Innovation Hub. Witjes explains, "From the research program Organisational Sustainability and Circularity, we are developing new knowledge around circularity. We are investigating how we can box the transition together. And how we can organise that regionally efficiently. The second initiative, the Triple Helix Ecosystem, provides a platform for entrepreneurs, government and education. In it we share our knowledge and test new business models." In the Lifeport@ Innovation Hub, all parties - entrepreneurs, government, education and science - work together on practical solutions. Lamers: "We physically sit down together and work on concrete practical projects. It's all about cooperation. That's easy said, but hard done."

What kind of circular practice solutions should we think of?

Witjes: "The diaper center is a great example. We put all the actors from the diaper chain together here in the Erasmus building. '400 kilotons of diaper waste' was written on the board. That was our task. What are we going to do with that? In the end we managed to set up a diaper recycling system together with Waste-to-Energy Plant ARN. ARN now processes 14,000 tons of diapers a year. They are the world leader in this field. 'Our circular flagship is a poop ship,' as the director of ARN nicely put it."

Can't SMEs make themselves sustainable? Why is such a project necessary?

Lamers: "We encounter many, often small, SMEs that would like to become more sustainable and innovate, but do not have the manpower, money or knowledge to do so themselves. To give an example: painting companies turned out to be stuck with old unused paint. While unused paint can actually serve as raw material for new paint. That also saves a lot of chemical waste. We brought all the parties involved around the table. What seemed like an impossible task logistically and in terms of permits ended in success. In two days more than 6,000 kilos of old paint were collected and processed. Recycling paint turned out to be practical and financially feasible." "And the paint stays in the region. This is how we organise raw material security in the region," Witjes adds.

You also want to attract talent?

Lamers: "We would like to introduce students to regional companies. Students do an internship during their studies, for example at a company like Tony Chocolonely in Amsterdam. And once they graduate, they end up working there, simply because they know that company. Meanwhile, companies here in the region face big, super interesting challenges."

"Look at Synprodo in Wijchen, for example," Witjes adds, "they face an interesting task. Synprodo produces Styrofoam (EPS or expanded polystyrene in technical terms). That is made from petroleum so not very environmentally friendly. So extending the lifespan and recycling as much as possible are important. European legislation stipulates that 35% of future EPS must consist of recycled material. In the Innovation Hub, students think along with Synprodo to make this challenge a success. This is how we try to attract and retain talent for the region."

Projects should not run on subsidies, right?

Lamers: "Certainly not. You have to make sure it becomes a balanced business case. Look at the diaper plant. The premise was that it would be far too expensive to recycle diapers. But if you work well together and design the processes cleverly, it turns out to be profitable after all. The Circular Top Region offers the opportunity to look for circular practices that are a business model."

Witjes' and Lamers' enthusiasm for accelerating the transition to a circular economy is explained by their background. Witjes: "I am an industrial designer by birth. Those are problem solvers. I enjoy working with others on concrete solutions for a more sustainable region." Making a visible impact is also what appeals to Lamers. "We live in a big world where the nasty news just thunders over us. My work at Lifeport@ gives me action perspective. I can make a concrete difference and ensure a better future in my own region. I once studied history. Back then I was mainly interested in revolutions. I still find that historical perspective on transitions valuable. On to a circular revolution!"

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Text: Inge Mutsaers
Photo of Sjors Witjes: Duncan de Fey

Contact information

Organizational unit: Nijmegen School of Management, Institute for Management Research, Business Administration, Responsible Innovation & Entrepreneurship
About person: Dr S. Witjes (Sjors)