Dear Reader, Welcome to Sustainable EU Economy. This book is more than a textbook—it is an invitation to explore how the European Union shapes business, society, and sustainability in today’s interconnected world. My hope is that it will inspire you to think critically, engage actively, and see how Europe’s …

Food loss and waste (FLW) remains a critical global challenge, particularly in the food and beverage (F&B) sector, where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operate under tight margins and fragmented supply chains. This study investigates how F&B SMEs in the Netherlands address sustainability (including …

Research and innovation have long been dominated by models and epistemologies rooted in global North institutions, privileging formalised knowledge systems over lived experience and embedded wisdom. In response, we conceptualise the Inclusive Research Commons (IRC), a transdisciplinary and practice-based …

Global economic growth and its associated challenges, particularly those related to environmental impact, vulnerabilities in various global regions, inclusivity, and sustainability, prompt serious reflections on the types of economic and business models capable of achieving such growth, while addressing …

This paper explores how religiously informed upbringings and lived experiences in contexts of material scarcity have shaped enduring attitudes toward consumption, stewardship, and sustainability. Drawing on autoethnographic reflections we examine how deeply internalised values translate into practical …

Academic research has traditionally privileged etic (external) perspectives over emic (internal) perspectives rooted in lived experience. In the context of decolonial and epistemic sensitivity, there is growing recognition of the value of knowledge generated through life itself. This study contributes …

This thesis investigates how dynamic capabilities and their underlying microfoundations enable manufacturers to implement digital servitization as a means for circular business model innovation. Digital servitization and circular business model innovation are both gaining traction in the manufacturing …

This presentation was given at the 30st anneversary conference of Tronrud Engeneers, the producer of the TC2 digital handloom about the Dreamweave Factory project currently executed at Hanze Applied University, Biobased Economy

Wood is an increasingly demanded renewable resource and an important raw material for construction and materials. Demands are rising, with a growing attention for re-use and upcycling, opening up opportunities for new business models, empowered by the use of digital design and technologies. A KPI framework …

Across cities and urban regions in The Netherlands unusual collaborations emerge which aim to develop new circular business models that facilitate product and resource longevity through various upcycling strategies, such as reuse, repair, refurbish, repurpose and/or remanufacture. Municipalities, social …