The construction and demolition is a resource intensive sector, with Construction and Demolition Wastes (CDWs) considered as the largest waste streams accounting for 374 million tonnes in Europe. Although the 70% target for material recovery of CDWs set in the European Union Waste Directive Framework …

Bio-based and circular building materials and techniques can play an important role in the transition toward a more sustainable construction sector. This study focuses on the Northern Netherlands and explores those competencies (in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitude) required by construction workers …

Rural regions are facing specific challenges, such as demographic ones. For example, younger people often move towards more urban regions, which results in an older and dwindling population, which could lead to less facilities and broad prosperity. These challenges ask for specific sets of policies focused …

The shift from linear to circular business models is critical for sustainability in the construction and manufacturing sectors in the Netherlands. However, many companies face significant challenges in making this transition, including financial constraints, cultural resistance, and regulatory hurdles, …

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in quantitatively measuring the transition of companies to a circular economy. First, using the most recent literature review on circularity metrics, a complete overview of the currently …

The crowdlending market has emerged as a significant alternative financing mechanism for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The European Union works towards the unification of crowdfunding markets. This paper aims to review future research directions to support crowdlending as a financial alternative …

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the automotive aftermarket are under increasing pressure to remain competitive while transitioning to circular business models, in line with Dutch sustainability goals. These SMEs, operating in areas such as auto parts, battery systems, maintenance, and damage …

"Europe’s energy transition requires not only technological innovation but also new educational approaches that equip future professionals to navigate complex social, technical, and governance challenges. This expert article examines how students from Avans University of Applied Sciences contribute to …

The global sustainability transition starts with the local introduction of innovative solutions. Living labs in regions have a crucial role to play in testing and applying these innovative solutions in the early stages of the transition. In Utrecht a remarkable Household Lab is developed. It will not …

Living Labs are vibrant, open innovation ecosystems where research and development take place in real-world settings instead of isolated laboratory environments. Through a structured co-creation process, they position citizens and end-users at the heart of innovation, ensuring that emerging solutions …