Winners of the Circularity Research Seed Fund 2025–2026

Project 1: HARVEST - Hemp & viticulture for A Resilient Value Chain and Ecological System Transition

Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Pim Martens

Faculties: FSE, SBE

The HARVEST project explores how agriculture in Limburg can become more circular and resilient by studying vineyards and biomass crops such as fiber hemp and miscanthus. We will use Material Flow Analysis to map how resources like water, nutrients, and raw materials move through these agricultural systems and where waste or inefficiencies occur. They will then test how vulnerable these systems are to shocks such as climate change, policy shifts, or economic disruptions. By working closely with farmers, regional organizations, and policymakers, the project aims to develop practical strategies to reduce resource dependence and strengthen local value chains. The study combines expertise from environmental science and sustainability economics to better understand both ecological and economic impacts. The results will support regional policy, contribute to academic research, and provide practical guidance for building a more circular agricultural system in Limburg.

Project 2: Past Flows, Future Cycles: Landscape and Logistics Lessons from Limburg

Project Lead: Dr. Lieven Quintens

Faculties: SBE, FASoS

How can we better understand the circular economy of the future by looking at the industrial systems of the past? This project explores that question by examining the historical development of material flows, logistics networks, and industrial landscapes in the Limburg ceramic industry.

Focusing particularly on Maastricht, the research looks at how ceramic production shaped the region during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At the time, ceramic companies played a central role in industrialisation, bringing together raw materials, energy, labour, and transport systems into complex production networks. These systems not only generated economic value, but also produced long-lasting waste streams—offering a rich context to study the origins of today’s sustainability challenges.

By analysing company archives and regional collections, the project reconstructs how materials were sourced, how production was organised, how goods were transported, and how residual flows were managed. This historical perspective reveals practices such as reuse, by-product utilisation, and shared infrastructure—principles that are now central to discussions on circularity.

Rather than viewing the circular economy as a purely forward-looking concept, this project demonstrates that many of its core ideas are deeply rooted in past industrial practices. By uncovering these historical patterns, the research provides valuable insights into how more sustainable and circular systems can be designed for the future.

Project 3: Valorizing horticultural bio-residues in Limburg for a Circular Economy - VaLiBio

Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Yvonne van der Meer

Faculties: SBE, FSE

VaLiBio explores how horticultural residues in Limburg can be converted into renewable feedstocks for the (bio)chemical industry. The project aims to identify circular valorization pathways that improve regional resource efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil-based raw materials.

By combining Material Flow Analysis with supply chain analysis, VaLiBio assesses how local biomass streams can be effectively integrated into sustainable value chains. The project brings together expertise in sustainability, chemistry, business, and logistics.

VaLiBio is led by the SusChem group at the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) and the Brightlands Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (BISCI), in collaboration with Ebert HERA (via Brightsite at Brightlands Chemelot Campus) and BlueHub (at Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo).

Together, the partners aim to accelerate Limburg’s transition toward a circular and biobased economy.

Project 4: Circular practices and infrastructures that benefit lower-income residents

Project Lead: Dr. Laura Niessen-Wade

Faculties: SBE, FASoS, FHML

Circle Society is a pilot project that looks at how circular consumption like reuse and repair can benefit lower-income residents in Limburg. Our interdisciplinary team at FASoS, FHML and SBE are working together to map the existing infrastructure that supports circular consumption, for instance repair cafes and second-hand shops in the region. To address issues like fast fashion and clothing waste, the project will focus on the clothing sector and how circular consumption of clothing might benefit the environment and society, particularly lower-income residents.

Project 5: Water Circularity in SMEs and Family Businesses

Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Anita van Gils

Faculties: SBE, FSE

Water is becoming a business risk in Limburg — through both droughts and flooding. At the same time, water costs, wastewater requirements, and sustainability reporting expectations are increasing. Yet many SMEs still lack clear insight into their water management: where water is actually used in their processes, how much of it is lost, wasted, or unnecessarily treated, and where savings and reuse opportunities exist. This project helps SMEs turn water from a hidden cost into a strategic advantage, meanwhile gathering valuable research data on this circularity challenge.

Next to the aim to extend academic knowledge in this field - and with the support and input of participating companies - we will create a ‘Water Circularity Toolkit for SMEs’. This should help to ensure that future water strategies are both practical for real businesses and based on real industrial data. The developed toolkit will later be made available to other SMEs in the region. The insights and experiences gained within this project will also directly be disseminated to relevant partners as input for future regional policies and support programs.