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De energietransitie staat steeds hoger op de agenda’s van bedrijventerreinen. Zo blijft het terrein aantrekkelijk voor bestaande én toekomstige ondernemers. Maar elk bedrijf heeft andere energiebehoeften en het energieverbruik overdag is doorgaans veel hoger dan ’s avonds. Het voorspellen van energieverbruik op een bedrijventerrein is dan ook ingewikkeld. Daarom is het belangrijk om de energievraag en het energieaanbod op een bedrijventerrein te inventariseren en op elkaar af te stemmen. MNEXT onderzoekt de mogelijkheden voor een Energy Hub op bedrijventerrein Steenakker in Breda. Een goed voorbeeld van hoe kennisinstellingen, studenten en bedrijven samenwerken aan slimme oplossingen voor moeilijke vraagstukken.

Recent onderzoek van MNEXT en partners toont aan dat er kansen liggen voor het vergroten van biodiversiteit in Nederland, door op gebouw-, straat- en gebiedsniveau aandacht te besteden aan, zoals het heet, ‘natuurinclusief’ te bouwen of renoveren. Eerder publiceerde het consortium daar al deze whitepaper over. Graag zoemen we dit keer in op het aandeel dat MNEXT had in het geheel, namelijk natuurinclusieve toepassingen op gebouwniveau. Onderzoekers en studenten werkten aan innovaties in de zogenaamde ‘railgebonden gebouwen’ van ProRail. En daar gaan we allemaal daadwerkelijk de resultaten van terugzien!

Water bottles are made from various materials, making recycling a challenge. MNEXT and SAAR Sport are tackling this challenge in the "From Water Bottle to Circular Sports Product" project, funded by Innofest x SIA Sport 2024. The results of this research will be tested during the World Cup Qualification Tournament from November 8 to 10 at the Thialf Stadium.

At MNEXT, there are various opportunities for students to intern, graduate, and conduct research. Teachers, researchers, and interns work together on diverse projects in the field of materials and energy transition. One such Future Rethinker, Hoang Cau Nguyen, is conducting research under MNEXT's guidance on the environmental impact and reduction of textile waste at Amphia Hospital in Breda.

Mycelium biocomposieten, ontwikkeld met landbouwbijproducten en paddenstoelenmycelium, zijn een duurzaam alternatief voor traditionele fossiele bouwmaterialen. Het meest succesvolle mycelium biocomposiet-materiaal, gemaakt van koolzaadstro en Ganoderma resinaceum mycelium, blijkt ideaal voor isolatie. Lees alles over de resultaten van dit project in de whitepaper.

MNEXT, together with 10 partners in West-North Brabant and led by TNO, will be working together to make green building blocks with local tree and plant residues. From grass to glue, from sugar beet pulp to paint or from wood chips to insulation foam are examples of what the B4 project – Better Biobased Building Blocks - envisions. These building blocks not only make products for the construction industry more sustainable, but also provide scratch resistance, flame retardancy or UV resistance. Besides these technological innovations, the partners in this B4 project also share knowledge with students, companies and governments to prepare them for and involve them in this raw materials transition. This will transform Western North Brabant into a hotspot for biobased building blocks for the construction industry.   

Are you ready to learn how to implement technologies and make an impact as a professional? This is your chance! From September 2024, Avans University of Applied Sciences will launch the brand new Master of Science (MSc) in Materials & Energy Transition (MET)

Never before has so much renewable energy been generated as in 2023. And never before has the task of continuing to accelerate been so significant - we are in the midst of the energy transition. To achieve a CO2-neutral energy supply by 2050, and stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentrations at a 350 ppm level, 30 TW of renewable energy will be needed worldwide. This is roughly equivalent to the output of 30,000 average power plants, each with a capacity of 1 GW. With the new MNEXT professorship in Renewable Energy Carriers, Professor Saleh Mohammadi will conduct research in the coming years on Renewable Energy Carriers through which all this sustainably generated energy is stored, transported, and delivered to the end-users.

MNEXT, Avans, Curio, and their project partners have come together to launch a new research initiative in early 2024: 'Green EGCh – Green Energy Raw Materials & Chemistry'. This initiative is dedicated to developing practical tools for the transition to green chemistry. The project will include the creation of a campus outfitted with advanced equipment tailored for green chemistry, providing a space for everyone to conduct research, work, study, and gain hands-on experience. A Learning Community is also being established to facilitate the exchange of knowledge about green chemistry among stakeholders in the West Brabant region. The project involves crafting a strategic research agenda that aligns vocational schools, universities of applied sciences, and the broader community. Furthermore, a versatile educational offering is being prepared, targeting not only students and working professionals but also individuals looking to change careers.

Biobased Transitions... an Uphill Battle?! Dat was het thema van de lectorale rede van Martijn Zieverink op 5 april in Breda. In zijn inaugurele speech gaf hij uitleg over de bijdrage die zijn lectoraat ‘Biobased Transities’ gaat leveren aan het bestrijden van de oorzaken van klimaatverandering. Tijdens deze middag kreeg Martijn zijn gepersonaliseerde lectorale keten uitgerekt door Jacomine Ravensbergen, lid en waarnemend voorzitter van het College van Bestuur van Avans Hogeschool.

Urbanization is a significant cause of climate change, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. Nature-inclusive area development can counteract this, but it is still taking place on too small a scale to have a real impact. Over the past two years, MNEXT, in collaboration with other universities of applied sciences and stakeholders, has conducted research on principles to accelerate this transition. The main results have been neatly compiled in a whitepaper: Nature-Inclusive Principles.

The "MycEoLA" project originated from a question in the field: "What can we do with mycelium biocomposites after their use?" Over the next 2 years, this project is jointly conducted by the MNEXT Biobased Building professorship. It focuses on investigating end-of-life scenarios suitable for mycelium biocomposites, with the ultimate goal of achieving circularity and reducing waste.