The year is 2073, and the world relies on 100% sustainable raw materials and energy sources. The market value of oil giants such as Shell and Saudi Aramco has vanished. What led to the emergence of companies now valued at 1,000 billion euros, deriving their value solely from biobased raw materials? What were the small transitions, back then, that laid the foundation for overcoming the addiction to fossil fuels? The Biobased Transitions professorship seeks answers to these questions.
The Biobased Transitions professorship, led by Professor Martijn Zieverink, comprises researchers and teacher-researchers from a diverse range of domains, all essential to accelerate the biobased transition. Our teacher-researchers conduct practice-oriented research in collaboration with (international) companies, research institutions, and students. This typically takes the form of subsidy and educational projects.
Food for Thought
The first experiments linking CO2 and warming were conducted as early as 1856. Eunice Newton Foote, born in 1819, was a (amateur) scientist at a time when this was not a common pursuit for women. Perhaps that’s why she was also an early advocate for women’s rights.
Her experiments were simple but effective: glass containers filled with different gases were placed in the sun, and the temperature increase was measured using thermometers. The results showed that moist air warms up more than dry air, and an atmosphere rich in CO2 warms up even more. In a single paragraph, she draws a far-reaching conclusion:
“An atmosphere of that gas would give to our earth a high temperature; and if, as some suppose, at one period of its history, the air had mixed with it a larger proportion than at present, an increased temperature from its own action as well as from increased weight must have necessarily resulted.”
1 Eunice Foote, Circumstances affecting the heat of the Sun’s rays, The American Journal of Science and Arts, Vol 22 issue 56 p382-383, november 1856
Our Mission
To investigate, visualize, and overcome the obstacles currently impeding the widespread use of non-fossil raw materials, with the ultimate goal of achieving a genuine transition.
“What is needed to make large-scale production of biobased chemicals and products a tangible reality?”
What does the professorship offer?
- The Biobased Transitions professorship conducts practice-oriented research for and with companies, often involving students. If you have a practical question within one of our research themes, please reach out to us. We will collaborate to explore how we can address the question and assess the possibilities of obtaining funding.
- We zijn altijd geïnteresseerd in enthousiaste docenten die onderzoek willen komen doen bij ons lectoraat. We hebben hiervoor uren beschikbaar. Ben je geïnteresseerd, neem dan contact met ons op. We are always interested in passionate teachers who want to conduct research with our professorship. We have available hours for this purpose. If you are interested, please get in touch with us.
- In our research projects, we strive to involve as many students as possible. This means we offer intriguing internship and thesis assignments. You can find these assignments on our website.