Arjan Rensma

🇳🇱 A new subsidy for carbon removal! Because CDR is MOOI (Dutch for beautiful)! The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) is launching a new government subsidy programme to support carbon removal. It focuses on research and development of CDR pathways that extract CO₂ from air, water, or biogenic sources, and store it long-term. 💡 What you should know: 💰 Total budget: €10 million 💶 Max subsidy per project: €4 million 🪙 Minimum per participant: €25K 🗓️ Application window: March 17 – April 16, 2026 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gqDjwFUN 🎯 Why this matters: This is one of the few programmes in Europe explicitly supporting carbon removal innovation. It shows that governments are beginning to recognize the need to back the research, development, and scale-up of CDR — through policy, public financing, and coordinated support for early-stage technologies. 😃 It’s exciting and welcome news! 📣 If you’re a tech developer, research institution, or project partner exploring carbon removal in the Netherlands... don’t miss this opportunity! 🔍 If you’re in policy or public funding, this is a programme to keep an eye on. 🌷 Like Dutch tulips, carbon removal needs support to blossom.

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Science|Business interviewed me about NABI - an entity like DARPA to be implemented as part of the strategy laid out in the Wennink report aimed at boosting the Dutch economy. NABI could play an important role in this context. But there is no single ‘quick fix’ for the Dutch economy. It’s important that all suggestions from the report are considered - concerning improving framework conditions for entrepreneurs as well investing in knowledge creation and its application.

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“Adaptation should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment… Adaptation is good business" Patrick Verkooijen At Future Planet we are co-building community and #collaboration to address adaptation readiness. Starting with the business case. This sets the scene. 💬 Would this be a helpful factsheet? What would help you? According to Climate Change Committee only 1 in 5 global businesses have a climate adaptation plan in place this is despite... "The impacts of climate change are going to worsen and it's going to change the way that we think about climate of the key things that's going to become necessary in addition to mitigation is adaptation" Manogna Goparaju, PhD Capgemini Invent 🌧️ 6.3 million (1 in 6) properties in England at risk from flooding - Environment Agency. Scotland, properties at risk of river/coastal flooding could increase 80% by 2080; Wales, 88% by 2120. Aviva ‘Building Future Communities Report' ☀️ Summer 2025 was the UK’s hottest on record, and the risk of summers like 2025 is now 70 times greater due to climate change Met Office 🌊 UK level rise is now faster than the global average; two-thirds of the total rise since the 1900s has occurred in the last 30 years. National Oceanography Centre Adaptation planning remains inadequate, according to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change: out of 46 adaptation outcomes studied, only three achieved a “good” policy & planning score, leaving most sectors at risk of escalating costs and operational disruption. Physical risks are estimated to have a potential financial impact of $116 billion across 224 major businesses reporting to CDP More than 50% of global businesses have suffered an extreme weather event in the last three years, yet nearly half are not using cost-benefit analysis to build a compelling #business case for adaptation. & yet...businesses have significant reasons for action. Embedding climate adaptation into operational & capital planning unlocks resilience, innovation, and value. $1 invested in adaptation can yield net economic benefits of $2 to $10 - World Resources Institute 'Sustainability is moving from “project” to “practice” and...budget is being channelled to solutions that hit both operational & sustainability goals.' KEY ESG 71% of respondents to the CBRE 2025 European Lender Intentions Survey said they would not lend where assets either do not meet their sustainability criteria or lack a business plan to improve #sustainability. UK #datacentre spending is set to soar to over £10 billion annually by 2029, & data centre sustainability has moved from a buzzword to a key operational goal.Datacentre UK "The challenges ahead are real and demand collective action. We can no longer say we don’t know what’s coming. But we also know what needs to be done. The only question now is how quickly and effectively all of us act together, to make sure the UK is ready for a more resilient future." Jason Storah CEO of Aviva Together we can Carl

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Want your research to make a real-world impact? 🌍🔬 Consider a career in the not-for-profit sector! In the Netherlands, organizations like Sanquin, HollandPTC, KWF, TNO, NGOs, and museums are looking for researchers and scientific consultants who want to help people and drive positive change. 🧠 Use your expertise to solve societal challenges. 💡 Apply research to real-world needs. 🤝 Collaborate with purpose-driven teams. Not-for-profits value scientific knowledge, but also creativity, adaptability, and a strong focus on results. As Nuffic researcher Elli Thravalou says: "We are constantly in dialogue with professionals in the field. That's a big plus for me because I always wanted to do applied research." Read Elli's full story: https://loom.ly/GK9ZRJE #scienceforsociety #researchcareers #notforprofitjobs

Advancing Dutch Circular Economy through Additive Manufacturing I am pleased to announce our new NWA-ORC project, Add-reAM. Over the next 5 years, a Dutch multidisciplinary academic consortium will be covering how AM can be applied to repair and remanufacturing. This will not only address technical challenges, but also social, business, legal, and legislative barriers. https://lnkd.in/dEufDN23

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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎! 𝘙𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘮’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥-𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘯 & 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 With 3,700 m² of cutting-edge facilities, SUBZERO is set to become a global hub for world-leading startups in carbon, power, hydrogen, and circular technologies. Platform Zero, under the inspiring leadership of Auke Ferwerda and Mare Straetmans, has created a thriving ecosystem where breakthrough ideas can be built, tested, and scaled — strengthening Rotterdam as a leading centre for the energy and industrial transition. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 The opening event featured an outstanding group of leaders who captured the importance of this launch moment: • Auke Ferwerda opened with a compelling vision for the future of the energy and carbon cluster. • Peter Goedvolk (First Dutch and Chairman Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe) and Oscar van Veen (Director of Innovation, Port of Rotterdam) emphasised the critical role of innovation for the port’s next phase. • Derk te Bokkel (Royal IHC), Irma Belgraver (Rabobank) and Thomas Petithuguenin (everox) moderated by Mare Straetmans, shared powerful insights on scaling climate-tech across Europe. 𝐀 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝: 𝘚𝘜𝘉𝘡𝘌𝘙𝘖 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘴. 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 & 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥-𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 As DronePort Rotterdam, we were honoured simply to be present and support this milestone. Our commitment lies in strengthening the sustainable, circular, and increasingly dual-use maker industry, especially in times where production facilities and maker spaces must grow rapidly to meet societal, industrial, and climate-driven demands. We will support the SUBZERO ecosystem by linking our innovation network and strategic partners to Platform Zero’s initiatives. By connecting digitalisation with sustainable and circular makers, we aim to accelerate the development of both civilian and dual-use technologies that contribute to a cleaner, safer, and more resilient future. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦! SUBZERO is a bold achievement with a mission that matters and we look forward to supporting the innovators who will shape the next era of energy, materials, and industrial transformation. #PlatformZero #SUBZERO #M4H #ClimateTech

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#MeetLEADSpartners Spotlight on TNO, advancing innovative CCUS solutions in LEADS. As part of the LEADS Project, TNO develops technologies like STEPWISE to make CO₂ capture more efficient and cost-effective, supporting the transition from innovation to market uptake. 💡Through applied research, TNO helps bridge the gap between Horizon research and real-world deployment, reducing uncertainty and accelerating CCUS adoption across Europe. #LEADS #CCUS #InnovationFund 🌉#BridgingTheInnovationGap

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🚀 From Dream to System Change — Reflections on Space Oasis at TU Delft 🌍 I truly enjoyed the Space Oasis presentation at TU Delft — the team's energy, creativity, and commitment to systems thinking reminded me of my own student days and the early steps of building a business around a dream. What they’ve achieved in just one year is genuinely inspiring. This project is a great example of how interdisciplinary collaboration across faculties, supported by engaged professors, can give students the confidence to step into the market as future professionals. When mentorship meets student initiative, incredible things happen. The Dream project isn’t just about designing a space habitat — it’s about practicing system change, confronting real-world constraints, and pushing innovation forward. And what better arena for exploring disruptive innovation and radical collaboration than space? 🌱 During the Networking, I shared thoughts on the importance of: ✅ Resource efficiency ✅ Sufficiency in spatial design ✅ And the underestimated challenge of pressurizing large volumes These are critical for designing habitats that are resilient, scalable, and truly sustainable. I hope we don’t see these student efforts as just bold dreams — but as practical visions that, with persistence and development, can help shape our collective future. It’s encouraging to see this next generation taking the climate crisis seriously — recognizing the urgent need to adapt and, hopefully, still enough time to mitigate. 🌍✨ Universities are spaces for idealism, and we need that mindset to become the norm — not the exception — in business, policy, and society. #SystemChange #RadicalCollaboration #DisruptiveInnovation #ClimateAdaptation #SpaceArchitecture #TUDelft #DreamProject #4Earth2Mars #CircularDesign #ResilientFutures #IdealismInAction

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Looking forward to read #Innovation #Design by Elke den Ouden, from DTx - Digital Transformation CoLAB library, because today's societal challenges (e.g., demographic, digital and environmental) are signs that traditional approaches must be reassessed, and that progress requires new kinds of cross-sector collaboration, to generate balanced value at the user, organisation, ecosystem, and societal level

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🇳🇱 Netherlands €10M Carbon Removal R&D Subsidy → A Clear Signal for National Climate Tech Funding in Europe This opportunity is a strong example of the depth and breadth of climate funding available at the national level across Europe. While this specific call is notable for its explicit focus on carbon removal innovation, the broader takeaway is that well-capitalized national climate programmes are not rare in Europe. Across EU member states, national agencies are increasingly deploying meaningful public capital to support climate R&D and demonstrations, as well as early scale-up. With the April 16 deadline approaching quickly, teams interested in this subsidy should already be thinking about project scope and positioning. If you would like support building a competitive application for this subsidy or assessing fit within European national funding ecosystems more broadly, Climate Finance Solutions has a deep, experienced EU team working across national and EU funding programmes, including in the Netherlands. Feel free to DM or reach out via our website.

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With the 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 of ObjectivEye, TNO is addressing something fundamental: how we design 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 that are 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢-𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 and 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 sits at the foundation of a 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Not as a 𝚍̲𝚒̲𝚟̲𝚎̲𝚛̲𝚜̲𝚒̲𝚝̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚌̲𝚑̲𝚎̲𝚌̲𝚔̲𝚋̲𝚘̲𝚡̲, but as a 𝚜̲𝚝̲𝚛̲𝚊̲𝚝̲𝚎̲𝚐̲𝚒̲𝚌̲ ̲𝚌̲𝚊̲𝚙̲𝚊̲𝚋̲𝚒̲𝚕̲𝚒̲𝚝̲𝚢̲. I am not an experienced recruiter. I am, however, an experienced job seeker who has attempted twice to pivot within the corporate environment. Qualities like 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴-𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 and so on, are rarely visible in traditional CV filtering models. Many organizations already use AI in recruitment, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 often to 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 against predefined criteria. Efficiency improves, 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 does 𝗻𝗼𝘁 necessarily. AI can either replicate existing patterns or challenge them. If we are serious about the 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, especially in an 𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 like the Netherlands, hiring systems must be designed to recognize potential, reinvention and transferable capability. Otherwise, we risk systematically excluding exactly the profiles that enable transformation. Objective hiring is not only about fairness. It is about building adaptive capacity. In my own work around 𝚜̲𝚞̲𝚜̲𝚝̲𝚊̲𝚒̲𝚗̲𝚊̲𝚋̲𝚕̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚙̲𝚛̲𝚘̲𝚍̲𝚞̲𝚌̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚟̲𝚒̲𝚝̲𝚢̲ and 𝚠̲𝚘̲𝚛̲𝚔̲𝚏̲𝚘̲𝚛̲𝚌̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚕̲𝚘̲𝚗̲𝚐̲𝚎̲𝚟̲𝚒̲𝚝̲𝚢̲, I increasingly see how upstream hiring decisions shape long-term performance, resilience and organizational health. I look forward to seeing how initiatives like ObjectivEye can help organizations move from “𝘧����𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨” to smarter, 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. Full article released by TNO today about the launch of ObjectivEye can be read here: https://lnkd.in/dwQ9HkRr #FutureOfWork #SustainableProductivity #WorkforceLongevity

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NEW WORK - Short documentary "De Flevolandse Ondernemersverhalen" "De Flevolandse Ondernemersverhalen" is a short documentary created in collaboration with Horizon Flevoland, the development company of Flevoland. The film explores the vision for Flevoland in 2050 through the eyes of five impact-driven entrepreneurs: ☀️Monique Bijl-van der Wal from BEACH-STREET Skincare, Arie Baak from VCU Robotics, Jacob Brands from Project Octopus, Hielke Visserman from AgriDokter, and Rick Klink from Klink Zeewolde. These entrepreneurs share their ambitions for the region and discuss their roles in driving meaningful change. The project highlights Horizon Flevoland's commitment to partnering with impact driven, innovative businesses to realize sustainable growth. Congratulations to the Horizon team, including Safiera van Mastbergen, Elise de Haas, Nicole van de Burgwal and Arjan de Bruin, on bringing this vision to life. At Blueyse, we’re proud to have collaborated on this journey alongside the media production team at Beeldkrakers. Thank you to the entrepreneurs who shared their story.

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Eating more (greenhouse)vegetables reduces healthcare costs and is good for the economy! Research by OECD and others shows that overweight and the diseases that result from it account for approximately 10% of total healthcare costs on average. The attached recently published research by CE Delft shows that we can preventively reduce part of the healthcare costs. Overweight has a negative effect on children's school performance, for example children with a healthy weight have a 13% greater chance of better school performance. Overweight also has a negative effect on work, productivity and reduces life expectancy by an average of 2.7 years. The OECD also calculates that the damage caused by overweight leads to an average decrease in national income (GDP) of 3.3% for the OECD member states. Actions aimed at preventing obesity more than pay for themselves. The OECD calculated that 1 dollar that a country spends on preventing overweight yields approximately 5.60 dollars in economic benefits. What can we do about it ourselves? In any case, eat more vegetables and fruit every day. CE Delft has investigated the impact on healthcare costs if the entire Dutch population were to eat 250 grams of vegetables every day. This includes proven links between vegetable consumption and a lower risk of disease (ischemic strokes, ischemic heart disease and colon cancer). The research shows that by eating enough vegetables, a total annual saving of €3.42 billion can be achieved (approximately 6%), of which approximately €1.39 billion can be attributed to a higher consumption of fruit vegetables. As far as I'm concerned, a no-brainer. On to the fruit and vegetable shelf! #sustainability #vegetables #fruit #health #food #agri #FVO #OECD

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Great opportunity! Smart BioMaterials Consortium (SBMC) is involve in a Vinnovate project with GreenBone Ortho from Italy and Stemmatters from Portugal

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