Seed fund grant for developing innovative public procurement instruments to facilitate circularity by hospitals
The Institute for a Circular Society (i4CS) has awarded a seed fund grant for the project to develop 'Innovative public procurement instruments to facilitate circularity by hospitals'. Hospitals generate an enormous amount of waste, on average 1,200 to 2,000 kilograms per bed per year, of which only 15 to 20 percent is recycled. Overall, the Dutch healthcare sector significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (7 percent of national emissions) and material extraction (13 percent). To cut back on the amount of single-use, disposable medical devices and materials (which are currently considered the safest, easiest and cheapest choice) it is essential that hospitals and their suppliers allow for the development of more sustainable (re-usable) equipment as competitive alternative. This project aims to address these challenges by investigating how innovative procurement instruments, such as market consultations and functional specifications, can drive circularity and foster collaborations between hospitals, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Using a design science approach, the study combines desk research, stakeholder interviews at UMC Utrecht, and focus group discussions to develop practical guidelines for integrating circularity into hospital procurement processes. Key research questions include how hospitals can improve procurement processes to accommodate innovative tools and how these instruments can facilitate collaboration and circular innovation. Insights will be applied to high-impact areas such as operating rooms, with recommendations generalizable to healthcare settings across Europe. The project supports Green Deal targets by promoting decarbonization and socially responsible procurement while demonstrating the value of circular strategies in advancing a sustainable healthcare system.
About the project
The project will be implemented by a transdisciplinary team consisting of Anne Rainville (Utrecht 木瓜福利影视), and (both Eindhoven 木瓜福利影视 of Technology). They developed the proposal during a recent i4CS session.
The (i4CS) is dedicated to expediting the transition to a circular society by developing scalable circular systems. Among the i4CS themes is . The i4CS is part of the strategic EWUU alliance between Eindhoven 木瓜福利影视 of Technology, Wageningen 木瓜福利影视 & Research, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and the 木瓜福利影视 Medical Centre Utrecht. Ideas for this round of seed funding were developed in a so-called 'pressure cooker' session, where researchers from the participating institutions were encouraged to explore collaboration with professionals working in the UMC Utrecht. The session was supported by the .