Drenthe continues to drive the circular economy. The provincial government wants to invest 750,000 euros in the continuation of the Northern Innovation Lab Circular Economy (NICE). NICE should continue as NICE MOVES in which small and medium-sized companies in Drenthe are helped to develop and use more circular products in their production method. More students should also be trained to become specialists in the circular economy.
Circular economy is an economic system of closed cycles in which raw materials, components and products lose their value as little as possible and renewable energy sources are used. At NICE, students work together with a professional team on practical issues, conducting research and proposing surprising circular solutions.
“Consider, for example, the circular houses that have been built in Meppel. We have learned from the use of materials and are now learning about maintenance,” explains deputy Henk Brink. When the houses are ever finished, all materials must be able to be reused. The idea partly comes from NICE.
Brink: “Just like the material hub in Hoogeveen of demolition company Bork.” Bork built the buildings for the hub itself from materials from its own demolition projects. Where this was not possible, materials with a reuse guarantee were used. With five students from NICE, the demolition company is now looking into a number of things. For example, it is investigated whether there is a market for used hardwood doors. They are also looking into whether there is a possibility for a sheltered workshop within the Bork hub itself and they are looking at the value of circular materials for interior builders.
NICE is also heavily involved in Drenthe Woont Circulair. That partnership, established in 2018, of eight housing associations in Drenthe and four strategic partners, including NICE, wants to achieve circular construction or renovation of all houses in Drenthe by 2040.
Since its foundation in 2019, NICE has worked under the name NICE Matters on various circular issues for governments, knowledge institutions and entrepreneurs. Nearly 80 small and medium-sized enterprises in Drenthe have been involved in 21 innovation projects. Together with 265 other companies and more than three hundred MBO, HBO and WO students, we worked on innovations that stimulate the circular economy in Drenthe.
In addition to the 750,000 euros of co-financing that the provincial government wants to make available to NICE, a subsidy application is submitted to the Northern Netherlands Partnership (SNN). With the subsidy, the activities of NICE, for the period from 2023 to 2025, can be continued in the NICE MOVES project. NICE is located in Meppel.