Factory of the Future Searching for companies and students with ambitious

sustainability goals Radically new production concepts for the process and manufacturing industries, for suppliers, for

buyers and for services providers

A consortium of companies, including AkzoNobel, DSM and Witteveen + Bos, has developed a model for the ‘Factory of the

Future’. Together with the Center for Entrepreneurship of Utrecht University and the consortium, Saxion organises an

Honours Programme in which the concept is further developed and applied. We invite to participate in this programme

companies and networks of enterprises from the process and manufacturing industries that are seeking radical sustainability-

related transformations. Within the Honours Programme, students in the final stage of their studies, together with young staff

members from the companies, work on radical

sustainability challenges. The employees of the

participating enterprises and the students together

follow the Honours Course and investigate further

within the companies the possibilities for radical

sustainability changes. This is not only about the

technical aspects of sustainability, but also about new

organizational forms, new forms of communication,

and radically new business models necessary for this

sustainability challenge.

Cradle to Cradle

The central idea behind the programme is the Cradle-

to-Cradle concept and the space it offers for innovative and business driven interpretations of sustainability. The Cradle-to-

Cradle principles and, related to them, the new view of sustainability that takes a central place in the Programme are being

co-developed by Prof. dr. Michael Braungart who supports the consortium of companies.

The target group for the Honours Programme

Six to twelve companies can take part in the Honours Programme

each year. Each company nominates a young staff member to

participate in the Honours Course for typically half a day per week

and take an active role in research within their own company. The

young company employee forms, together with three to four

students, a research team. This team explores concrete possibilities

for sustainability-related transformations in the company.

The Honours Programme itself

The programme next runs from September 2011 through to

February 2012. Having completed this, it is possible to

continue with a project within a particular field of interest

and then graduate.

The programme aims to explore the possibilities for a radical

sustainability shift within the companies involved. Within

this phase, particular attention is given to:

The concept of the Factory of the Future;

General knowledge on sustainability and the C2C

concept as well as business models and organizational

theory directed towards chain cooperation;

Research methodologies;

Investigating sustainability-related changes within the

businesses involved.

Wanted: Eight companies from the process and

manufacturing industries, supply companies,

service providers and buyers that want to

undertake radical sustainability-related

transformations, including by contributing to

closing the loops.

Participating companies are expected to:

Introduce their enterprise for the research;

Support the project by involving a senior manager;

Ensure participation of their young staff member in

the programme (half a day per week for the duration

of the project);

Make a financial contribution of €2,500.

Shofie Jacobs, a student participating in the spring 2011FoF

Honours Programme, during an ‘elevator pitch’

Students are expected to spend one day per week participating in the Honours Programme. The employees involved will take

an active part in the Honours Course. The time they should anticipate this occupying is half a day per week for the duration

of the project. Inside the company, they help in establishing contacts and gathering the necessary information. The outcomes

of the project include an initiative to experiment, the establishment of new partnerships (internal and/or external) and the

development of a scenario.

The Programme will end in early February 2012 with a

conference for the companies involved, in which the

insights developed within the programme will be

presented and open for discussion. Following the

Programme, it will be possible for some of the companies

and a number of students to be further involved in

elaborating the Factory of the Future. The students will

have the opportunity to carry out their graduation projects

on the subject of the Factory of the Future starting from

February 2012.

Information and registration

For more information, interested companies and students

can contact Ms. Oksana Popovych (06-26699971,

o.popovych@saxion.nl) or Ms. Linda Kemperink (053-

4871025, l.s.a.kemperink@saxion.nl).

The consortium that developed the concept Factory of

the Future consists of AkzoNobel Coatings &

Chemical Industries, DSM , Witteveen + Bos, Cosun,

BECO, DPI Value Centre, SEARCH, EPEA and D-

Communications.

A model of the Factory of the Future developed by the

consortium of companies.

The following projects were carried out during the first

Factory of the Future Honours Programme:

Peak worked on creating a more sustainable casting process in an iron foundry by replacing furan with a non-poisonous binding medium.

Corenso/Storaenso worked with students on bringing a paper paint container to the market.

Circulus and Tauw have worked on possibilities

to re-use leather.

Together with Tebodin, students have researched

the possibilities of using now-exhausted gas fields

for geothermal energy

Zonzoo and a team of students have investigated

the possibilities of bringing mobile phones back

from Africa for recycling

Ecojob has carried out research on profiling

potential employees for the Factory of the Future.

Wanted

24 students willing to follow the Honours

Programme ‘Factory of the Future’ one day per

week from September 2011 to February 2012 with

the option of later graduating on this topic.

Together with Cirulus and Tauw, the Factory of the Future

team has worked on possibilities for re-using leather.

Michael Braungart at a brainstorming meeting at Saxion

The students are expected:

To contribute one day per week for the duration of the

project: September 2011-February 2012;

To actively participate in the programme;

To collaborate with other students and a company representative;

To carry out research within a participating company.

Programme Honours Programme

The Factory of the Future September 2011 - February 2012

This is a preliminary programme for the Factory of the Future Honours Programme that involves two institutions: Utrecht University and Saxion (Enschede). Week 1 Friday 30 September 2011: Introduction and

team forming Week 2 Friday 14 October 2011: Innovation and

creativity in relation to the C2C concept Week 3 Friday 4 November 2011: Systems analysis

and the C2C concept Week 4 Friday 18 November 2011: The sustainability

of the C2C concept: LCA analysis

Week 5 Friday 2 December 2011: Brainstorming with

C2C specialists Week 6 Friday 16 December 2011: Development of the

C2C business model Week 7 Friday 6 January 2012: Public-Private

Partnerships Week 8 Friday 20 January 2012: Financing the C2C

initiatives Week 9 Friday 3 February 2012: The Day for the Future:

closing meeting

The Tebodin team developed a concept for ‘re-using’ empty gas

fields for geothermal purposes. With this project, the students won

the Gasterra Energie Transitie Jaarprijs.

The FoF-Corenso team has worked on the market development of

a paper paint container.

Zonzoo has worked on bringing back mobile phones from Africa for

recycling.

Rabobank is supporting the Factory of the Future 2011 Honours

Programme.

English and Dutch

The next round of the Programme, from Sept. 2011 – February

2012, will be delivered in English as well as in Dutch. This

applies to both lectures and presentations.

More information

about the Honours Programme: http://www.honoursclass.com/

about Factory of the Future: http://www.factoryofthefuture.nl/

about Cradle to Cradle: http://www.cradletocradle.nl/