Industry Meeting: Sustainability in Big Science at HFML-FELIX
02-09-2026
On 2 September, BigScience.NL brought together representatives from industry and research organisations at HFML-FELIX in Nijmegen for an industry meeting dedicated to sustainability. Marc Baldus, Director of HFML-FELIX and profile holder for sustainability within the Dutch NWO institutes, opened the meeting and set the stage for open and lively discussions on this important and timely topic.
Representatives from ASTRON, CERN, DIFFER and HFML-FELIX shed light on the challenge of pushing the boundaries of technology while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact of large-scale research. Their presentations highlighted the complex balance between maintaining the high performance and innovation required for cutting-edge research and making research infrastructures more energy- and resource-efficient.
After the coffee break, representatives from Busch Group, VDL ETG, 3D Maker Space and Stream HPC shared their perspectives on how sustainability efforts are creating both challenges and opportunities for industry. They presented practical examples from their organisations and offered insights into how companies can respond to changing environmental requirements, develop more sustainable technologies and turn sustainability challenges into opportunities for innovation. To round off the meeting, Caroline Santamaria, Strategic Consultant Sustainability at NWO-I, challenged participants with a thought-provoking question: How is climate change already affecting our daily business? The discussion encouraged participants to look beyond long-term ambitions and consider how changing climate conditions, regulations, energy availability and resource constraints are already influencing decisions and operations today.
During a tour of HFML-FELIX, participants gained first-hand insights into the facilities and technologies behind the institute’s research. The concluding get-together provided a further opportunity to continue the discussions, exchange ideas and make new connections in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
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