Search
Log in
A role model and entrepreneur that is Rose – Rezvan – Sharifian. This Iranian-born petrochemical engineer decided to change sides and now runs a CO2-capturing start-up – using the ocean to catch atmospheric carbon. “The technology was a fantasy a few years ago, or at least maybe something you could do at lab-scale. Now we are working on making it a large-scale must-have technology.”
The science behind the person, and the person behind the science.
“Sadly, in Iran, choosing what you want to become once you grow up isn’t as free as it is here. If you want financial stability, you’ll have to be a doctor, engineer or lawyer. I didn’t want to be a doctor or lawyer,” says Rezvan. But engineering seemed like a good enough profession. Now she is proud to be an engineer – better yet, a pioneer.
Oil is a major industry in Iran, so that’s where Rose started. ‘But I always wanted to see more of the world, so I decided to move to another country.’ Delft, the Netherlands, was the destination. At least before ending up in Groningen. “I never expected to do a PhD, or even have my own company, so I first went to look for a job – which I found in Tebodin as a project manager.”
But that didn’t quite scratch her itch. “I found myself spending less time with calculations and fundamental engineering than I liked to. I needed to be stimulated more and I couldn’t move from management to the engineering department. So, I decided to flip my life around – started looking into a PhD. And although I had never heard of it, I stumbled upon Wetsus. Jackpot! I saw a position in electrochemistry, which sparked my interest, and it was close to where I lived.” Though this was nothing like the petrochemistry she knew. CO2 was now the focus in another way– how can we get CO2 from our environment was question number one.
And she approached it like the engineer she is. She wasn’t here to reinvent the wheel but improve its design. First learning what’s been developed, but quickly moving towards an expert role. This quick adaption was crucial, as the field was developing at lightning speed. Rose: ‘In 2018, when I started on carbon capture using seawater was still like a fantasy – or at least not bigger than a lab-based concept. But now it is really a feasible way forward as more and more people see its potential.”
To grasp the challenges, she clearly spelled out what is happening in the ocean-based carbon-capture world. That was rewarded with a publication in Energy & Environmental Science, the journal for the sector. And she worked on improving such systems. Which she was determined in too.
So, when Ruben Brands approached Rose and David (Rose’s TU Delft supervisor) with the question of whether they could start a company together, the answer was yes. SeaO2 was born to further put the research into practice and scale it up.
“But Wetsus was a great place to start out. So many indirect links with so many companies and people spread over all sorts of disciplines. And now that I have started for myself, I realize even better how pampered we are at Wetsus with such an amazing analytical and technical team.”
It is quite the journey Rose made. “At some points, I was unsure whether I could finish the PhD. I like to be all over the place, but to write a paper, you must focus. You must have one message. But I got to the defense with great supervisors, a good balance of time, and planning.” And next to that, starting your own company and acquiring funding only proves her future readiness. With all she accomplished, Rose is more than ready to tackle the world’s challenges. A role model to be inspired by.
Read the story of SeaO2 too at WaterCampus.nl
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
