Circular Rubber: From Ambition to Implementation
The meeting aims to foster collaboration across the rubber community by bringing together academia, industry, and system-level stakeholders involved in rubber recycling and circular elastomers. It will provide a platform to openly discuss the key scientific, technological, and implementation challenges that currently limit the large-scale adoption of circular rubber solutions. These challenges span the entire value chain and include recycling and devulcanisation technologies, material performance and durability, processing and compounding constraints, upscaling and industrial integration, as well as market acceptance and regulatory considerations.
By connecting fundamental research with industrial experience and system-level perspectives, the meeting seeks to align innovation, processing, and application requirements. Through knowledge exchange and discussion, the event aims to identify knowledge gaps, promising approaches, and concrete pathways to move from ambition to implementation, and to support the development of robust, scalable, and high-value circular rubber solutions.
Confirmed Speakers & Topics
Prof. Dr. Francesco Piccioni (RUG) – Advances in rubber upcycling
Professor Francesco Picchioni is a leading expert in polymer science and sustainable materials, with a strong and longstanding connection to the Dutch rubber industry. Through his research and close collaboration with industrial partners, he has been instrumental in advancing innovative solutions for rubber recycling and circular materials design. His work bridges fundamental chemistry and practical application, supporting the transformation of the rubber sector in the Netherlands toward more sustainable, high-performance, and circular value chains.
Enrico Koggel (Circular Rubber Platform) – Centralizing knowledge and stakeholder mapping to enable a circular rubber economy
Enrico Koggel will tell about the progress of the Circular Rubber Platform and how it has centralized information on raw materials, technologies and service providers for rubber circularity. The international community is created from 125 organizations covering the whole value chain, supporting networking and establishment of circular ecosystems. According to the platform, there are 14 unique ways to recycle rubber, including micronization, devulcanization and pyrolysis.
Enrico Koggel is the driving force behind the Circular Rubber Platform being the director of the network platform. With a strong commitment to closing material loops and enabling real circular value chains, the Circular Rubber Platform contributes to rubber transformation into a resource opportunity and is a valuable part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation community.
Jesse Jongstra (New Born Rubber) – Reinventing Rubber Recycling: From Idea to Pilot Plant
Jesse Jongstra represents New Born Rubber, a company at the forefront of giving rubber materials a second life. With a strong focus on circularity and practical implementation, he works on transforming end-of-life rubber into high-quality, reusable materials. His efforts demonstrate how innovative recycling can create real value while reducing environmental impact, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient rubber industry.
Eric Roetman (Windesheim University of Applied Sceinces) – Environmental Assessment of Devulcanisation Scale-Up: A Life Cycle Assessment Approach
Eric Roetman brings a strongly practice‑oriented perspective to the transition toward circular rubber solutions. Working at the intersection of applied research and industry, he focuses on translating innovative concepts into workable, real‑world applications. His work underscores the essential role of education and applied research in helping the rubber industry implement circularity in a practical and scalable way. In addition to his work at Windesheim, Eric Roetman is also affiliated with TU Delft as a PhD candidate, where he contributes to research on rubber technology, recycling, and devulcanisation.
Venue
Arnhem
Exact location t.b.c.
Arnhem
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact M2i Program Manager Yulia Fischer.
For questions about registration, contact us at office[at]m2i.nl.