How do I make my policies more sustainable?

Nearly 200 students from four secondary schools in Mol came together at the Tabloo in Dessel to celebrate the Festival of the Future. The event featured a morning of workshops, music, and presentations of their self-created posters, marking the end of an educational programme focused on health and the environment.

How can music festivals become more sustainable while preserving their unique magic? Sustafest is on a mission to find the answer. Last week, at the Inside The Circle conference, VITO unveiled this innovative platform designed to connect festival organizers with sustainability experts. The goal: to inspire and empower festival organizers with insights and practical examples to achieve their sustainability objectives.

With ATMO-Flow, VITO developed a model framework based on Computational Fluid Dynamics, a technology that uses computer simulations to analyse airflows. This led to the creation of a unique 3D wind flow map of the entire territory of the city of Antwerp (9 by 9 km²). It brings a detailed picture of the city's air quality challenges down to 1 metre. The model also provides precise insights into wind comfort at all locations in the city, the impact of wind on the urban climate and the potential of wind turbines in the city.

We are proud to announce the launch of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) project C-Recycle - Centre for Chemical Recycling Education and Research. The project partners focus on the transition from the linear chemical industry to a circular chemical industry in West-North Brabant. Through the development of advanced chemical recycling technologies and comprehensive education and training programmes, we are moving towards a sustainable future.

Electrification is a necessity as a means of replacing fossil fuels. But for that, we need batteries, and batteries are still the weak link. After all, they contain critical raw materials that need recycling to be sustainable. The ACROBAT consortium has therefore been exploring techniques to enable lithium iron phosphate batteries, or LFP batteries for short, to be recycled effectively.

Digital applications in healthcare are becoming increasingly indispensable. With rising healthcare costs and growing demand from an ageing population, the need for accessible, cost-effective health solutions has never been greater. In this context, digital healthcare can play a major role. Through innovative, cost-effective digital health strategies, we can keep quality care within reach. The question is how digital health innovations can reshape the future of healthcare.