Ragaert is professor of Circular Plastics at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). In a recent interview with Observant, she emphasized that there is still much to be gained in terms of reusing plastics: “Plastic is still in the adolescent stage. Globally, only 9 per cent of plastic waste is recycled. Europe – and the Netherlands in particular – is doing better at 30 to 40 per cent, but we must push these rates higher.”
There was also a public award for Team SublimeStone – eleven students from FSE and University College Maastricht. They devised a way to use bacteria to repair cracks in limestone. Limestone is widely used as a building material, including in Limburg. In November 2023, the students were awarded a gold medal for their project in iGem, a worldwide competition of the American Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Prins Friso Engineering Award is an initiative of the Royal Institute of Engineers. The jury prize – and the accompanying title ‘Engineer of the Year’ – went to chemical technologist Pavlina Nanou from Twente. She founded a startup working on a technique to convert sewage sludge into, among other things, biofuel.