Ayşegül Özçelik, ESCH-R Postdoc for Work Package 5 (WP5), presented the research paper Dropping Pebbles: The Ripple Effect of Designerly Co-creation in Steering Sustainability Transitions in Hospitals at the DRS 2026 Conference. The paper, co-authored with Jotte de Koning (TU Delft), Nicole Hunfeld (Erasmus MC), and Jan-Carel Diehl (TU Delft), was presented during the session Design and Sustainability: Co-creation, Participation and Relationality on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

The paper explores how designerly co-creation can support sustainability transitions in hospitals. Drawing on seven medical device design projects and interviews with healthcare professionals demonstrates how co-creation can serve as both an incubation space for sustainability innovations and a catalyst for change in behaviours, mindsets, competencies, and hospital practices.

Read more about the publication.