On 2 October 2026, the ESCH-R Project Advisory Committee (PAC) met at Erasmus MC for a mid-term reflection on the progress, achievements and future direction of the project. The session was co-chaired by Albert Wagelmans, Professor of Management Science at Erasmus University Rotterdam and ESCH-R project board member, and Nicole Hunfeld, Principal Investigator of ESCH-R and Associate Professor of Sustainable Healthcare at Erasmus MC.

A lot has been achieved so far. The project has resulted in two publications, with five more manuscripts currently under review, alongside a growing number of practical tools and activities aimed at translating research into practice. These include a newly developed Living Lab Guidebook, a toolkit for the sustainable implementation of nursing protocols, communities of practice for nurses, and the development of an ESCH-R MOOC.

Across the work packages, researchers shared updates on how ESCH-R is addressing the transition towards circular hospitals. WP1 is using system dynamics to identify key drivers and interventions for behavioural change, while WP2 is developing a design toolbox for circular hospitals and investigating product flows and carbon footprints in operating rooms. WP3 is working closely with nurses to understand how procedures and protocols can support more sustainable practices, including the use of the 10R strategy.

WP4 is exploring business models and circular procurement approaches across the hospital value chain, in collaboration with procurement teams and industry partners. WP5 is developing and testing Living Labs at Erasmus MC and UMC Utrecht, identifying environmental hotspots and working towards standards and tools for circular medical consumables. Importantly, the research also recognises that single-use is not always the wrong choice: circularity needs to be considered in relation to safety, clinical practice and the wider healthcare system.

Engagement and dissemination are central to WP6, with communities of practice, podcasts and the upcoming MOOC helping to connect ESCH-R research with healthcare professionals and other stakeholders. Meanwhile, WP7 continues to support the overall organisation of the project, including regular PhD and postdoc meetings, intervision sessions and collaboration between the Rotterdam and Utrecht Living Labs.

The PAC meeting also provided an opportunity to look beyond research outputs and ask a broader question: what helps research translate into societal impact? The team reflected on the role of Living Labs, toolkits, podcasts, co-creation sessions, communities of practice and publications in creating impact both within and beyond the Netherlands.

As ESCH-R moves into the second half of the project, this reflection will help shape the next steps. On 5 November, the project will take part in an NWO interim workshop at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, providing an opportunity to revisit the original assumptions in the impact plan and explore how the project’s impact strategy can be strengthened.

The team will also come together with industry partners for an ESCH-R Case Day on 4 December, focusing on how different perspectives across the work packages can help move selected circular healthcare products and solutions towards the next stage. In 2027, the ESCH-R Science Day will take place, on Friday February 5. 

The PAC meeting highlighted that interdisciplinarity is not simply something written into a project proposal—it is something that ESCH-R is learning and putting into practice every day. As one reflection from the meeting put it: 

“The R in ESCH-R is resilience.”

With strong progress, growing collaboration and a clear focus on translating knowledge into action, ESCH-R is now looking ahead to an equally ambitious second half of the project.