University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences / Industrial Design
The translation of this testimony was generated automatically by a translation program. Thanks for your understanding.
The challenge we face is gigantic, society is in need for a new morale, encompassing environmental & socio-technical to economic thinking. It is too easy to blame it on a neighbouring country, continent or just “everybody else”. We need to create our own leverage, to define new products and services that inspire and save energy/ecological footprint. That is why product design and design sciences is important. I work on 3D printed bridges in stainless steel (MX3D Amsterdam) where we measured and published on the environmental impact, which by the way is lower than traditional casting or CNC milling. New products like made-to-fit clothing, locally produced without waste and on-demand, creating a viable alternative to fast fashion (or “klerenbende” as they say in Dutch). It is my mission to elaborate these themes, and to provoke new thinking and new technologies/business plans that put the human & environment in the center (Augmented Fabrication).
Difficulties include: Although I am vegetarian (my whole family is) and drive to work by bike everyday, it is hard to change sustainability in a Flemish city where our neighbours on both sides still use petrol oil for heating there house (Mazout) and where cars drive 70 km/hour. Plastics are thrown away, container-deposit does not exist in this country…. Changing ourselves does not automatically change the village, and more financial incentives are necessary to alter behaviour of stubborn, conservative yet very reasonable people.
Scientific contributions
Bekker, A. C., & Verlinden, J. C. (2018). “Life cycle assessment of wire+ arc additive manufacturing compared to green sand casting and CNC milling in stainless steel” Journal of Cleaner Production, 177, 438-447.
Stam, C. J., Van der Velden, N. M., Rubio, G., & Verlinden, J. C. (2014). Redefining the role of designers within an urban community using digital design and localized manufacturing of wearables. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Additive Technologies (iCAT).
Originally posted 2019-02-16 13:13:47.