Ruud Balkenende

Prof. Dr. Ruud Balkenende is a Professor at the Department of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology. His research focuses on integrating circular economy principles into product design, particularly extending product lifespans through reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. He emphasizes linking engineering solutions with business strategies and user behavior to ensure practical implementation. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible consumption and climate action.

• Affiliations: TU Delft, Clean Tech Delta (Executive Board Member)
• Key Research Areas: Circular Economy, Sustainable Materials, Product Lifespan Extension

Recent projects include advancing repairability scoring systems, bio-based plastics lifecycle analysis, and design frameworks for electronics recycling. His interdisciplinary collaborations address challenges in material recovery, IoT-enabled circular strategies, and sustainable manufacturing practices. He is actively involved in educational initiatives to embed circular economy principles in design curricula.

Notable contributions include methodologies for circular product design (e.g., CATSS) and ontologies for ICT data sharing in circular systems. His work bridges academia and industry, fostering partnerships to drive sustainable innovation.