Do you wish to bring the circular economy model to the heart of the healthcare system? Whether through innovative projects and/or ingenious studies, you want to contribute to the development of criteria for the repair, reuse or recyclability within this sector while ensuring the safety of people and the environment?  In that case, this call is for you!  

In order for your project or study to be eligible, it must be complementary and/or have an added value, either to the ongoing study on the use of single-use materials in the medical field, conducted by the Ghent University Hospital, or to other known national and international studies on this subject.   

You need to know that the purpose of the aforementioned academic study is to focus on "how to bring single-use medical devices and personal protective equipment in hospitals in line with the principles of circular economy while taking into account the constraints of each solution." Ten of the most common single-use products in terms of volume (size) and purchase value (cost) in hospitals will ultimately be selected and alternatives will be examined.  

Inspirational hints to create circular patterns 

Your project or research should target companies that manufacture or provide medical products (such as medical equipment or medicinal products) or services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative and palliative care. To inspire you and achieve the goal of circularity, your project should for example promote: 

  • The design of new applications in the health sector (e.g. reusable surgical textiles,...); 
  • The redesign of existing applications, such as gradually removing harmful chemical substances from medical plastics (e.g., endocrine disruptors in medical devices); 
  • The strengthening of the healthcare industry and the healthcare sector in Belgium to bring their practices in line with circular economy principles; 
  • ...