Utrecht University launches new Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry

As of 1 September, Utrecht University has a new research institute: the Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry. Firmly rooted in chemistry, ISCC seeks collaborations outside the field to contribute to the sustainability transition, with a focus on molecules and materials for circularity. Prof. Isabel Arends, Dean of the Faculty of Science, comments: "The importance of sustainability-related research cannot be overstated. At Utrecht University, we've built a strong foundation in chemistry-focused circularity research over the years. From my own background in sustainable organic chemistry, I can underline the importance of this new institute, which celebrates how far we've come and enables us to expand even further in this direction." Through both fundamental and more applied chemistry research, the institute takes on the energy, resource, and materials transitions. "These transitions require us to reinvent chemistry and chemical processes," says Prof. Eelco Vogt, one of the full professors at ISCC and scientific director of the new institute. "By combining our research groups in inorganic and organic chemistry, ISCC is equipped to make measure new materials and processes, employing a combination of synthesis and spectroscopy." When I first heard about the plans for the new institute, something really clicked for me.