Poldner, Prof. Kim
Kim Poldner is professor by special appointment of Regional and Circular Economic Development at the University of Groningen. She is an expert in the fields of sustainable and circular development, regenerative economic development, and regenerative entrepreneurship.
In the Northern Netherlands, Kim Poldner and her colleagues are working with pioneers who are putting regeneration into practice, from circular textile hubs to regenerative agriculture. Through knowledge sharing, co-creation, and experimentation, Poldner wants to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that not only causes less damage, but that actually adds value. She feels strongly about the harmful practices of fast fashion companies, but her academic work and personal mission revolves around what is possible: recovery, renewal, and resilience.
Poldner advocates a ‘Bob Campaign’ for sustainable textiles, similar to the advertising campaign against drink-driving. ‘We are currently raising our children to be shoppers who attach no value whatsoever to textiles and their production.’ At the heart of the circular economy is the idea of assigning value to a product, she says. According to Poldner, education has an important role to play in this context.