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The people behind the science, and the science behind the people.
The first time Roman Klymenko saw a plasma lamp glow, he was fascinated. “It was like looking into fire,” he recalls, “alive, unpredictable, and mesmerizing.” Today, that same spark drives his work at Wetsus, where he studies how plasma and water together can clean our world — even from the most stubborn pollutants.
Surrounded by old instruments and intricate objects, Roman grew up in the world of curiosa. “My parents worked as antique sellers, traveling a lot to the Netherlands and Germany to pick up antique wares and sell them back home,” he says. Coming along on some of those trips and helping in the shop, repairing the old items, shaped him as a tinkerer from the start.
But he also had a knack for science, which his parents recognized early on. They encouraged him to delve deeper into the natural sciences, nurturing his curiosity from a young age. At university in Kyiv, this drive found a direction. Studying applied physics, he built his own plasma lamp as part of a course. “That was the moment I knew,” he says, “I like understanding the fundamentals of the universe — but I also like to build things myself.”
Roman’s fascination with plasma soon met another great love: water. “It sounds simple,” he explains, “but water is incredibly complex. It’s not just H₂O — there are layers of interactions and mysteries in it.”
For him, plasma and water together tell a story that reaches back to the very beginning of life — the so-called “primordial soup.” Billions of years later, that same combination might help solve modern environmental problems. Roman also sees the practical side: plasma has applications ranging from neon and xenon lamps to antibacterial implants and even high-tech building materials. “I love the fundamentals,” he says, “but the applications have to matter too.”
So, when Wetsus had a vacancy for a plasma scientist that was willing to roll up his sleeves, Roman was sold immediately.
When Roman started his PhD, his first task was to build the experimental setup. “My professors expected it would take most of the PhD,” he says with a smile. “But in half a year, it was done. The universe was happy to help, I guess.”
And so it would continue. This setup — a swirling vortex of water with plasma dancing above it — became the heart of his research. Experiments showed that this combination could destroy pharmaceutical residues in water — and later, the infamous PFAS compounds as well.
“The key is the combination of plasma and water vortex,” Roman explains. “Plasma forms reactive species in a gas phase and a vortex brings them into water. Together, they create reactions that break down pollutants very efficiently.”
Observing how different plasma types reacted, he adapted the system for higher efficiency. Ideas from industry partners also shaped the design, ensuring it could eventually scale beyond the lab.
What began as a tabletop experiment is now moving into real-world applications. A pilot installation is currently under construction for the Leeuwarden airbase, to treat PFAS-contaminated groundwater. “It’s exciting to see it work outside the lab,” Roman says. “I don’t like working only on paper. In the lab, I can tinker, test, and really understand the world.”
He discovered that his passion lies in R&D — bridging science and industry. “Here I get the best of both worlds,” he says. “I can still explore, but also create something that makes a difference.”
Roman’s work reminds us that science is both playful and serious. It’s about asking fundamental questions, building systems with your own hands, and finding solutions that help people. And above all, it’s about following a spark — wherever it may lead.
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
