Partners

The project REDUCE consists of 15 academic, industrial, public and non-profit partners. Get to know them and all the great people involved below!

Consumption Research Norway, OsloMet (project owner)

Project manager Dr. Marie Hebrok is a design researcher focusing on the relationships between design and sustainable consumption practices. Her recent work has revolved around Practice Oriented Design for Sustainability, and speculative design approaches. In addition to the role of project manager she will co-lead WP3 and 4, and co-supervise the PhD candidate in product design. Hebrok has in collaboration with colleague Dr. Nina Heidenstrøm developed the method Fridge Studies, which WP2 will build on in its methodological design. Senior researcher Dr. Nina Heidenstrøm has extensive experience in research on sustainable consumption practices, material culture and product durability, and has an interest in the materialities of consumption. She will lead WP2. Dr. Atle Wehn Hegnes will be leading the WP between August 2022-2023 during Nina´s maternity leave. Senior researcher Dr. Kirsi Laitala has a background in textile engineering and a PhD in design. She currently leads the interdisciplinary RCN project LASTING which focus is on product lifespans through collaboration with industry and development of policies and regulations. She will co-lead WP2. Senior researcher Dr. Harald Throne-Holst has broad experience in research on sustainable consumption, trust and responsibilities related to new technologies, interdisciplinarity and product durability. He will lead WP1, joined by Dr. Arne Dulsrud and supported by Professor Ingun G. Klepp. Klepp has been central in the development of textile and clothing research nationally and internationally. She is currently leading the RCN project Wasted Textiles with the aim to prevent plastic waste in the form of synthetic textiles. Klepp will be part of the reference group.

Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) is a transdisciplinary research institute at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University. SIFOs research aims to understand the role of consumption and consumers in society and to provide the knowledge basis for public consumer policy in Norway. One of the core research areas being sustainable consumption centering on environmental impacts of consumption and consumers participation in a green transition. OsloMet is one of Norway’s largest universities, with more than 20,000 students and 2,000 employees.

Department of Product Design, OsloMet

Professor Tore Gulden, Department of Product Design, is a professor in industrial design with main research interests in systemic design and sustainable design. He has developed the courses in systemic design integrated in WP3. He will lead WP3 and be the main supervisor of PhD Research Fellow Ayse Kaplan. Kaplan has a master’s degree from the Department of Industrial Design at the Middle East Technical University (METU), and experience as a research and teaching assistant at METU. Her main research interests are Design for Sustainability, sustainable consumption, social innovation, and alternative food networks.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Professor Sara Ilstedt , Green Leap, KTH Royal Institute of Technology has a background in industrial design and a Phd in human-computer interaction on wellbeing and design. Her research includes design and gender issues, sustainability and behavioural changes. She started the research group Green Leap, which aims to act as a catalyst for change by engaging design in sustainable development, initiating projects joining academy and design business in multidisciplinary and transformative design research. Together with her colleague Dr. Karin Ehrnberger who is a design researcher and an expert in norm critical design, she will lead WP4.

University of Bristol

Professor David Evans, University of Bristol, will contribute in WP1 with his expertise on environmental policy and strategy, and his extensive experience in consumption studies. Evans is interested in material semiotic approaches to consumption, and has recently been involved in the project “Plastics: Redefining single use” critically interrogating the idea of the ‘circular plastic economy’ from a technological and societal perspective.

The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology

Tone Rasch, curator at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology, is a scholar in art history specializing in technology history, with a special focus on textiles, clothing and fashion. She will contribute with historical research in WP2.

LOOP

Stine Helgeland, CEO at LOOP, a Norwegian non-for-profit foundation working to make people “sort more and waste less”, will lead WP5 ensuring widespread and professional dissemination of the project. She will be supported by Sylvelin Aadland who is responsible for the website sortere.no, a national service helping people and companies recycle.

Industry partners

HTS BeSafe is a company delivering a wide range of children’s products such as car seats, helmets, bicycle trailers, toboggans and sledges.

Bergans of Norway produces clothing and equipment for outdoor leisure activities.

ULU of Norway is a producer of leather garments from materials that would otherwise be thrown away, aiming to offer an alternative to plastic based clothes for outdoor leisure activities,

CleanCup is a company selling reusable menstrual cups.

Unikum Design is a web shop selling reusable non-plastic products in the areas of childhood and hygiene.

The industry partners have joined REDUCE to strengthen their business and innovation activities. In return they will contribute with their experiences and knowledge.

Public and non-profit partners

The Norwegian Environment Agency and Friends of the Earth Norway, are involved with strategic policy work. They will ensure that the project develop strategies towards a clean and diverse environment, together with The Norwegian Trekking Association, Norway’s biggest outdoor activities organisations.

The waste company BIR (Bergensområdets interkommunale renovasjonsselskap), one of the largest waste management companies in Norway, is working to secure holistic solutions and will provide knowledge of the post-consumer stage.