Thomas Bauwens is an economist specialized in environmental and energy issues with a pronounced interest in multi-disciplinarity. His academic career spans six countries (Belgium, Spain, Chile, UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands). He holds a PhD in economics from the Centre for Social Economy within HEC-Management School of the University of Liège (Belgium) and a master in economics from the Economic School of Louvain. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, conducting research on the roles of circular start-up hubs in the transition towards a circular economy.