Dr. Thomas Bauwens

Biography

Thomas Bauwens is an Assistant Professor at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. His research focuses on collective action for sustainability, particularly in the context of organizational institutional conditions that foster effective collective solutions to social, economic, and environmental grand challenges. His work includes studies on renewable energy communities and circular economy start-ups, aiming to enhance the understanding of upscaling processes and the roles that various actors play in fostering societal support for sustainable innovations. Thomas's research has contributed significantly to understanding the pivotal role of community governance in sustainability transformations, emphasizing the interplay among community, market, and state institutions. Awarded a €1.5 million Starting Grant from the European Research Council, he leads the 'SCENSUS' project which studies community enterprises across multiple countries and seeks to build interdisciplinary theories on their mechanisms for transforming the economy and tackling sustainability challenges. Before joining RSM, Thomas worked at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, where he led research and taught on circular economy and energy communities.

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