Research Nights: Zoönomy in PracticeResearch Nights: Zoönomy in Practice

As the Nieuwe Instituut Zoöp – and with initiatives such as the New Store, a regenerative museum shop– the Nieuwe Instituut has been experimenting in practice for a number of years with alternative organisational and commercial models that contribute to the health of the ecosystem of which we are a part. This Research Night focuses on a specific part of this long-term exploration: research into the possibilities of a regenerative economy. Zoologists call this “zoönomy”, an economy that supports all life.

Two experts in ecology and economics will discuss the sensitivity, knowledge, strategies and methods needed to make this endeavour possible, both in theory and in practice.

To restore the biosphere to health, the usual sustainability goals are not enough. They are about a transition to a slightly less destructive form of economic activity, but not a fundamental shift to a culture and system in which all life can sustain itself. If we are to keep the planet habitable, we need to work on an economy that functions as a healthy part of the ecology.

At this Research Night, we will explore the theory and practice of a regenerative economy. What knowledge and sensitivity do we need to work with all life? How do we organise ecological regeneration to be part of economic processes? And conversely, how do we reorganise economic processes to contribute to social-ecological health? What long-term strategies are necessary?

Two speakers will present their own practices and discuss (with each other and the audience) about the steps we can take and the choices we face.

Felix van Hoften is an ecological economist, lecturer and researcher in the economics of meaning at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and a PhD candidate in post-growth economics at the University of Amsterdam. He is also a musician and the author of De Golven en de Kaap [The Waves and the Cape].

George Birch has an academic background in marine ecology and founded the regenerative company Oyster Heaven in 2021. Previously, he worked in the unusual combination of conservation with the Blue Marine Foundation and asset management with Janus Henderson, working on sustainable investments. At Oyster Heaven, these worlds come together.