NBN Sustainability Award 2025
Last updated:
December 4, 2025
On Thursday, November 27, during the annual NBN Thank You Event, the spotlight was on four young researchers who outlined a more sustainable future in their theses. The NBN Sustainability Award recognizes the best master's or bachelor's thesis that focuses on sustainability and demonstrates how standards play a crucial role in this transition.
The four nominees each tackle urgent sustainability challenges from their own discipline, ranging from shipping to the circular construction economy.
Sara Faes, Master of Laws at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, critically examines the role of the Belgian Corporate Governance Code in her thesis: 'Managing companies with a moral compass: how sustainability is becoming the new business philosophy'.
She argues that it is time to transform corporate governance rules from mere reporting to a true moral compass. By structurally embedding ESG principles (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in policy, she advocates for a cultural shift that makes sustainability an integral part of business strategy.
This duo of Master's students in Electromechanics at Ghent University focused on one of the biggest polluters: heavy shipping. Their research, entitled 'From dirty diesel to green methanol: how ship engines can become more sustainable, offers a concrete alternative'.
The researchers built a prototype to convert diesel engines to methanol engines. Using advanced techniques, they created an efficient and cleaner engine that represents an important step toward decarbonizing the maritime sector.
This Brazilian student, who graduated from Ghent University, is seeking a solution to the scarcity of raw materials in an unexpected source: toxic mining waste. Her thesis, 'From poison to potential: bacteria unlock hidden metals in toxic mining waste', demonstrates that waste is a potential treasure trove.
She researched bioleaching, an innovative method that uses specific bacteria to 'harvest' valuable but often rare metals from toxic waste. This contributes to both the remediation of contaminated sites and more sustainable metal extraction.
Indy, who completed his bachelor's degree in Wood Technology at HOGENT, put the spotlight on a local, underrated material with his thesis. His work, 'From firewood to building block: the unexpected power of poplar', challenges the status quo in the construction industry.
He demonstrates that locally harvested poplar wood is wrongly reduced to firewood. He developed a strong and modular CLT panel from this light wood species. This prototype proves that poplar can be a valuable, sustainable, and CO2-storing building block, which can give a huge boost to the circular and local construction economy.
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During the festive ceremony on Thursday, November 27, Indy Verheyen was announced as the winner of the NBN Sustainability Award 2025. He received a check for €1,500 to support his future career in sustainable research. The three other finalists were honored for their outstanding work and each received an incentive bonus of €500.
The NBN congratulates all nominees for their groundbreaking work, which demonstrates how young talent is helping to define tomorrow's standards.
The four nominees each tackle urgent sustainability challenges from their own discipline, ranging from shipping to the circular construction economy.
