Working with the fossil industry

Collaboration between universities and fossil fuel companies is currently in the spotlight. We find it important to be transparent about these collaborations. On this page, you will find more information on the nature and scope of this collaboration.

UT's stance on working with the fossil industry

At the University of Twente, we take our role in contributing to a sustainable world seriously. We take a proactive and responsible approach to developing solutions that sustain our planet and the people who live on it. We do this together with others all around us. Our position is not to exclude anyone without good reason and to engage in an ongoing dialogue with a view to encouraging cooperation.

For us, active participation in the energy transition also means that we do not initiate research projects that encourage the use of fossil fuels. New cooperation agreements with the fossil industry are only entered into with those parties that show a substantial change in their working method to make the transition from fossil to alternative, renewable sources. We also ask parties in the fossil industry and energy sector to explicitly express their commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. We will continue to bring these values to the attention of these parties in the form of an ongoing dialogue.

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Total share of research funding period 2018-2022

	Direct funding from the fossil industry	0.74
	Other research funding	99.26
	Total	100

Share of fossil industry companies per year 2018-2022

Year	Direct funding from fossil industry companies to UT (as share of the total)	Other research funding (as share of the total)
2018	0 %	100 %
2019	1 %	99 %
2020	1 %	99 %
2021	2 %	98 %
2022	1 %	99 %

Number of initiated contract research activities with companies active in the fossil industry per year 2018-2022

Year	Number of projects	Amount (in euros)
2018	2	310,000
2019	3	775,000
2020	2	632,000
2021	6	1,916,000
2022	1	680,000

Overview of current activities

We have compiled an overview of all currently ongoing collaborations with companies in the fossil industry. The reference date is 1 September 2023. The activities below are listed in no particular order.

1. Partnership within the Alistore European Research Institute
Partners involved: TotalEnergies
Link for more information (if applicable): Alistore website

2. Partnership within Batt4EU (Batteries Partnership Europe)
Partners involved: Shell, Total Energies
Link for more information (if applicable): BEPA website

3. Partnership within BatteryNL
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): BatteryNL website

4. Partnership within Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI)
Partners involved: Shell, ExxonMobil, Aramco
Link for more information (if applicable): DPI website

5. DESTINY Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie COFUND PhD Programme
Partners involved: TotalEnergies
Link for more information (if applicable): Project website

6. Partnership within the NWO cross-over programme RELEASE
Partners involved: Shell, GasUnie
Link for more information (if applicable): Programme website

7. Collaboration in the Wetsus theme Concentration
Partners involved: Shell, Aramco
Link for more information (if applicable): Wetsus theme website

8. C-cool project on clay-based CO2 storage
Partners involved: BP
Link for more information (if applicable): RVO project database

9. Research project Integrated approach towards recycling of plastics
Partners involved: ExxonMobil
Link for more information (if applicable): Topsector Energie project database

10. Research projects on grease lubrication (through SKF)
Partners involved: Shell, ExxonMobil
Link for more information (if applicable): SKF website

11. Collaboration on Green surfactants
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

12. Partnership in Circular Chemistry (ReWoody)
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): Project announcement

13. Partnership in Circular Chemistry: Electrolysers
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

14. Collaboration on treating Biomass streams for biofuels and biochemicals
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

15. Collaboration on Biomass to glycols
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

16. Collaboration on Furfural (organic chemicals) production
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

17. Collaboration on Renewable jet fuels
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

18. Collaboration on Chemical cycling
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

19. Co-finance Research Chair Sustainable process technology
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): Department website

20. Co-finance Research Chair Inorganic membranes
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): Department website

21. Pilot cleaning up water of oil sands
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

22. Partnership Engineering & Materials Science: Gas separation technology
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

23. Partnership Engineering & Materials Science: Hydrocarbon filtration
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

24. Partnership in Electrolyser Scale-up
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

25. Partnership multi-phase flow for industrial applications
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): n/a

26. Partnership on Aquaconnect: reusing wastewater and brackish water in the NL
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): Aquaconnect website

27. Sussic - Sustainable treatment of industrial waste streams
Partners involved: Shell
Link for more information (if applicable): Sussic project description

To compile this overview, we combined information from various sources. It will be updated peridiocally. These activities are different types of collaborations that are recorded in different ways. Although we have compiled this overview with the greatest care, it may not be complete. Should you miss a collaboration activity, please contact us