Queen Máxima highlights circular economy progress in Groningen and Drenthe
Queen Máxima visits two innovative companies in Groningen and Drenthe to explore how circular economy initiatives are reducing waste, saving resources, and creating jobs. Her tour underscores the importance of sustainable business models for a greener future.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date of Visit | 1 April 2026 |
| Organisation Visited | Circulair Groningen Drenthe |
| Number of Members | Nearly 200 companies and organisations |
| First Stop | Vepa (Hoogeveen) – Sustainable office furniture manufacturer |
| Key Focus at Vepa | Circular interior design, furniture renovation, and innovative techniques |
| Second Stop | JC-Electronics (Leek) – Refurbisher of industrial electronics |
| Key Focus at JC-Electronics | Repair and refurbishment of electronics, vocational training, CO₂ savings |
| Next Engagement | Opening of UPPACT recycling factory in Farmsum |
| Region | Groningen and Drenthe |
The Dutch royal family, including Queen Máxima, frequently engages with initiatives that promote sustainability and innovation. These visits aim to raise public awareness and support for key societal transitions, such as the shift toward a circular economy. Circulair Groningen Drenthe plays a pivotal role in facilitating collaboration among businesses to accelerate this transition in the northern Netherlands.
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Queen Máxima visits association for circular initiatives in Groningen and Drenthe
Her Majesty Queen Máxima will visit the association Circulair Groningen Drenthe on Wednesday afternoon, 1 April. The association consists of nearly two hundred companies and organisations that are investing in the transition to a circular economy in the northern Netherlands. Circulair Groningen Drenthe facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing to make the shift to a circular economy more accessible and assists in implementing circular business models.
The working visit begins in Hoogeveen at Vepa, a manufacturer of sustainable office furniture. Vepa is part of the Fair Furniture Group and helps organisations with their circular interior design. At Vepa’s Circular Centre, furniture and individual components are assessed, stored, disassembled and renovated. Queen Máxima will speak with the management and employees of Vepa about the company’s activities and ambitions in the field of circularity and will subsequently tour the factory. At various stops, employees will explain the products they make and how they combine innovative techniques with traditional craftsmanship. They will also present the finished products made in the factory, the automated processing of wooden panels and the products made from plant-based biofuels. The visit to Hoogeveen will conclude with a round-table discussion focusing on scaling up in the circular economy.
In Leek, Queen Máxima will visit JC-Electronics, a company that refurbishes used and defective industrial electronics, giving these products a second life. JC-Electronics supplies electronic components worldwide, such as industrial computers that control machinery and production processes, control panels and programming devices for industrial automation. The use of refurbished products leads to savings in raw materials, water consumption and CO₂ emissions. During a tour, employees will explain, among other things, how electronics are repaired, how wear-prone components are replaced and the company’s research and development activities. At the company’s own training centre, students and instructors will discuss the vocational training programme available there. They will also provide information on the additional opportunities offered by the programme, which focus on the work activities, product groups and industrial electronics of JC-Electronics’ customers. The visit to Leek will also conclude with a round-table discussion, this time focusing on labour participation in the circular economy.
In June 2024, Queen Máxima paid a working visit to several members of the Vereniging Circulair Friesland.
Following the visit to Circulair Groningen Drenthe, Queen Máxima will open the recycling factory of UPPACT in Farmsum, which serves as a demonstration and validation site for a circular production concept. UPPACT is one of the members of Circulair Groningen Drenthe.
RVD, no. 86