Martijn Bart has been involved with KIN since 2022, initially in a supporting role from the KNAW (Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, a co-initiator of KIN) and later as secretary of the programme committee and the steering committee during the initial phase. Now that KIN has been officially established, he remains actively involved. In this interview, Martijn reflects on the launch of KIN and looks forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for KIN.
A tentative start: the formation of KIN
When Martijn became involved with KIN in 2022, the initiative was still in its early stages.” At that time, we were still figuring out the right structure and approach,” he explains. “The idea was clear: with KIN, we wanted to create more societal impact through science, but exactly how and with whom we should do that was something we struggled with.” Martijn recalls the discussions about how the Pact should operate: “Should the programme be defined by the Pact, or should the Pact work based on a fixed programme? And how can we measure whether we are truly achieving systemic transitions when these changes are often only visible in the long term? In short, you inevitably run into the limits of a system when trying to effect change from within.”
Substance, network, and practice
Since KIN’s establishment, significant progress has been made, according to Martijn. He summarises KIN’s development in three words: substance, network, and practice. “There is now a dedicated team that has built up substantial knowledge about systems thinking. We have a clearer understanding of the societal and scientific climate landscape in the Netherlands. And we are gradually finding our way with practical methods for shaping
new ideas and collaborations.”
Martijn highlights the launch of the first working groups within the Pact and the collaboration with the THRIVE Institute, which resulted in the Purpose Accelerator pilot, as examples of successful initiatives. A standout moment for Martijn was the Crutzen workshop, which led to the ACT work programme. Both concepts are explained in this magazine. “That was a real turning point. It brought people together and resulted in concrete plans, such as the work programme on climate justice in cities. Another milestone was bringing on board Derk Loorbach as our scientific figurehead. He has truly brought systems thinking to life within KIN, drawing on his knowledge and best practices in transition science.”
The future: more concrete application
When asked whether KIN has become what he envisioned, Martijn offers a nuanced response: “We started with the ambition to establish an institute with a structural budget of €100 million per year from the Climate Fund. That didn’t happen. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make an impact. There are things that have emerged which we couldn’t have planned in advance, and that shows we can achieve a lot even without €100 million!”
Martijn sees the coming period as a phase in which KIN must become even more concrete and practical:
“I hope we can bring all the ideas we’ve developed so far into more practical application and that unexpected outcomes arise that we can’t foresee yet.”
A call to the KIN team
Martijn has a clear message for the people within KIN: “We must constantly remind ourselves that we are part of
the very system we aim to change. Working on systemic transitions requires a creative, open mindset, self-reflection, and above all, perseverance.” For the coming year, he hopes KIN will continue to evolve, leveraging diverse forms of knowledge—scientific, philosophical, practical, and more—to address concrete societal challenges: “We need to move away from fossil fuels, but I hope KIN spreads like an oil slick—though, of course, in the most positive sense of the term.”
Besides this evaluation of Martijn, there are six other key people who have been involved with the KIN from the beginning. Wondering how they look back on the past year? Read the interviews in the interview magazine.
