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The first year of KIN is behind us, and what a year it has been! Our ambition for the coming year is clear: to scale up further, make a greater impact, and collaborate towards a sustainable future. In our first anniversary magazine (English version coming soon), we look back at everything we have achieved so far. It is inspiring to see how much has already been set in motion. Yet, we feel that we are only at the beginning of what we aim to accomplish. Read below to find out what lies ahead in the coming period: We look to the future with confidence and see the coming year as an opportunity to take even bigger steps. Would you like to learn more about our first year and our plans for the future? Then read our first birthday magazine.

KIN was founded thanks to the dedication of a number of driven scientists, administrators, and advisors. We spoke with seven key figures who have been involved with KIN from the start. In this interview, they share their reflections on the launch of KIN, its growth, the current state of affairs, and their hopes for the future of KIN.

With great pride and gratitude, we look back on the first year of the Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN). In November 2023, KIN officially opened its doors, and since then, the tremendous efforts of our colleagues, Pact partners, and the large group of individuals involved in our projects and workshops have brought us to where we are today. The opening in November was preceded by an intensive period of preparation. We are delighted to share the highlights of the past year with you and reflect on what we have achieved together. Would you like to learn more about our first year and our plans for the future? Then read our first birthday magazine!

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 shapingnew 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 ofthe 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.

Jan de Boer has been involved with KIN from the very beginning and has played an important role in the establishment of the initiative with his vision and dedication. As a professor of theoretical physics and chair of the Exact and Natural Sciences (ENW) domain within NWO, Jan has always viewed climate research as an integral part of both the scientific and societal agenda. He is an interesting person to ask about his reflections on the creation of KIN, the growth the initiative has undergone, and his expectations for the future. The early steps: a vision and ambition Jan had already begun thinking in the autumn of 2021 about how climate research in the Netherlands could be better organised. “It all started with a discussion within the ENW domain. The question I asked at the time was simple: ‘If we consider climate research so important, why don’t we just start doing it?’ This led to a vision paper in which we proposed organising national, integrated climate research,” he explains. This vision paper, written together with Pieter de Witte and Josef Stuefer, laid the foundation for what would later become KIN. Shortly afterwards, the advisory report from the Permanent Committee for National Institutes (PCNI) was published, recommending national cooperation in climate research in the form of a ‘new-style institute’. The reason was simple: there was (and still is) a need for rapid pooling of resources and coordination in climate research. The aim of such an institute was to connect existing strengths in the country, bring together scientists from all disciplines, and stimulate national coordination. Jan explains: “We then made a proposal to work along three tracks: the Pact, the programme, and the centre. We suggested establishing a Taskforce and pitched it to the Board of Directors (RvB). The RvB was enthusiastic, and that’s how the KIN adventure began.” KIN at the beginning: great ambitions The first steps of KIN were taken with a taskforce, a broad plan, and big ambitions. Jan remembers this time as a period of enthusiasm and collaboration. “It was a time when we had many ideas, but little was concrete. With KIN, we not only wanted to connect science but also make societal impact. That was an ambitious goal, and the path to it hadn’t been fully mapped out,” he explains. Nevertheless, there was a strong determination to make KIN succeed. Jan emphasises that the idea of KIN was supported from the beginning by a broad group of scientists and stakeholders. “It was amazing to see how many people were willing to contribute to this initiative, and that gave us the energy to continue, even when we were still searching for the right structure.” The growth of KIN: ambition, necessity, and urgency If Jan had to describe the growth of KIN in three words, he would choose ‘ambition, necessity, and urgency.’These words, he says, speak for themselves: “The ambition to make a real impact on the climate with science, the necessity to do this quickly and effectively, and the urgency that climate change brings with it.” KIN has gained a strong position in Dutch climate research in a short time. “We have gained significant recognition in a relatively short period and are now in a unique position to truly generate impact,” Jan proudly states. However, he also sees challenges. “It’s a success that we’ve generated so much engagement, but there’sstill much work to be done to achieve concrete results.” Highlights and challenges When asked about the highlights of the past year, Jan mentions several important milestones. “There are constantly new milestones, such as the appointment of our scientific figurehead, the launch of new instruments, and the development of the Theory of Change and multi-year strategy. But a highlight was definitely the first Crutzen workshops. So much is happening that it’s sometimes hard to keep track,” he laughs. Jan also praises the dedication of Michiel van den Hout, the managing director of KIN and former initiator. “Michiel has been instrumental in building KIN. He has made a huge contribution to getting us to where we are now.” The future of KIN: becoming more concrete Although Jan is pleased with KIN’s progress, he acknowledges that there is still room for improvement. “Yes and no,” he replies when asked if KIN has become what he had in mind. “We’ve achieved so much in terms of recognition and engagement, but I might have hoped that we would be further along with concrete results. Perhaps, looking back, that wasn’t realistic given the scale of the challenge.” For the coming year, Jan hopes that KIN will continue to develop and create even more impact. “We must continue working on a portfolio of short-term, impactful projects that could not have existed without KIN.” A message for KIN: stay ambitious Finally, Jan has a clear message for those within KIN: “Stay ambitious and continue working on projects that truly make an impact. We have already achieved a lot, but the challenge is great, and there is still much to be done. For example, also show that the pledges of the Pact partners really mean something in practice. But most importantly, keep up the good work!” With these words, Jan looks to the future of KIN with confidence and optimism. The ambition, necessity, and urgency that define KIN will, according to him, continue to be the driving forces behind the success of the initiative in the coming years. Besides this evaluation of Jan, 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.