Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects have become an internationally popular model for construction projects, where large risks are bore by the EPC contractor and the subcontractors [Galloway, 2009; Guo et al., 2010]. Risks are inherent to all construction projects, however, the high uncertainties of the international EPC markets, and the complex EPC processes, create for abundant risks which often make it unfeasible for EPC contractors to manage the risks by relying solely on their own capabilities [Wang et al., 2016]. These projects are often of large scale, financially and technically, in a competitive environment where subcontractors have tight margins and even unrealistic budgeting [Yeo and Ning, 2002]. Furthermore, the concept of risk management is a widely discussed topic in construction literature. However, the effective allocation of these risks to certain parties down the supply chain is not a popular subject. EPC project environments are known for their adversarial relationships between stakeholders, where subcontractors have demonstrated a certain feeling of distrust within the supply chains [Dainty et al., 2001]. The status quo of these large and complex EPC projects is that the number of subcontractors willing and able to take on the risks of EPC projects is shrinking. There is a need for a more effective risk allocation within the supply chain. To address this problem statement, this research focuses on analyzing how the risk allocation within the supply chain can improve, in order to improve the project performance for all parties involved. This problem statement is answered through the viewpoint of the contracting strategy used in EPC projects since the contracting strategy is a tool for allocating risks. The final output of this research is a Network Risk Allocation model and recommendations for both EPC contractors and subcontractors. This is attained by conducting exploratory research, consisting of quantitative data gathering, in order to answer the main research question: How can risks within EPC projects effectively be allocated among the EPC contractor and subcontractors, to improve project performance through strategic contracting? This research is divided into three phases. The first phase includes the theoretical background, including a literature review, document review, and exploratory interviews. Phase one dives into the theory around risk allocation, risks in EPC projects, and the supply chain network. Here it is concluded that an effective risk allocation for EPC projects is in the form of a network risk allocation. Phase 2 continues by conducting empirical research in the form of a Case Study analysis. Two projects are analyzed on the basis of their risk allocation. This led to recommendations for effective risk allocation. Phase 3 dives into the development of the solution model: the network risk allocation model. It is found that collaboration in the network is an important element to effective risk allocation, amongst other factors.

Zorginstellingen worden vanuit het Klimaatakkoord verplicht hun vastgoed energie-efficiënter te maken. Het vastgoed in de sector van de langdurige zorg is veelal verouderd en draagt in grote mate aan de CO2-uitstoot van de gebouwde omgeving. Het energie-efficiënter maken van deze vastgoedsector komt onvoldoende op gang om de CO2-reductie doelstellingen van 2030 en 2050 te behalen. Het onvermogen om het woonzorgvastgoed rendabel energie-efficiënter te maken wordt grotendeels verklaard doordat zorginstellingen onvoldoende weten waar te beginnen in de verduurzamingsopgave door een gebrek aan kennis en ervaring met verduurzaming. De doelstelling van dit onderzoek is om zorginstellingen te voorzien van ontwerpen die inzicht geven in de belemmeringen die de verduurzamingsopgave bemoeilijken en deze belemmeringen weg kunnen nemen. Uit dit onderzoek is gebleken dat zorginstellingen onvoldoende inzicht in de technische staat van hun zorgvastgoed hebben waardoor de opgave waar zij voor staan onduidelijk is. Niet alleen de instellingen zelf kampen met dit probleem maar ook de brancheorganisaties in de zorg en de overheid. Hierdoor wordt er onvoldoende passend beleid gevoerd op de verduurzaming van de vastgoedvoorraad. Om deze reden moeten zorginstellingen zelf het voortouw gaan nemen in de opgave om hun vastgoed aan de eisen uit het Klimaatakkoord te laten voldoen. Er blijkt dat zorginstellingen om dit te kunnen doen met name behoefte hebben aan een gestructureerd plan van aanpak om beschikbare verduurzamingsmaatregelen in kaart te brengen en uit te kunnen voeren. Het stroomdiagram is ontworpen om zorginstellingen deze structurele aanpak te bieden. Het stroomdiagram biedt inzicht in de barrières die zorginstellingen ervaren bij verduurzamende maatregelen. De ontwikkelde beleidsinstrumenten en aanbevelingen bieden ondersteuning bij deze maatregelen om zo de ervaren barrières te beslechten. Uit de evaluaties blijkt dat het stroomdiagram zorginstellingen inzicht biedt in het structureren van de activiteiten die zij moeten ondernemen om tot een duurzame vastgoedportefeuille te komen. Het verbeterd inzicht in de barrières én mogelijkheden om deze te beslechten helpt instellingen op weg bij het starten van de verduurzamingsopgave en bij het uitvoeren van energiebesparende maatregelen. Deze maatregelen moeten op deze wijze leiden tot een energie-efficiëntere vastgoedvoorraad voor zorginstellingen in Nederland. Voor vervolgonderzoek wordt als aanbeveling gedaan om de ontwikkelde maatregelen verder te testen met de vastgoed- en duurzaamheidsmanagers van zorginstellingen die nog geen stappen hebben ondernomen in de verduurzamingsopgave. Hiermee wordt duidelijk of het stroomdiagram ook ondersteuning biedt bij instellingen die nog geen plan van aanpak hebben voor het verduurzamen van hun vastgoed. Daarnaast wordt aanbevolen om meer onderzoek te doen naar de mogelijke financieringsmethoden voor energiebesparende maatregelen. Uit dit onderzoek blijkt dat er nog veel informatieasymmetrie is tussen financiers en zorginstellingen. Voor toekomstig onderzoek is het van belang om deskundigen op het gebied van financiering te raadplegen en zowel (bancaire) financiers als besluitnemers bij zorginstellingen te spreken.

A trend towards a more relational type of contracting can be noticed in the Dutch infrastructure industry. These so-called relational project delivery models are supposed to deal with the current challenges of regular cost and time overruns, the growing demand and the adverse relationship between contractor and client in traditional projects, leading to an unfair risk allocation, lack of collaboration and lots of conflicts. One of these measures proposed by RWS is the introduction of the two-phase model. For specifically the first phase it is unclear how the collaboration can be improved and how a collaborative identity might contribute. The research question therefore is: How could the first phase of the two-phase model in infrastructure projects in the Netherlands be organized to improve collaboration and how does the formation of a collaborative identity contribute to this? A further operationalization of collaborative identity resulted in a definition: An identity within the project that distinguishes the organization and contributes to a collaborative mindset in the project organization. Improved collaboration can be achieved by implementing certain principles in the project by the organization of specific working practices. These working practices and principles were gathered from different streams of literature such as the alliance, early contractor involvement and bouwteam models. The principles are scored on their importance to collaboration in the first phase of the two phase model and the working practices were scored on their contribution to achieving the principles. This resulted in a framework identifying the most important principles and working practices. This framework was then discussed with two separate focus groups from the contractor and the client. The comments and discussion was used to update and improve the framework. The framework is found in figure A. The most important conclusions were to apply the framework in a so called project start up. Furthermore a shared vision and objectives related to the project are important for the two-phase model, as two organizations should collaborate intensively in the first phase, while the price is not yet set. Involving the right people who can work in this ‘new’ way in the project is vital, and the price should be constructed using open book, and avoiding fixed price elements in the tender phase. Finally it is concluded that the collaboration in any project should be an active project goal. This means that effort should be made to evaluate, discuss and reward behaviour resulting in good collaboration. The conclusions indicate the importance of a collaborative identity to the collaboration in the first phase of the two phase model and this was also specifically confirmed by the participants of the focus group. For future research it is recommended to perform more research on collaborative identity. Secondly more research should be performed on the two-phase model, when the projects have been finished, also relating to the success of the overall project. Finally research on the collaboration in the second phase and the transition from the first to the second phase should be performed.

The global imperative to embrace a circular economy, underscored by concerns over climate change, resource depletion, and urbanization, has spotlighted the need for sustainable practices and waste reduction, within the built environment. This master's thesis within the context of the circular economy delves into the challenges faced by the real estate sector, a substantial contributor to resource consumption and waste. The knowledge gap revolves around the financial feasibility of circular real estate development, especially for private equity real estate (PERE) investors. Despite acknowledging the environmental benefits of circular real estate, its construction methods often entail higher costs, creating a significant hurdle for real estate investors. In this context, there is limited financial justification for investing in circular real estate developments, particularly when focusing solely on financial outcomes. This study zeroes in on the logistics real estate sector in the Dutch market, exploring under what conditions there is a feasible business case for real estate investors to make a positive investment decision on circular real estate development. To address this problem, the research employs an action research methodology, combining theoretical insights with practical application. Two cycles of plan-act-observe-reflect guide the exploration, beginning with a focus group discussion with PERE investor practitioners. Subsequently, a case study of a circular logistics development opportunity is presented to an investment fund, allowing for a comparison of the business case against traditional development. The research identifies nine interconnected conditions influencing the investment decision: cost, returns, timeline, market development, sustainability, strategic portfolio management, investor appetite, regulation, and tenant considerations. Importantly, certain conditions, such as cost, returns, investor appetite, market development, and strategic portfolio management, are highlighted as particularly critical in circular real estate, potentially exerting more influence than in traditional developments. The findings conclude the delicate balance between cost and returns, aligning investor expectations with long-term potential, strategically integrating circular projects into investment portfolios, and staying attuned to market dynamics as the most important conditions for circular logistics development. This research contributes to closing the knowledge gap in the literature, providing valuable insights for real estate investors navigating the complexities of circular development. The identified conditions demonstrate transferability across diverse real estate sectors, validating their universal significance. Future research avenues include exploring different fund categories, extending the study across diverse real estate sectors, and investigating the complexities within investment funds related to sustainability. Additionally, examining ancillary benefits and refining cost increase estimates for circular construction can enhance financial feasibility insights. For practical implementation, establishing a dedicated sustainable impact fund and introducing regulations mandating material reuse are recommended. These insights aim to advance the discourse on sustainable real estate practices.

Contractors can be stimulated to offer sustainable product innovations through tenders in the GWW sector. But despite the sustainability ambitions of clients to achieve a 100% circular economy by 2050 and sustainably generated energy in the Netherlands, contractors are hindered from being able to offer sustainable product innovations by clients. To make recommendations to clients to optimize the preparation phase of public procurement. In order to contribute to this, it is made clear how contractors can be stimulated by investigating the influential (external) factors of the tender phase that can stimulate contractors to offer sustainable product innovations with a TRL level 7-9 during the tender phase.

Public clients in the Netherlands have committed to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions. To achieve that, Circular Economy is proposed and more specifically a tool that can lead to Circularity, called Product Service Systems (PSS). PSS is a business tool that is innovative for infrastructure, and public clients are investigating the transition towards service-oriented projects. Literature suggests that when public actors undergo transitions, their public values are also affected. It is yet not thoroughly studied how the public values are coupled with PSS. Aim of this research is to investigate how public values are affected when public actors that own infrastructure assets implement PSS. Firstly, a literature review concerning public values is conducting. Then, the PSS characteristics, barriers and benefits are theoretically studied. A framework that couples public values with PSS is designed. To analyze and enrich this framework, a real-life implementation is studied. The Province of North Holland (PNH) served as case study, and more specifically the guardrails pilot that PNH realized within the Circular Road Program. Interviews were conducted to collect the data. To analyse the interviews, thematic analysis was utilized. Two rounds of analysis were conducted, a deductive and a reflective round. The findings of the thematic analysis were validated and generalized by an expert panel consisting of three experts. As a result, the empirical findings of the results were found. An overview is designed and the theoretical and empirical results are presented and compared. The values that are mostly affected when PSS is implemented are Lawfulness, Accountability, Collaboration and Innovation. The overview is a useful input for public clients, because they can gain knowledge about how they can include the values perspective in their decision-making process.

This study investigates the effects of the first phase of the Dutch two phase process project delivery method design on the information risk, the client-contractor relationship and risk allocation between client and contractor. The two phase process is a collaborative project delivery method which is used for infrastructure projects with the objective to reduce information risk and stimulate cooperation between client and contractor. As this project delivery method is new, knowledge on the effects of the use of this project delivery method is limited. Using desk and case study research with semi-structured interviews and an organisational behavioural theoretical lens, this exploratory research shows that the first phase of the two phase process project delivery method reduces the information risk, can make good cooperation between client and contractor possible and may help risk allocation between client and contractor. This study recommends public clients to think about the use of a two phase process project delivery method design carefully and incorporate mechanisms to end the first phase.

The circular economy is seen as the solution against waste and will cause reduction in use of both resources and energy. This means that resources will circulate continuously, making the end of life stages of product, objects and project more important. In this research it became apparent that (end) value constitutes of many different influences, variables and value term. Only by case specific analysis such value terms can be distinguished, which will change for an object, by any subject in time. Therefore, it is concluded that is nearly impossible to operationalize this (end) value in a circular business model, in which multiple (endless) cycles generate to much uncertainty and risk in order to come up with monetary outcomes and only derivatives of this value are used in business models of circular products.

The demolition activities produce a huge amount of waste that have negative effects on the environment. In the current demolition practices, most of the waste are recycled or landfilled. Only a small percentage is retrieved and reused again. Reuse is preferred than recycling since it better for the environment. To increase the reuse, more materials need to become available from the demolition activities. To current demolition process does not enable the retrieval of components and materials for reuse since they are damaged in the process, and the demolition contractors don’t make an effort to retrieve them properly. This thesis investigated the demolition process and how its steps and the actors involved could affect the reuse potential of components and materials in the building industry. To find answers, literature study, a case study and expert interviews with frontrunners were used. The best practices from the Netherlands were taken as an input in order to develop the new process. Based on the findings, a flowchart of the new demolition process is developed, and recommendations are given to the actors involved. Changes are proposed in the five stages (tender, audit, planning, execution, materials handling) of the demolition process and to the actors involved. Sustainability tender criteria, site visits, detailed inventory, buyers through the network, deconstruction, separation in different material streams are some of the changes that need to be made. By adopting the proposed changes the actors involved could retrieve a lot more components and material from the demolition sites and provide them for reuse.

Sustainability is seen as one of the most important challenges faced by the world today (Silvius, 2017). Within EPC companies, there are quite some ambitions at the strategic level to integrate sustainability into project procurement, but implementation at the project level is still quite limited. Additionally, existing literature focusing on sustainable procurement or sustainability within supply chains (i.e., suppliers/(sub-)contractors), in the domain of EPC companies in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry is also quite limited. This research study thus aims to develop a strategy on how EPC companies in the Energy & Chemicals (E&C)/Process industry can integrate sustainability into their project procurement practices, thereby adding to academic literature and practice. To achieve this objective, this research study was conducted in three main phases. In phase one, a thorough literature and document review was conducted, resulting in a conceptual sustainability framework that could be integrated into an EPC company’s project procurement practices such as prequalification and supplier/(sub-)contractor selection. The sustainability framework consisted of a set of sustainability criteria and performance indicators which can be used to assess the sustainability level of an EPC company’s suppliers/(sub-)contractors. In the second phase, semi structured interviews were conducted to understand views from practice regarding the topic of sustainable procurement. Main insights gathered included understanding the enablers and barriers encountered by EPC companies during implementation of sustainability into procurement, the prioritization of the identified performance indicators, incentives to stimulate sustainable procurement and suggestions for improvement. The third and final phase synthesized all the findings gathered so far, to propose a strategy or solution for EPC companies to integrate sustainability into their project procurement practices. This research study concluded by providing a holistic set of recommendations to all actors involved in executing a project, such as clients, EPC companies and supply chain actors on how sustainability can be effectively and efficiently integrated into project procurement practices.

Circular Economy (CE) is a new economic development paradigm that is proposed as a counterweight to the traditional “take, make, use and dispose” model, known as Linear Economy (LE). To cope with the increasingly environmental impact of construction, a transition towards CE can be the solution. To that direction, several circular initiatives in the Netherlands, have provided an array of circular infrastructure projects that have been completed or are near completion. Scholars and practitioners alike have pinpointed the significance of inter-organizational collaboration, in the development of circular projects. However, this field is inadequately researched. This research investigates collaboration, under the prism of governance, defined as the set of rules and procedures, that govern the collaboration in the project environment. The aim of this study is to identify the governance arrangements that are in place in circular infrastructure projects and provide a framework of governance that could resolve known collaboration challenges. To that direction, first a literature review is conducted, to identify governance arrangements, based on the literature on inter-organizational, network and collaborative governance and collaboration in the circular economy. The findings are utilized to develop a research framework. This framework is validated through a multiple case study, where 14 participants across 3 circular infrastructure projects are interviewed regarding the governance arrangements that are in place. As a result, an elaborated framework of governance for circular infrastructure projects is proposed. The framework contains governance arrangements across 7 different dimensions of governance, namely Goal Setting, Rewarding, Monitoring, Capability Building, Roles and Decision Making, Coordination and Motivation. Lastly, through this research recommendations towards practitioners on the field of circular infrastructure are given. Those include: Making a clear distinction between circular project and circular sector, Developing circular projects as a way to alter the sector, Generating and sharing knowledge, Investigate the capabilities of actors and select partners based on their skills and motivation, Utilize traditional forms of collaboration when the necessary capabilities are absent, Consider reputation and future business opportunities as the main incentive for participation in circular infrastructure projects, and Achieve external support through cultivating an intra- organizational circular mindset, showcasing results and achieving positive reputation.

The possibilities public procurement offers regarding the stimulation of innovation for the benefit of economic growth and the competitiveness of markets have been increasingly receiving attention over the past two decades. In 2014 a long awaited update of the European directive governing procurement procedures was published. Among these procedures are a distinct set of innovation oriented procedures. Some of these are suitable solely for the procurement of innovations, other also for the procurement highly complex projects. Use of these procedures by governments, often called Public Procurement for Innovation, or PPfI for short, is however hindered by several problems. Due to its novelty and higher risk profile it is being applied very little, leading to a lack of jurisprudence, example projects and practice-oriented research. Compared to the widely used non-innovation oriented procedures, which have been ingrained in public organisations, its application entails a different approach and set of skills, making many civil servants hesitant to apply them. A low capacity for learning of public organisations, especially in project-based organisations, adds to this hesitation. This research aims to improve the performance of project managers and procurement advisors during the preparation phase of the innovation partnership and the competitive dialogue procedure. This is achieved by defining the processes of the preparation phase and identify how these could be optimised towards the achievement of innovation during procurement, resulting in recommendations on the relevance and set up of each process. In order to achieve this objective the following main research question was defined: How could the processes of the preparation phase be optimised for achievement of innovation during procurement, in the case of public authorities procuring for innovation in the physical domain, using the innovation partnership or competitive dialogue procedure?In order to answer this research question, a literature study was performed to clarify relevant concepts, define the preparation phase in processes and define activities for the optimisation of each of these processes. This research found the following 11 processes to be part of the preparation phase: Need & need assessor identification, Need analysis and specification, Market exploration,ConsultationMarket engagement, Partnering, Knowledge & capabilities management, Creation of support, Risk management, Project organising and Process design and conditions.Subsequently, 47 underlying activities aimed at optimising their influence on the achievement of innovation during the tender- and execution phase were derived from the literature. These processes and underlying activities formed a conceptual framework that formed the basis for case study research involving 4 projects and 7 respondents closely involved in these projects, either as procurement advisor or project manager. The case-study findings were subsequently compared to the literature study findings, after which a synthesis of the individual results took place. This resulted in the validation of the 11 processes and a discussion of optimisation of these processes using 34 of the processes found in literature and two new activities derived from the case studies. These are listed in the main text. The literature- and case study findings were used to define a list of general- and process specific recommendations for project managers and procurement advisors of public organisations planning to undertake procurement of product innovations in the physical domain using the innovation partnership or competitive dialogue procedure. The research should be considered along with its context and limitations, discussed in chapter 2, 4 and 8. The recommendations presented below and at the end of this thesis should be considered alongside the discussion of research results presented in chapter 5 as this creates additional insight into the limitations and applicability of the results.The recommendations presented below are therefore possible optimisation strategies for the preparation phase for public organisations with little experience in PPfI, planning to procure innovative solution for which they might use the innovation partnership or competitive dialogue procedure. Based on the research findings, the following general recommendation are given: First, it is recommended to define a tailored approach for each process due to the complexity of innovation oriented procurement and the unique character of projects. In this tailored approach the mutual influences and dependencies should be taken into account and exploited where possible. Secondly, for the underlying activities it is recommended to explore new possibilities and combinations, leading to fit-for-purpose activities that can be carried out for multiple processes. Thirdly, as these procedures and the achievement of innovation are complex and require broad and multidisciplinary skills, it is recommended to perform an assessment of the available internal expertise and the necessary expertise and to seek process assistance early on in the project. Fourthly, where internal knowledge and capabilities are lacking, Early Market Interaction and the help of external experts can be employed to increase the procuring organisations’ understanding of the process and its content. This can be precede any concrete plans for innovation oriented procurement, for instance by having a sit down with well-known or regular suppliers and discuss with them how they think PPfI and the accompanying collaboration can be optimized. And lastly, It is recommended to select a procedure only after sufficient information has been gathered from market parties, experts and internal sources of knowledge and expertise during the need identification, analysis and specification, market exploration and consultation. Furthermore, it is recommended to be restrictive in the application of the innovation partnership and competitive dialogue procedures as they are resource-intensive and require, as this thesis points out, thorough preparation.

Background: The construction sector has a 10-year time span to become 50% circular and to reduce carbon emissions by 49% compared to 1990. This time span is even shorter for public clients, as the Dutch government functions as launching customer, and strives make its own tenders circular in 2023, and carbon neutral in 2030. Utilising public procurement to reduce carbon emissions and increase circularity is not yet common. This is because individual clients have limited buyer power to influence the market, insufficient knowledge or funds, and a lack of ability to take the lead in promoting wanted changes in procurement. Existing concepts and tools to tackle this issue, still have a limited effect on the implementation of sustainable public procurement. Therefore, the Dutch government proposed buyer groups as a means to harmonise the market demand of public clients, aimed to tackle the existing problems of sustainable procurement. These pilot buyer groups are a relatively new phenomenon in the public pre-procurement process. Purpose: This study is aimed to create insight into how (semi-) public clients can successfully establish or join a suitable buyer group, and how they can successfully cooperate and harmonise demand within buyer groups. Research question: How can (semi-) public clients successfully implement buyer groups in the pre-procurement process of construction projects, to minimise carbon emissions and maximise circularity? Methodology: A dual-method approach is implemented. Firstly, a literature review is conducted to examine relevant existing knowledge related to buyer groups, focusing on aspects of cooperation, legal relationships and legal restrictions. Secondly, case studies are conducted to capture the experience created by pilot buyer groups, focussed on formation, participants, organisational structure, demand harmonisation processes, impact and legal aspects. These case studies are input for a cross-case analysis, which is subsequently used to formulate best practices for buyer cooperation. Outcomes: This research facilitates public clients with two main outcomes. Firstly, clients wishing to join or establish a suitable buyer cooperation, are supported by an overview of existing literature on this topic. Many different forms of buyer cooperation exist, each with different purposes, considerations and limitations. An overview of these forms is briefly visualised into a decision tree. Secondly, clients already participating in a buyer group are supported with best-practices from case studies. These best-practices provide findings and recommendations regarding buyer group cooperation and the demand harmonisation process. Limitations: This research specifically focussing on buyer groups in the pre-procurement process of Dutch (semi-) public clients, that aim to reduce carbon emissions and increase the circularity of construction projects. This research is thus not directly applicable to clients with different context or different characteristics, or to buyer groups in other industries and sectors. Furthermore, this research excludes substantive considerations on actual procurement processes, the content of contracts, theory on circularity or carbon emission reduction, theory on conducting market consultations, the perspective of suppliers and the process of steering innovation. 

Any industry is focusing on creating an environment that is as safe as possible for everyone that is involved. This is no different for the construction industry. However, the construction industry is placed second in the ranking of most dangerous industries. The Dutch Safety Board, being an independent administrative body, has recommended to integrate a third party into the contractual general terms and conditions such as the UAC for integrated contracts. The objective of this research is to examine whether there is any potential to integrate a third party into the UAC-IC 2005 contract. This potential is being examined using a comparison between the UAC-IC 2005 and FIDIC Yellow Book 1999, a contract in which a third party is already present. In this comparison, the main focus points are the "vital tasks & responsibilities" that are necessary in order to safeguard safety on site, safety of the surrounding area & structural safety. This thesis has found that the three types of safety can be improved if the vital tasks & responsibilities are properly performed. These tasks & responsibilities mainly relate to the management of project specific and safety related risks, and to the safety approach that is a result of this risk management system. From a theoretical point of view, the UAC-IC 2005 and the Dutch Building Decree are able to facilitate these vital tasks & responsibilities. The ON is responsible for most of the vital tasks & responsibilities, and the OG has the possibility to use an external control mechanism to verify this. The practical situation is however different. It is not uncommon that other aspects like time, or money can get more important for the contracting party than proper risk management processes and the corresponding safety approach. Work is not executed as intended, but rather as work-as-actually-done. The OG’s incentives in the UAC-IC can be insufficient for him to effectively perform this external control mechanism. This leads to a possible situation in which no internal nor external control mechanism is present, which is to the detriment of safety. The Engineer, being the party that is responsible for an external independent control mechanism in the Yellow Book’s quality assurance system, does have more incentives to actually make him perform this external independent control mechanism effectively. This incentive has its origin in the uncapped liability which the Engineer can be held liable for. If the Dutch version of the role of the Engineer would be integrated into the UAC-IC, he would be able to improve the three types of safety when he takes over the responsibility for the external control mechanism from the OG under the assumption that this external control mechanism will be performed more effectively. This assumption is valid if the Dutch Engineer would have a comparable liability as in the White Book. Since TNR 2011 would most likely be used in the Dutch construction industry, the liability in TNR 2011 must be increased for Dutch Engineers in order to be comparable to FIDIC’s White Book.

A circular economy has gained attention as a potential solution to the tension between the increasing demand for and the limited supply of materials. The construction industry consumes a great amount of global resources and generates a great amount of waste, and can contribute to the shift towards a circular economy by means of a more circular building stock. In theory, modular building can contribute to a circular building stock, by securing the future utility of the stock. Multi-configuration modular building allows for adjustment and relocation of the building and deconstruction and reuse of its piece parts. Based on a collective cases study of five suppliers of modular building, the degree to which modular building can contribute to a circular economy depend on the reason for, the interpretation of and the operationalisation of modular building.

The circular economy is a muchdiscussed topic. In recent years it became clear that scarcity of resources, pollution and landfill will make circularity inevitable in the near future.To achieve this major changes should be made in the built environment and the building sector, as the built environment is currently mostly organized in a linear way. This report describes the steps that need to be taken to reach a circular economy, and identifies the main challenges. It is possible to start building more circular already at this moment, but full circularity cannot be guaranteed until the whole market behaves circular. Contracts can play a role to guide the market in this direction by incorporating take or buy back guarantees and maintenance components to create incentives for circularity. Lease or integrated contracts might be the best options to achieve this, but in general all contracts can be used to achieve the first steps to circularity.

With the expansion of infrastructure projects in the Netherlands in terms of size and complexity, government bodies are increasingly inclined towards adopting a programmatic approach for managing multiple projects. This approach incorporates innovations to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in achieving program objectives. However, the development and implementation of innovations within these infrastructure programmes encounter various challenges, leading to not optimum utilization of innovations. One significant challenge stem from the limited practical experience in utilizing the programmatic approach, resulting in a limited understanding of both the programme's context and innovation process in multi-projects. Consequently, innovations tend to be developed and implemented using a project-based approach, which poses issues. Project-based approaches are inherently rigid and time-bound, while innovations necessitate time and flexibility. Furthermore, the discontinuous nature of projects impedes the effective utilization of the progressive learning curve essential for innovation development. This project-based approach creates an ongoing dilemma for suppliers, who face high risks and a lack of incentives to innovate, despite their pivotal role. To bridge the gap between understanding and implementing innovations within infrastructure programme, this research aims to address the issue of ineffective innovation utilization in multi-project settings based on suppliers’ perspective. The research approach involves conducting three case studies where innovations are developed and implemented in multi-projects as part of infrastructure programmes. 11 suppliers, including engineering companies and contractors, were interviewed to identify the elements of innovation in multi-projects, including barriers and enablers. The study reveals seven specific barriers and five enablers related to innovation in multi-projects within infrastructure programs. Notably, it highlights the previously overlooked challenges related to time in innovation, arising from prolonged processes and programme durations. The primary innovation challenge in multi-projects revolves around technical challenge, tied to iterative processes and uncertainty management, irrespective of the type of innovation. These challenges, inherent to innovation, emphasize the need to strike a balance where time supports rather than impedes innovation. The study also confirms known barriers and enablers from project literature. With the choice of a suitable contract form, such as framework or alliance contracts, emerges as a significant enabler. However, contracts can become barriers when they lack risk-sharing mechanisms and still promoting competition, hindering knowledge exchange with external parties. Client-related barriers include the client’s organization size/structure and clients’ inflexible demands. Additionally, the study identifies drivers, inputs, preconditions, outputs, and outcomes of innovations in multi-projects. Preconditions unique to multi-projects include strong organizational leadership, vision, commitment to innovations, financial capabilities, and the selection of an appropriate contract form. Beyond the typical inputs, suppliers stress the importance of certainty regarding the volume of work or the number of projects within multi-projects. Based on research findings, a solutions framework was developed to facilitate the implementation of innovations in multi-projects. It consists of practical action plans and innovation boundaries designed to address barriers to innovation in multi-projects. Suppliers and public client organizations are recommended to use the Innov-Infra framework during project/program initiation (Part I) and project/program implementation (Part II), led by a designated person within the organization involved in multi-project innovations. Future research should explore public clients' perspectives in similar research across various programme types and sectors, employing qualitative research methods to delve deeper into procurement for innovations and the bundling of supply and demand in contracts.

In recent years, the concept of sustainability has grown in popularity and has become a critical strategic component for businesses (Garza, 2013). Corporate organizations, as the industry's productive drivers, play a crucial role in attaining sustainable development. Thus, the problems have shifted from "WHY" to "HOW" to integrate sustainability into management decisions at all organizational levels (Epstein & Buhovac, 2014). Corporate entities, such as EPC contractors, tend to realize their strategic goals and produce value for their shareholders through projects. However, for sustainability to be evident in all organizational practices, these methods must be well adapted at the operational level. Organizations are increasingly struggling to translate their strategic goals into project-specific activities (Marcelino-Sádaba et al., 2015; Engert & Baumgartner, 2015). In practice, there is a significant gap between strategy formulation and project implementation (Økland, 2015). The problem addressed by this study is the gap between the formulation of strategic level objectives and its implementation at the operational level. According to researchers, integrated ways to putting sustainability into action are inadequate, and there is no systematic approach to effectively incorporating sustainability into projects (Silvius et al., 2012; Sabini et al., 2019; Epstein & Buhovac, 2014). As a result, sustainability goals often remain confined at the strategic level. The purpose of this research is to provide solutions to the EPC contractor to overcome the barriers to enhance the integration of sustainability in projects and bridge the implementation gap. The results will provide a structured approach in connecting high-level sustainability objectives to more concrete and tangible solutions for the project. This research is an attempt to respond to the lack of empirical studies on the implementation of organizational sustainability strategies and helps reveals how organizations can move towards translating strategy into action and overcome the barriers to sustainability implementation. To achieve this objective, the research is divided into three main phases. In phase one, literature review and document review was conducted. Through literature review five elements essential for implementing sustainability strategies were identified i.e., organizational decision-making, lifecycle thinking, balancing the triple bottom line, stakeholder engagement, and proactive approach. Through document review the gap between strategic and operational level was highlighted. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with people in the top management and project managers to identify the barriers to sustainability implementation resulting in the gap between strategic and operational level. In total 20 barriers were identified. The interviews also included understanding the application of elements identified from literature review in practice. The third and the final phase, synthesised all the findings from phase one and two, and proposed solution to the EPC company to integrate sustainability in projects. This was done by providing mitigating actions to overcome the identified barriers and proposing a framework to translate strategy into action, thus bridging the implementation gap. Using the suggested framework to make the strategy explicit has the following benefits: it encourages communication and strategy execution, allows for strategy discussion within the organization, and tracks progress toward long-term goals to determine whether the strategy is clear or needs improvement.

In the upcoming years in the Netherlands, the Dutch government will be focusing on renovating infrastructure assets. Moreover, a shift from organizing each project individually to a more program-oriented approach has been observed in renovating infrastructure, whereby synergy a prominent feature is. In addition, it is becoming increasingly apparent that non-functional goals that focus on adding value (secondary goals) are outlined for construction programs besides functional goals. However, minor studies have been conducted to examine how achieving diverse program goals can be controlled and how a synergy can be optimally utilized in infrastructure renovation programs (IRP). The method used to improve utilizing this full potential is twofold, it consists of a literature study followed by empirical research, which consists of conducting three case studies and their synthesis. The proposed solution to gain control over both the primary and secondary goals of IRP is to shift the focus of control on performance this in turn would take control of the process. Regarding obtaining interpretable information, careful and constant attention to the connection between which content is essential and how this is acquired is critical. Considering the program organization, firstly, stimulating a collaborative working environment when executing tasks and creating awareness of the beneficial collective program management approach is essential. Secondly, implementing a change management procedure has been suggested. Lastly, the program management team should prioritize what needs to be coordinated on program level and what should be organized for all projects individually. The empirical research performed has generated in new synergy benefits that have not been described in scientific literature previously. Those new synergies found are the opportunity of empowering political urgency, removing obstacles that are in the way of performing research, decision-making based upon broad knowledge and a comprehensive overview of risks. To utilize all forms of synergy, the equilibrium between making the program manageable and utilizing synergy should be found by a combination of working in departments on tasks and practicing an integral way of working. To utilize the advantages of conducting research collectively, the focus should be directed upon the developments of the application-oriented innovation by associating the innovation directly to the program goals and involve knowledge institutions in the process. In order to utilize the program’s potential, it is recommended to program managers to notice and understand the forms of synergy accessible. Also, it is recommended for program managers to be aware of the tension between project and program management. Besides, a recommendation to program managers is to focus on the attitude of the program team towards the collective program approach. Furthermore, it is recommended that program managers reflect on their program to find out what barriers occur in their problem. Hence, the program manager can use this research to concretize actions on how to achieve improvements of their program. In addition, enabling the power of the iterative process is recommended. Lastly, structuring the improvements in the light of the program management cycle gives footing.

The notion of bricolage has become an important point of view and enabling approach to the project in which the focus is placed on building a deep understanding and knowledge to develop greater sensitivity towards the existing – existing in terms of both the physical realm around us but also the people themselves that bring the animate into the built environment. The project site, where currently the shopping mall of Molenpoort in the city of Nijmegen, has a long history of transformations with different buildings emerging over the centuries and tangible traces of events embedded in the materiality of the surroundings. Together they compose an urban collage with distinctive fragments and historic layers. The resulting mixture of functions that usually do not appear in close relation: the church of Petrus Canisiuskerk, the shopping mall with the parking roof, the coffee shop street, and the surrounding housing, offered a great set of tools for us as architects bricoleurs. Therefore, accepting the existing collage in Molenpoort has led to a concept of the interweaving of the shopping mall, the church, the new intervention, and fragments of the surroundings into a complex urban entity so as to create a civic centre for the diverse subcultures present in Nijmegen. As a result, the project is symbolized by a circular path that ties together the different typologies, functions, and users and provides a full circular walk around. It is, as well, a gradual walk through the history and the present day of the site that gives the possibility to experience at close hand the bricolaged fragments. The selected program is questioning the role of the church and the shopping mall as truly social spaces in today’s society by introducing primary social activities. Such primary activities will happen in a dinning room, a community centre, a student housing, a learning centre, and a stage, all with the aim to stimulate social interaction between people with different backgrounds, social status, or religion. The project, that stems from a careful observation and appreciation of the context of Nijmegen – in terms of not only its urban collage with the available at hand materials but also of its colourful palette of inhabitants, aims at creating an architectural intervention in which the existing people of the city and the existing material structures could come together in order to generate a new public ground for the bricolage of society.