About

A systemic approach to sustainability.

OUR MISSION

Metabolic’s overarching mission is to transition the global economy to a fundamentally sustainable state.

A new economic model is necessary: one that ensures the wellbeing of all people and allows organizations to thrive without transgressing the safe boundaries of the earth’s natural systems.  And we don’t have much time. Metabolic advises governments, businesses, and NGOs on how to adapt to a fast-changing global context, while creating disruptive solutions that can dramatically shift how the economy functions. We crunch data, provide strategies and tools, build pilots, and create new ventures that develop scalable solutions to critical problems. Core to achieving our mission is the transition to an economy that is regenerative and ‘circular’ by design.

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A SYSTEMS APPROACH, GROUNDED IN DATA SCIENCE

We map and understand local and global systems to assess where we can intervene to have the biggest impact.

Data science helps us uncover granular information about impacts, risks, and opportunities, while our systems approach provides a holistic lens through which to understand how specific challenges are interrelated. Combining these approaches enables us to find critical intervention points and guide efforts towards the most effective outcomes.

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THE METABOLIC PHILOSOPHY

We come from all over the globe with a range of backgrounds and perspectives, but when it comes to changing the world there are some things we all agree on.

THINK IN SYSTEMS

Solving our biggest challenges requires always addressing them as a holistic system. By focusing on these systems, and the leverage points within them, we can ensure we affect the most impactful changes.

DO EPIC SHIT

The world needs big ideas and organizations who have the courage to follow through on making them a reality. Setting ambitious goals, engaging in pioneering projects, and expecting a lot from ourselves defines who we are.

JOIN FORCES

The challenges we all face cannot be solved alone. We work together with other organizations to maximize impact. We also ensure that our work is accessible and easy to build upon by supporting the open source community.

MAKE IT FLY

Ideas are only as good as the actions they lead to. We make sure our work is practical and scalable, paying close attention to users, stakeholders, and contexts, so things can really take off.

EMPOWER OTHERS

We believe everyone has the potential to achieve great things. We invest in individual development and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in us all. And where we see others doing amazing things, we help them to succeed.

OUR STORY

Founded in 2012, Metabolic is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. A few highlights from the archives tell a little about our early history and how the Metabolic ecosystem has evolved over the years.

Eva Gladek_Metabolic Founder
June 2012

Metabolic founded in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

In 2012, Eva Gladek founded an organization that she believed could tackle some of the most urgent and critical sustainability challenges facing society. An industrial ecologist by training, Eva’s work focused on what we can learn from natural systems, and the power of viewing cities, companies, and sectors through a ‘Metabolic’ lens. 

June 2012
Cleantech Playground_Development
September 2012

Taking action: The Cleantech Playground 

Core to Metabolic’s mission was an urge to push the boundaries of conventional consulting and start turning ideas, concepts, and dust-gathering reports into real, functioning models. With this, we began our first iconic project – The Cleantech Playground – a blueprint for new urban development in two locations in Amsterdam North: a former shipyard turned office park called De Ceuvel, and a floating residential development named Schoonschip. (Render: space&matter).

September 2012
Amsterdam-2-e1495543803777
January 2013

Setting up Metabolic HQ in Amsterdam

As the Metabolic team grew and more ambitious projects hit the launchpad, the team decided to move Metabolic HQ to Amsterdam – a global frontrunner on sustainability and the circular economy. 

January 2013
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TEAM

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JOIN OUR TEAM

We are a diverse group of data scientists, engineers, biologists, designers, systems scientists, and economists – and although we work on some pretty serious issues, we have a lot of fun doing it! Headquartered in Amsterdam, we have an international team that’s passionate about changing the way the economy functions. Find our open positions below.

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