Christiane Wolfaart is currently studying for a Master’s in Supply Chain Management in Rotterdam, having previously completed a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Marketing at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM). Sustainability runs as a common thread throughout her academic journey: for her first Master’s thesis, she conducted research into cultivated meat.
Christiane was made aware of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Thesis Lab, where students write their thesis based on a real-life challenge. One case immediately stood out to her. Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) was looking for a student to investigate how sustainability criteria could be integrated into the procurement process for medicines. This project was facilitated by the Green Healthcare community of the Leiden–Delft–Erasmus Centre for Sustainability. It was a challenge positioned exactly at the intersection of sustainability, healthcare and supply chain management.
In this blog, Christiane shares her experience and explains how she developed both personally and professionally by taking part in the LDE Thesis Lab. An experience that even took her to Malmö, where she was able to present her thesis results at an international healthcare conference.
Research into the sustainable procurement of medicines
For her thesis, Christiane explored how sustainability can be structurally embedded in the procurement process for medicines. She conducted this research for iZAAZ, the joint procurement organisation for medicines of all Dutch university medical centres, where sustainability criteria were included in a tender for the first time as part of a pilot.
“I started working on improving the questionnaire for procurement officers. In concrete terms, this means that when responding to a tender, suppliers are not only required to provide price and quality information, but also to complete an extensive sustainability questionnaire. This covers topics such as environmental certification, wastewater treatment and the origin of active pharmaceutical ingredients. It also asks where medicines are produced and packaged, as these steps often take place in different countries,” Christiane explains.
To understand how this new process worked in practice, Christiane conducted interviews with both suppliers and procurement officers. On the supplier side, she was particularly interested in their experiences. “What was it like to complete all these questions? What do you generally do in terms of sustainability and was there information that wasn’t requested but that you could have shared?”
On the procurement side, the focus was instead on how all this information is assessed. “We now have all the information, but how do we turn that into an objective assessment rather than a subjective one?” Christiane explains. The practical side also played a major role. Because many tenders for medicines run throughout the year within hospital procurement, the process is very labour-intensive. “So, the question was: how can we incorporate this as efficiently as possible, and can we automate part of it?”
By speaking to both sides of the supply chain, Christiane gained a complete picture of the process. This enabled her to formulate concrete improvement points for a more sustainable and efficient procurement process.
What is needed to make the pharmaceutical supply chain more sustainable
From her research, Christiane identified three key points that she believes are crucial for making the pharmaceutical supply chain more sustainable.
First and foremost, this is collaboration. “For a pharmaceutical supply chain, there really needs to be a chain-wide approach. Working in silos simply doesn’t work. The chain consists of many different stakeholders, from manufacturers and distributors to procurement groups and health insurers, all of whom influence sustainable choices.”
For a pharmaceutical supply chain, there really needs to be a chain-wide approach. Working in silos simply doesn’t work.
Closely linked to this, transparency is indispensable in her view. “If you want to make things more sustainable, you need to know what is happening in the supply chain. By working together more closely, greater trust is created, it becomes clear where the hotspots are, where the largest emissions occur and where opportunities for improvement lie.”
Finally, Christiane emphasises that sustainability is not a simple puzzle. “The pharmaceutical industry is complex.” Especially in the generics market, there is limited room to invest. “There is a lot of price competition, which means profit margins are very small.” Sustainability therefore requires a long-term perspective, with the awareness that not everything can change overnight.
From thesis to international stage
“An unexpected and special outcome of my participation in the Thesis Lab was the invitation to present my research internationally.” Christiane was approached by Elisa Frenz, CEO of Health Proc Europe, after her university coach had forwarded her work. “It was really exciting to receive that message.”
An unexpected and special outcome of my participation in the Thesis Lab was the invitation to present my research internationally.
Last November, she was able to present her thesis results during a workshop in Malmö, as a side event of the 7th Nordic Conference on Sustainable Healthcare, organised by the Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare. The workshop focused on the sustainable procurement of medicines and brought together stakeholders from thirteen different countries. “It was about how we can scale this up more broadly across Europe. After all, suppliers operate in many different countries and the Netherlands is only a small part of the bigger picture. It was very interesting to hear how all the different countries are approaching this challenge.” In addition, Christiane had the opportunity to attend presentations by leading companies in the sector.
Surprising insights from the research
During her research, Christiane was particularly struck by how complex collaboration within the healthcare supply chain is. All links in the chain are interconnected and share the ambition to become more sustainable, but in practice this is not always straightforward. “Everyone agrees that things need to improve and become more sustainable. At the same time, financial considerations play a major role in decision-making, which can make sustainable choices difficult to implement.”
She also observed a clear sense of uncertainty among procurement officers. The willingness to procure more sustainably is there, but there is uncertainty about how best to approach this and what the consequences will be. “When we pay more for this, healthcare costs will also increase.”
What Christiane did not anticipate was how significant the role of communication would be. “A lot of people want to do better, but don’t yet know exactly how. Better coordination and collaboration can help move sustainability forward step by step within healthcare.”
Her message to healthcare organisations
If Christiane could give one message to healthcare organisations that want to start with sustainable procurement, it would be this: just do it. “Sometimes a lot of time is spent thinking and discussing how best to approach this, but the first time you do something, it will never be perfect. It is always a learning process. You get a little better each time.”
She also stresses the importance of learning together and sharing knowledge. “Above all, talk to each other, because that’s how you learn together.” In this context, she refers to a term she often heard during the Thesis Lab: ‘proudly copied’. “If something works well elsewhere, take it, try it and adapt it to fit your own situation.” Sustainability is not a competitive issue. We must do it together.
Why you should take part in an LDE Thesis Lab
During the Thesis Lab, Christiane discovered how broad the opportunities within healthcare are for someone with a background in supply chain management. “I discovered a whole new industry, and that genuinely excited me. Where I previously thought healthcare was mainly accessible to students with a pharmaceutical or (bio)medical background, I realised that supply chain management also plays a major role in the healthcare sector.”
I discovered a whole new industry, and that genuinely excited me.
The Thesis Lab also helped her think more clearly about her future. Through conversations with organisations in the pharmaceutical sector, she gained a better understanding of career opportunities. This suddenly made the step towards healthcare feel much more accessible to her.
In addition, Christiane highlights the added value of working within a Thesis Lab group. “The students in the group come from different study programmes and work on a wide range of sustainability themes, but when writing your thesis, you often run into the same challenges. It provides an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and reflect together. On top of that, you go on lots of excursions, which also makes it fun. Without a doubt, I would recommend every student to take part in a Thesis Lab.”
It provides an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and reflect together. On top of that, you go on lots of excursions, which also makes it fun.
You can really spar with each other. Plus, you go on lots of field trips, which makes it fun too.
LDE Thesis Labs 2026 kick off
This month, a new group of 95 students has started the LDE Thesis Labs 2026. Curious about their journey and results? Keep an eye on the website and LinkedIn page for updates. Are you a master’s student interested in taking part in a Thesis Lab? Then be sure to follow these pages as well.
Text: Sifra Hordijk
