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Meet the Dockers: Robert de Jong
Robert de Jong brings over 20 years of experience leading sustainability programmes in urban regeneration to his role as Director of the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS) at University of East London (UEL), Docklands Campus.
In this Meet the Dockers interview, Robert shares his journey and highlights how the RDCS serves as a dynamic hub for innovation, skills development, and community engagement featuring events like Discovery Day, part of the Royal Docks Originals, a free arts festival running until 4 October 2025.
Tell us about yourself and your connections to the Royal Docks
I’m passionate about driving sustainability awareness and engagement across communities and businesses. I came to the Royal Docks just over two years ago to join UEL to help develop innovation, skills, and entrepreneurship hub at the Docklands Campus. UEL has a wide range of sustainability expertise, and my role is super exciting as it allows me to work closely with local businesses, community groups, councils, researchers, and industry partners across East London and beyond. Together, we’re creating sustainable skills pathways, developing collaboration for innovative sustainability solutions and delivering inclusive programmes that make a real difference locally.
Tell us about the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability
The RDCS is a regional hub for innovation, skills, and enterprise, supporting a greener, more resilient future for businesses, students, and residents in the Royal Docks. It nurtures a culture of sustainability while championing underrepresented groups and connecting the University of East London with the local community and beyond.
RDCS provides affordable workspace and specialist facilities like VR, engineering, and prototyping labs for local people, businesses, and UEL students and graduates. It offers free clinics on business development, legal advice, and digital marketing, alongside programmes like business incubators and accelerators to help grow local enterprises and skills.
Open weekdays with additional events throughout the year, RDCS drives sustainability through green skills training, environmental research on low-carbon materials such as Sugarcrete® and inclusive initiatives like Dialogue Café, supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing employment. Also, through its regular community-focused festivals including the Sustainable Cities Festival and Creative Industries Festival celebrate innovation and creativity across East London.
Tell us about Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability: Discovery Day?
Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability: Discovery Day takes place on Friday 3 October, 10am to 6pm. The offers visitors the chance to gain hands-on experience of sustainable innovation plus meet researchers and students. This is a free event, and everyone is welcome.
For schools, from 10am to 12pm, there will be guided tours of the RDCS building, interactive workshops exploring innovation and sustainability, and activities aimed at inspiring young minds to help shape a greener future.
For local businesses, in the morning, there will be a Grow London Local coffee morning, a guided tour of Terra Dock, a collaborative business support and growth hub based at UEL's Docklands Campus and opportunities to connect, collaborate, and innovate with peers.
For families and the community, from 3pm to 6pm, the event features Bluetopia, immersive VR experiences exploring climate, hands-on activities with the building materials of tomorrow, climate-positive crafts to create and connect through, and an evening of innovation, creativity, and light refreshments.
Being part of Royal Docks Originals represents an opportunity for the RDCS to showcase how the Royal Docks is a hot bed of innovation and the important role UEL plays in driving sustainability, collaboration, skills pathways and wide impacts across our local community and the world.
How does hands-on learning engage the local community in sustainability and raise awareness about climate change?
Hands-on learning engages the local community in sustainability by showcasing UEL's efforts to create a green, inclusive society. Discovery Day opens doors to UEL’s impactful programs and support for businesses, skills, and community building. It also highlights the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability as a local hub for connection. Climate change and sustainability can be hard to relate to, but Discovery Day offers visitors the chance to engage with hands-on experiences, explore research, and connect with those shaping a sustainable future across East London and beyond.
How do you feel about the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability: Discovery Day being part of Royal Docks Originals?
The RDCS’s mission is to support collaboration and co-creation that leads to direct impacts across the Royal Docks, East London and beyond. Being part of Royal Docks Originals represents an opportunity for the RDCS to showcase how the Royal Docks is a hot bed of innovation and the important role UEL plays in driving sustainability, collaboration, skills pathways and wide impacts across our local community and the world.
What makes Royal Docks Originals special, and what lasting impact do you hope the festival will have?
The Royal Docks is London’s largest regeneration area, offering a unique opportunity to build sustainable, thriving cities that work for everyone and the planet. The Royal Docks Originals festival aims to create lasting connections between the community, industry, and the wider world—shaping a more inclusive city and inspiring what’s possible for sustainable cities everywhere.
What are you most excited about at Royal Docks Originals besides the Discovery Day?
That’s a tough one as all the programme activities sound amazing but if I had to choose a favourite, I would pick the Compressor House Warming: River of Hope film.
Find out more
Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability: Discovery Day
The Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability: Discovery Day is a free, open-to-all event taking place Friday 3 October, 10am - 6pm. The event is part of the Royal Docks Originals, a free arts festival running until 4 October 2025. For more information about the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability: Discovery Day visit - www.royaldocks.london/whats-on... Docks Centre for Sustainability
The Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS) is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. For more about RDCS, visit: www.uel.ac.uk/partners/royal-docks-centre-sustainability
Dialogue Café
RDCS is also home to Dialogue Café, an immersive space where you can interact with Deaf and hard of hearing baristas using British Sign Language. To learn more about Dialogue Café, visit: www.dialoguehub.co.uk/dialogue-cafe
