Bas van Abel
Bas van Abel (born August 18, 1977, in Nijmegen, Netherlands) is a Dutch designer, electrical engineer, and social entrepreneur. He is best known as the founder of Fairphone, a social enterprise dedicated to creating sustainable and ethically produced smartphones.
Bas van Abel
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- Name
- Bas van Abel
- Born
- 18 August 1977
- Birthplace
- Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Occupation
- Social entrepreneur, designer, electrical engineer
- Known for
- Founding Fairphone
- Nationality
- Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Honours
- German Environmental Prize · Global Economy Prize
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Bas van Abel (born August 18, 1977, in Nijmegen, Netherlands) is a Dutch designer, electrical engineer, and social entrepreneur. He is best known as the founder of Fairphone, a social enterprise dedicated to creating sustainable and ethically produced smartphones.
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Bas van Abel (born 1977) is a Dutch designer, electrical engineer and entrepreneur. The designer was born in Nijmegen.
Works include Fairphone smartphones. Bas van Abel received German Environmental Prize and Global Economy Prize.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Bas van Abel • Born — 18 August 1977 • Birthplace — Nijmegen, Netherlands • Occupation — Social entrepreneur, designer, electrical engineer • Known for — Founding Fairphone • Notable Works — Open Design Now: Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive
Early life and education
Early life and education
Abel studied Interaction Design at the Utrecht School of the Arts and pursued a parallel degree in Electrical Engineering and Programming at Delft University of Technology. His multidisciplinary education provided him with the skills to merge technology, design, and social impact.
Career
Career
Abel began his career at the Waag Society in Amsterdam, a nonprofit organization focused on the intersection of art, technology, and electronic media. His work there emphasized sustainability and fair trade in consumer electronics, which eventually inspired the creation of Fairphone. In 2013, Abel founded Fairphone, a company that produces modular smartphones designed for longevity, repairability, and ethical sourcing of materials. Fairphone addresses issues such as conflict minerals, labor conditions, and electronic waste. Under his leadership, the company gained recognition for its innovative approach to sustainable technology and became a certified B Corporation. Abel stepped down as CEO of Fairphone in 2018 to focus on the company's strategic direction as a member of its supervisory board. His successor, Eva Gouwens, continued to build on his vision for ethical electronics.
Achievements and impact
Achievements and impact
Abel's work with Fairphone has had a profound impact on the electronics industry, challenging traditional practices and promoting transparency, sustainability, and ethical consumption. The company's modular design philosophy has influenced the broader conversation around the right to repair and the environmental impact of consumer electronics. Abel has received numerous awards for his contributions, including: • The Momentum for Change Award from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015. • The German Environmental Prize in 2016. • Schwab Foundation's Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2018 for his contributions to ethical and sustainable technology. • The Global Economy Prize in 2018 from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Identity
Identity
Bas van Abel is recorded as designer, entrepreneur and electrical engineer.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1977
Bas van Abel born at Nijmegen.
Publications
Abel has contributed to the discourse on open design and sustainability through his publications. Notable works include: • Open Design Now: Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive (2011), co-authored with Lucas Evers, Roel Klaassen, and edited by Peter Troxler. This book explores the democratization of design and its potential for social impact. • Contributions to academic and industry discussions on sustainable technology, including case studies such as Fairphone: Organising for Sustained Social Impact.
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Ashoka. Ashoka Fellow: Bas van Abel.
- 2.World Economic Forum. Meet the Leader Podcast: Bas van Abel.
- 3.Schuetze, Christopher F. Fairphone Aims to Produce Conflict-Free Phones. The New York Times. 2 June 2014.
- 4.Fairphone mise sur ses smartphones durables pour se démarquer. Le Monde.
- 5.Iværksætter fortsætter rejsen mod fair telefon. Børsen.
- 6.Impact Report - A challenge to the electronics industry. Fairphone.
- 7.Fairphone: Designer entwickeln ein Fair-Trade-Handy. Der Spiegel.
- 8.Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Global Economy Prize 2018: Bas van Abel.
- 9.Deutsche Welle. Fairphone creator success is a signal to industry.
- 10.Fabguru. Open Design Now: Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive.
- 11.Akemu, Ona. Fairphone: Organising for Sustained Social Impact. Erasmus University Rotterdam. 4 May 2016.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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