Previous Fora / 2013
VAN DER WIELEN, Luuk
Distinguished Professor for Biobased Economy, TU Delft
Luuk van der Wielen holds a MSc degree in
Chemical Engineering from Twente University (Netherlands), and a PhD degree
(with honours) from Delft University of Technology. Currently, he is
Distinguished Professor for Biobased Economy of Delft University of Technology
and Full Professor at it’s Department of Biotechnology, Delft, the Netherlands where he heads the
Bioseparations Section effectively since 1998. The activities of the section
were ranked as excellent by consecutive national research evaluations by the
VSNU (Society of Dutch Universities), and have resulted in several spin-off
companies. His research interests include thermodynamics for bioprocesses, a
range of bioseparation/-conversion technologies, multifunctional bioreactors
and miniaturized (‘on-chip’), computational, high-throughput technology for
rapid process development, as well as analysis and development of large scale
and distributed, low carbon biorenewables production systems, and their
societal impacts.
He is since 2004 director of BE-Basic,
the globally operating private-public research organisation for Biobased
Sustainable Industrial Chemistry & Energy. In 2011, he developed the Oil Palm Biomass Center in
Malaysia stimulating innovation, economic growth and ecological benefits with
the Malaysian palm sector and international chemicals /energy industries. In
2012, he coordinated the Netherlands’ Bioenergy and Biochemicals Innovation
plan under the new Dutch Topsector Policy, and was appointed in the 1st Board
of Directors of Foundation TKI-BBE, to execute the national Innovation Contract
BBE. In 2007, he joined (part-time) Royal Dutch Shell as Principal Scientist
Biotechnology. He was/is Visiting Professor at the Univ. San Carlos, Cebu City,
the Philippines until 2008; and 2009-‘13 at Univ. of Technology Malaysia,
JB/KL.
Luuk van der Wielen is member of editorial and advisory boards of several
leading international scientific journals, and chaired several scientific conferences
(a.o. ESBES4, BPP2005, RRB4). He is/was a member or chair of several national
and European committees, such as national coordinator Bioenergy and
Biochemicals RD&I programming in The Netherlands Topsector Policy
(2011-12), the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Separation Technology Institute,
of the governmental Platform Renewable Feedstocks, Sustainable Energy Cie of
the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW), Steering Group of the EU
Technology Platform Suschem/ Industrial Biotechnology, Advisory Committee
BIO4EU (European Commission), Steering Committee BBE (Min LNV) and BioPort of
Rotterdam, Taskforce Bioenergy Systems (European Federation for Biotechnology),
Advisory Board US-EU Taskforce on Biotechnology Research, Advisory Board of KP Sinha
Bioenergy Center at IIT Kharagpur (India), Global Biorenewables Research Society, Advisory Board of CLIB2021 (Germany), Oversight
Board of the Global Sustainable Bioenergy Project, as well as advisor to several European and
international industries. He is one of the initiators of the successful
academic program on Life Science
& Technology of Leiden University and
TU Delft, and director of the postgraduate program Bioprocess Design.