Luuk van der Wielen

Prof.dr.ir. Luuk A.M. van der Wielen (Amsterdam, 16-06-1964) 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 Full Professor at the Department of Biotechnology at the Delft University of Technology, 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 the director of B-BASIC (2004-2010), the private-public consortium for Biobased Sustainable Industrial Chemistry, which is a focused program within the Netherlands Research Council (NWO-ACTS). B-BASIC executed a 50 M€ research and training program in the field of industrial biotechnology, via a consortium of academia and industries.

He initiated its international sequel BE-Basic in 2009 with an R&D budget exceeding 120 M€ and an associated multi purpose, open innovation pilot facility at the same scale. In 2011, he initiated the Oil Palm Biomass Consortium in Malaysia (OPBC), stimulating innovation, economic growth and ecological benefits with the Malaysian palm sector and international chemicals /energy industries.

In 2007, he joined (part-time) Royal Dutch Shell as Principal Scientist Biotechnology. He was Visiting Professor at the Univ. San Carlos, Cebu City, the Philippines until 2008; and 2009-‘11 at University of Technology Malaysia, Johor-Kuala Lumpur.

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 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 and Taskforce Bioenergy Systems (European Federation for Biotechnology).

He is a member of the 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.

Luuk van der Wielen is married, has 3 children and has an active and passive interest in jazz music.