Wageningen experts join new innovation academy

Buisman, Hemming, Wijffels and other leading experts were appointed in the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague on Monday, 13 November. A total of 62 fellows are affiliated with the NAE. Each of these fellows is a renowned expert from knowledge institutes and businesses active in various sectors, including energy, ICT and health care. They will transfer their knowledge within the NAE, serve as advisors and stimulate innovative initiatives.

Wageningen NAE-experts

Cees Buisman is a professor of circular technology at WUR and director of Wetsus, a research institute for water technology. Buisman developed environmental technology to purify waste streams. In 2018, he wrote the essay “Humanity is not a Plague”, in which he suggests solutions for global issues such as the scarcity of freshwater.

Researcher of horticulture technology Silke Hemming is an expert in greenhouse systems. Among other things, she works on designing sustainable greenhouses for different climate zones and artificial intelligence in greenhouse management systems. Hemming considers her appointment as an NAE fellow a ‘valuable opportunity to contribute to engineering at a national and international level.’

As a Bioprocess Engineering professor, René Wijffels focuses on the biobased economy. He contributes to AlgaeParc, an extensive research programme on the use of algae as a source of animal feed and biofuels. Within this innovative programme, Wijffels aims to bridge the gap between basic research and commercial application of algae products.

To inspire

The fellows were officially appointed in the presence of outgoing Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf on 13 November. In a video address delivered on behalf of the 4TU Federation, Arthur Mol, rector magnificus of Wageningen University, stated that the NAE figureheads could inspire young people to opt for a technical education.