M (Mireille) van Hilten, MSc

Mireille van Hilten is a Senior Strategic Project Manager and Resilience Coach at Wageningen Social & Economic Research, part of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). With experience across academia, the private sector, and higher education, her expertise in applied research on digitalisation in agri-food within a stakeholder-driven context is effectively applied to leading complex projects. Her style is characterised by a results-oriented and pragmatic approach, supported by clear communication and positive collaboration with teams, colleagues, clients, and consortium partners. As a coach, she supports professionals and researchers in strengthening mental resilience to effectively cope with work pressure, changing demands, and substantive setbacks.

Mireille holds a Master’s degree in Information Science from the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and a Bachelor’s degree in User-Centred Design. Her education focused on the intersection of technology and society, particularly how data and digital innovations such as blockchain influence the organic food chain and decision-making processes.

Her career spans roles in both the private sector and academia, including positions as lecturer, consultant, and researcher. At WUR, she works on research into the ethical and societal dimensions of AI within the ELSA Lab programme, which identifies the ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) of digital technologies, specifically AI for agriculture and food. Another notable WUR project is Data4Food2030, which examines the data economy in agri-food and develops a roadmap to advise on improvements that ensure fairness for all stakeholders involved.

Previous projects include topics such as blockchain and mass balance data for the organic food sector (as part of Precision Farming 4.0), TrustEat (blockchain and nanotechnology), user acceptance and Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) services in IoF2020 and AgROBOfood, as well as the socio-ethical benefits and risks of Digital Twins and 5G in agri-food.

Mireille speaks Dutch, English, and French. As a people-oriented professional, she easily connects people and initiatives.