dr. J (Jacco) van Haveren

I am Dr. Jacco van Haveren (jacco.vanhaveren@wur.nl) and since November 1,2025 I have  been appointed as coordinator External collaboration Biobased Domain". I will be responsible for strategic partnerships in the WFBR Biobased domain and contibute to the overall institute's strategy.. 

I previously have obtained my Ph.D. degree, studying  metal-ion complexation of carbohydrates, at the Technical University of Delft in The Netherlands, and I have worked as a post-doc at the University of Texas at Dallas (USA). 

I have been working at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) for over thirty years in several positions. I am co-author of over 50 peer reviewed publications and more than 25 patent applications including topics like e.g. biobased surfactants, polymer additives, phthalate free plasticisers, biobased resins for paints, drying catalyst for paints, efficient routes to biobased building blocks suitable to serve as (co)monomer in biobased resins and polymers/plastics. I have written a well cited review on biobased bulk chemicals. 

Between 2011 and 2025 I was active as Programme Manager on Biobased Chemicals and Fuels and as Programme Manager Safe and Circular Biobased Products. I was responsible for developing and maintaining our project portfolio on developing biobased chemical and fuels and later on safe and circular products. I was responsible for creating both fundamental and applied research projects and programmes, in close interaction with industry.  I was coordinating a team consisting of approximately 35 researchers. Expertises of researchers cover (bio)catalysis, biotechnology, organic & polymer chemistry. Topics cover microbial synthesis of bulk and specialty chemicals as well as the bio-and chemo-catalytic synthesis of bulk and specialty chemicals. Besides compounds like isohexides, lactic acid, itaconic acid, galactaric acid, hydroxy fatty acids and lignin and furan derived building blocks for biobased materials, also specialty biopolymers suitable for home and personal care products and e.g. watertreatment are being developed.