5 Oct 2011 - Leon Lefferts appointed part-time professor at Aalto University in Helsinki

Professor Leon Lefferts of MESA+ has been given a part-time appointment as professor at Aalto University in Helsinki. At the Finnish university, he will carry out research into the production of hydrogen gas from biomass.

Hydrogen is not only an integral part of converting biomass into chemicals and fuels, it is also a promising fuel in its own right, as it only releases water during combustion. Finland occupies a leading position in biomass research, partly due to its experience with large-scale forestry and the production of materials and chemicals.

Lefferts will conduct his research at Aalto University as part of Professor Outi Krause's research group. The research in Finland will be closely coordinated with the studies already taking place in Lefferts' Catalytic Processes and Materials department at the University of Twente under the direction of Professor Kulathuiyer Seshan.

Professor Lefferts' appointment at Aalto University is part of the Finland Distinguished Professor Programme (FiDiPro), a scheme that enables Finnish universities and research institutes to attract leading international researchers to work in Finland for a set period. In this case, the appointment is for a period of four years. FiDiPro has made a sum of one million euros available for Lefferts' research in Finland.