The Executive Board of the University of Twente has appointed prof.dr.ir. J.W.M. (Hans) Hilgenkamp as the new scientific director of the university’s MESA+ institute. This position has been held in duo by Albert van den Berg and Guus Rijnders since February 2018. Hilgenkamp, professor of applied physics and nanotechnology, will take over starting 1 February 2024. The appointment is for a period of four years.
About MESA+
MESA+ develops ground-breaking nanotechnology that contributes to solutions for actual societal challenges. Driven by their fascination with the smallest possible scale, the researchers build materials and components that provide sustainable and unexpected solutions to many of these challenges. They lead to lower use of raw materials and energy. They also lead to more human-friendly, less invasive medical technology. They lead to radically new solutions for our digital society.
At MESA+, around 500 researchers initiate, emerge and develop key enabling technologies on the nano- and microscale with a focus on developing new materials and devices in the fields of advanced materials, quantum, (integrated) photonics, microfluidics, microelectronics, sensing and actuators. MESA+ is home to the state-of-the-art NanoLab and has the ambition to kickstart a high-tech foundry.
Experience
Tom Veldkamp, rector of the University of Twente: “Hans is a passionate scientist with an impressive track record. With his enthusiasm, he is a binding factor within the teams in which he works. This is a quality that is very valuable, both in the connection within the university and outside. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration, to further shape MESA+'s ambitions together.”
Hans Hilgenkamp on his appointment: “MESA+ is a wonderful UT-institute, with an impressive track record in the realisation and management of special infrastructure such as the NanoLab and initiating and carrying out high-quality research of great societal relevance. I look forward to working with the MESA+ staff and the UT Strategic Board, with colleagues and students across the entire UT, and with many external parties on solutions for current and future societal challenges, based on new insights in the physical sciences and novel technological concepts.”
About Hans Hilgenkamp
After completing his MSc. (1991) and PhD (1995) at the University of Twente, Hans Hilgenkamp worked as a Postdoc at the IBM Zurich Research Lab, Switzerland, and at the University of Augsburg in Germany before returning in 2000 to Twente. He became a Full Professor in 2005.
He was a visiting professor at the CSIRO-Lindfield Lab in Sydney, the National University of Singapore, and at Leiden University. Among other recognitions, he was awarded a KNAW Research fellowship (1997) and the NWO VIDI (2002) and VICI (2008) grants. He was an inaugural member of the KNAW Young Academy and co-founder of the Global Young Academy. In 2018, he was elected into the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW). He is a board member of various (inter)national organisations, and from 2014 to 2019, he was dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology.
