Prof. Ludo Diels

Biography

Prof. Ludo Diels, Dr. in chemistry & biotechnology, works  at the University of Antwerp, and is research manager Sustainable Chemistry for the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Mol, Belgium.  During 15 year he managed the Environment and Process Technology Business Unit and is now responsible for the transition toward sustainable chemistry and clean technology.   He is responsible for  the organisation of collaboration with the academic and industrial World and for co-financing projects. He coordinated and is involved in many international research projects. Ludo Diels is strongly involved in the set up of a biobased economy in Flanders. He is also responsible for the collaboration between VITO and India and he is managing the creation of a road map and Strategic Research Agenda for R&D on biomass and biowaste between India and Europe. He is a founding father of the Shared Research Centre on Bioaromatics (BIORIZON) between the Netherlands and Flanders. He is also founder of the BIG-C trilateral alliance between Flanders, the Netherlands and NordRhein Westfalia (Germany), focusing on a border denying collaboration for the chemical industry with focus on waste gases and biomass as renewable resources . Process intensification and the partial replacement of fossil based resources by biomass-based and renewable resource form the basis for the Sustainable Chemistry  Development.  The integration of waste (including also waste gases as CO2 and H2) and wastewater management and technologies are key in the development of a sustainable World. In this way he also was on the basis of the ANDICOS™ concept, a combined waste and wastewater treatment system leading to reduced energy consumption in water treatment and production. He is the chairman of the working group FEED in the Energy and Resources  PPP-SPIRE  between 8 industrial sectors and the European Commission) and member of the SPIRE-BBI working group.  

Research Interest

Molecular Biology, Biotechnology