Companies testimonials

Luc Tijhuis

R&D project manager
at DSM

My name is Luc Tijhuis, I am R&D project manager at DSM and an alumnus of the TU Delft (PhD Biochemical Engineering). DSM has ambitious sustainability targets and we are developing new process concepts for many of our current products. To realize these concepts for our large scale bio-processes, we are developing new, integrated and sustainable process technologies. Over the past years we hosted a number of EngD student teams in our department that carry out a techno-economic evaluation of the complete process chain for one of these new process concepts. These teams of well-educated, motivated, enthusiastic and skilled young professionals offer innovative power to these design projects, including many surprising outside insights. The students build on a strong background training, systematic approach and fast learning ability. Key success factors, both for the students and DSM, include a clear scope of the design to be completed and proper supervision by DSM and TU-Delft. With this, the teams make important contributions to the complex conceptual design studies and provide support to DSM to realize our ambitious targets.

Roderick van der Graaf

Sr. Director Operations
at Janssen Biologics

My name is Roderick van der Graaf. I work at Janssen Biologics as Sr. Director Operations. At Janssen we produce monoclonal antibodies and vaccines. Every day we are working hard to improve our processes. Having EngDs at Janssen brings great added value since they can solve complex problems, have a conceptual mindset and bring new creative insights. Being a EngD myself I truly value the experience from this program in my day-to-day life!

Wouter van Winden

Principal scientist fermentation
at DSM

My name is Wouter van Winden, I am principal scientist fermentation at DSM. Over the past years we hosted a number of EngD students in our department. My experience is that with their focus, strong background training, systematic approach, project management skills and fast learning ability, they can make important contributions to complex conceptual design studies. A clear scoping of the design work, and a close supervision during the execution of the design study is recommendable to ensure a successful outcome.

Joop Groen

Founder and owner
of Viride Sustra BV

My name is Joop Groen Founder and owner of Viride Sustra BV where we work on new developments for the Biobased Economy. I first knew about the EngD through a colleague of mine who was director of Biobased Delta.

We were developing the Green Pellet technology, with the objective to make biomass a commodity feedstock for the biobased industry. At the beginning of the EngD the project had just started so we were first focused on the proof of principle at lab scale and design the process. Therefore, I decided to hire a EngD trainee (Lorena Paz) to do her Individual Project Design. Through her work at Viride and our collaboration with TUDelft  (Prof. Adrie Straathof) we managed to get a proof of principle so we could continue our technology developments in this field with proof of concept and scale up at the pilot facilities of the BPF. After successful completion of the EngD Lorena became a full time employee at Viride.

I would recommend working with a EngD if you are interested in young talent in combination with collaboration with TUD as a way to move your project forward.

Hans van Klink

Director Project Development
at Dutch Sustainable Development BV

During last years (2017 – 2019) DSD was involved in a project called “Design and Techno-Economic Evaluation of Itaconic Acid large-scale manufacturing using Alternative Cost-Effective and Sustainable Feedstocks” via the EngD Individual Design Project.

DSD has a technology developed, called Direct processing with Betaprocess. Objective of this technology concept is a simply way of producing sugars ready for further processing via vacuum extraction. The main product used as raw material is sugar beet and after this treatment the sugars are directly available. During this project we learned that it is necessary to include a purification step in the process before using the sugars in further steps of the process. This extra step lead to a better quality of the raw material for the production of itaconic acid.

Together with the EngD the design and techno-economic evaluation of the complete process chain is done and all obstacles are identified which could be solved in a follow up project. The overall conclusion was that the complete process flow based on sugar beet processed with our technology could lead to a competitive cost price.

The collaboration was with several partners and DSD experienced it as very positive. Thanks to this collaboration DSD is now ready for further developments of this concept including the possible implementation of its technology by several partnerships

Joop Hoving

Project Engineering Manager
at DSM

I am Joop Hoving and work as Project Engineering Manager at DSM’s Large Capital Projects Department. The opportunity to co-guide a TUD EngD trainee working in our Biotech Center turned out as an excellent experience. Integrated sustainable solutions were developed - that included cost appraisals - for our large scale bioprocesses and lowering our Delft BioCampus carbon and water foot prints. The added value obtained by this collaboration was paramount to our insights where to focus on and how to pave a new way forward to a sustainable manufacturing future freed from fossil fuels. I would recommend to other companies doing Process Research working together with EngD trainees. This as well-educated, motivated and young professionals offer innovative power to R&D projects as well as may provide surprising outside in insights.

Charles Hensgens

Senior scientist DSP, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention BV

I first learned about the EngD programme from a former colleague. Later, at the Down Stream Processing (DSP) department of Janssen Vaccines I became reacquainted with the programme. In recent years we have had several EngD interns in the DSP department. EngD interns provide an opportunity to the department to work on important projects from an academic engineering perspective. The academic network from TU-Delft and supporting the EngD intern ensures that the project is supported and successfully completed. Having a EngD brought the department new insights, enthusiastic co-workers and hopefully future colleagues.