Prof. Erik Meers

Biogas-E, Belgium

Erik Meers achieved his PhD in 2005 (Bioscience Engineering) and fulfilled an additional postdoc in Environmental Remediation in collaboration with Industry thereafter. In the period 2007-2012 he was national Business & Technology Developer for a multinational energy producer, specializing in biogas projects and associated R&D. In 2012-2016 he coordinated the regional biogas platform in Flanders, Belgium (Biogas-E). As of 2016 he returned to academia (Ghent University, BE) where he developed a team in Bioresource Recovery, which grew quickly and is now counting 50 team members. One of the spearpoints in the research remains (naturally) to be biogas oriented. Over the course of his career he founded 8 SMEs and also set up science communication, science bus. Development and community platforms (www.biorefine.eu, www.re-source.bio, www.nutricycle.vlaanderen, End-of-Waste).

Erik Meers has joined EBA over 8 years ago. He introduced the Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) into the fabric and frameworks of EBA in order to interconnect EBA activities with research institutes as well as with European projects, considering this as a natural growth for EBA on top of national associations and companies. A third pillar for EBA to deploy and develop. Also in the understanding that public acceptance as well as the perception and good-will of policy makers needed to be technically substantiated by technical activities, in order for the business and societal development to flourish and the EU policy agenda to enjoy technical supporting evidence.