Remko Akkerman

Professor Remko Akkerman is Research Director, Chair of Production Technology at the University of Twente. After receiving his engineer’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1988 (on turbomachinery), Remko received his PhD on viscoelastic flow simulations in the group of prof. Huétink in 1993 at the University of Twente. He started working as an assistant professor in the chair of Engineering Design in Plastics with Prof. Powell and got involved in fibre reinforced polymers. He acquired various EU funded project on processing (e.g. high precision moulding) and performance (e.g. impact and post impact behaviour) of advanced composite materials.

In 2003 he was appointed as full professor in Production Technology, keeping a focus on lightweight materials for structural applications, with a clear emphasis on composite materials. The group’s research is characterized by an integral approach on design, materials and processing, combining experimental and analytical / simulation work. His current projects involve a wide range of activities, such as functional materials, composite processing analysis, structural health monitoring and self-healing materials.

He has been the secretary of the Esaform association (European Scientific Association of Material Forming) from 2007 to 2013, and since June 2009 he is the scientific director of the ThermoPlastic Composite Research Centre, founded by Ten Cate, Fokker, Boeing and the University of Twente. Since then, the TPRC has grown to currently 20 members representing a full thermoplastic composite value chain. Since 2010 is member of the Scientific Committee of FPCM, Flow Processes in Composite Materials, and of Texcomp, Textile Composites. As such, he chaired the FPCM-12 conference at the University of Twente in 2014. He is a member of the KMHW and of the management team of 4tu.htm, the research centre for high-tech materials of the Dutch 4tu Federation. He further participates in the international advisory boards of large research programmes in the UK (Cimcomp) and Japan (SM4I).