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Prof. Arjan Mol, new scientific director 4TU.HTM

Monday, 6 December 2021
As of 1 January 2022, Prof. Arjan Mol will succeed Prof. Jilt Sietsma as the scientific director of 4TU.HTM

“Without materials science, it would be darn empty around us.”

As of 1 January 2022, Prof. Arjan Mol (Delft University of Technology) will be the new scientific director of the 4TU.Centre High-Tech Materials (4TU.HTM). He succeeds Prof. Jilt Sietsma, who was one of the initiators of 4TU.HTM and has led the centre since its inception in 2014.

4TU.HTM aims to stimulate and innovate excellent materials science research at the four universities of technology (TUs) in the Netherlands (Delft, Eindhoven, Twente, Wageningen) through collaboration and new initiatives in the fields of research and education. Recently, 4TU.HTM and the other centres of the 4TU.Federation were given the green light to continue their activities in the period 2022-2025.

“What I really like is how 4TU.HTM has expanded due to the participation of WUR. Materials science is not just about steel, composites and concrete; the soft materials from Wageningen are just as much a part of it.”
Jilt Sietsma
Prof. Materials Science & Engineering, TU Delft


“We are faced with complex challenges with the materials and energy transition. The better organised we are as Dutch materials science community, the more society as a whole can benefit from our expertise.”
Arjan Mol
Prof. Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry, TU Delft

Arjan Mol has been professor of Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry at Delft University of Technology since 2017, where he also obtained his PhD in 2000. His research focusses on corrosion mechanisms and (environmentally friendly) ways to prevent corrosion.

In addition to the activities of 4TU.HTM that started earlier, Mol specifically wants to support young scientists who have yet to build up their network: “In the coming years, we will discover how big the impact of corona is on the careers of the new generation of scientists. I want to make sure that they can still make the necessary connections, within and outside their field of expertise," says Mol. He also aims to work on increasing public support for the field: “Without materials science it would be darn empty around us.”

In addition to the scientific director, the organisation of 4TU.HTM consists of a Management Team in which all TUs are represented, and a coordinator.

“The materials and energy transitions are likely the most important challenges for the future. The Netherlands cannot play a major role in these transitions without excellent materials science research."

Read more: interview with Arjan Mol and Jilt Sietsma