The new PMC Energy Transition

On 1 January 2019, the built environment sector was expanded to include the PMC Energy Transition. This PMC focuses on advising governments and developers on how to reduce CO2 emissions and on the transition to a fossil-free energy supply. The PMC Energy Transition is led by Koen Haans. Following his degree in Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Management, Koen started working at Witteveen+Bos in the Breda office in 2006. He progressed to become a project manager for energy projects, and was also head of the Rotterdam office from 2011 to 2014. The new PMC Energy Transition consists of five departments: CO2-driven and circular designs, Energy and space, Energy strategy, Energy modelling and business cases, Wind and solar energy.

Aries van Beinum receives doctoral certificate

Aries van Beinum, PMC leader for Traffic and Roads at Witteveen+Bos, was awarded his PhD certificate at TU Delft on 20 December. His research focused on turbulence in traffic flows, in particular traffic dynamics (such as lane changes) that occur around entrance and exit lanes. The research into these traffic movements provides road designers with insights that allow them to better anticipate the behaviour of road users when designing roads.

New leadership at the Indonesian office

Witteveen+Bos has been operating in Indonesia for 40 years. We have successfully completed many projects there, covering issues such as land reclamation, port development, water management, environmental impact assessments, waste management and recently even earthquake modelling. The office has since become an independently operating office serving a wide range of clients. The ambition is to continue to grow in Indonesia and in the Southeast Asia region. As of 1 October 2018, PT Witteveen+Bos Indonesia will be managed by Rob van den Boomen, who will be taking over from Victor Coenen. Victor will continue to work in Indonesia and the region as senior project manager and master planning expert. He will also continue to manage the iconic NCICD (Jakarta flood protection) project.

Academic appointments

Arjen van Nieuwenhuijzen, expert in renewable energy, water and raw materials at Witteveen+Bos, has been appointed as the first Industry-based Principal Investigator at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions as of 1 September 2018. His activities focus on the subject of Circular Urban Resources. He has also been appointed Extraordinary Associate Professor of Circular Raw Materials in the City at Wageningen University & Research. In these new positions, Arjen will actively connect the worlds of business, government and academia to help solve urgent challenges faced by the urban environment.

Thesis prize for Manca Petek

Every year, the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia rewards the best Bachelor’s and Master’s theses by presenting the Prešeren Prize. On 5 December 2018 this prize, named after a Slovenian poet, was awarded to Witteveen+Bos employee Manca Petek for her Master's thesis in Civil Engineering on the erosion of rainwater. This was the first time in many years that the prize was awarded to a Civil Engineering student and Petek is the only female engineer to have received it.