Marko Hekkert director Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

Marko Hekkert (Department of Sustainable Development) has been appointed the new Director of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). The cabinet agreed to the nomination suggested by Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Hanke Bruins Slot. The appointment is effective from 1 January 2023. Hekkert will continue to work at the Department of Sustainable Development as a part-time professor.

Marko Hekkert: “I look forward to the opportunity to lead the PBL, and to use our strategic knowledge to help politicians and policy makers contribute to the transformations that the Netherlands faces today. In this era of major changes to our living environment (energy, climate, nitrogen, raw materials and spatial planning), it is especially vital that impartial, high-quality knowledge is available to help formulate wise policies.”

“This is of course a fantastic opportunity for Marko”, says Wilco Hazeleger, Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences. “But it’s also a very good opportunity for Utrecht University. Because now we can connect even better with society at large, especially with regard to issues like sustainability and transitions. So we’re very pleased to be able to contribute to a solid foundation of knowledge for policy and politics, and in so doing help address the pressing sustainability issues we face today.”

Marko Hekkert currently serves as Professor of Dynamics of Innovation Systems. He has also filled a variety of management and supervisory positions at Utrecht University and beyond. Marko originally earned a degree in Chemistry, before doing a PhD at Utrecht University. In addition to his part-time appointment at Utrecht University, he will continue to serve as a member of the Supervisory Board of TNO after 1 January 2023.