Christa Hooijer appointed as Chief Scientist of TNO
Christa Hooijer has been appointed Chief Scientist of TNO, effective January 1, 2026. She succeeds Peter Werkhoven, who retired in October. Christa fulfills this role in addition to her position as Director of Science & Technology for the Defense, Safety & Security unit.
As Chief Scientist, Christa safeguards the scientific integrity and quality of TNO research. She also manages various cross-unit dossiers, including strategic partnerships with universities and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).
The Chief Scientist chairs the TNO Science Board, which represents the science directors of all units. Furthermore, the Chief Scientist contributes to TNO's strategy and direction, including by identifying and anticipating important scientific and technological trends, and advising the Executive Board on these trends.
Christa has been working at TNO since 2019. She joined the High Tech Industry unit as Director of Science and has held this role within Defense, Safety & Security since January 1, 2024. Prior to this, she gained nearly twenty years of experience at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM). Christa studied Applied Physics at the University of Twente and obtained her PhD from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is also a fellow of the recently established Netherlands Academy of Engineering.
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Maarten Lörtzer
Functie:Press officerSpokesperson for corporate affairs, defense & security, mobility & logistics, circular economy and air quality.
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