P.W.J. (Patrick) Essers (Secretary-director)
Patrick Essers (b. 1968) was appointed Secretary/Director of the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI) on 1 September 2020.
Patrick has a broad background in the field of ICT and digital transformation, gained both within the industry and in innovation ecosystems. He studied electrical engineering at Fontys University of Applied Sciences (PTH) and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e).
Patrick’s industrial experience was gained working at the Dutch telecommunications provider KPN and the multinational telecommunications company Ericsson. Numerous subsidiary roles in start-up and entrepreneurial networks have contributed to his fresh and entrepreneurial way of looking at things. He gained his broadly based knowledge of research and (open) innovation systems from his involvement with Ericsson Seedlinqs, the Dutch Institute World Class Maintenance (DI-WCM) and the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT Digital).