Borealis has appointed Erik van Praet as Vice President Innovation & Technology. Van Praet replaces Maurits van Tol, who left the company in October 2019. The appointment was effective 1 April 2020.
Prior to this, Van Praet served for over a decade as Director Strategy and Portfolio, first in Linz, Austria and then in Beringen, Belgium.
Van Praet joined Borealis in 1995 as a development engineer at the company's Zwijndrecht, Belgium location. He then worked as a research manager in Porvoo, Finland and Stenungsund, Sweden followed by a stint as Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) manager and technology commercialisation manager in Mechelen, Belgium. Prior to joining Borealis, Van Praet worked at Desotec, a company specialised in air and water purification.
“For many years, Erik van Praet has been a mastermind and key pillar of our Value Creation through Innovation strategy, which remains a key differentiator of the Borealis Polyolefin strategy,” comments Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Innovation and Circular Economy. “He is a true innovator who has been, and will continue to be, integral to Borealis’ purpose of reinventing for more sustainable living.”
Erik van Praet holds a PhD in Quantum Chemistry and a Master degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Leuven, Belgium. He is a board member of both the Dutch Polymer Institute and Borealis Technology Oy.