Dr.ir. Petra van den Berg (1970) is the Managing Director of NIOO since October 2009. She is part of the NIOO management and head of the Central Management Services department of NIOO that is responsible for the personnel and financial support as well as housing, technical facilities, ICT, PR and scientific information support within NIOO. Petra also manages NIOO's public-private research contracts and technology transfer activities. In addition she leads NIOO's innovation activities related to the building in particular those connected to the experimental blue-green roof and NIOO's high-temperature storage facilities. Petra has led the construction of the research infrastructure of NIOO in Wageningen and NIOO's move to Wageningen in 2011. Together with Louise Vet she created and implemented the living lab concept for ecotechnologies and NIOO's showcases for sustainable building. She also coordinated the merger between the CEME (NIOO's research location in Yerseke) and the NIOZ in 2012 on the side of NIOO.
Petra is specialised in research management, research policy and technology transfer. She worked for Leiden University as policy advisor/institute manager for the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (1999-2003), senior advisor to the Board of Leiden University (2003-2005) and Head of Research and Business Serrvices of Leiden University Research and Innovation Services LURIS (2005-2009). Petra coordinated the establishment of the Leiden - Life Meets Science Foundation between Leiden University, the municipality of Leiden and companies and stakeholders at the Leiden BioScience Park and developed the first strategic plan for the Leiden BioScience Park cluster. Petra cofounded LURIS as technology transfer office of both Leiden University and the Leiden University Medical Center in 2005. She developed pre-seed and seedfunding schemes for technology starters from the University and the Leiden region and was responsible for Leiden University's EU support office and academic consultancy services. To address academic knowledge questions from regional companies she established together with Delft University and the Rotterdam Erasmus Medical Center the Holland Business 2 Science Portal in 2008.
Petra received an international research management certification from SRA International. She holds a PhD in Biophysics (Wageningen University, 2002) and graduated cum laude in the specialisations Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry (Molecular Sciences Wageningen University, 1994). Petra was a board member of the workers council for research project personnel of NWO (1996-1999) and is the first author of seven peer-reviewed articles and a book chapter in the field of biophysics.
Petra is Board Member of the Supervisory Board for the Green Deal Green Roofs and NIOO's project leader in the ERANET project Heatstore.
