Rutger van Bergem

Rutger van Bergem is an Assistant Professor at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), affiliated with the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University (2016), where his dissertation examined the institutional efficiency of Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its macroeconomic impacts. His current research focuses on infrastructure economics, including the political economy of large infrastructure projects, spatial planning for digital governance in future cities, and optimizing infrastructure systems. He teaches courses such as 'Law and Institutions,' 'Institutional Economics for Socio-technical Systems,' and 'Economics of Infrastructures' at TU Delft.

Before joining TU Delft, van Bergem co-founded startups like CodersTrust and Catalaxy, addressing challenges in global freelance education and e-commerce governance in Africa. His work bridges economic theory with practical governance solutions for technological and urban development.

Research interests include design for values, governance frameworks for infrastructure, and the intersection of institutional economics with spatial planning. His teaching spans undergraduate and graduate levels, emphasizing applied economic analysis in technical systems.