Oliver Thum

Oliver Thum is a part-time Full Professor of Biocatalysis at TU Delft and Head of Global Applied Technology at Evonik's Interface&Performance Business Line. He holds a diploma in chemistry and a PhD in organic chemistry & pharmacology from the University of Bonn. With over 20 years in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, his expertise spans enzymatic production processes, biosurfactant development (e.g., Rhamnolipids and Sophorolipids), and sustainable chemical engineering. He has authored >40 peer-reviewed articles, holds >30 patents, and serves as an expert evaluator for EU-funded projects in industrial biotechnology. Teaching roles at TU Delft include the MSc Design Course and Microbial Biotechnology in Practice (LB2791-p).

• Education: Diploma (M.Sc. equivalent) in Chemistry, PhD in Organic Chemistry & Pharmacology (University of Bonn)
• Research Focus: Enzymatic process optimization, enzyme immobilization, environmental lifecycle assessments (LCA), and microbial surfactant production
• Awards: Multiple innovation awards (specific names unspecified)
• Leadership: WBCSD Leadership Program (2011), global technical leadership for 1,000+ specialty products at Evonik

His work integrates industrial needs with academic research, emphasizing sustainable chemical production and cross-sector collaboration through EU-funded initiatives.