Pim Boute

Pim Boute is an Externe medewerker (External Member) at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering, within the Biomimetics department. His research focuses on sustainable fishing technologies, marine organism behavior, and biomimetic engineering solutions. Key areas include electrotrawling sustainability, fish behavioral responses to electric fields, and hydrodynamic adaptations in boxfishes. He has contributed to international initiatives like the ICES Working Group on Electrical Trawling (WGELECTRA), advocating for environmentally friendly fishing practices.

His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to life below water and sustainable consumption. Boute has published extensively on electrotrawling's ecological impacts, comparing traditional beam trawls with pulse methods. Notable collaborations include studies on fish welfare, gear optimization, and bio-inspired filtration systems derived from manta rays.

Boute actively engages in policy discussions, presenting findings in the European Parliament and contributing to media discourse on fisheries sustainability. He organizes international workshops, such as the Nature4Nature project's training modules on bioinspired design and numerical modeling.

• Key Projects: Electrotrawling sustainability reviews, biomimetic filtration prototypes, and fish injury studies.
• Media Outreach: Over 35 press mentions, including expert commentary on pulse trawling's environmental benefits.
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with ICES and EU-funded networks, focusing on marine conservation and gear innovation.