Remko Akkerman

Remko Akkerman is a Professor in Production Technology at the University of Twente's Faculty of Engineering Technology, specializing in composite materials and thermoplastics. His research integrates design, materials, and processing, combining experimental and simulation approaches.

Research Focus: Thermoplastic composites, likened to "meltable chocolate," offer environmental advantages and enable fast, chemical-free manufacturing. He leads the ThermoPlastic Composite Research Centre (TPRC), which has grown to 22 members across the aerospace and automotive industries. His work addresses production hurdles in fiber-reinforced polymers to enable scalable, predictable processes.

Leadership Roles: He served as Secretary of Esaform (2007-2013), chairs international advisory boards for Cimcomp (UK) and SM4I (Japan), and participates in 4TU.HTM. He organized the FPCM-12 conference in 2014.

Educational Impact: Akkerman connects research to teaching in Mechanical Engineering, using industry examples to demonstrate composite materials' applications in aerospace, automotive, and sports technology.