Pieter de Jong studied Environmental Sciences MSc at Wageningen University and performed traineeships in Mexico and Bologna. Pieter speaks 6 European languages.
In 2009 Pieter moved to Brussels where he started working for Neth-ER (Netherlands house for Education and Research), which is the public affairs organization for Dutch schools, universities, and research centers. In this position, Pieter mastered European education, science, and innovation policies.
In 2011 Pieter started working for Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, as European Liaison Officer. Since then, Wetsus and the surrounding WaterCampus expanded into a full innovation ecosystem that involves all education levels (EQF 1-8) and innovation levels (TRL 1-9). The participation in European programs also evolved from ERDF and Interreg A to Horizon, Interreg B, Interreg C, Life, COSME, and ERASMUS. This process also coincided with an increase in the critical mass of WaterCampus Leeuwarden. The whole success story is listed at JRC RIS3 Smart Stories Northern Netherlands.
In 2016 DG Regio and JRC invited Pieter to a series of national events in widening countries in the framework of the European project Stairway to Excellence (S2E). At the time Pieter was also a board member of ERRIN and coordinator of the Water working group of ERRIN. The contacts within S2E and ERRIN resulted in a specific widening action, through the Interreg Europe project iWATERMAP. Through iWATERMAP several widening regions are supported in developing water technology innovation roadmaps that aim at improving their regional innovation policies, enhancing critical mass, and boosting triple helix projects in the water sector. The cluster organization CREA is the coordinator for Southern-Moravia in this project. One of the outcomes is the participation of Wetsus and CREA in the proposed European partnership Water4All.
Within REPARES Pieter provides key insights into novel European initiatives, programs, and collaboration opportunities. AMR is of increasing importance in European policies and with Horizon Europe widening participation is also even more central on the agenda. With specific instruments and measures, such as the hop-on facility. Water4All also included AMR in its’ strategic research and innovation agenda of Water4All. Plenty of opportunities to continue European AMR collaboration beyond REPARES.