Bert Weckhuysen is a Distinguished University Professor at Utrecht University (The Netherlands). He received his Master and PhD degrees from Leuven University (Belgium) in 1991, and 1995, respectively, after which he has worked as a postdoc at Lehigh University (PA, USA) and Texas A&M University (TX, USA). Weckhuysen works on the design, synthesis, characterization and application of solid catalysts for the conversion of fossil (crude oil & natural gas) and renewable (biomass and municipal waste) feedstock into transportation fuels, chemicals and materials. More recently, research is devoted to the catalytic activation of CO₂ via thermal and electrocatalytic pathways and the photocatalytic and electrocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, as well as the chemical recycling of plastics. He has received for his work on in-situ and operando spectroscopy many scientific prizes, including the Emmett Award, Bourke Award, Spinoza Award, and Tanabe Award. He has been appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion and is a member of a.o. the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts, and European Academy of Science. He serves on national and international boards, and currently directs several large-scale National and European research initiatives, including ARC CBBC, MCEC, and SUNERGY. He also serves as president of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies (EFCATS).