Prof. Jan Hofman, who is the Director of the Water Innovation and Research Centre and Professor on Water Science and Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering since 2015, has accepted a part-time (20%) position at KWR Water Research Institute as Principal Scientist in the Industry, Wastewater and Reuse (IAR) team. He strengthens the team with his broad expertise in water treatment, wastewater treatment and water quality.

KWR is a globally leading water research institute, based in the Netherlands. For KWR, Jan is no stranger: before he came to Bath in 2015, he worked for many years at the institute as a drinking water treatment expert. In 2008, he was among the initiators of KWR’s wastewater research and of the Wastewater and Reuse team, which later merged with the Industry Water team, to form today’s team which he recently has joined on a part-time basis.

The focus of his new joined position is to strengthen ongoing collaborations between WIRC and KWR, with a focus on urban water management and water security. Jan is currently working with Prof Kees van Leeuwen and Dr Alexandros Makarigakis (UNESCO, Paris) on the assessment of urban water management with the City Blueprint in African cities. He also uses Water-Use-Info tools for modelling water quality in sewers. Jan is also the Bath lead for NextGen, the European H2020 project, on water in the circular economy.

The collaboration is a great opportunity for WIRC and KWR to join efforts in international research on water and creating impact with innovation and policies.