Steven Van Campenhout

Agricultural Engineer

After graduating and finishing his military service, Steven started working on his PhD at the Department of Bioengineering Sciences at KU Leuven After a stint at the John Innes Centre, he returned as a postgraduate researcher to delve deeper into the molecular genetic study of the wheat genome and its application in wheat processing.

He joined Flanders’ FOOD as a project manager in 2007. He initially worked on the development and coordination of knowledge distribution about various industry-driven collective research projects, many of them of technological nature. During this time, he also helped develop ‘Hygiene For Food’, a series of biennial events.

He has been Program Manager since 2017, giving his all drawing up and creating the programme ‘Resilient & Sustainable AgriFood Systems’. This includes drawing up roadmaps for innovation in important agri-food sub-sectors, generating projects and forging collaborations between companies, knowledge institutes and other stakeholders in Flanders.

Outside of work he spends time with his (large) family and relaxes in his garden. He also often gives in to the call of the wild, enjoying long mountain bike trips that take him off the beaten path.