Arnold Stokking, who has been involved with Brightsite since its inception in 2019, is stepping down from his position as Managing Director. On September 1, 2025, Dave Beijer will start as Interim Program Director at Brightsite for a period of one year. He will combine this position with his role as Managing Director of CHILL. Arnold will remain involved with the knowledge center as an advisor and sparring partner to Dave.
Stokking announces his departure earlier than expected. “I had already planned to gradually step back and leave at the end of 2026. However, health issues are forcing me to do so sooner,” says Stokking.
Proud of what we have achieved
“Brightsite is a wonderful and unique public-private partnership between Sitech Services, TNO, Maastricht University (UM), and Brightlands Chemelot Campus (BCC), which works closely with the companies at Chemelot. When we started in 2019, we didn’t yet have a clear picture of how the chemical industry should become more sustainable. With the knowledge we had at the time, we launched a program to contribute to the transition of the chemical industry to primarily renewable raw materials. Our program has been evaluated along the way, and the transition paths for green chemistry are now known. I have greatly enjoyed leading Brightsite over the past few years and am proud of the steps we have taken. We have developed into a knowledge center that not only generates ideas but also takes action. And where fundamental, applied, and experimental research run in parallel,” explains Stokking.
Strengthening connections and coordination
Beijer’s appointment as Program Director at Brightsite is a practical and logical extension of the role he fulfills at CHILL. Beijer’s experience in the business world and in public-private partnerships positions him to develop strategic routes that serve both the scientific community and business stakeholders. During this one-year interim period, Beijer will be the figurehead of Brightsite and will conduct a strategic analysis of the current Brightsite program, in collaboration with the Brightsite partners and companies at Chemelot. He will work with existing program leaders and the Brightsite core team, supported by Mechtilda Vrencken for operational matters. The program leaders are responsible for the content and implementation of the program lines.
“Further strengthening the links between the Brightsite programs and business needs is challenging, but crucial. These are very challenging times for industry in Europe, and there is an imbalance between short-term and long-term focus. Knowledge institutions can and must contribute, and I would like to help with that. Strengthening coordination between knowledge institutions on campus also offers opportunities. This includes joint positioning towards the outside world, mapping the competencies of the institutes (any duplications and missing competencies) and investigating possible collaboration or knowledge sharing in the back office of the organizations,” says Beijer.
New phase, new leadership
“Now that Brightsite is entering a new phase, it is also the right time for new leadership. I am therefore looking forward to training Dave in. I am confident that I can let go of Brightsite with confidence,” says Stokking.