Paul Brandts, a chemist from origin, is a preeminent expert on Chemelot and the technologies it employs. Research & Development has been the common thread running through his career since he started at DSM in 1986. As Competence Center Manager, he was responsible for the industry as we know it today developed at the site. A few years after being introduced to sustainable development at Fibrant’s predecessor DFI, he helped to create Chemelot 2025, the vision statement for Chemelot’s future, in collaboration with Loek Radix and Emmo Meijer, among others.
His belief in the integral role of chemistry and technology in developing the processes for the chemical industry’s transition also made him instrumental in the establishment of Brightsite, the knowledge center he sees as the crucial link between all of the complex connections on site and beyond. Although fossil fuels shaped his career and that of many others, he came to the conclusion that we need to change course if society is to survive. We can create a sustainable society by 2050 if we make the right choices early on. This conviction led to systems thinking – a way of highlighting the options and concepts within a system in transition – with the circular SCIAR model being the first tangible example.
Paul has remained active for Chemelot and sees true competence as a human strength, allowing teams to achieve goals by working together and pooling the right multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. He has been self-employed in the role of Intelligence Officer since 2016, splitting his time between Brightlands Chemelot Campus and Brightsite.