Dr. Kjelt van Rijswijk obtained a master’s degree and PhD in composite technology at the Delft University of technology in The Netherlands (Faculty of Aerospace Engineering) whilst working on collaborative research projects with the European aerospace and wind energy industry. Kjelt has experience with developing integrated projects and strategies, using a value chain approach to develop value propositions, aimed at aligning and bringing together stakeholders. Although his background is in the innovation and advanced manufacturing space, his ‘value chain and process focused thinking’ is finding useful application across many other sectors. He excels in leading multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. In South Africa, he introduced thermoplastic composite technology and subsequently industrialized the technology into production lines for the Airbus A350 and A400M aircraft. Since 2013, he has been working together with Industry and various Government Department on the establishment of a composite manufacturing eco-system involving a collaborative research program, the establishment of Composite Innovation Centers, the Mandela Bay Composites Cluster and public-private interfaces.  

 Manufacturing, Polymer Composition, Adhesives, Plastics, Research Development.