Rate My Professor Erik Meers

Erik Meers is a professor in the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology at Ghent University. He obtained his PhD in Bioscience Engineering from Ghent University in 2005 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Environmental Remediation in collaboration with industry. Between 2007 and 2012, he served as national Business & Technology Developer for a multinational energy producer specializing in biogas projects and associated R&D. From 2012 to 2016, he coordinated the regional biogas platform Biogas-E in Flanders, Belgium. Since 2016, he has been professor at Ghent University, building a Bioresource Recovery research team that now comprises 50 members. Throughout his career, he has founded eight small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and established platforms for science communication and scientific business development.

Meers' research specializes in agro-industrial environmental chemistry and technology, with a focus on nutrient recovery from manure and biomethanization digestates, phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils using bio-energy crops, recycling of technology-critical elements from waste and wastewater, and development of bio-based fertilizers and supplements. He leads numerous EU-funded projects, including Nutri2Cycle (coordinator), Grassification, Phos4You, BIOREFINE, AgroCycle, and ALG-AD. He chairs the Scientific Advisory Council of the European Biogas Association (EBA), serves on the steering committee of the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP), and coordinates the Biorefine cluster. Notable publications include "Hemp flowers cultivated on a soil contaminated with cadmium, lead and zinc exhibit valorization potential" (2026), "Agronomic and environmental performance of animal manure-derived ammonium salts vs synthetic mineral fertilisers: 4-year field trial evidence" (2026), "Ammonia recovery from anaerobic digestion effluent using membrane distillation: membrane fouling at different water vapor transfer scenarios" (2025), "The potential of microalgae for carbon capture and nutrient recovery" (2024), and "Combined biochar from the co-pyrolysis of manure with wood improves soil fertility and nutrient availability" (2024). His contributions advance circular nutrient management and sustainable bioeconomies.