Dirk Fransaer is managing director of VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research in Mol, Belgium since April 1, 2001.
VITO counts in 2015 more than 750 staff members with an available budget of more than 144 MEUR.

Other activities

• Member of the Belgian Academy of Science since 2011
• Chairman of LiboVITO since 2010, joint venture of VITO and Antipollution in PR China
• Vice-chairman/member of  the board of i-Cleantech vzw since 2012
• Chairman of the Audit Committee of the University of Antwerp (UA) since February 2014

Employment history

• September 1980 - January 1986: assistant - Laboratory of Hydraulics of the University Ghent (Head of Department: Prof. Ir. G. Tison).
• January 1986 - January 2000: project engineer - Eurosense with a short break
• July 1986 - May 1987: project engineer - T.E.R.A.D.E.C., Travenol Europe Research and Development Centre, a division of Baxter-Travenol World Trade
• February 2000 - October 2000: project leader - VITO
• November 2000 -  March 2001: director Business and Market Strategy (BMS) - VITO
• April 2001 until now:  managing director -  VITO

Education
Dirk Fransaer graduated as Civil Engineer Construction in 1980 at the University of Ghent and as Civil Biomedical Engineer in 1985 at the K.U.Leuven. He followed the Vlerick Advanced Management Program (2004-2005) at the Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School.