Prof. Pieter Nachtergaele is an Assistant Professor at Ghent University, where he is involved in teaching the courses Process Control, Smart Sensors, Sustainable Systems Engineering, and Integral Process Design. He is also a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California–Davis and a Belgian Exco member of the International Energy Agency Bioenergy TCP. His work aims to accelerate the transition to a circular and biobased economy by advancing process monitoring and optimization for circular, (bio-)chemical, and biotechnological processes. His research spans:

• Process Analytical Technologies (PAT), where he applies advanced inline sensors, real-time analytics, and machine learning to monitor industrial operations and enable predictive control.
• Mechanistic and hybrid modelling for process scale-up, combining first-principles and data-driven approaches to improve prediction, intensification, and scale-up.
• Feedstock flexibility, developing robust processes that remain efficient under changing feedstock composition and quality.
• Linking process development to sustainability evaluation by integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) into process and system design to quantify environmental and economic performance and guide sustainable innovation.

Prof. Nachtergaele maintains strong connections with other research departments and an industrial network to incorporate complementary expertise such as AI and machine learning, kinetic modelling, and feedstock characterization.