Royal Honor 2020 Prof. Richard Goossens

Richard Goossens, Professor of Physical Ergonomics in the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE), has been made a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in Vlaardingen. Because of the coronavirus, the official presentation will take place later in the year.

Professor Goossens was singled out for this honour for his contribution to scientific research and education at the cutting-edge of design, technology and healthcare and for his extraordinary role in connecting these disciplines. Examples of this include his involvement in the TU Delft Health Initiative, the nexus where scientific knowledge of medical technology meets society’s demands in terms of healthcare.

In view of his background and experience, Goossens was recently one of the specialist consultants advising on Convergence, the joint initiative for far-reaching collaboration in medical and engineering

sciences involving Erasmus University, Erasmus MC and TU Delft. He was at the forefront of the shared vision to promote health and organise modern healthcare and efforts to achieve this vision by means of deep-rooted multidisciplinary collaboration within the organisations. This will have an impact on the overall organisation of healthcare in the Netherlands and beyond.

Prof. Goossens is a connector and bridge-builder. He also applies his passion for bringing together healthcare and design in his teaching. He is adept at sparking interest in his work and vision among both staff and students alike. In 1996, he initiated the successful 'Medisign' Master's track, now responsible for more than a thousand innovative ideas in healthcare, which is making a major contribution to future healthcare scenarios.

Richard Goossens studied Mechanical Engineering at TU Delft. He was awarded his doctorate in 1994 at Erasmus University Rotterdam for his thesis entitled ‘Biomechanics of body support’. He has worked at TU Delft’s Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering since 1996. In 2009, Richard Goossens was appointed Professor of Physical Ergonomics. In 2012, he became Medical Delta Professor and, in 2017, Chairman of the Delft Health Initiative. He has also been Departmental Director of the Human-Centered Design department since 2015.