Wouter de Heij
Ir. Wouter Bernardus Cornelius de Heij (born 8 March 1973, Lelystad, Netherlands) is a Dutch chemical process engineer and food technologist, active since 1998 in food innovation, process technology, and sustainable food systems. He holds a degree in Chemical Technology (Scheikundige Procestechnologie) from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and has worked over more than 27 years at the intersection of food science, industrial engineering, and innovation policy. He is the owner of Food4Innovations Holding b.v., through which he operates as an independent researcher, strategic adviser, part-time C-level executive, and investor.
De Heij is associated with the Wageningen food innovation ecosystem, having started his career at ATO-DLO (now Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, WFBR) and subsequently co-founded and directed TOP b.v. — a private contract research and development organisation in Wageningen — from 2006 to 2024. He was a shareholder and investment manager at BOX N.V. (Blue Ocean Xlerator) from 2018 to 2025. He is a board member of GMV (part of FME), the Dutch industry association for machine builders in food, pharma, and agri-tech. Since several years he is also involved in Dutch nitrogen policy, including participation in Commissie Schoof and various regional nitrogen area processes.
Personal profile
| Full name | Wouter Bernardus Cornelius de Heij |
| Title | ir. (MSc Chemical Technology, TU Delft) |
| Born | 8 March 1973, Zuidelijke IJsselmeerpolders (Lelystad) |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Location | Wageningen, Netherlands |
| Holding company | Food4Innovations Holding b.v. (2006–present) |
| Website | wouterdeheij.nl · food4innovations.blog |
Education
| Period | Institution | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 1985–1990 | Almere College, Kampen | HAVO |
| 1990–1992 | Almere College, Kampen | VWO |
| 1992–1998 | TU Delft, Faculty of Applied Sciences | ir. (MSc) Chemical Technology |
At TU Delft, De Heij specialised in process and factory design, multi-physics modelling, bioprocess technology (at the Kluyver Laboratory), microbiology including fermentation, downstream processing (DSP), explosion safety, and HAZOP methodology.
Career
ATO-DLO / WFBR — Wageningen UR (1998–2006)
De Heij began his professional career at ATO-DLO (Agrotechnological Research Institute), which later became Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) within Wageningen University & Research. His work focused on:
- Food technology and food process technology
- Food safety, including risk inventory, HACCP, and microbiology
- Hygienic design of machines and production lines
- Novel preservation technologies: HPP (pascalisation), PEF (pulsed electric field), microwave (MW), and RF (radio frequency) heating
This period established his technical expertise in minimal processing technologies that later became the core focus of TOP b.v.
TOP b.v. — Managing Director (2006–2024)
De Heij co-founded TOP b.v. in Wageningen in 2006 and served as its managing director until 2024. Under his leadership, TOP operated as a private contract R&D organisation serving the food industry nationally and internationally. His work at TOP covered four main domains:
Food Design (NPD): Development of fresh processed products including cut vegetables, soups, sauces, meal components, and complete meals. From its founding, TOP focused on plant-based products including meat, fish, protein, and dairy alternatives. Food safety risk analysis was an integral component of all NPD projects.
Process Development: Design and realisation of production lines and factories (both brownfield and greenfield), including CAPEX and OPEX calculations. More than ten factories were realised in fifteen years, with De Heij involved as lead designer and/or steering committee member.
Technology development: Scale-up of laboratory technologies to pilot, zero-series, and industrial scale. Technologies developed or scaled include HPP, PEF, AMAP, PATS, high-moisture extrusion (HME), RF heating, and botanical extraction (CBD, lycopene, beta-carotene via Phytonext).
R&D project acquisition: Set-up and management of funded research consortia under schemes including FND, EFRO, MIT, and EU programmes (Horizon, Eurostars). De Heij has served on assessment committees for these programmes. Tens of millions of euros in project funding were awarded to TOP-led or TOP-involved consortia over the period.
Food4Innovations Holding b.v. (2006–present)
Food4Innovations Holding b.v. is De Heij’s personal holding company, through which he operates across four service areas:
- Part-time C-level management (CEO or CTO roles) within portfolio or client companies
- Strategic advisory to international food chains and retail, and on innovation policy and food system complexity
- Media and public commentary on the theme The Future of Food, including the publishing platforms food4innovations.blog, theheathnexus.net, theheathmedia.net, and theheathpress.net; and blogs including StikstofInfo.net, Klimaatfeiten.net, and SoftPaleo.blog
- Business development and R&D project sales
Holland Food Ventures (2007–2023)
De Heij was a co-founder and shareholder of Holland Food Ventures, a precursor investment vehicle to BOX N.V. Through Holland Food Ventures he co-founded:
- Ojah b.v. (Ochten) — producer of plant-based meat alternatives using high-moisture extrusion (HME)
- Cool Wave Processing b.v. (Wageningen) — PEF 2.0 cold pasteurisation technology, later operating as Pure Pulse
- Pascal Processing b.v. (Helmond) — HPP toll-manufacturing
Holland Food Ventures was folded into BOX N.V. in 2023.
Innovation broker — Food & Nutrition Delta (2007–2012)
De Heij served as an innovation broker for Food & Nutrition Delta (FND), the predecessor of the current Topsector Agrifood, assisting in the set-up of approximately ten collaborative R&D projects.
BOX N.V. — Shareholder and Investment Manager (2018–2025)
De Heij was a shareholder and investment manager at BOX N.V. (Blue Ocean Xlerator), the Wageningen-based food and life science incubator co-founded by Bert Tournois and Herman Feil. Through BOX, De Heij was involved as investor and/or co-founder in:
| Company | Description |
|---|---|
| Bflike b.v. | Meat alternative products; joint venture with Cargill |
| Dutch Structuring Technologies b.v. | Continuous plant protein structuring (Sheartex); with Fuji Oil and Sobatech |
| Zero Carb Company b.v. | Low/zero-carbohydrate foods; joint venture with Bakkerij Wiltink |
| Eatch b.v. | Robotic kitchen platform for automated meal production |
| Advanced Biotics b.v. | Postbiotics and gut health |
| SoilWise b.v. | Soil health and soil restoration |
| Phytonext b.v. | One-step extraction of phytochemicals (CBD, THC, lycopene, beta-carotene, curcumin) |
| Like Fresh b.v. | Fermented plant-based dairy products |
| Blue Atmosphere | PSA nitrogen generators |
De Heij’s involvement with BOX N.V. ended in 2025.
GMV Board member (2016–present)
De Heij serves as a board member of GMV, the Dutch industry association of machine builders active in food, pharma, and agri-tech sectors. GMV is a constituent of FME, the principal Dutch employers’ association for the technology industry.
Factory and engineering projects
As part of TOP b.v., De Heij was involved in the design, engineering, and/or realisation of more than 30 food production facilities in the Netherlands and internationally. Selected completed projects include:
Design, engineering, and realisation
| Facility | Country | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh-cut vegetable factory | Netherlands | — |
| Processed onion factory | Netherlands | — |
| Cold-pressed juice production line | Netherlands | — |
| HPP toll-manufacturing facility | Netherlands | — |
| Production line for dips | Netherlands | — |
| Nespresso-cup coffee facility | Netherlands | — |
| Large dairy facility (milk and butter) | Portugal | 2015–2018 |
| Mayonnaise production facility | Portugal | — |
| CBD hemp extraction facility | Germany | — |
| CBD/THC extraction facility (pharma) | Netherlands | — |
| High-pressure juice facility | Spain | — |
| RF in-pack sterilisation pilot facility | Netherlands | — |
| Meat replacer factory | Netherlands | — |
| Meat replacer factory | Turkey | — |
| Meat replacer factory (HME) | Netherlands | — |
| Robotised kitchen for RTE meals | Netherlands | 2021–2023 |
| Inline soup UHT line | Netherlands | — |
Design and engineering
Additional design and engineering projects without full realisation involvement include facilities in Poland (plant protein fractionation and texturation), Bulgaria (meal factory), Saudi Arabia (meal factory), United Kingdom (functional water), South Africa and Mexico (meat alternatives), Romania (blueberry puree), Turkey (milk), and land development projects in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Burundi.
Selected notable projects
Portuguese dairy factory (2015–2018): Full project delivery of a large dairy facility producing yogurt, butter, and milk for the largest supermarket chain in Portugal. Responsibilities spanned pre-design, supplier selection, budgeting, project planning, detailed design, and construction supervision.
Sheartex — continuous plant protein structuring technology (2017–2019): Development and patenting of a new method for continuously structuring plant proteins as an alternative to high-moisture extrusion (HME). The technology is now operational at Dutch Structuring Technologies (DST) b.v.
Eatch robotic kitchen (2021–2023): Technical project leadership for the development of an automated robotic kitchen for ready-to-eat meal production. De Heij managed the research phase and led technical realisation of the first pilot and first zero-series machine, now operational.
Phytonext extraction scale-up (2019–2020): Scale-up, development, and technical project management of a new phytochemical extraction method. The extraction process is operational in a facility in Germany.
Plant protein fractionation factory Poland (2022–2025): Lead architect and technical project leader for a factory pre-design combining protein fractionation with structured protein production from locally grown legumes, including full utilities design, factory layout, and CAPEX/OPEX calculations.
Plant-based dairy factory (2023–2025): Pre-design of a new facility for fermented plant-based yogurt, cream cheese, and milk, covering both a pilot line and a full-scale production factory.
Nitrogen and environmental policy
In addition to food technology, De Heij has been active in Dutch nitrogen policy from the scientific and analytical perspective. He participated in Commissie Schoof, a Dutch governmental advisory body on nitrogen, and has been involved in various regional area processes (gebiedsprocessen). In 2026, he co-authored the report and position paper “De Nederlandse stikstofcrisis: Van verwarring naar verbinding” (wiki) together with researchers from Wageningen University & Research (Gerard Ros, Han van Dobben, Wim de Vries) and legal and policy experts. The paper was presented at a technical briefing in the Dutch parliament (Tweede Kamer) on 13 May 2026.
He maintains analytical blogs on nitrogen, climate, and energy at StikstofInfo.net and Klimaatfeiten.net.
Publications, patents, and training
| Category | Volume |
|---|---|
| Scientific publications | > 10 |
| Patents (national and international) | > 10 |
| Project management training sessions | > 30 (approx. 400 participants) |
| Hygienic design training sessions (EHEDG) | > 15 (approx. 200 participants) |
Technical tools: Comsol (multi-physics simulation), VBA, MS Office suite, MS Visio, WordPress, Pascal, Python.