Koen Quataert is R&D Team Lead and Innovation Manager at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) in Ghent, Belgium, where he spearheads innovation in gas fermentation and downstream processing. With almost a decade of experience in industrial biotechnology, he has built a strong track record in scaling CO₂-based bioprocesses from lab to pilot scale, working across a portfolio of projects ranging from microbial protein and bioplastics to advanced chemicals.

At BBEPP, Koen leads a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists, managing multiple industrial and EU-funded collaborations. His expertise spans bioprocess intensification, continuous fermentation, techno-economic analysis, and regulatory compliance (including CE/ATEX standards). A key engineering achievement was the design and commissioning of the Bio Base Mobile Pilot Plant, a transportable pilot unit enabling validation of gas fermentation processes directly on industrial sites.

He plays a central role in regional and EU projects and has collaborated with partners worldwide, including leading academic institutes and industrial players in steel, waste-to-chemicals, and biotech. Driven by a passion for sustainable innovation, Koen’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by harnessing the power of biotechnology to convert CO₂ and renewable resources into valuable products at scale.