Alumnus testimonial
Carlos – Founder Greencovery
Carlos came from Panamá to Wageningen for an MSc in Biotechnology, with a specialisation in Process Technology. Before coming to the university, he studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Costa Rica.
I am glad of the experience gained during my master’s. I really enjoyed the applied focus of my MSc track that complemented my previous education.
Could you tell us more about your work experience after your master’s?
"During my master’s, I focused on recovering valuable compounds from waste streams. However, I was always interested to learn about the market of those products and the main requirements for their introduction. To learn about this, I went to work at a chemical company (Hexion) in Pernis, Rotterdam for a couple of years.
After that, I came back to Wageningen to work for a start-up company before starting my PhD at the Bioprocess Engineering Group at Delft University of Technology. During my PhD, we worked on a separation technology to recover carboxylic acids from diluted aqueous waste streams. We developed a new technology that upgrades the carboxylic acids to valuable products in a two-step system."
What is your current job? Is this what you always wanted to do?
"After my PhD, I decided to find a way to bring our newly developed technology to the market. Instead of finding a job at a company, I decided to start my own company. I came back to Wageningen and started a part-time postdoc at the Biobased Chemistry and Technology Group at WUR. And I started my start-up Greencovery B.V. with the support of StartLife.
Greencovery enables leading food companies to produce sustainable ingredients from their production side-streams. We help our customers to reach their sustainability goals and reduce their CO2-emissions while upcycling value from their side-streams. These are really exciting times for our young company, and it is something that I always wanted to do, bring a scientific breakthrough to market implementation."
How did studying at Wageningen University & Research prepare you for your career?
"The influence that Wageningen University has on my career and our start-up is notorious. At Greencovery, we want to contribute to a sustainable world by facilitating the production of high-quality ingredients from side-streams. And this is something learned during my studies.
Back then we focussed on applying technology to solve important sustainability problems. During my master’s, I learned to collaborate and work towards improving the quality of life for people everywhere. That combination of applied and technical focus is what makes Wageningen University so special."