About Eu-Sol
Find out more about this project.
An introduction to the aims of EU-SOL and how we plan to achieve them. Plus read about the organisations and people working on this project.
Huib de Vriend
Huib half way through a cycle race
Photographer: Unknown. Copyright free
Organisation: LIS Consult
Job title: Consultant Life Sciences & Society
What do you do?
It is my task to develop interaction between the scientists and companies involved in EU-SOL and a range of stakeholders, focusing on consumer organisations. This means I do surveys and interviews to find out what consumer organisations, growers, food industries and retailers think about EU-SOL, discuss the results with the project partners, and develop a communication strategy. I am also producing a newsletter that provides an interested public with up-to-date information about EU-SOL’s goals, the people involved in the project and their work (by means of interviews). And finally, I am involved in setting up a web-based discussion on several topics that are related to EU-SOL.
How did you get involved in the project?
I have been involved in the societal debate on agro and food biotechnology since 1985 and have always been trying to get society involved in decisions about new developments in science and technology. I think it is important that those decisions take into account the social, economic and ethical issues that are considered important in our society. I also believe strongly that we need new technologies to provide mankind with sufficient and healthy food and raw materials that can be used for industrial products, such as biomaterials, produced in a sustainable way.
Pieces of me
What do you currently have on your bedside table?
A compilation of the best 250 short stories from Dutch literature.
What brings you back to the real world at the end of the day?
Riding my bicycle at 35 kms an hour gets it all out!
you weren’t yourself which person (historical or otherwise) would you most like to be?
Wim Wenders, a German movie director who made some of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Having the experience of making that kind of movies must be GREAT.
What’s the best bit of advice you’ve ever received?
Start your own company, you can do it!
What’s one exciting thing that has happened to you in the course of your work?
Participating in a conference on synthetic biology in Berkeley, California. The spirit of scientists and students was just amazing!
What would be your one desert island luxury?
A few pencils and a lot of paper, so I could finally start writing a story book for children.
What’s one thing about science you wish the public understood better?
In general, I think the public understands science quite well, except for being unpredictable.
A friend has just invited themselves to dinner, what will they be getting?
One of my risottos, probably the one with pumpkin, goat cheese and fresh herbs.
If you had a megaphone what would you be shouting from the roof tops?
Let’s stop being swayed by the issues of the day!
What do you think the next big thing will be?
Algae? Traces of RNA in the ice on Mars? Could be anything.
