Meet Dr. -Ing. Jeroen De Backer: Our Co-Founder and Technical Director
We are proud to introduce Jeroen De Backer, our Co-Founder and Technical Director. Jeroen (pronounced “Ye-Roon”) is one of Europe’s foremost Friction Stir Welding (FSW) experts, bringing over 15 years of Friction Stir Welding knowledge and thought leadership to the business.
Education and FSW Expertise
Jeroen earned his Master of Science degree in Electrical Automation Engineering from KU Leuven, Belgium.
He holds a Licentiate degree in machine design from Lund University, Sweden, and a doctoral degree in Production Technology from University West, Sweden where he continues to teach and supervise MSc and PhD students, sharing his knowledge and passion.
Career
Jeroen’s passion for innovation and sustainability led him to focus on FSW with both his MSc and PhD on the subject. He worked within the Friction and Forge Processes group at The Welding Institute (TWI) for 10 years. Jeroen is also active as a guest lecturer at University West, teaching and supervising students within welding and automation.
He has a strong track record for leading and delivering on national and EU research projects. Some highlights include:
- – Lead coordinator for the Clean Sky 2 OASIS project, developing a ‘rivetless’ aircraft door by laser beam and friction stir welding.
- – Coordinator and researcher in various Swedish national research projects such as Stirolight & EVAStir (Vinnova) and ARoStir (the Knowledge foundation).
- – Coordinator for the Innovate UK project StirCoat, developing tool life enhancing coatings for FSW tools.
His commitment to advancing robotics and FSW has attracted global interest and provides essential knowledge for applying FSW techniques in industry. He has authored over 20 journal papers and actively participates in international conferences and workshops. You can access the list of publications on his Google Scholar profile.
In his spare time
When he’s not thinking about welding and robots you might find Jeroen with his young family, hiking or mountain biking in the Peak District.
We are delighted to have him at StirLight where he will use his experience to bring FSW into the UK supply chain.