Dr. Harro Van Lente

Biography

Harro van Lente is a full professor of Science and Technology Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Maastricht University. He is considered one of the founding figures in the sociology of expectations, focusing on how representations of the future shape current socio-technical developments. With over 140 publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and edited volumes, his work explores themes related to technology dynamics, innovation policy, and knowledge production. In 2018, he received the EASST Freeman Award for his contributions, including co-editing the book 'Emerging Technologies: Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease' published by Palgrave Macmillan. His expertise encompasses areas such as sustainable development, foreseeing scientific advancements, and governance systems. Van Lente graduated from the University of Twente in physics and philosophy of science and technology. His career has included roles as a research manager at Inspire Foundation and as a consultant at KPMG, in addition to teaching Innovation Studies at Utrecht University for 15 years. He has also served as a program director in the NanoNextNL consortium and a visiting professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His current research interests include emerging technologies, smart industry, and space tourism.

Research Interests