Management team

The Scientific Director is responsible for the scientific program and chairs the Programme Board. The director functions as the official representative of the center.

In September 2025, Prof. Dirk Pleiter became CoginGron’s new Scientific Director, succeeding founding director Prof. Beatriz Noheda. Dirk joined the CogniGron team as Professor of Computer Architectures in 2024, and also has a part-time affiliation at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he is a professor of HPC. He started his career as a physicist, but after getting involved in the design of special-purpose high-performance computing (HPC) systems, he became a computer scientist.

At CogniGron, he aims to carry out research and development efforts related to the integration of neuromorphic computing devices in computer architectures, with a special interest in bringing neuromorphic and high-performance computing together.

The Managing Director translates the center's ambitious goals into a multi-year strategy, ensuring its development as a central player in the neuromorphic computing ecosystem. They bridge science and industry, lead the program team, manage operations and partnerships, and co-develop innovation plans with the Scientific Director.

Jesse Siegers joined CogniGron in 2025 as the new Managing Director, succeeding former interim Managing Directors Annechien Pronk and Sander Baesjou.

The Programme Board is responsible for determining the scientific strategy, for the daily running of the scientific programme, the allocation of budget, as well as the recruitment of new staff.

Prof. dr. Tamalika Banerjee

Professor Physics of Nanodevices

e-mail: t.banerjee rug.nl
More information can be found at her personal page

Prof. dr. Georgi Gaydadjiev

Professor Innovative Computer Architectures

e-mail: g.gaydadjiev rug.nl
More information can be found at his personal page

Prof. dr. Maria Antonietta Loi

Professor Photophysics and Optoelectronics

e-mail: m.a.loi rug.nl
More information can be found at her personal page

Prof. dr. Lambert Schomaker

Professor Artificial Intelligence

e-mail: l.r.b.schomaker rug.nl
More information can be found at his personal page

Dr. Alef Sterk

Assistant Professor Dynamical Systems, Geometry, and Mathematical Physics

e-mail: a.e.sterk rug.nl
More information can be found at his personal page

Prof. dr. Niels Taatgen

Professor Artificial Intelligence and Director Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

e-mail: n.a.taatgen rug.nl
More information can be found at his personal page

Prof. dr. Moniek Tromp

Professor Materials Chemistry and Director Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials

e-mail: moniek.tromp rug.nl
More information can be found at her personal page

Advisor to the Programme Board

Prof. dr. ir. Ton Engbersen

University of Groningen, Netherlands

The Coordinating Office assists the Scientific Director and the Board in all aspects of their management, outreach and commmunication activities.

Luisella Kraak

Management Assistant

E-mail: l.j.kraak rug.nl | cognigron rug.nl

Dr. Judith Paridaen

Scientific Coordinator

E-mail: j.t.m.l.paridaen rug.nl

Ester van Wijhe

Marketing & Communications

E-mail: e.van.wijhe rug.nl

The Supervisory Board approves the budget and reviews with the Progamme board the long-term strategy of the program at a yearly basis. It also supervises and discusses with the Programme Board significant changes in focus and implementation. The board consists of the Vice President of the board of the University of Groningen, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) and the Managing Director of the FSE.

drs. Hans Biemans

Member of the Board of the University of Groningen

tel:+31 50 363 6578
e-mail: J.A.W.M.Biemans rug.nl

Prof. dr. Joost Frenken

Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering

tel:+31 50 36 34617;
e-mail: j.w.m.frenken rug.nl

Dr. mr. Esther Marije Klop

Managing director of the Faculty of Science and Engineering

tel:+31 50 36 338945;
e-mail: e.m.klop rug.nl

CogniGron is proud to count on an external advisory board of international renowned experts. The role of the Strategic Advisory Board is to advise the Scientific Director and the Programme Board on the scientific merits of research plans and assist in delineating new scientific directions.

Prof. dr. G. Indiveri
Professor Neuromorphic Cognitive Systems and Director of the Institute of Neuroinformatics UZH / ETH Zurich, Switzerland
For more information, click here.

Prof. dr. J. Grollier
Professor Nanodevices for Bio-Inspired Computing and Chair of the interdisciplinary research network GDR BioComp CNRS/Thales, Franc
For more information, click here.

Prof. dr. I. K. Schuller
Professor Nanoscience and Director of QMEENC (Quantum Materials for Energy Efficient Neuromorphic Computing) Department of Physics and Centre for Advanced Nanoscience, University of California, San Diego, USA
For more information, click here.

dr. Y. B. van de Burgt
Assistant Professor in Microsystems group Institute of Complex Molecular Studies (ICMS), TU Eindhoven, Netherlands
For more information, click here.

Prof. dr. ir. W. G. van der Wiel
Professor of Nano Electronics and Director of the Centre for Brain-Inspired Electronics (BRAINS) University of Twente, Netherlands
For more information, click here.

Prof. dr. C. Eliasmith
Professor Philosophy and Systems Design Engineering, and cross-appointed to Computer Science and Director of the Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience University of Waterloo, Canada
For more information, click here

Prof. dr. T. Kenyon
Professor of Nanoelectronic & Nanophotonic Materials University College London, United Kingdom
For more information, click here

Prof. Regina Dittmann
Director Electronic Materials (PGI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH - Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI) and Professor Elektrotechnik, RWTH Aachen, Germany
For more information, click here.

Dr. Amir Zjajo
Chief Scientist, Innatera Nanosystems, Rijswijk, Netherlands
For more information, click here

Dr. Maarten Voncken
Head of Research Metrology, ASML, Veldhoven, Netherlands
For more information, click here

Dr. Omar Niamut
TNO innovation for life, Director of Science, The Hague, Netherlands
For more information, click here