After obtaining his PhD in 1991, professor de Haan worked in various positions at DSM. From 1999-2006 he held the chair separation technology at the University of Twente and from 2006-2010 the chair Process Systems Engineering at the Technical University of Eindhoven. In 2010 he joined Corbion-Purac as corporate scientist process technology. In 2016, professor de Haan was appointed principal technologist at the Cosun Innovation Centre, which he combines with a part-time professor position in process technology at Delft University of Technology since 2014.

He authored >350 papers and contributed to >50 patent applications. He has written the textbooks “Industrial Separation Processes”, “Process Technology” and “Product and Process Design”, all published by De Gruyter GmbH.

His main responsibility in Delft is the product and process design education program at MSc and EngD level. Current research activities focus on technologies for the intensification of biobased chemicals production.