Luc Van den Hove
TLDR
Luc Van den Hove is the long-serving President and CEO of imec, stepping into the Chair role in April 2026 after 17 years leading the Leuven semiconductor research institute.
Overview
Born 1 March 1960 in Turnhout, Van den Hove earned his PhD in electrical engineering at KU Leuven and joined imec in its founding year of 1984 as a researcher in silicide and interconnect technologies. He rose through the organisation over four decades, holding roles including manager of the micro-patterning group, department director, vice president of silicon process and device technology, and from 2007 EVP and Chief Operating Officer.
Van den Hove has been President and CEO of imec since 1 July 2009. During his first decade in the role, imec's revenue grew from EUR 275M to nearly EUR 600M. In 2016 he led the merger between imec and digital research centre iMinds, integrating chip technology with artificial intelligence and security research. Under his tenure imec expanded into new domains including quantum computing, life sciences, and sustainable agriculture.
In 2023 Van den Hove was awarded the IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal for his leadership in building a worldwide nanoelectronics research ecosystem. He also serves as a part-time professor at the KU Leuven Faculty of Engineering Science and on the board of Proximus. Effective 1 April 2026, he transitions from CEO to Chairman of the Board at imec, with Patrick Vandenameele succeeding him as CEO.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc_Van_den_hove
- https://www.imec-int.com/en/articles/lab-leadership-luc-van-den-hove-reflects-remarkable-journey-researcher-imec-ceo
- https://www.imec-int.com/en/press/leadership-transition-imec-luc-van-den-hove-becomes-chairman-patrick-vandenameele-appointed
- https://be.linkedin.com/in/luc-van-den-hove-012b83197