Scholar, aviation expert and visionary educator
It is with shock and dismay that we received the utterly unexpected news of the death of Dr. Hans Heerkens on April 6th, at the age of 66.
Hans was a highly respected assistant professor in the Industrial Engineering and Business Information Systems section at the University of Twente. His dedication to education and research has left an indelible mark on our academic community.
Hans was renowned for his expertise in research methodology and aviation. Early in his career, he served as the internship coordinator, where he travelled across the country on his motorbike to establish internship placements and visit students on-site, ensuring a hands-on and personalised approach. He is one of the founding fathers of the 'Managerial Problem-Solving Method (MPSM)'. This framework has been instrumental in guiding students and professionals through complex problem-solving processes. Consequently, references to Hans' work are prevalent in the vast majority of student theses, especially from the bachelor and master programs in Industrial Engineering and Management.
Aviation was Hans's lifelong passion, earning him international recognition as a leading expert. He frequently appeared in the media, with over 900 features in newspapers, radio, and television, solidifying his status as the Netherlands' most sought-after media expert on airspace matters. Hans consistently received the UT in the Media Award, underscoring his significant public engagement. He has also served for decades as a columnist for the magazine Piloot & Vliegtuig. At the University of Twente, Hans established courses on aviation, including the minor in 'Aerospace Management & Operations', inspiring countless students with his expertise and enthusiasm by connecting them to various industry stakeholders and even with an excursion to the aviation museum Aviodrome, guided by himself.
In recent years, Hans focused on 'Unmanned Cargo Aircraft (UCA)' or 'Cargo Drones'. He founded and chaired the Platform for Unmanned Cargo Aircraft (PUCA), bringing together governmental, business, and other stakeholders to develop use cases, advise on policies, and plan demonstration flights for unmanned aircraft. Hans’ inexhaustible motivation was the driving force behind PUCA’s achievements, amongst others, the annual organisation of an international UCA conference. Hans made plans to extend his efforts to the knowledge centre XL CargoDrones. His visionary ideas were ahead of their time, and years after his plans for PUCA and XL CargoDrones, we now see the first UCA in operation. A notable example is his collaboration with 'Wings for Aid', which deploys UCA for humanitarian missions. Recently, the World Food Programme delivered life-saving nutrition supplies to remote communities in Madagascar using unmanned aircraft.
Hans' contributions extended beyond academia; he was a mentor and a friend for many of us, always optimistic and eloquent. Hans thought in opportunities: the glass is half-full. We will miss him. We extend our deepest condolences to Hans’ relatives and wish them strength in coping with this great loss.
