About Harmen Wierenga

Harmen Wierenga works on the development of software that can predict water movement. D-Hydro is our flagship product in this area. This software is crucial for much of the work Deltares is involved in, such as evaluating flood hazards, salt intrusion levels, and the impact of projects on ecology. The challenge is to make this software future-proof and more explainable without losing its current value and the close collaboration with domain experts.

After studying theoretical physics at the universities of Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Bonn, Harmen completed a PhD in biophysics at the AMOLF research institute. There, he investigated how cell division is influenced at the molecular level by friction effects and force generation by proteins. During this research, he developed an interest in programming and writing software that can be maintained more easily. After a job as a programmer at Siemens, he is now actively involved in the development of D-Hydro. Additionally, he helps to establish a technical vision within the department.

Harmen is motivated by learning new physics and software techniques. "It's fantastic to solve puzzles while simultaneously contributing to solutions that impact society."