Patrick Vandenameele takes the helm at imec
The Board of Directors of imec has appointed Patrick Vandenameele as the next Chief Executive Officer. Effective April 1, 2026, he will succeed current CEO Luc Van den hove, who will then assume the role of Chair of imec’s Board of Directors.
After 17 years of leadership as CEO of imec, Luc Van den hove will take on the position of Chairman of the Board. In this new role, Luc will focus on executive stakeholder management and will continue to provide strategic guidance, supporting the new CEO and safeguarding imec’s long-term strategy.
The transition to the new leadership structure has been prepared over the past two years, which according to imec will ensure a seamless and stable handover.
Patrick Vandenameele has been appointed as the next CEO and will assume full leadership responsibility for the organisation. Patrick’s roots at imec go back to 1996, when he joined as a researcher in wireless communication. He went on to build an international career as a deeptech entrepreneur, returning in 2017 to strengthen imec’s venturing activities. Since 2021, Patrick has been a part in shaping imec's R&D strategy, most recently in his role as Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, preparing him to lead imec into its next chapter.