Michiel Scheffer (1964) is President of the European Innovation Council. Michiel Scheffer is the Founder and CEO of Polisema BV, which worked as an adviser and investor for start-ups in various fields, including ICT, technical textiles, medical textiles, medical devices, energy storage, and biorefinery.
He was also the Founder and CEO of Noéton Policy in Innovation BV from 2000 until 2015, which offered consulting services to firms in innovation management, program management, and public affairs. During this time, he managed multiple EU-funded projects and was elected regional party leader three times. As the regional Minister of Gelderland, he was nominated for the best regional politician in the Netherlands in 2018. He collaborated with over 20 universities and more than 200 partners across the EU in large R&D Projects. Furthermore, he authored over 100 publications, which include scientific articles, edited books, and newspaper opinions. He also completed his PhD dissertation at Utrecht University, which focused on 'Trading Places, fashion, retailers, and the changing geography of clothing production,' examining the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the UK.