Ilya Pijpen joined the ARCTIK team in February 2024. Prior to this, he obtained both his BSc and MSc degrees in Biology, specialising in ecology and biodiversity, from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). For his master’s thesis, he shifted focus from pure ecological research to studying social-ecological resilience assessment tools, exploring their application in support of development projects in Burundi.  

At Arctik, Ilya contributes to the communication efforts for both the Horizon 2020 project ‘PolarRES’ and the EU Ecolabel, the European Union’s official voluntary ecolabel. In these roles, he draws on his scientific background, passion for a green and sustainable future, and creative skills to engage a broad audience. His work covers a wide range of tasks, including science communication, video editing, public relations, social media, writing articles, and more. 

He is fluent in Dutch and English and has a good command of French.