In May 2023, Silvia Lenaerts was appointed Rector Magnificus of Eindhoven University of Technology, becoming the first female to hold this position. At TU/e, she continues to work on the university's mission to educate future professionals, drive research innovation, and create socio-economic value through collaboration with industry and public sector stakeholders.

Silvia Lenaerts has made significant contributions in industry and academia. She was the first chemist to earn a PhD at imec and KU Leuven. Afterwards, she founded Heraeus Sensor-Nite, developing gas sensor technology that was acquired by Bosch. She then led the air purification technology program at Seghers Better Technology and expanded her strategic expertise at Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, where she earned the Lead Assessor certification.

Since 2002, Lenaerts has worked with the European Commission as an expert and advisor on various initiatives, including the EU’s Framework Programs. She serves on the EUA Research and Innovation Strategy Group, and was in the Innovation Ecosystems Expert Group, and the Green Deal Task and Finish Group. In 2022, she joined the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) as a board member.

In 2008, Lenaerts founded the research group DuEL, on sustainable energy and air purification, at the University of Antwerp, where she later became full professor. She supervised 25 PhD students and led efforts to expand the Department of Bio-science Engineering, resulting in the faculty’s largest bachelor’s program. She also helped launch a new Sustainable Urban Engineering master’s program with KU Leuven and UGent in 2022.

From 2008 to 2015, Lenaerts served as president of IMDO and coordinated the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in Belgium. In 2016, she became Vice-Rector for Valorisation & Development at the University of Antwerp, overseeing the creation of three open innovation hubs: The Beacon, BlueApp, and Vaccinopolis. Under her leadership, the university saw a significant increase in industrial partnerships and the establishment of new spin-offs.