Evert-jan joined IDS in 2018. He is a researcher with an interest in development economics, in particular around value chain development, international trade and investments, and private sector development. He is part of Business, Markets and the State Cluster, which investigates how and under what conditions businesses and market systems enable or constrain pathways for positive development, and the role of the state in these processes.

Within BMAS he was involved in research on trade negotiations, the effectiveness of business support measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, meaningful participation for economic advancement, and research on the impact of private sector development interventions on youth employment.

He also worked for several years for the former K4D programme, supporting learning and the use of evidence to improve the impact of development policy and programmes for FCDO. Part of the K4D programme, he worked as lead researcher for Learning Journeys, such as on Changing Food Systems and Supporting a Demographic Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Evert-jan previously worked as a knowledge broker for the Food & Business Knowledge Platform and The Broker in the Netherlands. He has a broad experience in the development sector, working as a journalist, policy advisor and researcher. He is the author of the book ‘Het Onzichtbare Label’ (Dutch – The Invisible Label, KIT Publishers, 2009), which is a personal search to understand the complexity of international value chains. He has an MSc in International Economics & Economic Geography from the University of Utrecht.