On January 28, 2023, Jacob Wisse passed away at the age of 84.

Jacob was the founder and first chairman of the KIVI Wind Technology Steering Group, which was established in 1988. He has meant a lot to the development of wind technology in the Netherlands and abroad.

Jacob studied applied physics in Delft, and after graduating he joined the KNMI. He was a member of the second Dutch-Belgian expedition to Antarctica in 1965 and studied the ozone in the atmosphere there.

Since 1979, Jacob has been a professor at the Faculty of Architecture at Eindhoven University of Technology, first part-time, and from 1989 full-time. His research focused on the interaction of the outdoor climate with the indoor climate of buildings. His special interest was the influence of the wind on the built environment, a field that has come to be called wind technology.

During his career at Eindhoven University of Technology, Jacob worked hard to develop wind technology and promote its application in practice. The establishment of the steering group was the first step in this direction. During his presidency, symposia were organized annually, often together with another trade association, technical working groups were put to work and a course was developed for constructors. The result of the working groups build the basis for NEN 8100 for testing the local wind climate in the built environment and CUR Recommendation 103 for wind tunnel research into the definition of design wind loads on (high) buildings and parts thereof.

Jacob chaired the organization of the 3rd European and African Conference on Wind Engineering, which was organized in Eindhoven in 2001. In 2011 he was honorary chairman of the 13th International Conference on Wind Engineering in Amsterdam.

We also remember Jacob as a pleasant person to work with and always interested in the lives of the people around him, whether you were a student, employee or director. For Jacob, a dinner with a good drink was just as important as the scientific discussion. On February 4, we said goodbye to our dear friend in style.

Chris Geurts, chairman KIVI Steering Group Wind Technology, chairman of 13ICWE Eddy Willemsen, former board member of the KIVI Wind Technology Steering Group, member of the NEN standards committee for wind nuisance and wind hazard in the built environment