Michiel van Ratingen

Dr. Michiel van Ratingen (born 1966) is a leading figure in international vehicle safety assessment. He studied at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, earning MSc and PDEng degrees, and completed his PhD through Eindhoven University of Technology and the Medical University of Maastricht.

He began his career in 1995 at TNO Automotive, joining the Crash Safety Research and Development unit, where he contributed to advancements in vehicle crash performance and occupant protection. In 2005, he became Technical Director at First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS) in the U.S., overseeing global engineering activities. His responsibilities included the design and validation of crash test dummies, sensor technologies, and computational models used worldwide in automotive safety testing.

Since 2007, Dr. van Ratingen has served as Secretary General of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) in Belgium. In this role, he has led significant updates to vehicle safety rating protocols, notably introducing and expanding crash avoidance technology testing, helping shift industry focus toward active safety and driver assistance systems.

He is a trustee of Global NCAP in the UK and technical consultant to Latin NCAP. His honours include the TNO Crash Safety Award, the Bertil Aldman Award, the U.S. Government Special Award of Appreciation and the Automotive Safety Council Pathfinder Award.