9. Emar Gemmeke

I am Emar Gemmeke, born in Maastricht and raised among different languages and cultures. From an early age, I learned that Europeans may differ, but ultimately have a lot in common. I have now been working for the national government in the international economic domain for 25 years. Together with my wife Corine, I have three children in secondary school. Leiden has a special place in my heart: a city where knowledge, innovation and cooperation come together. I want to encourage younger Volters to join the municipal council and support them in their cooperation with our neighbouring municipalities. My passion lies in connecting the university, businesses and the city. For us Leidenaars, it is important that our innovation clusters – Leiden Bio Science Park, NL Space Campus and Unmanned Valley (drone technology) – can continue to grow.