Johan Neerman (born 24 May 1959) is a Belgium architect, system thinker, inventor focusing on mobility.
Johan Neerman was born in Kortrijk, West Flanders, Belgium and was one of the two children.
Neerman went to the Institut Supérier d’Architecture Victor Horta in Brussels from 1980 till 1985.
During this period he became interested in system thinking and was thought system theory by Professor Paul Tahon a former Professor at The VUB in Brussels and the NHIBS in Antwerpen.
After his studies he moved to Tokyo to work in Kiyonoruki Kituake's office.
In 1987 Neerman joined the PhD social systems sciences department of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
After having worked on numerous architectural projects in Japan, USA, RSA, China and Belgium in 1992 Johan Neerman took over family business IDPO Ph Neerman.
Johan Neerman worked on the funicular of Tignes 1992, the tramway of Strasbourg on the design of the front cabins. He designed tramway stations and bus stops for Strasbourg and Grenoble. Neerman designed hanging wireless gliding showcases for the MIM in Brussels. He was involved with a low draft ferry boat for Southern Italy with the German Naval architect Herward Oehlmann. Then he designed a high performance aluminum 99 meters trimaran. Johan Neerman also worked for the French car industry by designing a prospective car for Peugeot PSA France
Neerman designed the SK system, which is a called pulled people mover system for ADP (Aéropoart de Paris).
Later on he designed the Citadis for Alstom by creating their own range of tramways enabling that company to register for all EU and worldwide tendering. The Citadis is the materialization of a manufacturer's vehicle allowing to play with length and different styling according to the clients preferences. Johan Neerman defined a systems approach and participated to several EU tendering.
In 1995 he worked on the refurbishing of the Metro of Brussels originally designed by his father in the early seventies. In 1997 he defined advanced tramway concept with the tendering for the Barcelona. Academic honours and awards:Winner of the competition Industrial Forum Design CITADIS (1998), First prize winner for industrial design of West Flanders, System of modular hanging showcase Ice Cube, Prize “Edouard François”(1985), Prize of excellence of the municipality of Brussels(1986)etc.
Today Johan Neerman is working as an inventor on personal mobility issues with several patents and focuses on worldwide mobility challenges and IP.
Neerman & Partners