Haldor Topsøe (1913–2013)

Haldor Frederik Axel Topsøe (24 May 1913 – 20 May 2013) was a Danish engineer and founder and Chairman of the catalysis company Haldor Topsøe. He was grandson of the chemist and crystallographer Haldor Topsøe (1842–1935) from who he has got his name.

Topsøe was born 24 May 1913 in Copenhagen, Denmark, as son of captain Flemming Topsøe (1885–1954) and Hedvig Sofie Topsøe (1888–1961). After graduating from Frederiksberg Gymnasium in 1931, he started studying physics under Niels Bohr and chemistry at the Technical University of Denmark. He became a master of Science in Engineering in chemistry in 1936. He started his career with working at AarhusKarlshamn 1936–1939 before founding his own catalysis company Haldor Topsøe in 1940 with which he established himself as engineer in Kongens Lyngby. The company got a production structure in Frederikssund in 1958 and later in Houston, United States.

During the 1950s, Topsøe experimented with petition of silicon to semiconductors in the cellar in his home and in 1959, he founded the process Topsil.

Topsøe owned the company Haldor Topsøe until 1972 when the Italian company Snamprogetti took over 50 % of its shares. In 2007, he bought it back and it is now owned to 100 % by the Topsøe family. Besides his own process, Topsøe has also worked as among Chairman of the Scandinavian Airlines and Danish Air Lines and been member of the board of directors of among Kampsax, Incentive A/S, De forenede Bryggerier, Haand i Haand and Philips.

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