Biography

Danilo Cantero is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Valladolid and Head of the Biorefinery team at the Institute of Bioeconomy. His career bridges industrial scale-up with fundamental discovery in thermodynamic engineering and supercritical processes. He has been recognized with honors including the MIT Innovators Under 35, the EFCE Process Intensification Award, and the 2025 ISHA Outstanding Contribution Award for his impact on solvothermal research. Before returning to academia via a Beatriz Galindo Excellence Fellowship, Dr. Cantero served as Vice President of R&D at Renmatix (USA), leading the operation of supercritical water platforms and industrial-scale biomass conversion. His research focuses on unlocking renewable carbon potential by replacing solvent-heavy chemistry with precision physical control. He has pioneered "sudden expansion" concepts for sub-second biomass fractionation, enabling the production of high value bioproducts from forestry and agri-food residues. Dr. Cantero has published nearly 40 articles and holds multiple patents in the field of hydrothermal processing.

Biography

He works on annual and perennial crops as a feedstock for advanced biofuels and raw materials for the bio-based industry. General coordinator of EU H2020 projects BECOOL, 4CEMED, and CARINA, and the Italian project ARGENTO. Local scientific coordinator in 8 ongoing EU projects. General coordinator (2018–2022) of EERA Bioenergy - European Energy Research Alliance, bringing together around 45 European public research institutions. Member of the core team of the IWG8 of the SET Plan. Editor of books (Springer) and three special issues for Biofpr journal. Author of approximately 170 indexed articles.

Biography

Dr. Penélope García-Angulo is a plant biologist specializing in plant cell wall structure, plasticity, and their impact on biomass quality and valorization for sustainable applications, such as how cell wall structural remodeling affects biomass properties relevant to agriculture and industrial processing. She has made key contributions to the study of pectin modification, immune priming, and cell wall integrity sensing, as well as to traits such as maize stalk strength and drought resilience, all linked to biomass performance. Her work also explores biostimulant strategies using algae- and plant-derived extracts to improve biomass yield and quality under abiotic stress. She has participated in numerous national and international projects on biomass optimization and circular bioeconomy, including RoCWall and PHYBIOMED, as well as in research contracts with enterprises. With 40 publications and strong translational impact, she leads the FISIOVEGEN group, bridging fundamental research and sustainable biomass applications.

Biography

Dr. María Noel Cabrera is a Chemical Engineer from the Universidad de la República, Uruguay. She holds a Master’s degree in Pulp and Paper Engineering and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the same university. Her doctoral research focused on lignocellulosic biorefineries and was titled “Valorization of Hemicelluloses from Eucalyptus Wood.”

She also holds a Diploma in Governance and Public Innovation from the University of Montevideo (Uruguay) in collaboration with CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Dr. Cabrera is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Chemical Engineering, Engineering School, Universidad de la República (Uruguay), and since 2023 she has served as Head of the Chemical Engineering Program. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Chemical Engineering and Pulp and Paper Engineering Master’s Program (which also coordinates).

Since 2010, her research has focused on pulp production, forest bioeconomy, and lignocellulosic biorefineries. She has participated in more than 20 R&D&I projects in these areas and has authored over 25 publications in high-impact scientific journals. She has also contributed to and led technical training activities, collaborative agreements, advisory work, and consulting projects for the productive sector, government agencies in Uruguay, and international funding organizations.

Biography

Pablo López Gómez is a PhD holder in Chemical Engineering with specialization in bioprocesses from the University of Manchester (UK), with over a decade of experience in biorefineries and process engineering for the valorisation of organic by‑products and waste. His professional career bridges scientific research and industrial application, with a strong focus on scalable solutions for bioenergy and biomass conversion.

He has worked in internationally recognized research centres, including INRA (France) and the Leibniz Institute for Bioeconomy – ATB (Germany), where he managed multidisciplinary research projects involving laboratory, pilot, and demonstration‑scale technologies. He also served as Coordinator of the Bioprocesses Department at the National Centre for Biotechnology of Costa Rica, leading teams and aligning R&D activities with industrial and policy needs.

Throughout his career, he has contributed to more than 15 publicly funded regional and European projects, supporting technology development, scale‑up, and industrial deployment. He has authored over 25 scientific publications and is a frequent speaker at international technical and industry conferences. He currently holds the position of Team Leader of the Biomass and Bioenergy group at AINIA, where he leads applied R&D initiatives, manages industrial collaboration, and supports companies in implementing bioenergy and circular economy solutions

Biography

Catarina Pereira Nobre is a researcher at VALORIZA – Portalegre Polytechnic University, whose work focuses on sustainable energy systems, biomass and waste valorisation, and renewable gases. She holds a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Algarve and an MSc and PhD in Energy and Bioenergy from NOVA University of Lisbon. Her research has centred on the thermochemical conversion of biomass and waste, with particular emphasis on bioenergy, hydrogen, and biomethane. Before joining VALORIZA in 2022, she was Team Leader and Coordinator of the Bioenergy and Renewable Gases line at CoLAB BIOREF. She has extensive experience in national and European R&D

projects and currently coordinates or contributes to several initiatives in the fields of bioenergy, circular economy, and sustainable resource recovery, including Horizon Europe projects such as PYRAGRAF and WASTE2H2. She also served as Science Communication Coordinator of the WIRE COST Action. Alongside her research, she teaches in PhD and MSc programmes on hydrogen safety, gas handling, and integrated waste and environmental management. She has authored more than 120 research outputs.

Biography

PhD in Chemical Engineering. Currently Director of Innovation and Sustainability in PRIO, where she has been working since the foundation of the company. A seasoned leader with extensive experience in Research and Development, with a proven track record in the biofuels industry. Demonstrated expertise in Innovation Management and Bioenergy, with a strong background in driving sustainable technological solutions. Passionate about integrating sustainability into innovation strategies to accelerate the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Experienced in startup engagement, fostering collaborations that bridge cutting-edge research with scalable industrial impact.

Biography

Jason Hallett is Professor of Sustainable Chemical Technology and holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies within the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. He also serves as co-Director of the UK’s National Supergen Bioenergy Impact Hub. He has authored ~250 total publications and 15 patents, garnering >40,000 citations with an h-index of 68, including the most highly cited papers in his two primary fields – ionic liquids and biorefining. His research and translation efforts have been recognized with prizes from the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry and IChemE and has been profiled by many scientific magazines and journals, including the Washington Post, Scientific American, Chemical & Engineering News, The Chemical Engineer, Chemistry World and Science. His research in biorefining, sustainable manufacturing and the circular economy has led to 10 spin-out companies to act as vehicles for the translation of his research into practice. His first spin-out company (Lixea) built a pilot plant which he designed and which was constructed in Sweden, commissioned and operated since 2022. Lixea recently announced a €60m demonstration plant to be constructed in 2027.

Biography

In January 2023, Guillaume Vincent joined BASF Refining Catalysts as Technology Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He has 15 years’ experience in refining industries including purification adsorbents and hydroprocessing catalysts. He started his experience with Porocel (Evonik group) and developed through several key positions as Lab Manager, Technical Service Manager and Business Segment Manager.

Guillaume Vincent holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the “Ecole Nationale Superieure des Industries Chimiques” (ENSIC), France.

Biography

Borja Espuny Contreras is an Industrial Engineer and a specialist in the olive pomace and biomass energy sectors. He currently serves as a member of the technical team at Carboliva, where he played a key role in the design and construction of an innovative olive grove biomass pyrolysis plant in Jaén, Spain.

Throughout his career, Borja has held significant leadership roles within the edible oil industry, including serving as the Technical Director of a multi-seed extraction plant for the Migasa Group in La Roda de Andalucía. His extensive field experience also includes managing industrial complexes for olive pomace drying, chemical extraction, and biomass-to-electricity generation at Sedebisa.

His current work focuses on the circular economy and the advancement of carbon-negative technologies. At Carboliva, he oversees the integration of pyrolysis processes that transform agricultural waste into thermal energy and high-quality biochar. Borja is a vocal advocate for the use of biochar in European agriculture as a vital tool for carbon sequestration, soil fertility enhancement, and water conservation.

Biography

Berta Zecchi is a Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Universidad de la República (Uruguay) and currently serves as Director of the Institute of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de la República. She has extensive experience in process engineering and transport phenomena and holds an MSc and a PhD in Chemical Engineering. She has developed a long-standing research career focused on drying, mass transfer, and process modeling.

Her research focuses on pretreatment and fractionation strategies for the valorization of agro-industrial biomass. In particular, she works on drying as a key pretreatment step, as well as on the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds using green solvents, aqueous two-phase systems, and membrane technologies. Her approach integrates experimental studies with mass transfer analysis and process optimization.

She leads and collaborates in research projects oriented toward biorefinery and circular economy strategies, contributing to the development of integrated and scalable solutions for agro-industrial value chains. She has supervised undergraduate and graduate students, contributing to strengthening research capacity and to technology transfer between academia and industry.

Biography

Francisco Gírio, PhD, is Coordinator Researcher and Head of Bioenergy & Biorefineries Unit of LNEG-National Laboratory of Energy and Geology, Lisbon, Portugal.

He published +100 papers and participated in +70 research projects, on bioenergy, biofuels and bioeconomy.

He is member of the Steering Committee and vice-chair of the WG2 of the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Bioenergy (ETIP-Bioenergy). He is the President of Board of Collaborative Laboratory for Biorefineries (CoLAB BIOREF).

In Portugal he also supports public policies on bioenergy and he was responsible for the Portuguese Action Plan on Biomethane 2024-2040.

Biography

Pavleta Knutsson is an Associate Professor at the Department of Energy and Materials, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. She leads research at the interface of materials chemistry and industrial energy conversion, driving the development of closed-cycle energy systems that minimise waste, valorise industrial side-streams, and advance CO₂ separation, capture, and utilisation.

Her core contribution lies in designing alternative and novel bed materials for fluidised-bed systems to enhance gasification, combustion, and pyrolysis. She develops processes such as chemical-looping combustion (CLC) and oxygen-carrier aided combustion (OCAC), which enable inherent CO₂ separation directly at the source. In parallel, she works on biomass- and waste-derived activated carbons for point-source CO₂ capture and direct air capture (DAC).

Knutsson holds patents and has contributed to improved industrial processes through close collaboration with leading European energy utilities and technology providers, including E.ON, Vattenfall and HOFOR.

Biography

Dr. Manfred Kircher is freelance advisor on bioeconomy. He brings to his consulting work more than 30 years of experience in various positions in the chemical industry and the management of bioeconomy clusters with companies, research institutes, and public administration.

His career milestones are biotechnological research and development (Degussa AG, Germany), biotechnological production (Fermas s.r.o.; Slovakia), biotechnological upscaling (Degussa-Hüls AG; Germany), bioeconomy investments (Burrill & Company; USA), biotechnology partnering (Evonik Industries AG; Germany) and bioeconomy cluster management (CLIB-Cluster, BioBall; Germany). In 2014 he founded KADIB, a consultancy for bioeconomy.

Manfred Kircher has been appointed to national and international advisory bodies. He has been certified as a bioeconomy expert by the EU-Commission. He is biologist by training (Goethe-University; Frankfurt, Germany).

Biography

Kristine Klavers is Global Managing Director (Renewable Diesel & SAF) at EcoEngineers and a recognized leader in global low-carbon fuel markets. With nearly 30 years of experience across refining, petrochemicals, and energy transition, she has built and led projects across Asia, Europe, and North America. She specializes in helping developers and investors turn clean energy concepts into bankable, compliant, and revenue-generating assets. Her expertise spans SAF, renewable diesel, hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel, and carbon capture, with a particular focus on navigating global regulatory frameworks and unlocking carbon credit value. Under her leadership, EcoEngineers supports clients with technical due diligence, lifecycle analysis, and compliance strategies that accelerate time to market and improve project returns.

Kristine holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Twente, Holland.

Biography

Dr. Cigdem Eskicioglu joined the Catalan Institution for Research & Advanced Studies (ICREA) as an ICREA Research Professor and the Research Group of Environmental Engineering & Microbiology (GEMMA-UPC) as a Distinguished Researcher in January 2025. She is also a Full Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, where she founded and leads the Bioreactor Technology Group (BTG). BTG operates four laboratory facilities: Anaerobic Digestion, Particle Sizing & Imaging, Thermochemical Processing, and Micropollutant Detection.

From 2020 to 2025 at UBC, Professor Eskicioglu was awarded the highly prestigious Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)/Metro Vancouver Senior Industrial Research Chair (IRC) and led an industrial partnership program on advanced resource recovery from wastewater. In collaboration with waste utilities, engineering companies, agricultural communities, and government agencies, her research program supports a long-term vision of advancing waste treatment processes for efficient contaminant removal, bioenergy conversion, and resource recovery.

As the global trend toward a circular economy accelerates, she focuses on recovering resources from waste in the forms of phosphorus, ammonia, biomethane, biohydrogen, and biocrude oil, while safely integrating novel reactor processes into treatment operations. Another key research area is the quantification, fate, and removal of emerging contaminants, such as hormones, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and flame retardants, to meet stringent discharge limits and reduce impacts on the natural environment.

Biography

PhD in Chemical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) of University of Lisbon (UL). Having 20 years of experience in areas such as polyurethanes, energy/biofuels, waste management and circular economy. Experienced manager with strong organizational and leadership skills, demonstrated in the occupation of management and administration positions in several companies and different areas, namely industrial production, information systems, quality, safety and environment (QSE) management systems. Dedicated and resilient professional, with strong analytical skills and experience in projects of highly technological and innovative nature. Winner of the Young Engineer Innovation Award 2006 of the Portuguese Order of Engineers and named to the list of 40 Business Leaders of the Future 2017, by the portuguese Exame magazine. Since 2021, founder and CEO of C-GREEN, a Portuguese consulting company with extensive experience in chemical engineering, bioenergy, circular economy and environmental sustainability, with focus on supporting organizations operating in the circular economy and energy sectors.

Biography

Johanna Mossberg is Head of Bioeconomy Arena and Department Manager for Biorefinery and Energy at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. She has more than 15 years of experience working at the interface of research, industry, and public policy, with a strong focus on sustainable industrial transformation, biorefineries, renewable fuels, and energy systems transition. Her research addresses organisational, managerial, and system‑level challenges in the development and scale‑up of sustainable technologies.

She has published in leading peer‑reviewed journals such as Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining and the Journal of Cleaner Production, with particular emphasis on biorefinery pilot and demonstration projects, incumbent industry transformation, and innovation‑system dynamics. Johanna Mossberg has held several strategic leadership roles, including Director of f3 – the Swedish Knowledge Centre for Renewable Transportation Fuels and Division Manager at the Swedish Energy Agency. She is currently Chair of the Industrial Energy‑Related Technologies and Systems (IETS) Technology Collaboration Programme under the International Energy Agency. She is also Adjunct Professor in Energy Engineering at Luleå University of Technology (LTU). In her academic and professional work, she combines systems analysis, industrial collaboration, and policy relevance, and she regularly contributes to international conferences, expert panels, and advisory processes related to the energy transition and the bioeconomy.

Biography

Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian OBE is a leading figure in clean and sustainable energy research, serving as Head of the Energy Innovation Centre and leading the University of Sheffield’s Energy2050 initiative. A Chair in Energy Engineering and General Secretary of the International Flame Research Foundation (IFRF), he has led over 100 major research projects funded by EPSRC, the EU, and NATO, securing more than £73 million in grants. His work focuses on multi-scale energy processes, zero-carbon fuels, and advanced computational modelling. He has authored over 490 publications and co-written several books on solid fuels and biomass combustion. Professor Pourkashanian has supervised more than 87 PhD students and over 40 postdoctoral researchers, while currently mentoring a large research team. He also contributes to national decarbonisation strategies and hydrogen initiatives. In 2023, he was awarded an OBE for his services to Net Zero research and innovation.

Biography

Jukka Kantola is an internationally recognised bioeconomy strategist and sustainability advocate dedicated to advancing the global transition toward a regenerative and circular bioeconomy. As Founder of the World Bioeconomy Forum and Executive Chair of the World Bioeconomy Association, he works at the intersection of bioeconomy, climate action, biodiversity, circularity, finance, and sustainable industrial transformation.

He has contributed to high-level international discussions linked to G20 and COP processes, supporting global dialogue on implementation, investment readiness, and systemic transition pathways for the evolving bioeconomy landscape. His work promotes the integration of bioresources, biotechnology, ecological sustainability, and societal resilience into future economic and industrial development.

Biography

JTodd Hopwood is Director of Business Development for Siemens Energy’s SGT-50 portfolio, brings 25+ years of leadership across distributed power, turbomachinery, and clean-energy project development. He founded the “Small Town Initiative – One Tulip at a Time” (Project Tulip), a community sustainability model showcased at Biomass 2025 that converts municipal waste and biomass into renewable energy to help rejuvenate small town economies. He is known for translating complex technical solutions into bankable projects through strategic partnerships, financing alignment, and cross-functional execution.

Biography

Stella is a Research Director at the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), where she leads the development and intensification of novel technologies for carbon-neutral fuels, chemicals, and e-fuels. Her work is at the forefront of the energy transition, supported by competitive European and National research grants, as well as direct service contracts with major industrial partners globally. A Chemical Engineering graduate from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a PhD from Lehigh University (USA), Stella’s expertise is backed by significant international industrial experience at ExxonMobil, FMC Corporation, and Air Liquide. Beyond her research, she has held high-level leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for the NOESIS Science Center and Technology Museum. She is a prolific author of scientific publications and an active member of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Bioenergy.

Biography

Dr. Konstantinos Chandolias is a chemical engineer and biotechnologist specializing in resource recovery, waste management and bioprocesses. He is a senior researcher and project manager at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and focuses on the areas of CCU, conversion of carbon-based residual gases and waste streams into biofuels, chemicals and animal feed. In addition, he works with the mapping, quantification and reduction of greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide) from WWTPs, biogas plants and natural gas network.

Biography

Patrice Mangin, PhD, Eng. from INPG (Grenoble, France) is Executive VP, Innovation and Development at Ecohybio, professor Emeritus, associate-member of the Hydrogen Research Institute and the Innovations Institute in Eco-materials, Eco-products and Eco-energies (I2E3) at UQTR, and member of Task XI (IETS). Over a 50-year career, he held 3 research chairs (UQTR, KTH) and developed extensive expertise in renewable energies. He was CEO of BioÉnergie la Tuque and I2E3, which he both co-founded, CEO of the Integrated Pulp and Paper Centre (Quebec), CEO of the Paper Technical Centre (Grenoble), scientific director of a Swedish research network, and president of the paper industries European Research Group. Author of over 300 articles, he delivered twice as many presentations worldwide. He has received the Lionel-Boulet Prize from the Government of Quebec for his leadership in scientific development and industrial research, gold medals (PAPTAC, TAGA), a research excellence award (UQTR), and many other rewards.

Biography

I am a professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Dokuz Eylul University,Izmir, Türkiye. I have been teaching courses on Waste Bioconversion, Bioprocess Engineering, Biofuel Production, Biodegradation and Biotransformation of Organic Pollutants . For the past 20 years, my research has focused on waste and wastewater processing into valuable products such as biohydrogen and biobutanol using fermentation technologies. My other research subject is development of biological and advanced treatment process for removal of micropollutants, such as endocrine disrupting estrogenic hormones, and sun screens in personal care products, from water and wastewater.

Biography

Dr. habil. Pablo Domínguez de María is the Founder, CSO and CEO of Sustainable Momentum, S.L, a consultancy firm providing technical expertise in biorefineries, biocatalysis and sustainable chemistry, as well as strategic support for innovation and training activities in European Projects. He holds BSc´s in Pharmacy and Chemistry, and a PhD in Biocatalysis (2002). He worked in industry for several years (2003-2005 at Evonik AG, in Germany, and 2005-2009 at AkzoNobel BV in the Netherlands) being involved in different projects regarding sustainable chemistry, organocatalysis, neoteric solvents, biorefineries, and white biotechnology. In 2009 he joined RWTH Aachen University in Germany (Technical Chemistry Department, ITMC) as Group Leader, obtaining his Habilitation in 2015 (Thesis: Bio-based catalysis for petroleum-free biorefineries and fine chemicals). In 2014 he started his activities at Sustainable Momentum SL. He has (co)authored/edited several technical books, is (co)inventor of several patents, and has published over 170 publications (>11500 overall citations, google scholar).

Biography

Professor Anh Phan is Chair of Circular Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University. Her research tackles challenges in sustainability through innovative chemical engineering solutions. Her expertise spans process intensification, biofuel processing, advanced thermochemical conversion (including pyrolysis and gasification), cold plasma technologies and circular economy principles. She has authored over 100 papers in these fields

Biography

Dr. Seung Gu Shin studied environmental engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea. He is currently a tenured professor at Gyeongsang National University. His research focuses on anaerobic digestion, biogas production, microbial ecology, and organic waste-to-energy technologies. He has contributed to interdisciplinary studies on microbial community analysis, process stabilization, and sustainable bioenergy recovery from organic residues.

Biography

Dr. David Parra is Head of the Hydrogen and Power-to-X Department at the Iberian Center for Research in Energy Storage (CIIAE). In this role, he coordinates a team of 40 researchers doing fundamental science and applied research, both experimentally and theoretically. In his own research, he develops energy system models which are interdisciplinary in nature. He integrates technical, economic, environmental and social dimensions, the latter being currently expanded. He has proven his ability to lead collaborations on projects nationally and internationally. Before, he was a Senior Researcher and Teaching Fellow at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), where he coordinated the energy storage and hydrogen research since 2016. He was also a PI in the Swiss Competence Centre for Heat and Electricity Storage in Switzerland, as well as visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2017, after receiving funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation to establish a new collaboration. Previously, Dr. Parra was a Post-doc at the University of Geneva (2014-2016), and got a PhD student at University of Nottingham (2010-2014).

Biography

Dr Tohid Borhani earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering with a specialisation in carbon capture in 2014. Since then, he has held academic and research positions at several leading institutions, including the University of Wolverhampton, Heriot-Watt University, Cranfield University, the University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London. He has contributed extensively to the field of Net Zero technologies, publishing over 65 peer-reviewed journal papers with more than 3,800 citations and an H-index of 30. His expertise spans four main areas:
1. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU): Developing innovative approaches for efficient capture and utilisation of CO₂.
2. Process Modelling and Machine Learning: Applying advanced modelling and AI tools to address challenges in energy and chemical engineering.
3. QSPR/QSAR, Chemometrics, and Computational Chemistry: Using molecular- and quantum-based methods to predict properties and behaviours of chemical systems.
4. Energy Conversion and Storage: Research in hydrogen

Biography

Johanna K. Scheper, PhD, MBI, is Innovation Manager and Senior Scientist at BioNanoNet ForschungsGmbH (BNN). She is an expert biochemistry, nanomedicine, and scientific innovation management. She blends a deep background in molecular research with corporate strategy and entrepreneurship. She pursued dual and simultaneously degrees in Biology and Biochemistry, graduating in 2001, and got the PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, in 2007. To strengthen her business skills, she earned an Executive Master in Business Innovation (MBI) from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) in 2012.
At BioNanoNet Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (BNN) she is involved in transforming complex scientific developments into sustainable, market-ready initiatives with a focus on environmental, economic, and societal impact. She has over two decades of experience managing complex international scientific initiatives, including leading roles in major EU Horizon projects where she and her team focus on integrating Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) into the development of innovative products, especially those based on advanced materials.
Dr. Scheper is a multilingual professional whose career motto is centered on developing scientific solutions that are "profitable, planet-friendly, and people-driven."

Biography

Dr. David Serrano, Director of Institute IMDEA Energy and Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Rey Juan Carlos University, has been appointed corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain, and will be responsible for the ‘Energy Transition and Circular Economy’ area.
In 2007 Serrano was appointed director of Institute IMDEA Energy, a position he has held since the foundation of this research centre until the present day. Recently, with his leadership, IMDEA Energía has achieved the prestigious accreditation as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
Its most relevant scientific contributions have focused on the development of catalysts with applications in circular economy, hydrogen production and advanced biofuels and CO2 valorisation. His achievements include the development of new strategies for the synthesis of zeolites with hierarchical porosity and high accessibility, being one of the leading international researchers in this line. He has recently won a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant in which he has proposed a disruptive concept of zeolites with a dendritic nanostructure with potential applications in a wide range of fields. His research group has also pioneered the use of zeolitic and mesostructured catalysts in chemical recycling processes of plastic waste, contributing to reduce its environmental impact and promoting its circularity.
In 2023 David Serrano was awarded the ‘Miguel Catalán’ Research Prize of the Community of Madrid in recognition of his scientific achievements, his contribution to the training of researchers and the creation of a school and the national and international repercussion of his work throughout his professional career.

Biography

Professor Bhattacharya joined academia in 2009, having worked in industry for over twenty years in three different countries – in India on power plant design and commissioning, in France managing the Cleaner Fuels program at the International Energy Agency, in Australia as a Principal Process Engineer with Anglo Coal Australia and as a Principal Research Engineer with the Lignite CRC in Australia operating large pilot plants in Australia and the USA. At Monash University, Professor Bhattacharya’s research areas include
a. thermo-catalytic processing of wastes to liquid fuels, chemicals and hydrogen, gasification,
b. are earth metal recovery from eWastes and fly ash,
c. conversion of biomass to high-value platform chemicals. He leads a group of 16 PhD students and a research fellow, having supervised 43 PhD students to completion. Professor Bhattacharya advises several governments, domestic and international, on energy issues. He holds three patents, edited three books, authored six book chapters and over 200 journal papers on energy, fuels and biochemicals. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy.

Biography

Christian Kennes is Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of A Coruña, Spain, leading research activities at BIOENGIN (Environmental Bioengineering and Quality Control) group, funded by Xunta de Galicia as Competitive Reference Research group and involved in several national and international research projects. His expertise encompasses various areas including the development, optimisation and scale-up of environmental processes for the valorisation of renewable resources, biomass, waste, wastewater, and industrial gas emissions including syngas and greenhouse gases (e.g., CO 2 , CO, CH 4 ), to obtain biofuels and other biobased products. He has been invited as visiting professor in different Universities and has delivered lectures, conferences and courses in Europe, America and Asia. He has authored several papers, patents, books, and book chapters on those topics. He is co-founder and Speciality Chief-Editor of the journal “Frontiers in Environmental Engineering” and has been listed, for several years, as Stanford/Elsevier “World´s top 2% scientists”.

Biography

Torsten Weidemann is Advisor for Sustainability at the German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDBe). A key milestone of his work was his participation in the DIN pre-standardization committee, which developed the standardization proposal for E20 and submitted it to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). In addition, he was a member of the European industry working group for CO₂-neutral fuels (Working Group on Monitoring Methodologies). Prior to joining the BDBe, his roles included Managing Director at Germany's largest real estate association and Commercial Board Member of a housing cooperative. He began his career as an analyst in economic research. With this versatile background, he possesses a wealth of experience at the intersection of regulation, business, and practical application.

Biography

Dr. Rodrigo A. Morales Vera is Associate Professor and Researcher at the School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule (Chile). His research focuses on sustainable bioprocesses, biomass valorization, circular bioeconomy, fungal biotechnology, and the development of bio-based materials from agro-industrial residues.

He has extensive experience in life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and the evaluation of emerging bio-based products and biorefineries. His work seeks to bridge fundamental research and industrial implementation, contributing to the development of sustainable solutions for the forestry, agricultural, construction, and packaging sectors.

Dr. Morales has led and participated in multidisciplinary projects involving lignocellulosic biomass conversion, mycelium-based materials, bioplastics production, waste valorization, and circular economy strategies. He actively collaborates with academic, governmental, and industrial stakeholders to promote innovation and regional development in Chile.

His current research includes the development of mycelium-based materials for construction and packaging, the valorization of agro-industrial residues, and the assessment of environmental and economic pathways for the transition toward a bio- based economy.

Biography

Francisco Gabriel Acién Fernández is Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Almería, Spain, with more than three decades of experience in microalgae biotechnology and photobioprocess engineering. His research spans photobioreactor design and industrial scale-up, dynamic modelling and control, advanced sensing, AI-enabled monitoring and microbiome interactions, with applications in wastewater treatment, CO2 capture and sustainable bioproducts. He is Scientific-Technical Director of CIESOL, the UAL-CIEMAT Solar Energy Research Centre, recognised by the Regional Government of Andalusia as

a.Research Unit of Excellence. He coordinated the €10.6 million H2020 SABANA flagship project, involving 11 partners and a microalgae biorefinery of more than 7 ha, and his recent
European activities include NAMOR, COSEC, NIAGARA, ALLIANCE and Twin4Algae. Overall, he has participated in more than 55 European and national projects and industry

contracts. He has authored over 260 scientific publications and 20 book chapters and is inventor of 15 patents, several commercially exploited. He is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher and is included in the Stanford University/Elsevier ranking of the world's top 2% most-cited scientists. He was also a co-recipient of the 2025 IEEE Control Systems Technology Award for applying automatic control to sustainable microalgae-based bioprocesses. Prof. Acién is Vice-President of the European Algae Biomass Association and Chair of its Industrial Committee. He has delivered more than 40 invited and keynote lectures, evaluated proposals for more than 15 national and European funding systems, and serves on leading scientific and editorial committees.