Confirmed speakers (in alphabetical order):

Jaakko Asikainen, VTT (Finland) 

Jaakko Asikainen (MSc, Process Engineering) works as Research Team Leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.  He has been working wide range process and product development topics in forest industry R&D for over 28 years. His VTT team – Fibre Web Processes – investigates and develops processes and products based on use of bio-based fibres. Currently, the team is focusing on radical reduction of energy consumption of paper and board making processes, coordinating and running several large joint pan-European and global projects with industry’s leading companies.  

Tommaso Barbieri, Tomapaint (Italy)

Co-founder of Tomapaint since 2019, I have a PhD in Environmental Engineering and different experiences in sustainability and climate change research projects.

Gianluca Belotti, Stahl (Netherlands)

Gianluca Belotti is an innovation maker, business strategist and sustainability expert. Over the last years Gianluca led the development and market growth of innovative biobased solutions for the chemical and fashion industry. Currently Gianluca is the business leader at Stahl for development and finishing of advanced flexible substrates such as biobased materials, mycelium and lab grown tissues. Gianluca started his career as a researcher obtaining the PhD in Chemical Engineering and publishing several papers. Later, he focused on business development and making innovation happen at startup and corporate level, securing public and private investments and business partnerships for his projects.

Joško Bobanović, Sofinnova Partners (France)

Joško Bobanović joined Sofinnova in 2010 as a partner focused on the industrial biotech strategy. He works on early stage deals in Europe and North America with applications in chemicals, agriculture, food, and materials. Prior to joining Sofinnova Partners, he was part of the investment team at iNovia Capital in Montreal, Canada. Joško sits on the boards of Metgen, Comet Bio, DNA Script, Biosyntia, DMC Biotechnologies, Pyrowave and Protera Biosciences. Before going into venture capital, he created an internet startup and a software company. He is a mentor at BIRD Incubator, which helps entrepreneurs in software, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Joško goes straight to the point when discussing what he looks for in founders: “Personal integrity, drive and ambition, no nonsense.” His recurring nugget of wisdom? “Sales solve everything — if nobody is willing to buy, it’s a hobby.”

Benoit Buntinx, EIT Food (Belgium)

Benoit has been Director of New Business Creation at EIT Food (European Innovation and Technology Institute) since 2017, where he leads the team responsible for providing incubation and acceleration services to support aspiring entrepreneurs and startups to create and grow their agritech / foodtech business in Europe. He is also Managing Director of the start-up investment fund AgriFoodInvest, EIT Food’s wholly owned subsidiary which provides funding to high-potential start-ups.

Before devoting himself full-time to EIT Food, Benoit co-founded and managed two start-ups, a life sciences incubator and a €43 million deeptech seed fund. He has also sat on the board of directors of several agri-foodtech start-ups, covering topics such as biocontrol or food waste treatment. Benoit also spent 6 years in Chile, where he worked as a technology transfer and start-up consultant for several universities.

Patrizia Circelli,  PNO Consultants (Italy)

Senior Innovation Management Consultant &  PNO cross board sector team leader bioeconomy and agri-food. PhD in plant biotechnology, MBA at the BBS (Bologna Business School). More than 15 years’ experience in Research and Innovation EU Projects (13 of which in PNO), including experience on BBI/CBE LIFE programme, FP7, H2020, HEU programmes and Innovation Fund.

Stef Denayer, Pilots4U @ Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (Belgium)

Industrial Engineer in Chemistry and postgraduate Environmental Technologies at University of Leuven (KU).

Cradle to Cradle team member at EPEA Hamburg, Prof.  Michael Braungart;

22 years living up to the slogan ‘Waste does not exist’, innovation in upcycling of materials, in various positions in Belgium, the Netherlands and France at Van Gansewinkel Group, now known as Renewi;

3 years manager of Cleantech Flanders, innovation cluster in cleantech (clean technologies);

4.5 years stakeholder relations manager of Pilots4U, the European network of ‘open access’ pilot and demo facilities for the bioeconomy, bringing innovation closer to the market.

Morena Diazzi, Emilia Romagna Region (Italy)

Morena Diazzi is Director-General for Knowledge, Research, Labour, Enterprises. She is an industrial economist with expertise in the analysis and evaluation of territorial systems and public policies. She has been developing significant analytical experience of the Italian production system and the industrial policy, focusing on problems concerning the development of SMEs systems and clusters and the related public policies.
In her position as senior researcher at Nomisma (Institute of Economic Studies), she focused on issues regarding SMEs such as productivity, competitive performance, labour cost, development, and innovation, through quantitative and qualitative methods. From 1993 to 1999, she also developed managerial and administrative skills in economic public services, as Chairman of AIMAG, the company managing economic public services (water, gas, waste, electricity) in the province of Modena. From 1999 to 2005, she held the position of Counselor of Economic Activities, Human Resources and Equal opportunities in the Province of Modena, one of the most industrialized areas in Italy. There, she managed policies for SMEs performances, research, and employment.
For over ten years, she has been Director-General of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government. In her position, she is responsible for planning and management of the main policies of the Directorate such as the Triennial Programme on Productive Activities, the Triennial Programme for Research, the Regional Energy Programme and the activities of the Regional Desk for the Internationalization of SMEs. She is also the managing authority for the ROP ERDF and ESF 2014-2020 and RP ERDF and ESF+ 2021-2027 for the Emilia-Romagna region.
Morena Diazzi has contributed to the development of European networks for the promotion of projects in the field of SMEs support, local development, and research. She has participated as a guest speaker at various seminars and training courses in Italy and abroad, and she is the author of numerous articles and publications.

Laura Gallo, Founder & CEO Coffeefrom (Italy)

Laura Gallo, founder, and CEO of Coffeefrom, an innovative start-up with social purpose based in Milan, Italy. Starting from coffee grounds, Coffeefrom aims to produce polymer matrices in a circular logic, which can find food-contact applications and support production chains in their ecological transition.

Marìa García Alegre, CTA (Spain)

María García Alegre (female) is MBA, MSc Environmental Science, MSc Energy and Environmental technologies, MAS in Global Change and Sustainable Development, technology transfer and valuation expert. She has been a project manager and RDI consultant since 2008, where she combines her experience in environmental and renewable energy fields with horizontal RDI management, technological surveillance, knowledge transfer and national and international RDI advising activities, as well as CTA’s participation in regional, national, and European projects coordination. Since 2011 Maria works as a consultant and project manager in the Consultancy and International Projects Management Department at CTA, with a strong focus in bioeconomy and green transition sectors.

Sara Guerrini, Novamont (Italy)

I have 20 years of experience in the sector of bioplastics for agricultural applications and their effects end of life in the environment, in the framework of circular bioeconomy, starting from technical activities to marketing development and sales, finally to stakeholder engagement bringing to an overall view, and well developed knowledge of the dynamics of this sector. My experience is rooted not just in forming strategy and shaping legislation based on scientific evidence, but also in the practicalities and challenges of implementing new policies.
In 2020 I have started my collaboration with Re Soil Foundation, following the aspect of stakeholders engagement and the constitution of a network of Lighthouse Farms.
I hold a degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Bologna, where I also obtained a Master in “Management of agro-environmental systems” and a PhD in Soil Chemistry on the effect of biodegradable mulch films in soil in collaboration with the University of Bologna.
I am author of several articles and scientific publications, such as the Chapter on “Biodegradable Materials is Agriculture: case histories and perspectives” in “Soil Degradable Bioplastics for a Sustainable Modern Agriculture”, editor Mario Malinconico, Springer.

I am member of the following professional associations: APE Europe (Vice President), RESOIL Foundation (with the role of coordinator of internal Technical Group), CIPA (Comité International des Plastiques en Agriculture), Assofertilizzanti (Italy), Association “Chimica Verde” (Italy), European Bioplastics (in a group dedicate to agricultural applications), Assobioplastiche (Italian association of bioplastics) and Asobiocom (Spanish association of bioplastics). I also collaborate with UNI (Italy), CEN CT/249, for the standardization on biodegradable mulch films and NYCE (Mexican committee for standardization).

Christian Hübsch, UPM Biochemicals (Finland) 

Bernhard Kastner is a scholar of social and political ecology, whose research focusses on the construal and perception of bioeconomy narratives. His work at the Centre for Bioeconomy at BOKU University circles around the development of scientific strategies and research coordination.

MSc in Chemical Engineering, PhD (1989) in Biochemical Engineering and dr.techn. (1995) from the Danish Technical University (DTU). Honorable dr.med. from University of Gothenburg. Fulbright visiting professor at MIT in 1995-1996. Professor at DTU in 1998. In 2008 he was recruited as Professor to Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. In 2015 he was founding Head of the Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, which now encompass more than 200 people. Jens Nielsen was also a co-founder of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability that now have more than 300 people affiliated, for which he served as CSO 2013-2018. From 2019 CEO of the BioInnovation Institute in Denmark, which is a new institute financed by USD500M that fosters translational research and support new spin-out companies in life sciences. He has trained more than 280 scientists in his research group and published >850 publications that have been cited more than 110,000 times (current H-factor 155). Inventor of >50 patents and founder of seven biotech companies. Has received numerous awards, including the ENI Award, the Eric and Sheila Samson Prime Minister Prize for Transportation Fuels, the Novozymes Prize, and the Gold Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Member of 13 academies, including NAS, NAE, NAM, Chinese Academy of Engineering, EMBO and Royal Swedish Academy of Science.

Marco Pistocchi, Biosphere (Italy)

Marco Pistocchi is an Industrial Chemist with long experience in food technology, research and development, industrial biotechnology, fermentation and biocatalytic solutions. He has served as COO of Biosphere for almost 18 years and is also currently R&D Manager at @Ayrion S.p.A., main shareholder of Biosphere and active in the renewable energy sector with a focus on biogas production by anaerobic digestion of biomass and by-products. Biosphere has hands-on experience in the development of industrial biotech solutions for the fine chemicals, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and agro-food industry. The company provides qualified contract R&D and contract manufacturing services, mainly addressed to the study and production of new enzymes, microbial biomass and metabolites and collaborates with companies, universities, research institutes, and scientific networks in several research projects with private or public funding. Biosphere and has both fermentation facilities and downstream equipment from lab to pilot and industrial scale, and chemical and microbiological laboratories.

Sami-Pekka Rantanen, MetGen  (Finland)

Sami-Pekka Rantanen (BSc. Engineering and degree in marketing) joined MetGen 2015 focusing on business development at the customer and collaborating partner interface. Currently Sami-Pekka is the Sales Director building value chains enabling transition toward biobased economy for multiple industry sectors, rolling out MetGen’s novel biomass valorization technologies together with providing application knowledge to the customers.

Ana Ruiz, CBE JU (Belgium) 

 

Niklas von Weymarn is the CEO of Metsä Spring (metsaspring.com), and has a Doctor of Science degree in biotechnology from Aalto University in Finland. He began his work career as a research scientist, moving then via startup companies and a 7-year period at a research institute to a forest industry company called Metsä Group. At Metsä Group, he first served as Vice-President of Research at Metsä Fibre, after which he moved to build Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring. Niklas is currently a Board member of the startup companies Woodio and Adsorbi, and Chair of the Board of Metsä Spring’s subsidiary focusing on Kuura textile fibres. His past assignments include, among other, being a member of the Board of the Bio-based Industries Consortium, the private partner behind the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking. In the winter, Niklas enjoys cross-country skiing, whereas in the summertime he likes to spend time in the Finnish archipelago and enjoys orienteering.