Confirmed speakers (in alphabetical order):

Inge Arents, Flanders Food (Belgium)

Bioengineer and Master in Food Science and Nutrition. After a short period as a medical representative in the field of statins and immunity boosters, Inge started at Vandemoortele in 1993. She worked in product and process development for professional margarine (for artisan and industrial clients) for ten years and was involved in a large number of acquisitions during that period. She transferred to the then IWT (now VLAIO) in 2003 where she was an advisor for innovation project applications for food companies and agricultural research. She also coordinated the research program for knowledge sharing from universities and colleges. As Account Manager, she also monitored the innovation platforms and was the national contact person for Horizon 2020. In 2016, Inge seized the opportunity to become managing director of Flanders’ FOOD, a decision she certainly does not regret. This role allows her to combine her experience at both the Flemish and international level. Her main goal is to encourage the Flemish food industry to innovate even more and better, and to keep investing in research, development and innovation. Inge believes in the power of people, collaboration in particular: preferably from different backgrounds, expertises and knowledge.

Michael Brandkamp (European Circular Bioeconomy Fund)

Rafael Cayuela, Dow (USA)

Gabriele Costa, Lamberti (Italy)

Gabriele is Global Product Manager Bio Resins & Additives at Lamberti, a science driven company and producer of chemical specialties founded in 1911. Chemical Engineer graduated at Politecnico di Milano, he joined Lamberti about 20 years ago. He worked in several functions in Lamberti before taking the lead as global product manager: Business Unit director with global responsibility for textile coating finishing and synthetic materials; Business Development Manager for Asia Pacific region, living in Shanghai developing new businesses opportunity for synthetic polymers; R&D and Technical direction of Polyurethane Technology. Gabriele is also Inventor of several patents for Lamberti.

Edoardo Croci, Bocconi University (Italy)

Marco Eikelnboom, Sappi (Finland)

Giulia Gregori, Novamont (Italy)

Giulia Gregori works in Novamont as Director of Strategic Planning & Corporate Communication. Novamont is a global market leader in bioplastics and in the development of biochemicals. Giulia Gregori entered in Novamont in September 2000, after graduating in Pure Chemistry with a specialization in Bioinorganic from the University of Milan, in collaboration with Leiden University. Within Novamont, she is responsible for Strategic R&D and Researcher Training Projects and Corporate Communication, and undertaking also external relationships with Public and Private Funding Institutions. She has been a member of several Associations and she is member of Biobased Industries Governing Board, as well as member of the Steering committee of Assobiotec (the Italian Association for the Development of Biotechnology),member of the board of directors of Enne3 – Incubatore di impresa Novara, and member of the board of directors of Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”. She has been Secretary of the Italian Cluster SPRING (Sustainable Processes and Resources for Innovation and National Growth) which involves over 100 associated members (companies, public research entities, RTOs, associations) and 11 Italian regions, as well as supporter territories, which aims to trigger further investments and create a common platform in the field of bioeconomy at Italian level. Giulia Gregori is also member of the National Coordination Group for the Bioeconomy, that worked on the updated draft of the Strategy “Bioeconomy in Italy – BIT II” (2019) and that will contribute to ease and monitor its implementation all over the Country.

Manfred Kircher, (Kadib and CLIB, Germany)

Massimo Nava is the Managing Director of Ayming Italia. Ayming is a leading global management consultancy firm, present in 14 countries across Europe and North America, which brings people, knowledge and innovation together to deliver better Sustainable Business Performance to our clients by giving advice on critical issues and opportunities supported by two major pillars: Innovation Management and Employee Commitment.

 Massimo has an extensive professional experience working across the EMEA and APAC regions in Team Management and Sales roles, within service and consultancy sectors, excelling at improving company organizations and related performances.

Olaf Porc, nova-Institut (Germany)

Peter Punt,  Ginkgo BioWorks (The Netherlands)

Virginia Puzzolo, CBE JU

Virginia holds a PhD in plant ecology and biology, and started my career at the European Commission in 2004 as a researcher in the Joint Research Center (JRC). In 2006, she was first seconded to DG ‘Enterprise and Industry’, where she actively contributed to the development of the European Union’s Earth Observation Program: Copernicus. Then, in 2009, she moved to the Research Executive Agency (REA) where she was responsible for the execution of part of the FP7 and Horizon2020 Research Framework Programmes. For 20 years, she has been working in developing and implementing the EU Research and Innovation policies and since September 2020, she is the Head of Programme in the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (previously BBI JU).

Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza, Biocities and Urban Forests Facility EFI

He graduated in Agricultural Sciences and then in Forest Science at the University of Bari (Italy), holds a PhD in Forest Ecology and Management from the University of Washington, Seattle (USA). Full professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecophysiology of the University of Tuscia-Viterbo, he teaches Urban Forestry in the joint School on Landscape Architecture with the faculty of Architecture of the First Rome University-Sapienza. He coordinates the project on Adaptation and mitigation of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change of the National Biodiversity Future Centre and is a component of the Scientific Committee of the Presidency of Republic – Castelporziano Reserve. He is Head of the Facility on BioCities and Urban Forests of the European Forest Institute, in Rome. His research activity, with more than 250 scientific papers and books, has been conducted mainly on Mediterranean forest ecosystems and climate change impacts on trees and forests.

Marcello Somma, Kiverdi (USA)

Sanna Valkonen, UPM Biochemicals (Finland)