Confirmed speakers (in alphabetical order):

Florent Allais, CEBB (France) 

Florent Allais got a PhD from the University of Florida (USA) in 2004, then did two postdocs in France (ESPCI, Paris –ICSN-CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette), before joining the INRAe as a Junior Scientist in Versailles, France (2007). In 2012, he became a Full Professor at AgroParisTech and the director of URD ABI at Pomacle, France. Florent Allais has also been Adjunct Professor at Monash University and Courtesy Associate Professor at the University of Florida (2019-present). Since January 2020, he is Associate Member-elect at the Interdivisional Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development (ICGCSD) at IUPAC. His research is dedicated to the development and optimization of sustainable processes to convert biomass into biobased synthons and high-value chemicals such as chiral fine chemicals, new functional bio-based additives (e.g., anti-UVs, antimicrobials, antioxidants, flavours or surfactants), monomers, polymers/materials for the pharmaceutical/food/feed/cosmetic/plastic industrial sectors.  He has published more than 170 articles (h-index of 34) and 7 book chapters, filed 21 patents, and served as reviewer of various journals and as Associate Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry, Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, Industrial Biotechnology, Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment as well as Sustainable Chemistry. He has been invited in many international congresses (Plenary and Keynotes lectures) and has also been the co-creator of the 1^st Biomass to Bio-based Chemicals and Materials Gordon Research Conference (Vice-Chair in 2019, Chair in 2023).  Fields of Expertise: Biomass ; Lignins ; Phenolics ; Green Chemistry ; Biotechnology ; Downstream process ; Functional additives ; Biobased polymers/materials.

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.”

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.

Ali Harlin, VTT (Finland) 

Research Prof Harlin is material scientist and VTT research professor in the field of bio-economy. His responsibilities include bio-based materials and industrial application thereof. His group is developing new methods and products, which are targeting for industrial application of materials, produced using renewable raw materials to generate new, sustainable value chains and to reduce our dependency on oil and the carbon footprint of consumption.
He is inventor of several industrially applied patents, and has been involved with many start-ups.

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.

Ana Ruiz, CBE JU (Belgium)