The Role of Early-Career Professionals in Driving Sustainable Innovation

Speakers for this event

• Alexandr Iscenco

  Alexandr Iscenco

  Co-founder, CEO, and Research & Development Coordinator, Moldovan Environmental Governance Agency (MEGA)

  Co-founder, CEO, and Research & Development Coordinator at the Moldovan Environmental Governance Agency (MEGA), Strategic Coordinator of the start-up pre-acceleration program GreenTech Rangers, Trainer on Integrating Ecosystem Services into Development Planning, Green Talents Awardee, and Independent Expert at the European Commission.

  Co-founder, CEO, and Research & Development Coordinator, Moldovan Environmental Governance Agency (MEGA)

• Irina Reyes

  Irina Reyes

  Policy Assistant to the Director for Prosperity, European Commission Director General for Research and Innovation

  Irina Reyes is the policy assistant to the Director for Prosperity at the European Commission Director General for Research and Innovation. Her areas of expertise are green tech, industrial policy and digital education and skills with a consistent human centred approach. She was also part of the transition team preparing the briefing for Commissioner Gabriel. Prior to assuming this position in April 2017, she worked on data driven science and foresight. She has also worked in the Directorate General for Home Affairs in the areas of prevention and protection and at the Swedish Red Cross as Programme Manager for Migration and Humanitarian law. Irina holds an International Master’s in Political Science from the Linnaeus University, Sweden and speaks five languages. She is currently involved in the programming of Horizon Europe focusing AI and algorithmic bias, lifelong learning in industrial sectors and the launch of a new transitions performance index to measure countries progress towards the four dimensions of sustainability: economy, inclusiveness, governance and environment

  Policy Assistant to the Director for Prosperity, European Commission Director General for Research and Innovation

• Javier García-Martínez

  Javier García-Martínez

  President-Elect, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Professor and Director of the Molecular Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Alicante

  President-Elect (president for the 2022–2023) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Professor and Director of the Molecular Nanotechnology Laboratory of the University of Alicante in Spain, Founder of the technology-based company Rive Technology, Member of the Council of Emerging Technologies and Global Young Academy Leader at the WEF.

  President-Elect, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Professor and Director of the Molecular Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Alicante

• Karel Van De Velde

  Karel Van De Velde

  Senior Sustainability Manager, BASF

  Karel Van De Velde is a Senior Sustainability Manager at BASF, responsible for the EMEA region. He is a molecular biologist by training with a PhD in Biology and his research is focused on understanding the molecular basis of the ‘Green Revolution’, which led to improving the climate-resilience of wheat. He is also the Committee Chair Sustainable Agriculture at the European Technology Platform Plants for the Future.

  Senior Sustainability Manager, BASF

• Karen Van De Velde

  Karen Van De Velde

  Senior Sustainability Manager, BASF

  Karen Van De Velde is a Senior Sustainability Manager at BASF, responsible for the EMEA region. He is a molecular biologist by training with a PhD in Biology and his research is focused on understanding the molecular basis of the ‘Green Revolution’, which led to improving the climate-resilience of wheat. He is also the Committee Chair Sustainable Agriculture at the European Technology Platform Plants for the Future.

  Senior Sustainability Manager, BASF

• María Escudero-Escribano

  María Escudero-Escribano

  Assistant Professor and Director of the Nano-Electrocatalysis group, University of Copenhagen

  Assistant Professor and Director of the Nano-Electrocatalysis group at the University of Copenhagen, with research focused on materials for renewable energy conversion and synthesis of green fuels and chemicals. She is Chair of the Danish Electrochemical Society, a Villum Young Investigator and a PI of the Center for High Entropy Alloy Catalysis.

  Assistant Professor and Director of the Nano-Electrocatalysis group, University of Copenhagen

• Victor Negrescu

  Victor Negrescu

  Member of the European Parliament, S&D, Romania

  Victor Negrescu is the vice-chair of the Culture and Education Committee and rapporteur on the shaping of an European digital education policy. He is an emerging leader, active in the field of education, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, European financing, citizens' rights, and institutional affairs. His latest success was to promote in the European Parliament a resolution on education and to introduce in the Recovery and Resilience Facility a recommendation to Member States to allocate 10% for education and 2% for the culture and creative sector. Former Romanian Minister for EU Affairs in charge with the preparation of the EU Council Presidency, he was in the past a digital innovator and a professor before holding the position of MEP. Victor Negrescu is an active promoter of EU values, chairing the PES activists Romania and European Movement Romania organizations. He won in 2015 the MEP of the Year Award for the digital agenda and got recently an award from the Romanian digital industry for his efforts in promoting digital skills and education. As a civic activist, he managed to promote several European petitions calling for citizens and social rights at EU level. MEP Victor Negrescu is a strong advocate for a fair social Europe, based on common policies in the field of education, innovation & digital sector, protection of the environment, healthcare and infrastructure.

  Member of the European Parliament, S&D, Romania