Macro-Regional Innovation WeekAt the crossroads of three European Macro-Regions: Danube, Adriatic-Ionian and Alpine Regions
Speakers
26-30 September 2016Trieste, Italy
Giancarlo Caratti
Head of Unit, Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer,
Competences, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre,
European Commission
Dr Ing. Giancarlo CARATTI is heading the "Intellectual Property and
Technology Transfer" department at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of
the European Commission, which manages the Intellectual Property of
the European Commission, including patents, trademarks, copyrights,
denomination of origin, etc.
In his previous assignments, Mr Caratti managed other Commission
departments, namely: "Institutional and International Relations",
"Enlargement" and "Policy Support Strategy". Mr Caratti has started his
career in the European Commission in 1986 within the unit "Renewable
Energy R&D". In 1996 he was appointed Advisor to the Director of the
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies in charge of coordination
of the scientific work programme and stakeholder relations. He then took
over the responsibility of other central units in the JRC, namely the
"Policy Support Strategy" in 1999. Last year, he was Deputy
Commissioner General for the EU participation in the World Expo 2015,
as appointed by the President of the European Commission on 3.5.2013.
He was also leading the EU Expo 2015 Task Force, which coordinated the
participation of the EU institutions in the Expo.
Mr Caratti's educational background is in Mechanical Engineering, with
specialisation in Energy. Before joining the Commission he worked in the
Faculties of Engineering of Florence (1982) and Pisa (1984-1985),
teaching and researching on Industrial Systems and Energetics. In 1983
he spent one year as visiting scholar at the Georgia Institute of
Technology, Atlanta, USA in the field of Energy Modelling. In 1985 and
1986, he worked as project engineer at Techint, Italy's largest private
engineering company based in Milan. Mr Caratti has over 60 publications
in international conferences, journals, etc. and is editor of various
technical books.
Debora Serracchiani
President of the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia
Debora Serracchiani holds a Master of Arts in law from University of
Rome “La Sapienza”. She as work experiences as lawyer in labour law,
is the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region from
2013 to date. Previously she was Member of the European Parliament,
member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and
substitute in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
(LIBE) from 2009 to 2013. She also was Council member of the
province of Udine, vice-group leader of the environment and energy
commission from 2008 to 2009, member of the Province Council of Udine
and Member of the Constituency Council of Udine.
She was Secretary of the Democratic Party (PD) of the Municipality of
Udine, from December 2008 to November 2009, and Secretary of the
Democratic Party (PD) of Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region from
November 2009 to May 2013
Alessandra Pastorelli
Deputy Director, Scientific and Technological Cooperation Unit,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy
Alessandra Pastorelli was born in Siena in 1975. She took a Bachelor
degree in Political Science at LUISS University in Rome in 1999. She
worked as European project consultant for private companies in
Brussels, in Grosseto and in Rome between 1999 and 2001. She became
diplomat in December 2001 and she served in the Directorate General
for Mediterranean Countries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome
between 2002 and 2004. In September 2004 she was appointed as
Head of the Economic and Commercial Office at the Italian Embassy in
Addis Ababa and she served in Ethiopia and Djibouti until June 2008.
Between 2008 and 2012 she served at the Italian Permanent Mission to
the International Organizations in Vienna, being responsible for the
relations with UNIDO, UNCOPUOS and Technical Cooperation of the
IAEA. Since October 2012, Ms Pastorelli is Deputy Director of the
Scientific and Technological Cooperation Unit at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome.
Giovanni De Santi
Director, Competences, Directorate-General Joint Research
Centre, European Commission
Since 1985, Giovanni De Santi has been employed at the Joint Research
Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, where he developed his
professional expertise by managing projects and groups of experts in the
fields of energy, transport, mechanical/nuclear engineering,
environmental science, and management.
In 2007, he was nominated as Director of the Institute for Energy of the
JRC based both in Petten (The Netherlands) and Ispra (Italy). The
Institute represents the reference centre of the European Commission
for research in the energy field. It provides technical and scientific
support for the conception, development and monitoring of community
policies related to the production, security, safety and sustainability of
energy. In particular the Institute focuses on nuclear reactor safety,
renewable (solar) energy, hydrogen and fuel cells, energy system
modelling and energy security.
In January 2011, the Institute for Energy was transformed into the
Institute for Energy and Transport and its portfolio consequently
expanded to include sustainable transport. As Director of the Institute,
Dr. De Santi is responsible for the coordination and management of key
energy and transport activities within the Joint Research Centre of the
European Commission and in the frame of international co-operation
between Europe and key stakeholders - both in the research and
industrial sectors - from third countries. He is member of steering
committees and governing boards of numerous European initiatives,
such as the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan, the Hydrogen
and Fuel Cell Joint Technology Initiatives, European Technology
Platforms (solar energy, biofuels, etc.), the U.S.- Europe Energy Council,
as well as chairman of international Task Forces UNECE-TF for the
standardisation of heavy duty transport emissions.
Giovanni De Santi is author of many peer reviewed publications in high
level scientific journals and chairman of many international conferences.
Since 1st of July 2016, Giovanni De Santi became Director of the
Direction I in charge of Competences and is based in Ispra.
Sergio Paoletti
President of AREA Science Park
Sergio Paoletti is Full Professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Life
Sciences of the University of Trieste, where he was elected member of
the Board of Directors (2006-2009), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (September
2009-May 2013) and Acting Rector (May-July 2013). Since April 2016 he
is President of AREA Science Park, major Science and Technology Park in
Italy, under the aegis of the Italian Ministry of Education, university and
Research.
On 13 May 2013 he has been awarded the title of "Doctor Honoris
Causa" by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
in Trondheim and the following year he was elected foreign member of
the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters.
Professor Sergio Paoletti was Post-Doc at the Department of Physical
Chemistry of the University of Leiden (the Netherlands) (1974), Visiting
Scientist at the Institute of Biochemistry Marina del Norwegian National
Institute of Technology (NTH, now NTNU), Trondheim (Norway) (1981),
Visiting Professor at the Department of Chemistry of the Brooklyn
Polytechnic, now Polytechnic University of New York (USA) (1984).
He has been Chairman of the Bachelor degree in Biotechnology, and that
of the Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology at the Faculty of
Medicine of the University of Trieste. He was member of several boards
such as the Board of Directors of Electra - Synchrotron Trieste S.C.p.A.,
of AREA Science Park, of the Italian Consortium for Biotechnology (CIB),
as well as member of the Scientific Council of the Portoconte Searches
S.C.r.L. (SS) and of the Consortium of Trieste Molecular Biomedicine
(CBM).
He was an expert of the Commission U.E. for the polysaccharides from
algal sources and is responsible for Research Funds of various national
and international public institutions, particularly in several European
projects in the 6th and 7th Framework Programme.
He has directed and directs several research projects in collaboration
with the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries.
Member of several scientific societies, Italian and foreign ones, co-
organizer of congresses, workshops and advanced schools both in Italy
and abroad (USA) and a speaker at a number of national and
international conferences.
Professor Paoletti is author or co-author of over 200 papers in
international scientific journals and 8 patent families.
Furio Honsell
Mayor of Udine and professor of Informatics at the University of
Udine, Committee of the Regions
Furio Honsell, is full professor of Informatics at the University of Udine
(ITALY) since 1990. From 2001 to 2008 he served as Rector of Udine
University and has been President of the Science and Technology Park of
Udine. In 2008 Honsell was elected Mayor of Udine (pop 100,000) with a
centre-left coalition and re-elected in 2013. In 2009 he joined the
Covenant of Mayors 202020 and recently the Mayors Adapt. He is vice-
president of the Italian W.H.O. “Healthy Cities” Network. He is strongly
committed to implementing policies for health and energy efficiency,
combatting climate change and inequities, as well as promoting co-
operation at International level. In 2015 he was elected President of the
EU Covenant on Demographic Change. He is also President of “Giona”,
Italian national Association which promote public toy libraries and
games.
Mark Nicklas
Acting Head of Unit, Innovation Policy and Investment for
Growth, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Mark Nicklas is the Acting Head of Unit "Innovation Policy and
Investment for Growth" in the European Commission's DG Internal
Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROWTH). His unit
aims at fostering the modernisation of Europe's industrial base by
stimulating investment in innovation and new technologies, promoting
new sources of growth, improving the business environment for
innovation and monitoring Member States' and regions' innovation
performance. He has been Deputy Head of Unit for Innovation Policy for
Growth since 2012.
Before entering the field of innovation policy, Mark was closely involved
in the European industrial policy development as the Assistant to the
European SME Envoy and Director-General for Enterprise and Industry.
Previously, he spent several years in the European Commission's
transport department, dealing in particular with the liberalisation of
international air transport.
Prior to joining the European Commission in 2003, Mark held several
posts in the telecommunications industry in Germany. Mark holds a
Ph.D. in industrial economics.
Patrizio Bianchi
Regional Minister for Coordination of European Policies for
Growth, Education, Vocational training, University, Research and
Employment – Emilia-Romagna Region (ADRIATIC-IONIAN),
FVG/Bavaria regions representatives (ALPINE REGION)
Patrizio Bianchi is an Italian Economist, full professor of applied
economics and politician.
Currently he is the Regional Minister for Coordination of the European
Policies for Growth, Education, Vocational training, University, Research
and Employment of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government. Prior he
was the Rector of the University of Ferrara and Chair of the Foundation
of the Italian Universities and formerly served as Dean of Faculty of
Economics at the University of Ferrara. In addition, he has been chair of
the industrial policy think tank of Nomisma, member of the board of
directors of IRI, the main Italian public holding company, president of
the Italian agency Sviluppo Italia and member of the Commission for
labour policies and manufacturing sectors at the National Council of
Economy and Labour (CNEL). Internationally, he has been an Economic
Advisor to the Governor of Guangdong Province of China and member of
several European and OECD working groups, scientific and expert
councils. Patrizio Bianchi is the author or editor of more than 30 books
and more than 200 scientific paper, many of them on industrial policies,
European policies, international economics and economic development.
He is honorary professor at the South China University of Technology
(China) and he has been visiting professor at UCLA (USA) and at the
University of Toulouse (France).
Patrizio Bianchi was awarded by the President of Italy the recognition of
knighthood ”Commander of The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic”
and received the award of "Minister of Heritage and Culture and Tourism
for the political and social sciences" from the distinguished Italian
Accademia dei Lincei (Lincean Academy).
Patrizio Bianchi earned his degree, summa cum laude, in economics and
political science from the University of Bologna, then he specialised,
among others, at the London School of Economics.
Miroslav Vesković
Coordinator scientific support to macro-regional strategies,
Directorate-General Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Between June 2010 and December 2014 Miroslav Vesković was Priority
Area 7 Coordinator (PAC) of the European Union Strategy for the Danube
Region EUSDR with main responsibilities to coordinate macro-regional
policies in higher education, research and information and
communication technologies. As EUSDR PA7 Coordinator he dedicated
significant efforts to the issues highly relevant for the development of
knowledge society in the Danube Region: promotion of the platform for
Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3),
combating brain drain and supporting brain circulation through more
balanced mobility within the Danube. Since February 2015 Miroslav
works at DG Joint Research Centre in Brussels as Coordinator of
Scientific Support to Macro-regional Strategies.
Viktor Nedović
Assistant Minister, Ministry of Education, Science and
Technological Development, Republic of Serbia
Prof. Dr. Viktor Nedović is Assistant Minister in charge of international
S&T cooperation and EU integration in the Ministry of Education, Science
and Technological Development. His portfolio has comprised of
coordination of international programmes with particular focus on
Horizon 2020, coordination of National Contact Points network, creation
of policies and programmes related to the international cooperation and
integration into European Research Area. He is coordinator of the
negotiation process related to the Chapter 25 (“Science and Research”).
He is co-author of “The Strategy of Scientific and Technological
Development of the Republic of Serbia, 2010-2015, Focus and
Partnership” and “The Strategy of Scientific and Technological
Development of the Republic of Serbia, 2016-2020, Research for
Innovation”. As representative of the country he is a member of many
committees and bodies at the European Commission that are responsible
for the creation and implementation of EU policies in the fields of
science, research and innovation, such as European Research Area
Committee (ERAC), Board of Governors of Join Research Centre, (JRC
BofG), H2020 Programme committee on food, Joint Programming Group.
He is coordinator of Priority Area 7 (PA7) of the EU Strategy for the
Danube Region (EUSDR), Knowledge Society that is related to the
regional cooperation in research, higher education and ICT.
He is full professor at Department of Food Technology and Biochemistry,
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade.
His research areas belong to biotechnology, food technology, and
biochemical engineering. As author and co-author he has published
around 400 scientific papers, out of which more than 70 articles
published in SCI journals and 30 as book chapters. In addition, he has
edited four books for the renowned world scientific publishers (Kluwer
and Springer). His articles have been cited more than 1600 times, his h-
index is 22 (Google Scholar). He has been coordinating or participating
in more than 50 research and networking projects, out of which 30 are
international.
Prof. Viktor Nedović is founder and president of the Serbian Association
of Food Technologists (SAFT) and coordinator of Serbian National
Technology Platform “Food for Life”. He has been a member of scientific
boards of 40 international food and biotechnology congresses.
Roko Andričević
Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy,
University of Split, Croatia
Roko Andričević is a full professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering,
Architecture and Geodesy, University of Split. From 2014-2016 he was a
Vice-Minister of science, education and sports of the Republic of Croatia
responsible for developing programs for scientific infrastructure projects
for the higher education system in Croatia and coordinating the Science
and Technology Project by the World Bank in Croatia. He was Vice-rector
of the University of Split between 2008 and 2014 and Dean of Civil
engineering and architecture Faculty (2006-2008). During 2002-2004 he
was Assistant Minister for environmental protection in the Croatian
Government and Founder of Environmental Protection Agency of the
Republic of Croatia and Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency
Fund and president of Board of Directors for both institutions. Prior to
that, he spend 12 years at the Desert Research Institute, USA, in the
position of research professor developing environmental research
programs at the Nevada Test Site (USA) funded by Department of
Energy and Department of Defense, USA. In parallel, he had a long-
academic and research carrier being full professor in the US and Croatian
universities. He published one book and more than 120 scientific papers
in peer reviewed journals.
Lucian Brujan
Senior Scientific Officer International Relations, Speaker of the
Western Balkans Process - Joint Science Conference, German
National Academy of Sciences - Leopoldina
Lucian Brujan works as Senior Scientific Officer and Programme Director
for International Affairs at the German National Academy of Sciences
Leopoldina. Since 2014 he acts as Speaker of the Joint Science
Conference of the Berlin Process, an intergovernmental initiative to bring
the Western Balkans closer to the European Union and support
intraregional cooperation.
Since 2012, his activity covers different fields of international science
affairs, such as science diplomacy, stakeholder relations, science policy,
research cooperation as well as science-based advice to policy-makers
and civil society. Previously, Lucian worked as Lecturer at the Institute of
Geography of the University of Tübingen (Germany), specialising in
international relations (border research, migration issues, conflict
research) and spatial sciences (local and regional development, post-
socialist transition), at the interface between natural and social sciences.
As a visiting fellow, he taught and conducted research at different
universities throughout Europe. Between 2010 and 2012, he worked in
parallel as a science manager (Director of International Affairs) at the
University of Tübingen, where he was involved in internationalisation,
change management and the German University Excellence Competition.
Lucian graduated in Geography and German Studies in 2003, studying at
the West-University of Timișoara (Romania) and the University of
Tübingen. He received several scholarships from funding organisations,
before and after graduation. He was born in Romania (1981), in the
multicultural Banat region.
Anna Giorgi
Driving innovation growth (Pillar 1), EU Strategy for the Alpine
Region (EUSALP)
Anna Giorgi is a Researcher at the University of Milan and the Director of
GeSDiMont – a department of the University of Milan located in the
central Italian Alps, promoting the sustainable development and
valorisation of mountain areas. She is experienced in the management of
public institutions dealing with research and experimentation activities
promoting innovative approaches to territories exploitation and
governance. She was the general director of the Italian mountain
institute, a national research institute, the president of ISCAR,
international scientific committee for research in the Alps, for 4 years
and now I’m the Italian delegate. She is the vice-president of ERSAF, the
public institution controlled by Lombardy Region providing services to
agricultural and forestry sectors and she represents Lombardy Region in
the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region – EUSALP, launched on January
2016 - as leader of the action group 1, aimed at developing an effective
research and innovation ecosystem in the “Alpine Region”.
Željka Babić
Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Unit, Directorate-
General Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission
Željka works for the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC)
since 2008 and is expert in Technology Transfer. She is now responsible
for policy and analysis and coordinates macro-regional activities in TT.
Before that, she worked in the Stakeholder Relations Unit dealing, inter
alia, with the Enlargement and Integration Action, a programme that
supports the transfer of the EU acquis to national legislation and
facilitates scientific and technical exchange with Western Balkans
countries. Željka graduated from the College of Europe and has degrees
in International Relations and Diplomacy from Collegium Civitas, Warsaw
and in Japanese Language and Literature from the University of
Belgrade.
Andrea Mairate
Head of Unit Competence Centre Macro-regions and European
Territorial Co-operation, Directorate-General for Regional and
Urban Policy (DG REGIO), European Commission
Dr Andrea Mairate was born in Tangier (Morocco) in 1957. He studied
Economics in Grenoble, Turin and Paris where he got a Ph.d. After
qualification, he started an academic career as lecturer and researcher in
applied economics in Paris. In 1989, he worked in Rome as research
director in a research centre in a variety of areas including industrial and
innovation policies as well as European regional policies. In 1994 he
joined the European Commission in the area of regional policy, held
managerial posts in evaluation, economic analysis, policy coordination
and audit. He is currently head of the Competence Centre on European
Territorial Cooperation and macro-regions. During his professional
activity, he held several academic positions as associate professor in
Padua (Jean Monnet chair), Milan (Bocconi university) and currently in
the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) where he teaches a master course on
European Integration and Regional Development.
Christina Bauer
Head of the Managing Authority of the Alpine Space Cooperation
Programme
Christina Bauer studied law and economics and holds a post-doc in
business law. Since more than 15 years she has been working for the
Land of Salzburg (Austria) in the field of regional development and EU
cohesion policy. Christina Bauer is deputy head of the unit "regional
development and EU regional policy" in the Government Office´s
department for economy, tourism and municipalities. This unit is
amongst others responsible for the development and implementation of
the region´s strategies for economy and research as well as ERDF-
cofounded programmes such as regional competitiveness/investment in
growth and jobs, cross-border and transnational cooperation
programmes. Already for the third programming period (after 2000-2006
and 2007-2013) the unit acts as Managing Authority of the Interreg
programme Alpine Space. Since 2015 Christina Bauer is head of the
Managing Authority of this programme.
Lodovico Gherardi
ADRION Cooperation Programme, Emilia-Romagna Region
Lodovico Gherardi is a directorial public official of the Emilia-Romagna
Region.
He is currently coordinator of the Managing Authority of the ADRION
European Territorial Cooperation Programme
PhD in Economics and forest management, after some experiences in the
Universities of Florence, Palermo and Venice, he has been in charge of
Interreg programmes on behalf of Emilia-Romagna Region.
In particular, in the previous 2000-2006 programming period, he was
appointed deputy chairman of Italy's National Committee of the Interreg
IIIB Cadeses Programme and official member of the Monitoring
Committee and of Financial Control Group. He has represented Emilia-
Romagna in the Steering Committee of Adriatic Crossborder Interreg III
A Programme and has been chosen by the Ministry of Infrastructures as
external expert on behalf of the programme's national coordinator for
the projects' evaluation within the interreg III B Archimed Programme.
In the 2007-2013 programming period he was chairman of the National
Committee, National Contact Point of the SEE (South East Europe)
European Transnational Cooperation Programme, member of the
Monitoring Committee within the SEE (South East Europe) Programme
and Italy-Slovenia Crossborder Programme.
Thanks to the various positions he has been in charge of, he was called
to take part in the Task Forces for the implementation of the South East
Europe (2007-2013) and Adrion (2014-2020) Programmes; moreover,
since the candidacy and identification of the Emilia-Romagna Region as
Managing Authority of the Adrion programme he has been coordinating
the organizational team and has been following the building up of the
administrative Unit.
Valentina Pinna
Lombardy Region – Vanguard Initiative and Regional S3
Valentina is the responsible for Research Innovation and
Competitiveness of Lombardy Region (delegation to the EU) seconded
from Finlombarda, Lombardy Financial Agency and responsible for
implementation of the Regional Development Program.
Valentina was involved in the launch of Vanguard Regions Initiative and
she is currently member of the Coordination Group. She was also
member of the Management Board of ERRIN (European Regions
Research and Innovation Network). She is supporting Lombardy
involvement in several ETPs, EIPs & Joint Programming Initiatives.
Before taking up this responsibility, she worked for the European
Commission DG Research & Innovation, where she was in charge of the
regional dimension of innovation. She was involved in the launch,
monitoring and implementation of Innovation Union and, in particular, of
European innovation Partnerships (EIP Water-Efficient Europe) and the
JPI on Water.
Before joining the EC, Valentina was Manager of the EU office of
Unioncamere Lombardia.
She holds experience in working for Banks and Science Parks. She is an
active member of the European Networks’ Ecosystem and facilitator for
Lombardy participation in several European platforms/partnering
initiatives (S3P, EIP, ETPs, JPIs, JTIs, PPPs).
Eduardo Barreto
Competence Centre Smart and Sustainable Growth, Directorate-
General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), European
Commission
Policy analyst in the Competence Centre Smart and Sustainable Growth
in the Directorate-general Regional and Urban Policy, European
Commission
Anwar Aridi
Innovation Specialist, World Bank
Anwar Aridi is an Innovation Specialist at the Europe and Central Asia
(ECA) unit of the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice at the World
Bank in Washington DC. Anwar specializes in science, technology, and
innovation policy issues, R&D design, implementation, and collaboration,
technology entrepreneurship, and regional economic development. He
previously worked as an Economic and Technology Policy Analyst at SRI
International Center for Science, Technology, and Economic
Development and at the World Bank Middle East and North Africa
Country Management Unit. Anwar holds a Ph.D. from the Trachtenberg
School of Public Policy and Administration at the George Washington
University (GWU) in Science and Technology Policy. He also has an MA
degree from the Elliot School of International Affairs in International
Science and Technology Policy at GWU and an MS degree in Information
and Telecommunication Systems from Ohio University. Anwar is the
coeditor of Innovation Policy: A Practical Introduction (Springer Books
2014 with Vonortas, N. & Rouge, P.).
Désirée Pecarz
Danube INCO.NET, ZSI
Ms. Desiree PECARZ is project and communication manager within the
Research Policy and Development Unit of ZSI GmbH. She joined the
Centre for Social Innovation in 2007 to deal with international RTD/S&T
co-operation, SME competitiveness and innovation aspects. In addition
to project management, her work focuses also on dissemination,
monitoring and evaluation; it includes drafting studies and briefs for the
support of policy processes, as well as designing and implementing
events to support strategic collaboration activities.
She is currently communication manager of Danube-INCO.NET, has
previously coordinated the FP7 funded WINS-ICT project, and had WP
managing role for the following FP initiatives: WBC-INCO.NET, SEE-
Innovation, SCORE, INCONET EECA, BILAT-UKR; and BILAT-RUS. Her
educational and professional background includes a degree in Economy
of the international trade and value markets at the University of Trieste
(Italy), a specialisation in International Marketing at MIB–School of
Management, and a position at INFORMEST - Italian Agency for
International Economic Cooperation.
Ales Gnamus
S3 Platform, Unit for Territorial Development, Directorate-
General Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Dr. Ales Gnamus is a scientific policy analyst at JRC Seville since
February 2008. Since January 2012 he is closely involved in the
activities of the Smart Specialisation Platform. He has been working for
the European Commission (DG RTD, DG REGIO, DG JRC) since 2004. He
has long-standing analytical experience with European trans-regional
and international S&T cooperation, renewable energy technologies,
smart cities, eco-innovations and sustainability issues as a whole. His
interests include policy analysis, benchmarking, qualitative and
quantitative assessment of policies and on modern internet-based
communication / dissemination information platforms. He holds a Ph.D.
in natural sciences and had been previously working as researcher
dealing with different research topics at universities and research
institutes in various countries.
Armin Mahr
Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economics, Austria
Armin Mahr is a senior public manager and political advisor. In the
Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy he is
heading the strategy unit, responsible for research locations and regional
policies. Armin has an international track record as a science, research
and innovation expert involved in peer reviews of innovation systems
and in strategy projects at national, regional and European level.
He has been an early partner of the EU Commission’s S3 Platform; he
was among the initiators of the OECD project on smart specialisation
that helped to connect the concept of smart specialisation to practical
implementation. His easy-to-use brochure “RIS3 KEY” (together with
Joanneum Research), aimed at unlocking the S3 concept to regional
developers, the science and business sectors, was published in seven
languages and can be downloaded from www.era.gv.at/regions.
At EU level, Armin has been advocating for the inclusion of HEI and the
research sector, at equal terms with business and industry, in finding
smart regional specialisations.
Armin believes in a dynamic multi-level governance model that connects
the European, national and regional with the institutional level, and
encourages universities and research centres to become 'lead
institutions', shaping the future of their region. As a political scientist
(London School of Economics, University of Vienna) he was previously
involved in various international research and technical assistance
projects both in the business consultancy and non-profit sector.
Armin says:
‘When old policy silos crumble, we need new thematic and territorial
references to communicate policy interventions in a tangible way and
turn stakeholders into partners. That is why we have seen a renaissance
of place-based policy concepts like smart specialisation, lately.’’
Peter Wostner
Government Office for Development and Cohesion Policy,
Slovenia
Dr. Peter Wostner is the head of the Smart Specialisation Coordination
Unit in the Slovenian Government. He was also the team leader for its
preparation. Dr. Wostner is an expert on EU budget and EU Cohesion
Policy were he has been, for last 12 years, directly involved from the
MFF and regulatory negotiations to setting up of the programming
framework and implementation arrangements. He is a lecturer and a
moderator and also author of number of articles, especially as regards
EU budget and development policy. Dr. Wostner is also the chairman of
the OECD’s Working Party on Rural Policy and Vice-Chair of the Regional
Development Policy Committee.
Ketty Segatti
Director of the Education, Right to Study, High Learning and
Research Office, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy
Ketty Segatti is the Director of the Education, Training and Research
Area of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the Managing Authority of
the 2014-2020 European Social Fund Programme.
Graduate in Economic and finance, from 1996 to 2006 she was the head
of the Economic and finance department of the Municipality of
Tavagnacco (Ud). In 2006 she began to work at Friuli Venezia Giulia
Region as Director of the University, Research and Innovation Office,
which became the Education, University and Research Office in 2010 and
the Education, Right to study, High Training and Research Office in 2013.
From 2015 she has been in charge of the Education, High training and
Research Area, which has included from September 12th 2016 all the
Training sector too.
Over the years of regional activity, her main responsibilities have been
represented by managing links between research and higher education
bodies, regional clusters and financing them; supporting regional
networks between national and international research centres, regional
universities and science and technology parks; overseeing the regional
planning and development of actions supporting higher education,
scientific research and technological development, research and
initiatives for scientific divulgation and internationalization; overseeing
the regional actions concerning education and higher education, ensuring
the coordination between the Region and local bodies, supporting schools
in developing their educational offer; developing international and
European cooperation projects; overseeing the planning and
management of regional actions to promote public services for the right
to study in education and higher education.
To these assignments it has been currently added the responsibility to
lead the whole Training sector, performing the functions of Managing
Authority of the 2014-2020 European Social Fund Programme too.
Tomislav Radoš
Managing Director, Croatian Centre for Industrial Development
(CIRAZ )
Tomislav Radoš, vice president of Croatian Chamber of Economy, was
born on 2nd April, 1971, in Požega, Croatia. Radoš attended the Faculty
of Economics and Businesses in Zagreb earning a bachelor's and a
master’s degrees as well as a Ph.D. with the thesis “The Relationship
between Strategy and Business Performance of Croatian Companies”.
After working as a head of the Risk Management Sector at Unicredit
Bank, Zagrebačka banka d.d., Zagreb, Croatia, he was management
board member in the automotive industry firm, AutoZubak ltd. In 2003
he became chairmen and CEO of AutoZubak ltd. and was responsible for
500 employees. Six years later he establishes and manages his private
company named Strategic Plan Ltd, focusing on counselling services in
the area of strategic management and finances, management of financial
restructuring projects, development and implementation of business
strategies as well as projects on renewable energy resources.
In year 2013, Radoš took a position of an Advisor to the Minister of
Economy as a head of the working group for Industrial strategy
development and a head author of the Republic of Croatia’s Industrial
Strategy 2014 – 2020.
Following this assignment, he became an Assistant to Minister of
Economy in charge for industry, investments and EU programmes and
projects and was responsible for development of Innovation strategy and
Smart specialization strategy of the Republic of Croatia.
Currently he is a Vice President of Croatian Chamber of Economy for
Industry, and IT and Energy and Environment.
In his career he has published various scientific, research and
professional papers.
Marija Vujaković
Director, BSC Centar, Serbia
Marija Vujaković is the Director of the Information Centre for Business
Standardisation and Certification (abbr. the BSC Centre) in Novi Sad,
Serbia.
What is of particular relevance for the Innovation’s Week Tutorial
Session - Smart Stories: S3 from Design to Implementation is her
experience in IPA HU-SRB INTERRIS PROJECT where she was project
manager, in IPA HU-SRB CROSS-CLUSTER where she was a project
manager, too. Her experience in creating The Regional Innovation
Strategy of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina 2015-2020 (RIS-APV)
where she was a co-author and in creating The Cross-Border Innovation
Strategy of South Great Plain (Hungary) and Vojvodina (Serbia) where
she was also a co-author can also contribute to the success of this
Conference.
She has considerable professional experience of implementing national
and international projects in the field of increasing competitiveness of
the national economy in terms of lifelong learning and innovation, as well
as in areas related to business standardization and certification. She is
an engineer - a leader with a vision and motto: People are in the centre
of anything we do.
Jan Larosse
Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO),
European Commission
Jan Larosse works as a policy analyst for the Competence Centre Smart
and Sustainable Growth in the DG REGIO of the European Commission.
He is responsible for the development of the Thematic Smart
Specialisation Platforms.
He is a seconded national expert from the Flemish Government, where
he was coordinator of industrial policy as a Senior Scientific Advisor. He
has been working on smart specialisation policy from the early start in
2008, as a national expert in DG RTD.
Leda Bologni
Regional Technology Platforms and Projects Dept. Manager –
ASTER, Emilia Romagna Region (ADRION)
Leda Bologni is an Engineer with a PhD in Robotics. Her skills concern
innovation policies and transnational R&D and technology transfer
programmes. She is external expert, independent evaluator and
reviewer for the European Commission.
Recently she managed the Technology Foresight exercise and the
Entrepreneurial Discovery Process in the framework of the regional
Smart Specialization Strategy. In ASTER, the in-house providing
company for innovation of the Emilia-Romagna region, she is the
manager of the Industrial Research Unit and responsible for the S3
Technical Assistance. Moreover, she is the manager of the High
Technology Network. Leda is also national expert in Italy for S3.
Lydia Alessio-Vernì
Deputy Director, Industry, Tourism and Cooperation Department,
Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy
Lydia Alessio-Vernì holds a degree in law (Trieste University, IT), is a
post graduate in the forensic field (Trieste University, IT), qualified as a
lawyer and in 2009 did master’s degree (Bocconi University, Milan, IT).
The title of her thesis is “Measures to support competitiveness, research,
development and innovation in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.
Elements to readdress policies: analysis of activities in the period 1998-
2008”
She first was a lawyer’s apprentice in a law firm: (1998: President of the
Association of practicing lawyers) before being a lawyer from 2000
onwards.
She worked as administrative officer (management of European co-
funded programs) in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Central Directorate for
Productive activities, coordinator for state aid and EU policies in the
Central Directorate for Productive activities, Director’s Staff, Director of
the Economic policies and territorial market office in the Central
Directorate for Productive activities and Director of the Industrial support
and promotion Office in the Central Directorate for Productive activities.
From April 2014 to date she is the Deputy Director of the Manufacturing
Area at the Central Directorate for Productive activities. She also is
since November 2014 onwards the Managing Authority of FVG Region
ERDF O.P.s 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 at the Central Directorate for
Productive activities, Manufacturing Area.
Aleš Hančič
S3 for Industrial Modernisation - Smart mechatronic tools and
dies, TECOS, Slovenia
In 2005 dr. Aleš Hančič joined TECOS Slovenian Tool Development
Center, first as a young researcher and PhD student in the field of
biopolymer composites, and then as Director of Research and
Development. In November 2006, he was hosted by the University of
Minho in Portugal, where he completed a part of the experimental work
on the doctoral thesis at the Department of Polymer Engineering. In
August 2012, he received his doctorate at the Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering in Ljubljana. In 2013 he was appointed a Director of the
Slovenian Tool Development Centre TECOS. In the recent year he has
also been employed at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University
of Ljubljana as a research and teaching assistant and as a research
associate lecturer at the College of Polymer Technology in Slovenj
Gradec. He is also the president of Board of Directors of Centre of
Excellence for Polymers CO PoliMat.
Martina Hartl
EUSALP Action Group 1 “To develop an effective research and
innovation ecosystem”
Martina Hartl is Senior Policy Officer within the Austrian Ministry of
Science, Research and Economy dealing with international research co-
operation and macro-regional strategies specifically.
Her scientific background lies within the Social Sciences and Humanities
where she holds a master degree in sociology from the University of
Vienna.
She has extensive experience in national and EU research programme
development and has served as EU Programme delegate for Socio-
Economic Sciences and Humanities as well as Science in Society in FP6
and FP7.
Within Horizon 2020 she is expert for issues of international co-operation
and she also serves as delegate for the Strategic Forum for International
Science and Technology Cooperation.
In her 4 years as national expert at the European Commission´s DG
Research and Innovation she has worked intensively on issues of
Widening Participation and Smart Specialisation which she now follows
up in the macro-regional contexts of the Danube and Alpine strategies.
Mathilde Konstantopoulou
EUSAIR co-coordinator Pillar “Blue Growth”
Mathilde Konstantopoulou has studied Economics at the Athens
University of Economics and has a postgraduate degree in Finance from
Lancaster University in the UK. She has worked at the banking and
financial sector for a decade and is now employed at the Special Service
for Strategy, Planning and Evaluation of the Operational Programmes at
the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism. She is the national
representative and member of the Monitoring Committees of the
European Territorial Cooperation Programmes: URBACT and ESPON.
During the preparation of the current programming period 2014-2020,
she was responsible for the relevant trialogues and the adoption of the
European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) and the European Grouping of
Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Regulations. She is currently involved in
Cohesion Policy issues and especially, territorial cohesion, sustainable
urban development and strategies of the territorial cooperation
programmes. She is also responsible for the preparation and
implementation of the Regional Operational Programme of Western
Macedonia in Greece. She participates to the team of the National
Coordinator of the Ministry for the Adriatic-Ionian macro-regional
strategy (EUSAIR) and its incorporation in the Partnership Agreement
and the national operational programmes. She represents the Greek
project partner at the strategic project EUSAIR FACILITY POINT, which
will be implemented in the context of the ADRION transnational
programme and will provide support and technical assistance to the
EUSAIR Institutions (Governing Board and Pillar Coordinators),
facilitating also the exchange of information among stakeholders and
potential beneficiaries. She is also Deputy Coordinator of the Thematic
Steering Group (TSG) of pillar I – Blue Growth of the EUSAIR Strategy.
Stefano Casaleggi
Director-General, AREA Science Park
52, from Friuli, Italy, degree in electrical engineering, master's degree in
business management from SDA Bocconi, executive education at INSEAD
in Fontainebleau, after ten years' experience in IBM, both in Italy and
abroad, in the areas of marketing & sales and consulting for businesses,
moved to the Edison group to guide the commercial activities of the
electricity sector. During a four-year period as general manager, he
leads Edison Energia to be the first operator within the energy free
market. Left the group, he establishes Hyperlynx, consulting company,
that reckons among its major customers electrical domestic players and
former municipal companies. In 2009 he co-founded Aither, a company
operating in electricity production from renewable sources, then in 2010,
establishes Castel, a company for strategic and process consulting. He is
currently Managing Director of the AREA Science Park, Italian Public
Research Body, as well as member of the board of Elettra Synchrotron
Trieste and member of APSTI Executive Council.
Nicola Buonanno
Territory Sales Manager , Google for Work, Italy
Nicola Buonanno is the Territory Sales Manager at Google for Work. After
graduating in Public Administration and International Institutions
Management at Bocconi University of Milan he started his career at
Autodesk Italy as Sales Rep. focusing on the CAD software business.
After this experience he joined Tech Data Italy, covering different roles.
Before joining Google Inc. he held the position of Business Development
Manager for the Autodesk Media & Entertainment solutions at Tech Data
Italy. He has been working at Google since 2009, covering several roles
both abroad (European Headquarters) and in Italy. Nicola is now
responsible for the sales of the Google for Work Solutions to medium and
large Clients in Italy with focus on messaging and collaborations tools
and devices. Google for Work solutions include products like Google
Apps, Google Maps for Work, Chrome for Work, Android for Work and
Google Cloud Platform.
Pier Luigi Dal Pino
Director of Institutional and Industrial relations, Microsoft Italy
and Austria
As Managing Director for Institutional and Industrial Relations, is the
main Italian referent dedicated to institutional relations in the political
and regulatory environment. The figure covered with Pier Luigi was born
to better interpret the epochal digital transformation represented by
cloud computing and destined to change the way the products use and
the relationship with users.
Its role is very important because the main objective is to communicate
with one voice industry, market and Government: creates and maintains
the high-level relationships to create project initiatives that put ICT to
overall innovation centre Country System.
He graduated in Economics and Master in European Public Relations,
Young Leaders 2006 Italy-US Council for over 15 years is the director of
Institutional Relations of Microsoft, from 2001 to 2006 at the direction of
the Southern Europe and from 2015 also responsible for Austria and
Switzerland.
Before joining Microsoft, he served for four years as Corporate Affairs
Manager at Philip Morris, dealing with institutional communication and
development programs for the American tobacco company in Italy and
two years at Procter & Gamble with the responsibility of marketing
communications for Health and Beauty Care sector.
Fabrizio Renzi
Director, Technology, Innovation & Research, IBM Italy
Fabrizio Renzi is the Director of technology, innovation and Research of
IBM Italy since 2014. In this role he leads all the IBM Italy technical
activities, for partnering with Italian clients and institution around ICT
solutions, digital transformation initiatives and Research.
From 2011 to 2013 he was Director of technology and innovation for
Italian banks, insurances and financial institutions.
In 2009-2010 he was, based in Dubai, and was IBM Director of Systems
and Technologies for emerging markets (Russia, Eastern Europe, Middle
East and Africa)
Since 1997 he worked on leading edge technologies and transformation
initiatives for IBM, with increasing managerial responsibilities in areas
such as: on demand, e-business, ecommerce, network computing
solutions, client server.
He joined IBM in 1990 as System Engineer in charge of introducing in
Italy new products technologies and solutions developed in our R&D labs
in USA, where he also spent some years of his professional life in
international assignments.
Master degree in Electronic Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, he
also got an International Executive Program MBA from INSEAD in Paris.
Keynote speaker in several scientific and technology related events,
Renzi is author of several publications and he taught in several Italian
universities
Luis Sanz
Director General, International Association of Science Parks and
Areas of Innovation (IASP)
Luis Sanz (Spain, 1952) is Director General of the International
Association of Science Parks since 1996, and member of its Executive
Board. A trained sociologist, he is an expert consultant and senior
adviser to different Science Parks worldwide and chief co-ordinator of
over 30 international conferences on Science and Technology Parks,
regional development and innovation policies.
He is author of numerous papers, books, articles and presentations on
this topic and has participated as invited speaker in over 100
international conferences and seminars all over the world. Formerly he
was the co-director of Valencia Technology Park (Spain) which he
founded in 1987 and as positions of trust he has been Vice-President of
the Spanish Association of Science Parks and President of the European
Division of the IASP.
Luis Sanz is also the head co-ordinator of the World Alliance for
innovation (WAINOVA).
Josep Miquel Piqué
International President, IASP
Josep Miquel Piqué is a Telecommunication Engineer from La Salle and
UPC and MBA from ESADE. He holds also diplomas from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California-Berkeley and
Universitat Ramon Llull.
He is a disciple of Professors Henry Etzkowitz (co-founder of Triple
Helix), Francesc Solé Parellada (Entrepreneurship) and Jerome Engel
(Clusters of Innovation).
He is the President of XPCAT (Catalan Network of Science Parks), Vice-
President of APTE (Spanish Network of Science Parks) and Vice-President
of IASP (International Association of Science Parks and Areas of
Innovation).
He is expert of the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy
(DG REGIO) of the European Commission and member of the Team of
Specialists on Innovation and Competitiveness Policies of the United
Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE).
His long professional experience in university management has leaded
him to promote and lead Postgraduate Programs, Technology Transfer
Centers, University Incubators and Innovation Science and Technology
Parks. He has promoted several hybrid organizations taking the
partnership model University-Industry-Public Administration.
In the field of public administration has been CEO of the District
Innovation - 22 @ Barcelona, Director of Strategic Sectors of the Agency
of Local Development - Barcelona Activa and CEO of the Office of
Economic Growth of the Barcelona City Council. Among other projects he
has participated in teams of Barcelona European Capital of Innovation
and Barcelona Mobile World Capital
He has published several papers in publications and congresses on
Innovation Ecosystems. He has participated in several international
forums in Europe (Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Italy and
UK), America (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, U.S.A.) and
Asia (Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Japan and China).
The central line of his activity is the promotion of Knowledge-based
Economy and Society in order to consolidate Knowledge Cities on Smart
Cities.
Paris Kokorotsikos
Head of Greece-based Euroconsultants
Dr. Paris Kokorotsikos is CEO of Athens Stock Exchange listed
Management and Technology Consulting Company EUROCONSULTANTS
S.A. with subsidiaries in most of Central, East European and MENA
countries and owner of i4G incubation for Growth Technology and ETEP
Incubators, as well as shareholder of Thessaloniki Technology Park and
numerous technology start-ups in the sectors of IST, life sciences and
environment.
Dr. Kokorotsikos through EUROCONSULTANTS Group participates in the
development of Technology Infrastructure and funds Initiatives in SE
Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Czech Republic), and GCC countries
(Technology Parks in Bahrain Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Oman).
During the past years he was involved in many PPP and ERDF projects
conception and development and aiming at University and research
centres Infrastructures, Innovation Zones, Technology Parks private
sector infrastructures, Industrial parks, University preincubators and
accelerators in EU and precession countries.
Dr Kokorotsikos has extensive experience in Croatia as developer of
Euroconsultants Croatia and has been involved in several projects
conception as well as in the preparation of the 2007-2013 operational
programmes, in addition to projects preparation with universities.
Dr. Kokorotsikos was member of the board of the Technology Transfer
Association of EU. He has coordinated technical assistance teams at top
government level on planning, management and evaluation of
Operational and Development programmes for more than 40 countries
and regions aiming at Private Investments increase, for SMEs, for
Technology Transfer, for Quality in industry, for Interregional and Cross-
Border Cooperation and especially for promoting entrepreneurship from
Research Institutes, in the framework of EU, WB, EBRD and government
programmes. He has been author at several papers on development
issues and addressed in many relevant conferences in the EU.
Dr Kokorotsikos started his career (in parallel in PhD research) as
industrial liaison officer of the Chemical Process Engineering Research
Institute (CPERI) of the National Foundation for Research, and has
taught courses on the Energy technologies and Technology Transfer at
the Engineering School of the Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki.
Stephen Taylor
Director of Marketing, Communication and Business Development
Unit, AREA Science Park
Mr. Stephen Taylor has over twenty five years-experience as a Director
and Senior Consultant, helping major firms and government agencies in
Europe and North America to access the latest knowledge and expertise
for analysis and planning for new business, market research, new
product development, and technology commercialization.
He has negotiated sales, joint ventures and partnership agreements with
other organisations, both public and private, to further the strategic
objectives of the organisations he has represented. As well as extensive
face-to-face closure of key account sales, he has also successfully
negotiated non-cash deals with other organisations to achieve mutually
beneficial partnerships.
His collaboration with AREA Science Park (Trieste) started at the
beginning of 2009 and in September of the same year he was appointed
as Director of the Technology Transfer Department to optimize strategic
activities for technology transfer.
Since January 2010 he sits on the board of Innovation Factory S.r.l., the
in-house incubator of AREA Science Park, with specific responsibility for
business competitiveness and internationalization and in May 2011 he
was named CEO. In 2015 he became Director of Marketing,
Communications and Business Development.
Mauro Giacca
Director-General International Centre for Genetic Engineering
and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Education. 1984, Degree in Medicine; Faculty of Medicine, University of
Trieste, Italy. 1985, Professional License; Admitted to the Medical
Doctors and Surgeons Register, University of Bologna Medical School.
1989, Ph.D. in Microbiology and Virology; University of Genoa, Italy.
Positions. Since 2014, Director-General of the International Centre for
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy, an
international, intergovernmental organisation for advanced research and
training in the United Nations Common System, with seats in Trieste,
Italy, New Delhi, India and Cape Town, South Africa. 2004-14, Director
of the Italian Component of the ICGEB in Trieste. Since 1995, Group
Leader of the Molecular Medicine Laboratory at ICGEB Trieste. 2000-04:
Founder and Director of the Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Scuola
Normale Superiore, in Pisa, Italy.
Other appointments. Since 2012, Expert Member in the National
Committee for Biotechnology, Biosafety and Life Sciences (CNBBSV), an
advisory body to the President of the Council of Ministries of the Republic
of Italy. 2005-2010, member of the Scientific Council of the National
Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) of Bangkok,
Thailand. 2001-2005, member of the Executive Committee of NEST
(National Enterprise for NanoScience and NanoTechnology) at the Scuola
Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy. Since 1998, member of the Ethical
Committee of the University Hospital, Trieste, Italy.
Since 1996, Scientific consultant for the Italian Association for the
Prevention and Cure of Handicaps (AIRH). 1995-1997, member of the
Scientific Board of the Italian Society of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
(SIBBM).
Teaching and mentoring activity. Since 2005, Full Professor of Molecular
Biology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Trieste, Italy.
2000-2005, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at the Scuola
Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy. Member of the PhD School Faculties of
several Italian Universities.
Scientific interests. Current research interest focuses on the
development of novel biotherapeutics for cardiovascular disorders, with
special emphasis on the identification of cytokines and microRNAs able to
induce new blood vessel formation and cardiac regeneration in patients
with myocardial infarction or heart failure. He also maintains a strong
interest in the molecular biology of HIV-1 infection, with particular
reference to the molecular mechanisms governing HIV-1 latency and
reactivation.
He has published over 280 full papers in peer reviewed international
journals and is the author of the book "Gene Therapy", Springer ed.,
2010. He presents his research activity at meetings and seminars
worldwide and regularly contributes articles to national newspapers and
popular science magazines.
Funding. He has obtained grants for his research activity from various
public and private bodies, including the European Union, the Italian
Ministry for Education and Research, the World Antidoping Agency
(WADA), Montreal, Canada, the Ataxia UK Charity, UK, the Consiglio
Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy, the Telethon foundation Italy, the
Istituto Superiore di Sanita' Italy, and others. Since 2010, he is the
recipient of an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council
(ERC). Since 2012, he is the European Coordinator of a Leducq
Foundation Transatlantic Network of Excellence grant.
David Pitschmann
Lakeside Science & Technology Park GmbH, Klagenfurt am
Wörthersee, Austria
Mr. Pitschmann is responsible for Marketing and Communication at
Lakeside Science & Technology Park since 2014, requiring knowledge
about tenants concerns, wishes and needs as well as understanding the
role of STPs.
Gordana Danilović Grković
Science and technology Park Belgrade, Serbia
Ms. Gordana Danilović Grković has over twelve years’ experience in the
SMEs support, especially start up support, business incubation and
innovation, and eight year experience in the management of
technology development projects – including long term research,
development, innovation projects and transfer technology. She has
graduated on the Faculty of Economic and finished master studies in the
field of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
She has initiated the first Business technology incubator programme and
established the first Business Incubator of the Technical faculties
Belgrade with the purpose of providing the support to start ups as well
as the spin off companies coming from the Technical faculties. During
the 8 years of BITF functioning, in total the establishment of the 60
startups has been supported, over 300 engineers employed out of 30
returners from abroad. Furthermore, through the BITF programmes over
600 students was trained on the entrepreneurship, management,
marketing and Intellectual properties.
Today, Ms. Gordana Danilović Grković is acting director of the first
Science technology park Belgrade, established in June 2015 through the
partnership of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, City of
Belgrade and the University with the mission of creating the strong
technology core and fostering the innovation development of the
Republic of Serbia.
Iztok Lesjak
General Manager, Technology Park Ljubljana
Iztok Lesjak M.Sc. is an international expert in business development
and establishing knowledge-based SMEs, incubation and regional policy
development and initiator as well as the CEO of Technology Park
Ljubljana in Slovenia. He obtained his postgraduate M.Sc. degree in
economics while his B.Sc. degree is in computer science, both from the
University of Ljubljana.
After working as a researcher in the digital communication field, he was
involved in marketing the Slovenian national institutes’ research
capabilities on the Italian market. His next activity was leading the
Technology Park at the Jozef Stefan Institute, the predecessor of
Ljubljana Technology Park Ltd where he was appointed General Manager
in 1996.
He managed a 43 million EUR investment project, partially financed by
ERDF, for the design, development and implementation of the park
infrastructure and value added services. He was actively involved in the
evaluation process for more than five hundred hi-tech company start-up
initiatives and is also a recognized international expert in the fields of
national and regional innovation and/or technology transfer and regional
development strategies. In 2010 he took on the role of a senior lecturer
in business planning and entrepreneurship at the University of Nova
Gorica.
He was the initiator for the establishment of the National Association of
Technology Parks, Business Incubators and Technology Centers and was
President of this Association from 2005 to 2008. He was President of the
European Division of International Association of Science Parks from
2010 to 2012. Additionally, form 2011 he has been appointed as a
president of entrepreneurial development body at Regional development
agency and a vital member of a group which established a national
Initiative Start:up Slovenia.
Fabrizio Rovatti
Director, Innovation Factory, AREA Science Park Incubator
Fabrizio Rovatti is currently Managing Director of Innovation Factory,
incubator and in-house company of AREA Science Park, and Responsible
of the Innovation Center of AREA Science Park.
The main activities of Fabrizio Rovatti are the management and the
implementation of strategic actions focused on Innovation.
These activities, especially the valorisation of research and the
technology transfer, help strengthen the competitive potential of
companies and create a connection between the research world and the
entrepreneurial system, through enhancing research results, promoting
company development activities, and supporting the creation of new
high-tech companies.
In the previous years, after a period as Project Manager of EU Projects,
Fabrizio Rovatti worked in the Technology Transfer Department of AREA
Science Park, developing and managing projects with a strong focus on
new technologies and innovation; some of these projects were in
collaboration with M.I.T. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and SRI
(Stanford Research Institute) International.
Theologos Prokopiou
Managing Director, business incubator i4G S.A
Dr. Theologos Prokopiou is a senior international expert on innovation
and entrepreneurship support infrastructure projects and especially
Incubators/Accelerators and Science & Technology Parks. His unique
skill-set that emanates from a perfectly interwoven industrial and
consulting experience, focuses on the promotion of competitiveness and
innovation and on commercialization of R&D. Dr Prokopiou is currently
the Managing Director of the Technology and New Economy Incubator
i4G-Incubation for Growth (www.i4gr.gr) member of the Euroconsultants
Group, overseeing the services provided to incubatees in the fields of
management consulting, technology management, popularization of
investment possibilities, seeking and securing of funds for business
development. He has successfully participated in the establishment and
management of numerous incubation and S&T Parks initiatives, and is
highly experienced in the development and delivery of high-end SME
training and consultancy services. Dr. Prokopiou has worked on projects
and initiatives in Greece and the Western Balkans, and also in Turkey,
Bulgaria, Georgia and the Middle East with substantial projects in
Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
from University of Notre Dame, he served of the Board of Directors of TII
(www.tii.org) and participates in the activities of IASP (International
Association of Science Parks, www.iasp.ws). Dr Prokopiou is a certified
Business Coach under the EU SME Instrument.
Juan Antonio Bertolin
Innovation and Projects Director, Science, Technology and
Business Park of the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón (ESPAITEC)
Since 2007, Juan Antonio Bertolin is responsible of Innovation and
Projects Management in Espaitec, Science and Technology Park of
Universitat Jaume I in Castellon (Spain) providing mechanisms to
connect companies settled in the Science and Technology Park (start-
ups, spin-off, tractors) to the Global Innovation EcoSystem, strategies of
technology scouting, open innovation, hybridization management and
project management protocols.
He focuses in Hybridization Management, co-creation approaches, High
Productivity Team Management and Innovative approaches for Regional
Innovation Ecosystems and is currently preparing his PhD related to
"Science and Technology Parks as promoter agents of Territorial
Development into Areas of Innovation ecosystem".
International Association of Science Technology Parks and Areas of
Innovation Advisory Council member; Deputy Convener of the Thematic
Research Group University-Industry Partnership of the Triple Helix
Association, Council member of ENoLL (European Network of Living
Labs).
Previously, Juan Antonio was Project Manager at Accenture, where he
developed his professional consulting career in international ICT projects
and at GRUPO IT DEUSTO, as Account Manager in Mobility, Health and
ICT projects.
Physicist by University of Valencia, Master in Local Development
Promotion Management at UJI (Universitat Jaume I Castellon) and
Postgraduate in General Business Management at Universitat Oberta de
Catalunya (UOC).
He has published several papers to conferences and innovation
magazines about Advanced Management in Science and Technology
Parks and Open Innovation.
Tim Hart
Managing Consultant for Isis Enterprise
Tim has gained >25 years’ experience in technology commercialisation,
particularly from university environments, and in the life sciences. He
has worked as an academic researcher, technology transfer professional,
and entrepreneur, having spun-out and managed two investment-backed
life science companies from university research.
Tim’s current role is as Managing Consultant for Isis Enterprise, the
international innovation management consulting group within Oxford
University Innovation Ltd, the University of Oxford technology transfer
company. Tim’s experience is truly international, having worked for and
with some of the largest technology corporates and leading universities
across Asia, Russia, Europe, North and South America, Australia, and
Africa.
Tim is passionate about scientific innovation and entrepreneurship and
over the last 25 years has developed deep insights from a local to global
scale. He has advised and supported the private and public sector across
the world with strategies and implementation support for innovation and
entrepreneurship instruments and programmes.
Maurizio Fermeglia
Rector, University of Trieste
Maurizio Fermeglia is full professor at the Department of Engineering and
Architecture of the University of Trieste, where he holds the course in
Chemical and Biochemical Reaction Engineering and Process and Product
design. From 2006 to 2012 he was the head of the Department of
Industrial Engineering & Information Technology, from 2010 to 2012 he
served as president of the Research board of the University of Trieste.
He was the director of the Ph.D. School of Nanotechnology at the
University of Trieste from 2007 to 2013. From 2013, he is the Rector of
the University of Trieste.
Professor Fermeglia research interests are focused: on multiscale
modeling for materials design and life science, applied thermodynamics,
process simulation, molecular modelling for nanotechnology and
nanomedicine.
Maurizio Fermeglia is member of the EFCE working party on
thermodynamics and transport properties, IUPAC fellows, member of the
AIChE, member of Italian associations GRICU and AIDIC. He received
the Italy meets Asia Science Award in 2015. He was scientific consultant
of ICS - UNIDO within the Subprogram 'Process Simulation and
sustainable development' from 1999 to 2011 and of UNEP for the
implementation of PRTR in different countries from 2005 to 2013.
Cristina Marullo
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
Cristina Marullo is PhD in Innovation Management and she is a post-doc
researcher at the Institute of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
in Pisa.
Her research topics are R&D and innovation management in technology-
based SMEs.
Actually she’s interested in the impact of collaborative R&D strategies
and business model innovation on SMEs growth.
Previously she has been working as a data analyst for public government
research centres on regional innovation systems and ICT-enabled SMEs
development.
She’s currently involved in International Research Projects in
collaboration the IPTS JRC, other European Universities and the
European Investment Bank.
Mattias Dinnetz
Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC), European
Commission
Mattias Dinnetz (Policy officer, JRC) is a research commercialisation
professional with a strong focus on creating value in the interface
between public research and private enterprise across a number of
technological fields. During his career he has been involved in all stages
of the innovation cycle, which entails access to risk finance, brokering
deals – in essence transferring technology – between universities and
companies, including the establishing of start-up companies, licensing
deals, and contract research. Managing the innovation process entails
identifying novel ideas with business potential in research, IPR
management, and industrial liaison, as well as negotiating terms and
conditions for equity-based risk capital with seed and venture capital
partners.
Mattias is increasingly doing social, economic, and legal research with
the aim of improving policy for technology transfer, in areas such as
biotechnological innovation and intellectual property exchange and
finance.
Elena Andonova
Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC), European
Commission
Technology Transfer Advisor at the Joint Research Centre, European
Commission
Elena is a multi-disciplinary expert engaged in innovation management
and international commercialization projects. Her expertise lies in
business planning, deal structuring, financing and marketing. Currently,
Elena works as an policy officer and advisor at DG Joint Research Centre
of the European Commission engaging in technology transfer capacity
building programmes and policy support. Beforehand, Elena worked for
Oxford University Innovation where she developed technology transfer
programmes and collaborations with industry, academia and
governments around the world with a focus on Latin America. Elena
joined Oxford University Innovation in October of 2009 as a fellow from
the Said Business School at Oxford University, where she had completed
her MBA. Before coming to Oxford, Elena spent few years working for
the capital markets division of Lehman Brothers in London, involved in
negotiating and trading of sovereign bonds. Elena has experience in
macroeconomics and corporate finance and graduated from the
American University in Bulgaria with a double major in Economics and
Business Administration.
Mauro Lattuada
Technology transfer Manager, École polytechnique fédérale de
Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
After graduating at the Milan Polytechnic in 1998, Mauro Lattuada
worked for Alcatel in the radio links department.
In 2000, he joined EPFL in Lausanne, for a new project on wireless
systems for digital newsgathering. During the same year, Mauro
Lattuada co-founded Livetools Technology a company developing
compact and portable digital systems for TV production of sports events
like Olympics games or Tour de France. In 2004 he obtains his doctoral
thesis in the field of signal processing.
In 2006, he joins by Abilis Systems, a fabless semiconductor company of
the Kudeslki group (now ALI Tech Corporation), where he covers
different positions ending as technical manager for the definition of new
products and the business development.
Mauro Lattuada joined the team in March 2013 TTO as a Technology
Transfer Manager.
Michel Morant
General Manager, Interface Enterprises, University of Liège,
Belgium and Vice President, ASTP-Proton
Michel Morant is presently the Managing Director of the Knowledge
Transfer Office of the University of Liege and University Hospital. Michel
Morant graduated in electromechanical and electrical engineering at
University of Liege in 1979, than a MBA in 1982 and a PhD in 1984.
During this period, he has been working at the ULg as a Research
Engineer in the Electrical Engineering Department, in charge of
collaborative research. In 1986, he joined the Power Transport and
Distribution Division of the AEG Daimler-Benz group, became member of
the board in 1990, and vice-president in charge of the technique and
commercial departments in 1995. In 1998, he joined the University to
boost the technology transfer office. With about 45 staff members, more
than 125 spin off companies created, 20 licences a year, the Liege office
is one of the more active KTO of Belgium. In Belgium, he the President
of LIEU, the network of KTO’s association, is a member of the board of
Creative Wallonia Engine, and he is a member of the Science and
technology Policy advisory board of Wallonia. He is in the board of
several spin offs companies, and he is chairing the board of the spin off
company Symbiose Biomaterials. Michel Morant is member of several
international associations, ASTP-Proton, TII, AUTM, LIEU, SPOW, IASP,
Curie. He is also currently Vice-President of ASTP-Proton, the merged
paneuropean association for Tech transfer.
Alberto di Minin
Associate Professor of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna,
Pisa, Italy
Alberto Di Minin is Associate Professor of Management at the Scuola
Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa and he is Research Fellow with the Berkeley
Roundtable on the International Economy, University of California –
Berkeley.
Di Minin is currently the Italian Representative on the SMEs & Access to
Finance Programme Committee, for Horizon 2020, with the European
Commission.
At Sant’Anna, Alberto is teaching innovation management and innovation
policy. Alberto’s research deals with Open Innovation, appropriation of
innovation and science and technology Policy.
Alberto writes for Nòva, Il Sole24Ore.
Koen Jonkers
Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC), European
Commission
Dr ir Koen Jonkers is currently working as Deputy Head of Unit of the
Innovation Systems Analysis (ISA) unit of DG JRC. The unit's aim is to
provide comparative country analysis of the European Member States on
selected R&I topics to assess the impact of specific R&I policies through
econometric, macro-economic and qualitative policy analysis. This is
done in order to place Country Level analyses into context and to draw
policy lessons through benchmarking and the identification of good
practices. The ISA unit provides inputs to DG Research and other policy
DGs involved in the Research and innovation part of the European
Semester process. Through its various projects the ISA unit also aims to
support other parts of the R&I policy making process of the European
Commission.
Before joining DG JRC, Koen worked at the CSIC Institute for Public
Goods and Policies in Madrid, Spain and made 25+ publications on topics
related to Scientific Mobility, Highly Skilled Migration, Scientific Careers,
Research Collaboration, Public Funding of R&D, Research Organisations,
scientometrics and various other topics in the field of research and
innovation studies.
In addition to a PhD from the European University Institute, he holds a
research master in political studies and international relations from the
University of Birmingham, an MSc in Science and Technology Studies
from the University of Amsterdam and an engineering (MSc) degree in
Biotechnology from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Petra Püchner
Executive Manager, Steinbeis Foundation
Dr. Petra Püchner is Director of a Steinbeis Enterprise. She holds a
degree in Biology and a PhD in Environmental Engineering. After 5 years
as researcher in contract research for industry and on national and
European Research Projects (topic: biodegradable plastics), she started a
career as consultant for innovation and technology transfer at Steinbeis-
Europa-Zentrum (SEZ), where she climbed the position of director in the
year 2000. Petra has been engaged in innovation and related policy
issues for more than 20 years. The topics range from exploitation of
research results to industry applications to innovation systems and their
role to trigger competitiveness. She is working as advisor to industry and
policy – latest in regard how to answer the knowledge transfer challenge
in regard to key enabling technologies and their applications towards
SME. Open Innovation for SME is another expert area, in which she just
developed a specific coaching process for SME.
Together with her co-directors and a team of 50 staff members, she
develops concepts and strategies in regard to enhance the use of key
enabling technologies with a view to emerging industries and smart
specialisation.
Petra is appointed member of the H2020 Advisory Group for Energy
Research and the AG for Gender Issues. She founded the European
Network of Women for Innovative Energy Solutions – Women4Energy. In
FP7, she was appointed member of the SME Research Advisory Group.
Aamir Butt
Chief Executive Officer at Tumour Trace Ltd
Building a tested customer centric go-to-market strategy and executing
it through focused organisational alignment is in Aamir’s DNA. With 20-
years of experience of starting and selling his own businesses, and
supporting over 90 other businesses, taking new products to new
markets is at the heart of his expertise. Aamir has built scalable business
models across several verticals including health, medtech, digital and
service industries. Goal focused and results oriented, Aamir knows tools
and processes deeply enough to teach, consult, coach and execute.
Vittorio Venturi
Group Leader, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Dr. Vittorio Venturi (born in Treviso, Italy on the 06 August, 1965)
graduated from Edinburgh University, UK, and received his Ph.D. degree
in Microbiology from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. During
his PhD research he focused in the regulation of iron-transport processes
of beneficial plant associated bacteria which promote plant growth; the
monopolization of iron nearby plant roots is an important trait which
keeps microbial pathogens away. He then moved as a postdoctoral fellow
to the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology
(ICGEB), Trieste, Italy, where he started investigating intercellular
signalling among bacteria. He then went on to become Group Leader at
ICGEB continuing his studies on intercellular signalling. He is now
particularly interested in (i) how plant associated bacteria undergo
interspecies communication and interkingdom signalling with plants and
(ii) plant microbiomes and the development of microbial products for a
more sustainable agriculture.
Alessandro Marcello
Group Leader, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Alessandro Marcello is the Head of the Molecular Virology Laboratory at
the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
(ICGEB) based in Trieste, Italy (http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/molecular-
virology.html). Essentially a virologist, Dr Marcello’s research experience
ranges from the investigation of the molecular basis of viral disease, to
the study of the cellular response to viral infection, to the development
of antiviral strategies and innovative diagnostic tools in collaboration with
industry.
Jana Kolar
Executive Director, Central European Research Infrastructure
Consortium (CERIC-ERIC)
Dr. Jana Kolar is Executive Director of CERIC-ERIC, a research
infrastructure dedicated to advanced characterisation of materials. Dr.
Kolar has been Director General of Science and Technology at the
Ministry in Slovenia, chairman of the board of Slovenian Technology
Agency and a member of the board of Slovenian Research Agency. She is
currently a member of the board of European Institute of Technology and
Innovation (EIT), a member of the ERA Council Forum Austria, a high-
level expert body advising the Austrian Minister responsible for Science
and Research, and a member of Horizon 2020 advisory group Innovation
in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Bernard Denis
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Bernard Denis has more than 10 years experience in innovation,
intellectual property and knowledge transfer. He joined the Technology
Transfer group of CERN in 2005 as section leader with responsibilities for
all technology transfer operational activities. In 2007, Bernard was
appointed deputy group Leader. He is a founding member of the High
Energy Physics Technology Transfer Network (HEPTech) regrouping the
TT Offices of institutes active in High Energy Physics.
In 2012, Bernard was seconded to the European Commission. He joined
the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer unit of the Joint
Research Centre where he provided expert advice for the IPR strategy of
the Galileo Satellite Navigation programme and for the management of
the Technology Transfer sector.
Bernard is now a member of the CERN unit in charge of the relation
between CERN and the European institutions with a specific role in
relation with EU research and innovation policy.
Before working in the area of knowledge transfer and innovation,
Bernard has been working in various positions at CERN including IT
project leader for the development of the SPS and LEP accelerators
control systems and deputy group leader of the unit in charge of the
CERN outsourcing policy.
Bernard regularly acts as an expert for WIPO in technology transfer fact-
finding missions and capacity building workshops. He also acted as
international evaluator of project proposals for the establishment of
Technology Transfer Centres in the Czech Republic.
He is accredited Registered Technology Transfer Professional by the
Alliance of Technology Transfer Association (ATTP). He has an
engineering background in electromechanics, an MBA and an Advanced
Diploma in Management Consultancy from the Henley Management
College. He developed and delivered negotiation training programmes for
the CERN knowledge transfer and purchasing services, for the JRC
Technology Transfer unit and for the PhD symposium of HEPTech.
Bernard is also lecturing on project management at the Geneva School of
Economics and Management, Geneva University. In May 2016, he
became a member of the Professional Development Committee of ASTP-
Proton.
Giancarlo Panaccione
National Research Council, Institute for Materials Manufacturing
(CNR-IOM)
Giancarlo Panaccione holds a PhD in materials science. He is senior
researcher at IOM Institute-Lab. TASC- Trieste of National Research
Council (CNR) Italy. From 2006 to present, he was Coordinator of the
CNR research activity “Phase transition and magnetic properties in
strongly correlated oxides, metal-semiconductor interfaces, and
anomalous metals”, he was scientific coordinator of EU-FP5-VOLPE-
Project, local responsible of I-FOX FP7 and Prin-Oxide projects,
coordinator of the Miur-Elettra PIK project Ultraspin. He is now
coordinating the CNR-project SPRINT focused on time resolved magnetic
spectroscopy and he is member of the EXC-board and Joint Research
Activity leader of the Nanoscience Foundry and Fine Analysis NFFA-
Europe H2020 project (2015-2019).
The research activity of Dr. Panaccione is mostly devoted to the
exploitation of Synchrotron Radiation spectroscopies for the study of
correlated systems and novel quantum materials, following three main
axes: (1) electronic and magnetic properties of low dimensional sys-
tems (surfaces and interfaces), (2) electron confinement, and (3)
complex oxides. He has more than 160 publications in peer reviewed
journals.
Alberto Morgante
Director General, CNR – IOM
Alberto Morgante holds a Degree and a Phd in Physics from the
university of Trieste.
He is since February 2010 the Director of the CNR-IOM Institute.
Previously he was Director of National TASC Laboratory INFM. He also is
since November 1999 associate professor of Physics at Trieste University
while before he was researcher at Trieste University, researcher at
Laboratorio TASC-INFM, Trieste and had fellowships at Alexander von
Humboldt Foundation and Max Plank, at Fritz-Haber-Institut der MPG
Berlin in collaboration with prof. G. Ertl. He also was a visiting scientist
at the Nanoscience and Engineering Centre of Columbia University New
York USA.
Alberto teaches courses on “Electrodynamics and relativity” for physics
students, “Surface physics” for PhD students, “General Physics” for
Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology students
He is a member of PhD School in nanotechnology of Trieste University,
from 2008 to 2013 deputy director of the School and member of the
Scientific committee of the School.
He also is supervisor of more than 16 PhD students and more than 20
degree students, member of final examination boards for PhD students
at international and national PhD schools.
Furthermore, he is since October 2014 member of Board of Directors of
Sincrotrone Trieste Company that runs the Elettra synchrotron and Fermi
FEL.
Alfonso Franciosi
President and Chief Executive Officer, Elettra Sincrotrone
Alfonso Franciosi, a national of Italy and of the U.S., currently serves as
Chairman of the Board (Presidente) and Chief Executive Officer
(Amministratore Delegato) of Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., and is
a Full Professor of Physics with the University of Trieste. He was born in
1955 and graduated summa cum laude in Physics from the University of
Rome "La Sapienza" in 1978. He was a postdoctoral fellow with the
University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1980 to 1981.
In 1982 he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials
Science of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis as an Associate
Scientist. He was promoted to tenured Associate Professor in 1988.
During his years in the U.S. he was Principal Investigator of numerous
research projects funded by the U.S. Army Research Office, the Office of
Naval Research, the National Science Foundation (NSF), 3M, Honeywell,
Sperry, Control Data Corporation, etc., and from 1987 through 1993
served as Nucleation and Growth Focus Leader of the NSF Center for
Interfacial Engineering, a private-public 50-50 partnership that
developed a major infrastructure in Minneapolis to host joint industry-
University research teams.
From 1993 to 1999 professor Franciosi held concurrent part-time
appointments as Director of the TASC National Laboratory of the Istituto
Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia in Trieste, Associate Professor of
Physics with the University of Trieste, and Associate Professor of
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science with the University of
Minnesota.
In 2000 he became a Professor of Physics with the University of Trieste.
In 2001 he was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Starting in 2004 professor Franciosi served as Chief Executive Officer of
Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. in his capacity of managing director
on the company's Board and since 2014 he serves also as Chairman of
the Board.
The publication list of professor Franciosi includes more than 300 articles
in refereed international journals on the physics and materials science of
semiconductors, semiconductor heterostructures, superlattices, quantum
wells, metal/semiconductor contacts, thin film nucleation and growth,
lasers and optical modulators, synchrotron radiation spectroscopies and
microscopies, and he holds 3 U.S. patents in such fields. Professor
Franciosi has been the advisor of more than 30 doctoral and master
students in Italy and in the U.S. Most of his former students are now
employed by industrial concerns such as Intel, 3M, IBM, Xerox, Cypress
Semiconductor Corporation, Bosch, Insiel, etc. A few hold faculty
positions in Cambridge, Bristol, Cork, Linz, Minneapolis, Nova Gorica, etc.
Maria Cristina Pedicchio
President, National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental
Geophysics, INTERREG Programme
Maria Cristina Pedicchio is Professor of Algebra at the University of
Trieste and since 2011 she is President of the Institute of National
Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), one of the research
institutions supervised by the Ministry of Education, University and
Research, located in Trieste.
After a long international experience as a researcher in mathematics,
today she is mainly devoted to the management and promotion of
research institutions and of research and innovation policies.
Previously she was President of AREA Science Park, the first Italian
scientific and technology park, she has promoted and presided for 8
years the Centre for Molecular Biomedicine (CBM), a public-private
company managing the Molecular Biomedicine Technology District of
Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
She is Chairman of the Technical Scientific Committee of the National
Agency for the Promotion of European Research (APRE) and a member of
several Boards of Directors. She has a wide participation history in
international institutions and expert groups such as the participation to
the ERAB – European Research Area Board and to the Strategic Forum
for International S&T Cooperation of the European Commission.
In recognition of her merit she was honoured with the title of
Commander in “Merit of the Republic of Italy”.
Olga Spasić
Counselor, Technology Transfer and IP Commercialization, SMEs
and Entrepreneurship Support Division, Department for
Developed and Transition Countries (TDC), World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva
Olga Spasic is a Counsellor for Knowledge Transfer and IP
Commercialization in the WIPO SMEs and Entrepreneurship Support
Division, Department for Transition and Developed Countries (TDC),
which provides assistance and support to WIPO Member States and their
innovation stakeholders in establishing innovation structures in the form
of ecosystems of interconnected and interdependent public and private
structural elements (policies, organizations, funds and people) and
relationships. Ms. Spasic deals with issues related to the development of
innovation intermediary organizations such as technology management
units and IP Hubs to foster systematic innovation, creation and
knowledge transfer, as well as with programs and projects focusing on
the development of human capital and professionals in the area of
innovation and technology management. Her work and competencies
address challenging issues such as designing customized pilot projects
related to the development of knowledge transfer infrastructures in
various countries and regions, such as the WIPO Pilot Project on
“Establishment of Technology Transfer Offices (TTO s) in Arab Region,”
as well as the creation, management and delivery of tailored capacity
building programs in the area of IP commercialization for universities and
R&D institutions (for example IPR Management for Universities, IP
Marketing, IP Valuation and Successful Technology Licensing (STL). In
addition, Ms. Spasic analyses the interactions between intellectual
property and development, and uses that analysis to propose new
platforms for IP-based collaboration and knowledge transfer among
innovation stakeholders in WIPO Member States.
Ulf Petrusson
Director, Centre for Intellectual Property, Chalmers University of
Technology, University of Gothenburg
Ulf Petrusson is a Professor of Law at the University of Gothenburg as
well as the Director at the Institute for Innovation and Social Change at
the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg. In
addition, Professor Petrusson is the director for the Centre for Intellectual
Property (CIP) and Program Director at the Intellectual Capital
Management (ICM) Master program at Chalmers University of
Technology/University of Gothenburg. Professor Petrusson is engaged in
research focused on law and technology with specific interest in how
technology and other knowledge can be claimed and managed as assets,
property, and capital in early and open innovation projects. Professor
Petrusson has experience in working as a Company Lawyer/IP consultant
at Göteborgs Patentbyrå AB. He is a co-founder, senior advisor and
board member at CIP Professional Services Ltd, a development and
business consultancy company.
Frédéric Caillaud
Scientific Director, National Institute of Industrial Property
(INPI), Courbevoie, France
Frédéric Caillaud joined INPI (French Patent Office) on April 2015 as
Director of Innovation in charge of developing IP awareness, IP
landscaping and IP rating. Prior to joining INPI, he was Director of the
Licensing and Business Development Department at L’Oréal for 20 years,
at Fournier Pharma for 7 years and Director of a Genetic engineering Dpt
for Rhône-Poulenc Pharma (4 years).
Frédéric Caillaud is a Medical Doctor and received a Ph. D. in Genetic
engineering from the Pasteur Institute of Paris. He is a postgraduate in
Strategic Management from HEC School of Management and is one of the
first certified licensing professional (CLP).
He is regularly giving lectures and courses (145 until now) related to
Licensing matters, Open innovation, IP strategic management, Patent
analytics and rating systems all over the world. He is one of the founder
of European Knowledge Transfer Society (accrediting Tech Transfer
trainers and certifying TT professionals).
Ivana Stefanović Ristin
Coordinator, National Rural Development Network, Serbia
President and founder of National LEADER Network Serbia – NLN-,
umbrella rural CSO organization and Serbia’s largest non-profit network
of rural change makers. We're engaging people from all walks of life in
nearly 600 rural communities across more than 60 municipalities from
each region of Serbia.
10 years of experience in rural development Projects management and
fundraising, as well as in public affairs management.
Member of IPARD Monitoring Committee in Serbia.
Member of AEIDL Association for information on rural development,
Brussels.
Educational background: Specialist in International Relations, Political
Sciences.
Sotiraq Hroni
General Director, Rural Development Policy, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Albania
Mr. Sotiraq Hroni is Chairman and founder of the Albanian Network for
Rural Development (ANRD) - a non-governmental organization
established at the end of 2015, whose mission is to promote community-
led rural development through advocacy and initiatives on policy
development and implementation. The Albanian Network is the youngest
member of PREPARE partnership - a group of European and national non-
government organizations.
Member of the PREPARE Organizing Group – the decision-making body of
the PREPARE.
Member of IPARD Monitoring Committee in Albania.
Mr. Hroni is a former diplomat and advisor to the PM and President of
Albania. Mr. Hroni’s professional background and involvement with civil
society over the past fifteen years has been focusing particularly on good
governance and rural development, accountability and integrity
development reforms, civic participation and evidence-based policy
making.
Marina Koprivnjak
Coordinator of Croatian Rural Development Network - HMRR
I have been working in the civil sector for over eight years, since January
2009, as a coordinator of the Croatian Rural Development Network -
HMRR. My everyday tasks in the Network include communication with
members, coordination of activities, writing project proposals, project
management, reporting, organizing and conducting workshops,
conferences, communication with the media, participating in meetings at
local and international level, policy analyses, editing e-newsletters, HMRR
website and Facebook fan pages, etc.
Member of IPARD Monitoring Committee (2010-2014)
Member of Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 Monitoring
Committee (2015-to date).
Paolo Sabbatini
Associate Professor of Viticulture and Extension Specialist
Paolo Sabbatini graduated with a MS and PhD from University of Ancona
(Italy) and become Assistant Professor in Department of Horticulture,
Michigan State University (2007) and promoted with tenure to Associate
Professor (2013). He has Research (50%), Extension (40%) and
teaching (10%) responsibilities and research focus is on vine physiology.
Emphasis is on physiological and cultural factors limiting vine growth,
sustainable yield, fruit quality and their interaction with biotic and abiotic
stress. Carbon assimilation, storage and partitioning are the major tools
for his studies. His ultimate goal is to solve whole plant problems that
will optimize vine productivity and quality. He has several ongoing
research project on crop load balance, canopy management to improve
fruit quality, determination of action thresholds of pest and diseases in
common Michigan wine grape cultivars and viticultural approaches to
reduce bunch rot in wine grapes.
Pierpaolo Penco
Management Consultant, MIB Trieste School of Management
Pierpaolo Penco has 20 years of experience in the field of marketing and
communication for research institutions, hi-tech companies, tourism,
wineries and their associations, international consulting firms (Italy
Country Manager of Wine Intelligence, London).
At the same time, he developed a strong academic and pedagogic
experience for Business Schools (Director of the Wine Business courses
at MIB Trieste School of Management since 2002), Universities (Visiting
lecturer at the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, since 2007) and other
institutions.
As a consultant, Pierpaolo carries out business advice, especially for the
wine industry, on: market research and consumer behaviour analysis;
branding and differentiation strategies, marketing and communication
plans; PR activities to importers, journalists and opinion leaders; wine
tourism and territorial marketing development; definition of EU, regional
and cross-border financing projects.