Jochen Eickholt
Independent Advisor and Board Member
Jochen Eickholt is an experienced business leader and board member, currently serving as an independent advisor.
He was the Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy from 2022 to 2024 and held Executive Board roles at Siemens Energy AG and Siemens Energy Management. Before that, he led Siemens AG's Portfolio Companies as Chairman and Managing Partner and served as CEO of both the Mobility and Rail Systems divisions. He also directed the Siemens Alstom Integration and held various senior management roles in industrial operations, alongside non-executive board positions in Germany, Spain, the UK, and the US.
He holds a Doctor of Engineering from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology in Aachen, Germany, and a degree in electrical engineering from RWTH Aachen University, with additional studies at Imperial College London. His strong academic background in engineering has supported his international leadership career across multiple sectors.
Isabelle Prévot
Director
EU|BIC Montpellier
Isabelle Prévot is the Director of the EU|BIC Montpellier, a leading incubator supporting innovative startups in the Occitanie region of France.
BIC Montpellier is a key player in innovation, supporting ventures in digital technology, health, renewable energy, creative industries, and biotechnology. The BIC offers a comprehensive range of services, including pre-incubation, incubation, and acceleration programs, tailored workspaces, and access to a strong network of institutional partners, investors, and large corporations. In 2023, companies supported by the BIC raised over €20 million in funding.
Under her direction, BIC Montpellier, in collaboration with energy giants EDF and SLB, launched in September 2024 Henera, France’s first incubator dedicated to decarbonised energy. The goal of Henera is to provide startups and entrepreneurs with tailored support to help them develop their projects, access funding, and scale their solutions in the sustainability space. It includes services such as mentorship, access to a network of investors, and business development assistance, all aimed at driving the success of green innovations.
José Antonio Estévez
Head of Innovation and Projects
ALSA
José Antonio Estévez is a seasoned innovation strategist with over 25 years of experience across the private and social sectors.
He is the Head of Innovation and Projects at ALSA, Spain’s leading mobility company, where Estévez plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing the company’s innovation agenda within the Digital Technologies division and its Innovation Centre. He is a part of the Alsa Innovation Center team, where he supports, among others, the design of the implementation process and impact evaluation of innovation pilots with startups with innovative solutions with potential impact in different areas (bus, rail, safety, environmental sustainability, autonomous and connected vehicles, operational efficiency).
He holds two degrees in Computer Science and a Master’s from Central Saint Martins (London). Throughout his career, he has led and supported innovation initiatives in multiple industries, including IT consultancy, energy, social impact, mobility, and tourism. José Antonio also has the perspective of the entrepreneurs’ side, having contributed to the launch of 2 start-ups.
Lisbora Likaj
Project Manager
AVL
Lisbora is an Innovation Manager at AVL’s open innovation unit, AVL Creators, which is focused on fostering a mindset of curiosity, bravery, entrepreneurship, and collaboration across the organisation and beyond.
ogether with her team, she is currently working on multi-corporate collaboration through AVL’s co-innovation program, Creators Co-Lab. In this role, they design and facilitate processes that bring together companies from different industries to address shared challenges and co-develop future-oriented solutions. With a background in software engineering and management, Lisbora combines technical expertise with a strong curiosity for building meaningful partnerships. Outside of work, she is a creative & passionate home cook, always experimenting with new recipes.
Maria Mekies
Strategic Advisor
Formula E.
Maria acts as a sustainability expert in the area of mobility, sport and urbanisation. She is managing a portfolio of projects focusing on sustainable innovation, multisectoral partnerships and capacity-building programs for both industry players and non-profit organisations. She also serves as a Strategic Content Advisor for leading stakeholders in the field of sustainable motorsport, such as Formula E and FIA.
In the past, Maria has been instrumental in developing policy strategies in the area of sustainable mobility, urban transport and international motorsport competitions. She has contributed to the formulation of the Global FIA Environmental Sustainability Strategy, FIA Foundation’s TRUE Initiative, Formula E Climate Activism campaign and other key strategic programs. Maria has also contributed to the impact assessment programs in global multilateral organisations, including the World Trade Organisation and the World Bank.
With her proven skills in stakeholder relations management, international negotiations and public policy making, she has been leading various working groups and task forces on sustainable transportation and sport at international organisations and global forums. In her role as the ambassador of the European Commission to Belarus, she is committed to promoting gender equality in Eastern Europe, standing as a founder of the FEMINominal movement.
Maria has graduated with honours from the LCC International University with a BA in business administration. She also completed a Master's Program in International Development & Project Management at Sciences Po Paris. Later in her professional life, she completed the Advanced Program on Smart Cities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Julia Holze
Co-founder
COSMICGOLD
With over 25 years of experience in senior positions in an e-commerce startup, at a university and in DAX 30 companies as well as in consulting, Julia brings a passion for business design, marketing and leadership.
As co-founder of COSMICGOLD, a venture studio, she enables scientists, engineers and developers in gaining the entrepreneurial know-how needed to transform deep-tech innovations into successful, regenerative companies. Previously, she founded an innovation lab in the mobility industry and launched a thriving business community for intrapreneurs. She is also a jury member in idea competitions and regularly shares her insights on entrepreneurship in various publications.
Mikel Diez
Associate Professor
Bilbao School of Engineering
He earned his degree in Industrial Engineering from the School of Engineering of Bilbao (UPV/EHU) in 2006 and completed his PhD in 2013, focused on mechanism kinematics. He is currently an Associate Professor at UPV/EHU and a member of the Compmech research group, with experience in mechanism design, simulation, and experimental validation, currently applied to rehabilitation technologies.
Since 2015, he has been actively involved in Formula Student Bizkaia as Faculty Advisor. This student-led, nonprofit project designs and builds a fully functional electric single-seater each year. He supervises the team’s mechanical systems, ensures safety standards, and coordinates academic and organisational aspects. The project brings together over 50 students annually and is supported by more than 40 companies and institutions, including the University of the Basque Country and local governments. It fosters engineering excellence, teamwork, and innovation in sustainable mobility.
Diego de Biasio
President at EBN
CEO at Technoport
Diego de Biasio is CEO of Technoport (Luxembourg), a technology business incubator hosting around 40 startups. Passionate about entrepreneurship, startups and technology, Diego has been actively developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Luxembourg since 2001.
He is the President of EBN and is a member of the advisory committee of Tomorrow Street, a joint venture between Vodafone Procurement Company and Technoport, which aims to support scale-ups to expand globally. He holds a Master's in Economics of Technological and Institutional Change from the Université Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg.
Sebastien Farnaud
Professor in Enterprise and Innovation
Coventry University
Sebastien is Professor of Enterprise and Bio-innovation in the Research Centre for Health and Life Sciences at Coventry University, where he provides strategic direction, leadership and management of Enterprise and Innovation to develop the academic portfolio. His research interests include the application of biotechnology in the development of sustainable methods in closed-loop systems.
As part of his focus on Bioremediation, Sebastien created the Bioleaching Research Group, which promotes the use of microorganisms for added value to waste streams, particularly for the recovery of metals, as illustrated in the recycling of Li-battery and e-waste. He arrived in the UK as an Erasmus student in 1990, after graduating in France, to pursue a PhD in Molecular Biology at King’s College London, at the Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, and developed his academic and research experience in several academic institutions, including Imperial College.
Paul Fairburn
Director, Innovation Ecosystem
Coventry University
Paul is an experienced Director of Innovation with a background in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, utilities, and higher education. With significant experience in leadership, organisational change and strategy implementation, Paul has a deep understanding of supplier/client management, building value propositions, collaborative partnerships, innovation management, and the development of large-scale projects. Previous and current clients have included Vodafone, Highways England, HORIBA MIRA, Unipart, Santander, Cadent Gas, Foboha, Axxicon, Severn Trent Water, BuroHappold, and Jaguar Land Rover.
Paul is part of the leadership team in the Enterprise & Innovation Organisation (EIO) at Coventry University. The EIO are responsible for establishing strong links between the University’s academic expertise and a wide breadth of public and private sector organisations across global markets. Active in a range of sectors (including manufacturing, mobility, healthcare, and the creative economy), individual members of the EIO are typically involved in the writing of bids, tenders, and business plans, IP commercialisation, account management, and the provision of specialist business support.
Justyna Adamska
Deputy Director
Poznan Science and Technology Park
Justyna Adamska is the deputy director at Poznan Science and Technology Park, where she has been working since 2004. A manager, consultant and expert in the field of innovation, EU projects and development of business support centres.
For 18 years, she has been linking entrepreneurs with the academic community in the field of innovation. She is an expert in modern communication, project management and sustainability. Experienced in managing national and international projects related to the development of entrepreneurship and innovation centres. Certified Innovation Coach and trainer in the field of marketing tools, business and innovation. PhD in economics from the University of Economics in Poznań. Author and co-author of numerous publications on innovation and business support centres.
Arturo Fernández
Project Manager
Repsol
Arturo Fernández Goyenechea holds degrees in Industrial Engineering (ETSII-UPV) and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (Illinois Institute of Technology), along with several specialised master’s degrees in refining, project management, and an Executive MBA from Deusto Business School.
He began his career at Idom as a process and mechanical engineer before joining Petronor in 2012. Since then, he has held various roles related to engineering and innovation, with a particular focus on hydrogen and energy efficiency projects. From 2018 to 2022, he led Petronor’s renewable hydrogen initiatives. He later joined Alba Emission Free Energy S.L. to continue developing industrial hydrogen projects. In 2024, he assumed responsibility for electrolyser projects in Petronor and Cartagena under Repsol’s Industrial Investment Projects Division.
Apostolos C. Tsolakis
Project Manager
Q-PLAN International
Apostolos Tsolakis holds a Master's and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His professional journey encompasses years of experience with a highly diverse scientific and commercial background.
Currently, he is affiliated with Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL as a Project Manager. He coordinates and works alongside a multidisciplinary team of dedicated researchers and consultants towards meeting industrial and societal challenges under European Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation (R&I).
Apostolos has many years of experience in ICT-oriented R&I projects across diverse sectors, with a good track record of scientific results. Currently, he is focused on Digital Transformation projects and activities, aiming to deliver tangible outcomes that drive sustainability in digital innovations.
Chrispin Sanga
Project Manager
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum
Chrispin is a Project Manager at Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, passionate about innovation and sustainability. With experience supporting innovation in Africa and Europe, He began his journey in the innovation ecosystem in Tanzania, supporting initiatives across education, water and digital transformation.
Now, through his role at Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, he contributes to international projects that foster cross-border collaboration. As part of the coordination team for the SEADE project, Chrispin supports research and innovation actors from Africa and Europe, focusing on digital transformation and international cooperation. He is dedicated to connecting people and ideas to drive impactful, real-world solutions.
Isabella Tetteh Ahinakwa
Assistant TV Manager
Association of African Universities
Isabella Tetteh Ahinakwa is a seasoned communication professional, science journalist, and media personnel with over 5 years of experience at the Association of African Universities (AAU), where she currently serves as the Assistant TV Manager and Project Officer in charge of Dissemination. She also plays a role as the Comms Officer for various high-impact projects implemented by the AAU, contributing to the advancement of higher education and stakeholder engagement across the continent.
Isabella holds an MA in Development Communication and is a proud Fellow of the Global Leadership Program at the University at Buffalo School of Management.
Notably, she served as the Project Coordinator for The COVID-19 Diary, a TV series project funded by the NRF of South Africa. She produces and hosts expert-led discussions to educate the public on health and science-related topics. Her strengths include Achiever, Positivity, Intellection, Learner, and Developer.
Francisco Pizarro
CBDO
FundecytPCTEX
A professional with more than twenty years of experience in entrepreneurship, under different points of view: education, promotion, services, and public policies, and oriented to university, social or technological entrepreneurs.
Relationship between university and companies, high-tech startups and spin-off companies’ creation and social entrepreneurship are the main areas where he has developed his professional career.
Lara Obst
Co-Founder and Chief Climate Officer
ClimateChoice
Lara Obst is Co-Founder and Chief Climate Officer at ClimateChoice, where she partners with leading organisations such as T-Systems, Lenovo, o2 Telefónica, and EnBW to accelerate their supply chain decarbonization.
Through the AI-powered Climate Intelligence Platform, Lara’s team automates time-consuming supplier climate data collection, validation and emission reduction tracking in the value chain.
Drawing on her hands-on experience in sustainability, innovation management and tech, Lara is a sought-after climate tech expert and speaker at conferences.
By sharing her insights in regular free webinars, in the ClimateMagazinat and at the annual ClimateSummit.de hosted by ClimateChoice, she empowers decision makers and practitioners in companies to put their climate targets into practice, leading the way in Scope 3 decarbonization.
Alan Haigh
Retired Head of Department
European Commission
Alan Haigh is a European Commission Active Senior, reporting to the Deputy Director General of DG Research and Innovation. He has managed EC Research and Innovation programmes since 2004 as a Head of Unit, and between 2014 and 2021 as Head of Department.
At the European Commission’s INEA agency, he was responsible for implementing 5.6 billion Euro of Research and Innovation projects in the fields of energy, transport, CCS and hydrogen. He recently presented at the EGYPES Energy Conference in Cairo (Feb 25) and the European Hydrogen EXPO in Hamburg (Oct 24).
He started his career in the UK nuclear industry (UKAEA), initially at Harwell Nuclear Laboratories, Oxfordshire, and later as a physicist at the JET Fusion experiment. He holds a BSc in Physical Sciences (Coventry University) and is a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.) and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Physics (CMIoP).
Didier Goguenheim
General Director
TVT Innovation
Formerly a researcher and professor in physics and microelectronics and having directed for 10 years an engineering high school in Toulon (ISEN Mediterranee), Didier Goguenheim has been since 2022 the General Director of Toulon Var Technologies (TVT), where he leads efforts to promote innovation and economic development in the Var region.
With a strong background in business development and innovation management, he has been instrumental in fostering collaborations between industry, academia, and government. Under his leadership, TVT has expanded its support for start-ups and SMEs, particularly in the high-tech and maritime sectors, and has enhanced its role as a key player in the regional innovation ecosystem.
Gonzalo Piernavieja
R&D&I Director
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias
Gonzalo Piernavieja has a Degree in Physics from the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (1993) (conversion of solar energy; physical chemistry) and a Post-graduate course on Energy and Environmental Management by the Technical University of Berlin, Germany (1994). His Diploma Thesis in Munich dealt with an experimental 1 kWp PV plant with solar-tracking, one of the first grid-connected systems of Germany, installed more than 30 years ago.
During his stay in Germany, Gonzalo Piernavieja worked at SIEMENS and at the Munich energy services company “Stadtwerke München”. Back in the Canary Islands, he coordinated, at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, several projects in the fields of renewable energies and water technologies (1993-1996). Since 1996, he has been contracted by the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC). Between January 2018 and August 2019, he was Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Trade of the Regional Government of the Canary Islands.
He is ITC’s R&D Director, and coordinates 9 technological departments with more than 180 persons, active in renewable energies, water technologies, metrology, algae biotechnology, environmental analysis, mechanical and biomedical engineering, scientific computing, innovation and IT’s.
His area of expertise is energy and water self-sufficiency, with renewable energies, in islands and isolated environments.
Yago Torre-Enciso
Technical Director
Biscay Marine Energy Platform
Yago is an engineer with +20 years of experience in Ocean Energy.
While working at EVE, he was responsible for Mutriku Wave Power Plant during its design, construction and first years of operation.
Involved in the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) project since its inception, he was in charge of the design, construction and commissioning of the BiMEP test site, where he is currently the Technical Director.
Yago is also the Spanish representative at the TCP OES (Technology Collaboration Programme on Ocean Energy Systems within the International Energy Agency).
Michelle O'Rourke
Business Consultant/EU Project Manager
Propelor BIC
Michelle is a seasoned business advisor with extensive experience in European-funded entrepreneurship initiatives. As a successful entrepreneur, she founded and led a healthcare business for a decade, playing a key role in establishing the national private homecare representative organisation.
At Propelor BIC, she specialises in business strategy, financial management, and supporting start-ups and growth-focused enterprises across diverse sectors.
Through her role she contributes to international projects that foster cross-border collaboration. She manages the Interreg Atlantic Area BluePoint project, developing real-world innovative solutions to combat marine plastic pollution and drive sustainable change.
Holding an MBS from University College Cork (UCC), Michelle combines academic insight with practical expertise.