Conferences

World
Sustainable
Energy Days 2026

24 - 27 February 2026
in Wels

Programme

Register now!

Speakers 2026

Bastian Alt

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Head of Biomass Competence Area, eta Energieberatung, Germany
  • Previously, Project Manager for industrial energy projects, Bayernwerk Natur (E.ON Group), Germany
  • PhD (Dr.-Ing.), Technical University of Munich, Germany









     
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Giovanni Andrean

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Energy Technology Researcher, International Energy Agency (IEA), France
  • Transport sector analysis for key publications, e.g. Energy Technology Perspectives and Global EV Outlook
  • MSc in Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy









     
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Elisabeth Andrieux

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Managing Director, hofmann & neffe GmbH, Austria
  • Previously, project management and logistics experience at Austrian Post AG
  • MSc in Strategy, Innovation and Management Control, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria









     
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Niels Christian Bang

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Senior Consultant, Ea Energy Analyses, Denmark
  • Country Representative for Denmark, IEA Bioenergy Task 40 (Deployment of biogenic value chains and carbon management); Co-lead of IEA Bioenergy Inter-task project on Management of Biogenic CO2
  • MSc in Technological and Socio-Economic Planning, Roskilde University, Denmark; Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Laws, University of Alberta, Canada 


     
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Kim Anh Luong

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Consultant and Research Associate, Forest Trends, Vietnam
  • Previously, professional experience in the USAID Trade Facilitation Programme, the United Nation Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), and project management (FLEGT Project Vietnam, SIPA Sustainable Infrastructure Programme in Asia)
  • MSc in Agricultural and Food Economics, University of Bonn, Germany; BA in International Business Economics, Foreign Trade University Hanoi, Vietnam


     
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Hans Martin Behr

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • CEO, PowerPellets, Germany; CEO, Holz-Energie-Zentrum Olsberg, Germany
  • Long-term Board Member of the DEVP
  • Degree in Forestry, Universität Göttingen, Germany

     
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Martin Bentele

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Managing Director, Deutscher Energieholz- und Pellet-Verband (DEPV), Germany
  • Managing Director, Deutsches Pelletinstitut (DEPI), Germany
  • Degree in Forestry, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany
     
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Maitane Berecibar

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Head of Battery Innovation Center, MOBI Research Group at VUB, Belgium; Member of IEC standardization body (TC-69, TC-21)
  • Selected a Highly Cited Author in 2025 by Clarivate reviewer for leading battery journals and conferences
  • PhD in Engineering of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium








     
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Johanne Bø

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Group Head of Commercial CCUS, Holcim, Switzerland
  • Leads carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives across Europe; previously led CCS activities at Altera Infrastructure, Norway
  • Legal background with senior commercial and leadership roles in the shipping industry








     
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Talía Brun Marcen

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Programme Coordination Manager, LIFE Energy and Climate Unit, European Commission, Belgium
  • Over 20 years of experience in EU project management, energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy communities and energy poverty mitigation
  • MSc, Cities Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom; Postgraduate degree in Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain



     
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Lina Bubulytė

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Head of the EU Projects Team at "Amiestas", Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Professional experience in EU-funded projects and international cooperation
  • BSc in Business Management









     
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Chiara Caccamo

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Director of Business Development, SINTEF, Norway
  • Over 20 years of experience in research and industry, leading projects in carbon capture, hydrogen ecosystems, and industrial energy flexibility
  • Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy







     
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Seán Collins

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Energy and Power Systems Modeller, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Bonn, Germany
  • Focused on capacity expansion, dispatch modelling, and regional energy transition roadmaps for the EU, South America, and Eastern Partnership regions
  • PhD in Energy Engineering, University College Cork, Ireland








     
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Marco Costa

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Head of Energy Communities and One Stop Shops, AESS, Modena, Italy
  • Supports municipalities in developing energy communities, securing grants, and implementing EU renewable energy projects
  • MSc in Energy Engineering, University of Padova, Italy


     
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Guillaume Débarbat

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Policy Officer, European Commission, Belgium
  • Former Economic Analyst, European Commission, Belgium
  • Master's degree in European Affairs, Sciences Po Paris, France; Master's degree in Statistics and Economics, ENSAE ParisTech, France







     
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Gerhard Dell

Speaker Pellet Conference
Speaker Industry Conference
Chairperson Pellet Conference
Chairperson Energy Efficiency Policy Conference
Chairperson Industry Conference
 

  • Energy Commissioner to the Upper Austrian Government and Managing Director of OÖ Energiesparverband, Austria
  • Lecturer at the University of Linz, Austria
  • Doctorate and Post-Graduate Degrees (PhD Engineering, Dr. tech.) in Electrical Engineering and Energy Economics
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Ivan Derkink

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Head of Strategic Sales, Bright Renewables, The Netherlands
  • Over 9 years experience in wood and waste fired boiler systems
  • Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, University of Twente, The Netherlands


     
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Filip Dumitriu

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Director of FEDARENE (European Federation of Regions and Energy Agencies)
  • Previously, Project & Policy Manager, FEDARENE
  • Degree in Law with specialisation in International & European Law



     
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Raoul Dörr

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Policy Officer, European Commission, DG Energy
  • EU policy expert with experience in energy, industrial, and digital policy
  • MSc in Political Science, University of Freiburg, Germany / Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence, France






     
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Christoph Ebetshuber

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • R&D Project Lead CO2 negative heating and biochar, Guntamatic, Austria
  • Professional experience in R&D of biomass heating systems, IoT and digitisation
  • BA in Industrial Engineering and Management, Berufsakademie Bautzen, Germany

     
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Christiane Egger

Chairperson Pellet Conference
Chairperson Industry Conference
Chairperson E-Mobility Conference
Speaker Pellet Conference
Speaker Energy Efficiency Policy Conference
Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Deputy General Manager of the OÖ Energiesparverband and Manager of the Cleantech-Cluster Energy, Austria
  • Conference Director of the World Sustainable Energy Days
  • Degrees in Law (University of Graz) and Environmental Engineering (Technical University of Graz), Austria
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Werner Emhofer

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Sales Manager Export, Fröling, Austria
  • Over 15 years of experience in the sales of biomass heating systems
  • Degree in Economics, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria
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Magdalena Ertl

Speaker Young Energy Researchers Conference

  • Policy Officer, Department for Energy and Environmental Technologies, Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), Austria
  • Focus on climate and energy-related funding programmes and strategic coordination of RTI activities in the context of the energy transition
  • Master’s degree in Spatial Planning, TU Wien

     
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Antonio Ferrández García

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Policy Officer, Industrial Transformation Unit, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
  • Leading the activities on R&I in Energy Intensive Industries and Advanced Manufacturing
  • PhD in green materials for construction, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Spain; MSc in Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Industry, Jaume I University, Spain; BSc in Mechanical Engineering, UCLM, Spain; MSc in Architecture, UPV, Spain







     
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Gilles Gauthier

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Research and Business Development Manager, Hawkins Wright, Belgium
  • Previously, Director at Bioenergy Europe
  • Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering, Institut Supérieur Industriel agronomique de Huy, Belgium
     
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Jan Geiss

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Secretary General, European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES)
  • Previously, President of the Renewable Energy House, Brussels
  • PhD in Political Science and Economics, University of Passau, Germany







     
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Jose Carlos Haas Junior

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • CEO, Haas Madeiras, South Brazil
  • Expertise in eucalyptus; leadership in Brazilian pallet and pellet standard association
  • Production Engineer, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil; master's in business administration, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil






     
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Jan Habart

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Chairman, Czech Association for Biomass; Chairman, Chamber of Commerce, Renewable Energy Working Group; Vice Chairman, Renewable Energy Chamber; Czech Republic
  • Member of Board, European Biomass Association
  • PhD in Waste Management, MSc. in Agriculture/Waste Management, Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic







     
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Katharina Hartmann

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Policy Officer, European Commission
  • Experience in EU energy and climate policy, coal regions in transition, energy communities and just transition initiatives
  • M.Sc. Environmental Science, Policy and Management, Central European University, Austria, University of the Aegean, Greece; and University of Manchester, UK

     
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Markus Höller

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Head of BPM AT, DHL Freight, Austria
  • Previously, Business Process Manager and Field Sales Executive, DHL Freight, Austria
  • BA in International Logistics Management, FH OÖ Campus Steyr, Austria







     
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Christian Huber

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Brewery Operations Manager North, Brau Union Österreich, Austria
  • Extensive brewery leadership experience managing sites in Wieselburg, Schwechat, Zipf, Austria; StaroBrno Brewery, Czech Republic
  • Master’s degree in food science and biotechnology University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Austria






     
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Carsten Huljus

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • CEO, Sustainable Biomass Programme, Germany
  • Over 20 years experience in the voluntary sustainability certification sector (FSC, PEFC, SBP) in global forest industries
  • MSc in International Forestry, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany





     
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Ramona Iske

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Business Developer, Cognitive Energy Systems, Fraunhofer IEE, Kassel, Germany
  • 20 years of sales experience at Leica Microsystems in industrial, forensic, and life science applications
  • Diploma in Optometry (Dipl.-Ing. (FH)), University of Applied Sciences, Jena, Germany






     
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Akshansh Kataria

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Chief Technology Officer, Ecosense Appliances, India
  • Experience in the fields of biomass-to-energy, solid fuel combustion, clean cooking applications, biochar and carbon credits
  • Master’s degree in Thermal Sciences and Energy, Polytech Nantes, France; Master’s degree in Computational Fluid Dynamics, UPES, India







     
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Nadejda Khamrakulova

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Economic Affairs Officer, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE, Switzerland
  • Professional experience in electric mobility, circular economy, sustainable resource management, and energy policy across Europe and Central Asia
  • Executive degree and Master’s degree, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies / University of Geneva, Italy






     
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Thomas Kienberger

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Head of the Chair of Energy Network Technology, Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria
  • Research and teaching focused on renewable energy integration, complex energy systems, and climate-neutral transformation of the manufacturing industry; over 150 published scientific articles
  • PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Austria





     
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Alexander Kirchner

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Member of the Board and CTO, Energie AG Oberösterreich, Austria
  • Over 20 years of experience in the energy, waste, and recycling industries
  • Degree in Industrial Environmental Protection, Waste Management and Recycling, Montanuniversität Leoben; Professional MBA in Controlling & Finance, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria




     
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Andrew Klain

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Energy Analyst, Renewable Energy Division, International Energy Agency,
  • Expertise in bioenergy and biomass supply chains, experience in policy and regulatory initiatives in Canada
  • MA in Political Science, University of Calgary, Canada





     
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Franziska Klauser

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Researcher at Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies (BEST), Austria
  • Expertise in thermochemical technologies
  • PhD in Natural Sciences – Technical Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology, Austria; Master’s in Material and Energetic Exploitation of Renewable Raw Materials, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna / Technical University Munich, Germany




     
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Marina Köhn

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Computer Scientist, Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency), Germany
  • Research focus on digital infrastructures, resource use assessments, and development of methods for measuring energy and resource efficiency in data centers, cloud services, and software
  • Advisor to the German government and contributor to the Blue Angel environmental certification for IT products



     
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Nikolaos Kontinakis

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Team Leader, Energy Efficiency Unit, European Commission, DG Energy, Belgium
  • Over 25 years of experience in energy, climate, ICT, and sustainable urban and regional development
  • MSc in Electronic Automation / BSc in Physics, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece


     
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Jouni Koskinen

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Senior Manager, Valmet Technologies Oy, Finland
  • Over 30 years of experience in biomass firing and boiler fuel conversions from coal to biomass
  • MSc in Thermal Engineering, Process Engineering and Industrial Economics, University of Tampere, Finland 



     
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Felix Kriedemann

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Senior Policy Advisor, REScoop.eu, Belgium
  • Experience in renewable energy policy, focusing on citizen-led renovations and community-led heating and cooling by energy communities
  • Master’s Degree in European Public Affairs, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

     
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Vlasta Krmelj

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Mayor of the Municipality Selnica ob Dravi and Director of the Energy and Climate Agency of Podravje (ENERGAP), Slovenia
  • Expert in the fields of sustainable energy use and renewable energy sources, energy management and financing energy projects
  • PhD in Chemical technology - biotechnology, University of Maribor, Slovenia
     
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Christine Kühnel

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Managing Director, Reiner Lemoine Institut, Berlin, Germany
  • Expert on heating transition, environmental protection, and civil society in the energy transition
  • Diploma & PhD in Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Germany



     
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Biljana Kulišić

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Policy Officer, Unit Decarbonisation and Sustainability of Energy Sources, European Commission, DG Energy
  • More than 20 years of experience in policy and assessing socio-economic aspects of bioenergy
  • PhD in Agroeconomics, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer of Osijek, Croatia

     
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Stephan Laiminger

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Chief Technologist, INNIO Jenbacher, Austria
  • Various roles in engine development, including Head of Engine Design & Development and Chief Engineer, Austria
  • Master & PhD in Mechanical Engineering, TU Graz, Austria



     
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Hansjörg Lerchenmüller

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Chairman of the Board, Biochar Europe; Management Consultant, Lerchenmüller Consulting, Germany
  • Co-Founder, Investor and Member of the Advisory Board, Carbonfuture / Member of the Advisory Board, Mondas / Chairman of the Board, Carbuna, Germany
  • Diploma in Physics, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Germany


     
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Gerd Liebig

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • President, Energy Community Enns, Austria
  • Advisor for Global Strategy, Sumitomo Heavy Industry; Member of Supervisory Board, Sumitomo Demag, Germany
  • Diploma in Economics, Friedrich-Alexander University, Germany


     
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Jose Ramón López

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • International Relations and Strategic Projects Specialist, Basque Energy Agency (EVE), Spain
  • Over 24 years of experience in international relations, EU projects, and strategic partnerships for the Basque energy sector, Spain
  • MBA in International Trade, ICEX Campus, Spain; BSc in Electrical Power Engineering, UPV/EHU, Spain


     
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Alexis Lozano Medina

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Director, Island Energy and Climate Agency, Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Experience in leading renewable energy deployment and climate action initiatives across Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Industrial Engineer and PhD, Environmental Engineering and Desalination, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

     
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Robert Mack

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Project Manager, TFZ – Technology and Promotion Center for Renewable Resources, Straubing, Germany
  • Expertise in emissions, efficiency, and fuel flexibility of small-scale biomass heating
  • MEng. in Environmental Technology, OTH Amberg-Weiden, Germany
     
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Markus Makoschitz

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • University Professor of Power Electronics and Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria; Principal Scientist, Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria.
  • Over 10 years of experience in low- and medium-voltage power electronics, focusing on wide-bandgap semiconductors (SiC, GaN) for high-efficiency converters
  • Dr. techn. in Power Electronics and Diplom-Ingenieur in Energy Technology, TU Wien, Austria

     
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Steven Morris

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Sales and Marketing Director & Factory Manager, Solör Bioenergi / Nobio, Sweden
  • Over 18 years experience in the biomass industry
  • Previously, retail and FMCG sales experience in the UK

     
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Thomas Moser

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Head of the TransMet Investment Programme at voestalpine Steel, Austria
  • Over 15 years of experience in energy management, power plant operations, innovation management, and industrial projects at voestalpine in Austria
  • MSc in Operations Management, FH Steyr, Austria; Bachelor’s degree in Process Engineering Production, FH Wels, Austria


     
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Michael Nagl

Chairperson E-Mobility Conference

  • Head of the Unit Strategic Energy Planning, Region of Upper Austria, Directorate Environment and Water Management, Department of Environmental Protection, Austria
  • Master’s of Engineering in Process Technology, Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria
     
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Olimpia Nicolae

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Coordinator, Energy Communities Coalition, Romania
  • Leading advocacy and communication for energy communities; former campaign lead at Greenpeace Romania
  • Master’s in Philology, University of Bucharest, Romania
     
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Christine Öhlinger

Chairperson Pellet Conference

  • Head of Sector International Tasks, OÖ Energiesparverband, Austria
  • Project management of international projects in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy
  • Diploma in Law, Postgraduate Training in Energy & Environmental Advice
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Àngels Orduña

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Executive Director, A.SPIRE, Brussels, Belgium
  • Leading EU and international R&I projects in the process industry
  • Master in International Relations, IBEI – Barcelona Institute for International Studies, Spain

     
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Stefan Ortner

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Managing Director and Co-Owner, ÖkoFEN Global Headquarters, Austria
  • Over 15 years of experience in the areas of product management, R&D, marketing and international market development for pellet heating systems
  • Degree in Innovation and Product Management, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Austria
     
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Diana Paunova-Galeva

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Chief Expert, Sofia Energy Agency – SOFENA, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Experience in leading EU projects on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy communities, and energy management systems, Bulgaria
  • MSc in Energy Markets and Services / MSc in International Relations, University of Sofia, Bulgaria


     
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Urban Peyker

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Head of Department Industry, Enterprise and Financing and Deputy Managing Director, Climate and Energy Fund, Austria
  • Mission Director, Net Zero Industries Mission
  • Master’s in Environmental Technologies and International Affairs, TU Vienna, Austria; Master’s in Environmental System Sciences and Economics, Graz University, Austria


     
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Robert Pretzl

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Managing Director and Head of Technical Sales, Heger Edelstahl, Austria; Owner of an engineering company for mechanical engineering specialised in heat recovery and flue gas cleaning systems, Austria
  • Over 25 years of experience in mechanical and process engineering, led the development and installation of over 250 industrial heat recovery systems
  • Diploma in Mechanical Engineering – Process Engineering, TU Wien, Austria

     
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Harald Proidl

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Director Renewables and Energy Efficiency, National Regulatory Authority E-Control, Austria
  • Leading role in international organisations (CEER, ERRA)
  • Master and PhD in Economics, JKU Linz, Austria

     
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Francisco Puente

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • General Manager, ESCAN Energy Consulting, Spain
  • Previously, Technological Engineer for ENEL Group and Planning Engineer at Técnicas Reunidas, Spain
  • PhD in Energy Engineering, Politechnic University Madrid, Spain; Executive MBA, EOI Business School, Spain
     
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Georg Reis

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Sales Manager, Dryer-One, Belgium; CEO of NPS Consulting, Germany
  • Over 30 years of experience in R&D, design and sales of woodworking lines
  • Diploma in Wood Technology, Technical University of Applied Sciences, Rosenheim, Germany; Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Friedberg, Germany
     
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Hubert Röder

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Professor in Sustainable Business Economics, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science, Germany
  • Speaker of the Forestry and Wood Cluster Initiative, Germany
  • Doctorate in Forestry, LMU Munich, Germany
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Michele Sansoni

Speaker Policy Conference

  • Programme Coordination Manager, LIFE Energy and Climate Unit, European Commission, Belgium
  • Over 20 years of experience in EU project management, energy planning in cities and regions, and innovative financing schemes for energy efficiency and renewable energy
  • MSc in Engineering Management, University of Bologna, Italy; Second-level Master in Geographic Information Systems, IUAV University of Venice, Italy







     
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Magnus Schou

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Trade Analyst, CM Biomass, Denmark
  • Expertise in global biomass markets, trade flows and pricing dynamics across woody and alternative biomass fuels
  • MSc in International Management, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
     
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Herbert Schwarz

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • General Sales Director / CSO, Hargassner Group, Austria
  • Over 18 years of experience in biomass
  • Master’s in International Business, University of Salzburg Business School, Austria
     
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Michael Schwarz

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • Managing Director, Schwarz Transporte, Austria (family business since 1877)
  • Previously self-employed for 10 years in finance, renewable energy, and startups
  • Expertise in transport management, business development, and entrepreneurship







     
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Nikolaus Skarabela

Speaker E-Mobility Conference

  • ESG Efficiency and Mobility Officer, Schachinger Logistik/DPD/i-log, Austria
  • Over 15 years of experience in sustainability, mobility, and energy efficiency, renewable energy projects, funding management, sustainability strategy development, and ESG/CSRD reporting
  • Degree in Eco-Energy Engineering, FH Wels, Austria








     
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Gerald Steinmaurer

Chairperson Young Energy Researchers Conference​​​​​​​

  • Head of Center of Excellence Energy, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Austria
  • Head of Research Group ASiC, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Austria
  • PhD in Mechatronics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria
     
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Christian Straßer

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Managing Director of Local and Regional Energy Communities, Linz, Austria
  • Former Head of Unit, European Commission, responsible for the LIFE Programme on climate mitigation, adaptation, and clean energy transition, Belgium
  • Diploma in Economics






     
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John Swaan

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • Operations and Project Development Expert, FutureMetrics, Canada
  • Broad range of knowledge and experience in biomass supply management, manufacturing, shipping logistics, off-take contracts, safety in production and storage
  • Pioneer of Canadian wood pellet manufacturing and industrial wood pellet trade; former Executive Director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada




     
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Etienne Viénot

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Head of European and International Affairs, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Energy Environment, France
  • Vice President of FEDARENE, responsible for digitalisation and AI
  • MSc in Geography and Cartography, Université de La Réunion, France





     
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Savvas Vlachos

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Director, Cyprus Energy Agency, Cyprus
  • Professional experience in environmental impact assessment, waste treatment, energy audits, energy communities, and sustainable energy and climate action planning
  • MSc in Civil Engineering; BSc in Environmental Engineering




     
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Christos Vrettos

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Energy and Policy Advisor, REScoop.eu and Electra Energy, Greece
  • Focused on citizen engagement in renewable energy, public financing advocacy, and EU policy campaigns (Social Climate Fund and multi-year EU budget)
  • BSc in Biodiversity and Conservation, University College London, UK



     
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Unggung Widhiantoro

Speaker Pellet Conference

  • COO at IREEM – Institute for Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Management, Indonesia
  • Over 15 years of experience in sustainable energy and development
  • MSc in Sustainable Development, Universitas Indonesia; BSc in Engineering Physics, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia



     
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Benjamin Wilkin

Speaker Workshop Energy Communities

  • Executive Director, Energie Commune, Brussels, Belgium
  • Over 15 years of experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable project development, Belgium
  • Master’s in Bioengineering, UCLouvain – Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium


     
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Elisabeth Wopienka

Chairperson Young Energy Researchers Conference​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • Area Management – Fixed Bed Conversion Systems, BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies, Austria
  • Research experience in the field of thermochemical conversion with focus on combustion and pyrolysis
  • PhD in Chemical Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Austria
     
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Fahimeh Yazdan Panah

Speaker Pellet Conference
Chairperson Pellet Conference

  • Associate Executive Director, Wood Pellet Association of Canada; Research Associate, University of British Columbia, Canada
  • Board Member, European Pellet Council & Bioenergy Europe
  • PhD and MASc in Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada; BSc in Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology – Tehran Polytechnic, Iran


     
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Krisztina Zálnoky

Speaker Policy Conference​​​​​​​

  • Knowledge and Strategy Coordinator, Agora Think Tank, Hungary
  • Experience in research and project management in sustainability, climate, circular economy, and policy analysis (e.g. at the CISL, European Commission, UNICEF, U.S. Commercial Service, and KPMG)
  • MSc in Public Policy, University College London, UK

     
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Robert Zoufal

Speaker Industry Conference

  • Head of Sales eTools, INERCOMP, Austria
  • Experience in portfolio and data management for Austrian energy utilities
  • MSc in Supply Chain Management, WU Vienna, Austria

     
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Marisca Zweistra

Speaker Policy Conference​​​​​​​

  • Project Manager, ElaadNL, The Netherlands
  • Over 20 years of experience in smart and bidirectional charging, smart grid integration, and energy system digitalisation
  • PhD in Process Engineering, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
     
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Speakers Young Energy Researchers 2026