ISAC Committee

Piotr Szymanski hails from Warsaw, Poland. He studied physics at Warsaw University, and went on to complete a PhD in experimental particle physics at the Institute for Nuclear Studies in Swierk, Poland.
He worked as a research associate at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK and the J-W Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany as well as a Staff Member at the European Organization for Particle Physics (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland.
He holds a habilitation in physics and is the author or co-author of more than 200 scientific papers in various fields of particle physics. He was also Head of the Department for Interdisciplinary Applications of Physics at the Institute for Nuclear Studies in Swierk, Poland.

Piotr Szymanski was Director of Nuclear Safeguards at the European Commission in Luxembourg, which is responsible for the verification and inspection of the non-diversion of nuclear materials at all civil nuclear installations within the European Union.
Nominated JRC Director on 1 July 2016, he leads the Directorate for Energy, Transport and Climate. The Directorate brings together about 350 staff based in Petten, Ispra and Seville.

Ana María Bravo recently joined International Flavor & Fragrances (IFF) as Director Government Affairs Europe. Among her responsibilities, she will support all its businesses including food ingredients, fragrances, pharma solutions and as well as its health & biobased business. Previous to this, Ana María founded ‘Bravo Strategies’ in Brussels, a professional and transdisciplinary advocacy consultancy driven by advancing science and innovation as solutions to major global sustainability challenges. Ana María is a dedicated lobbyist with a proven 18-year track record in advocating industry voice in policy areas such as Bioeconomy, Circular Economy, Biofuels, and Food Innovation. Ana María worked directly for clients such as C&A, Chemours Company, Guala Closures Group, as well as indirectly via other specialized consultancies such as shiftN (a systems thinking & scenario design consultancy helping clients tackle complex issues) and Eacon (public affairs). Previous to this, Ana María led EMEA Advocacy efforts for DuPont’s Industrial Biosciences business. In her previous roles in Communications & Public Affairs, Ana María led the Global Communications & Public Affairs team for Genencor/Danisco for 4 years. Prior to Genencor, she was Assistant Coordinator to the European Federation of Biotechnology’s Task Group on Public Perceptions of Biotechnology, a think tank promoting dialogue on biotechnology. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Basel, CH (Cum Laude), and a Masters in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Strasbourg, F. She is of Colombian and Dutch nationality. Ana María has a particular interest in advancing stakeholder dialogue for supportive policies for innovative sectors such as biofuels, biorefineries and food sector.  She was active on behalf of DuPont in several related stakeholder networks and industry platforms: Advisory Group member to European Commission’s Expert Group on Biobased Products, EuropaBio, Cefic, Amfep, ePURE, BIC, Biofrontiers (Industry-NGO dialogue platform).

Paolo Frankl is the Head of the Renewable Energy Division (RED) at the International Energy Agency (IEA), which he joined in summer 2007. In this role Paolo Frankl coordinates the Division’s activities, encompassing the status and progress of renewable energy technologies; renewable energy policies and markets; and system-integration issues. A physicist by training, Paolo Frankl holds a Ph.D in energy and environmental technologies from the University of Rome. Previous positions held were in academia and in private Italian consultancy firms researching renewable energy, life cycle assessment and eco-labeling.

The International Institute for Sustainability Analysis and Strategy (IINAS) is an independent transdisciplinary research organization based in Darmstadt (Germany) which started operating in April 2012. IINAS is a new player in the research community: A small think tank being part of an extensive international network of scientists both within IINAS, and in many partner institutes as well as associated independent consultants, providing together integrated research, analyses and consultancy services in the sustainability domain. The approach of IINAS is characterized by its emphasis on networking and transdisciplinary work. Transdisciplinarity goes beyond interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists to include key stakeholders in all work phases – from defining the scope to implementing results. In our research we partner with decision-makers in private and public sectors as well as stakeholders. The latter include NGO such as IUCN and WWF Key clients and donors of IINAS are national government agencies in Germany and other European countries, the EU Commission, the European Parliament, and international institutions (e.g., FAO, GEF, IEA, UNEP). IINAS also works with associations, foundations, parliaments and the private sector, seeking diversity of sources as a core issue of its independence.

Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, has a PhD in Physics from Hahn Meitner Institute, Berlin, and joined the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 1982. He built up the JRC’s activity on Photovoltaics when Europe started its research and pilot programme for Photovoltaic systems. In 1995 he became Head of the Unit for Renewable Energy, and expanded research and support activities to Energy Efficiency and Bio-Energy, notably Biofuels. His work was dedicated to the scientific support of EU legislation for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency. More  recently, he developed the unit’s portfolio to support Africa’s efforts for a renewable energy supply.

Since 1982 he contributed to the standards work of the IEC TC82, Solar Photovoltaic Systems, in particular regarding calibration of reference cells and lifetime testing of PV modules. His many publications cover measurement and testing methods for photovoltaic generators, economic assessment of renewable energy and global environmental impacts of extended bio-fuel use.

Heinz Ossenbrink has been serving in the Scientific Committees and in Chair person functions of leading scientific conferences, such as the prestigious series of European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conferences and the European Biomass Conferences.

Bernd Krautkremer’s career spans over 25 years in the field of engineering and energy research and production. In 1986 he underwent two years of professional training in engine construction and in 1989 he began his studies in Mechanical Engineering at Darmstadt University of Technology. Immediately after completing his degree he pursued a PhD at the Department of Gas Turbines and Flight Propulsion at the same institution. In 2003 he received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering specialising in the field of Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine Combustion Chambers.
In 2001 he was Project Manager of the Department of Energetic Use of Biomass at ISET in Hanau, Germany and since 2002, he is the Head of the Department of Bioenergy System Technology of Fraunhofer IWES in Kassel, Germany.
Bernd Krautkremer is a consistent member of the scientific committees of national and international bio-energy conferences. He is a speaker of a working group of the German Biogas Association (Energy Grids of the Future) and a university lecturer on different subjects (bio-energy, biogas, integration of bio-energy).

Kees Kwant works for NL Agency, the Dutch Agency for Innovation and Sustainability. He is coordinating the bioenergy work within NL Agency. He works for the Energy Transition as a member of the Platform for Renewable Resources, and the EOS programme, the national programme supporting Energy Research. On the implementation side he is coordinating the national Biomass Action Plan. For the EU he was in charge of the REACT project: EIE programme, Renewable Energy in Action and is at present the project coordinator of the EU ERANET Bioenergy project. He is also active in the IEA Bioenergy Agreement as member of the Executive Committee.

Kyriakos Maniatis till his retirement was Principal Administrator in Unit C2 – Directorate General for Energy, European Commission. In that role he was responsible for technical issues related to biofuels and managed the DG ENER demonstration component on advanced biofuels in the Commission’s the 7th Framework Programme. He contributed accordingly to the legislative actions of the EC and to the European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative of the SET Plan and he was involved in the CEN standardisation work on liquid and gaseous biofuels. He coordinated the team that launched in June 2011 the Biofuels FlightPath for Aviation in close cooperation with the aviation and biofuels sectors. Kyriakos also represented the European Commission in the Executive Committee of IEA Bioenergy Implementing Agreement and served as the ExCo Chairman in 2002, 2005-2007. He regularly organized workshops and conferences on these subjects.

Ms. Morese is the Manager of the GBEP Secretariat which is based at FAO Headquarters in Rome. She worked on the establishment of the Partnership since 2005. She is responsible for the development of the GBEP programme of work and its related field projects.
Previously she worked for six years for the Government of Italy as negotiator in various international environmental processes.
Michela holds a degree in Political Science-International Relations and a post graduate certificate in International Protection of Fundamental Human Rights from La Sapienza University in Rome, as well as a Master in Environmental Governance and a PhD in Forest Ecology from La Tuscia University in Viterbo.

Calliope Panoutsou is an agricultural engineer and holds a PhD on ‘Socioeconomic aspects of bioenergy systems at regional level’ from Aston University, UK. She is an expert in biomass for the biobased economy and her research interests focus on supply, logistics & economics of biomass value chains, market & policy analyses as well as sustainability. Through her research she has formed a multi-disciplinary background with skills and knowledge in agriculture, energy, environment, economics, social studies and modelling. She has extensive research and project experience in biomass R&D throughout Europe and has coordinated several EU projects involving multi-disciplinary research. She is also the Chair for biomass availability within the European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP bioenergy) http://etipbioenergy.eu/

Virginia holds a doctoral degree in plant ecology and biology. For the last 20 years, she has been working in developing and implementing the EU research and innovation policies in several EU institutions, focusing mainly on Earth observation and space industrial technologies.  Virginia’s previous professional experience includes the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency, the Enterprise Directorate-General of the European Commission, the EU’s Joint Research Centre, as well as the Italian Research Forest Management Institute.

Yves Ryckmans graduated from the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, and conducted a PhD study at the same university on modelling heat transfer in furnaces by finite elements techniques. In 1989, he joined Laborelec research Centre of Electrabel as a research engineer in the field of nuclear energy. From 1996 on, he initiated the development of fixed bed gasification and CFB gasification of wood through several Belgian and European projects. In 1999 he became Head of the Biomass Competence Centre of Electrabel at Laborelec. This competence centre covers more than 15 years technical issues like co-firing biomass in pulverised-coal power plants, biomass gasification, biomass fuel quality, biogas applications and biomass sustainability verification. His R&D efforts were focused on CFD modelling of PC boilers, slagging and fouling, NOx and SOx emissions, biomass milling and upgrading, ESP, ash quality and utilisation, as well as the verification of sustainability criteria for solid biomass. Currently, Yves Ryckmans is Chief Technology Officer Biomass at Laborelec. As such, he is managing research and services for bio-energy applications within GDF SUEZ Group.

Jim serves as the U.S. DOE Bioenergy System Development & Integration (SDI) Program Manager. The SDI program develops, tests, and verifies engineering-scale integrated biorefinery process performance to reduce technology uncertainty and to enable industry-led scale-up activities. SDI also develops novel methods to expand end-user acceptance of biofuel and bioproducts and identifies new, robust market opportunities. Jim’s portfolio includes the DOE investments in integrated biorefinery projects at the pilot, demonstration and pioneer scales. Jim is the lead for international outreach for the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office. In this role Jim works to catalyze collaboration among key international organizations including with the IEA Bioenergy TCP, the IEA Secretariat, the Biofuture Platform, IRENA, GBEP, Below50, and others. With DOE Jim has served in various roles including: Director for the Office of Commercialization & Project Management; Senior Advisor for the Pacific Region; Biomass and Renewable Energy Team Manager; and Technology Manager for Bioenergy and Solar Energy Programs. He also served as a Legislative Fellow for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Prior to joining DOE, Jim worked for over 10 years in the aerospace industry in engineering and business development positions with McDonnell Douglas and Boeing. Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with High Honors from the University of Illinois, and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.