FACING
THE INNOVATION
CHALLENGE
EARTO & EIRMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015
PROGRAMME
LUXEMBOURG
Infrastructures and Resources Sharing
between Industry & RTOs in Europe
APRIL 28-29, 2015
ALVISSE PARC HOTEL | 120, ROUTE D’ECHTERNACH | L-1453 LUXEMBOURG
Organised by
In partnership with
FACING
THE INNOVATION
CHALLENGE
earto-eirma-luxembourg2015.eu
April 28, 2015
EARTO & EIRMA Gala Dinner
All participants are invited to the Gala Dinner that will take place on April 28, 2015 at the Cercle-Cité in Luxembourg-City.
A guided tour will be organised during the trip from the Hotel Parc Alvisse to Cercle-Cité.
18:30
19:30-22:00
Joint bus transfer to Gala Dinner with guided tour
Departure: Alvisse Parc Hotel Lobby
Joint Gala Dinner at Cercle-Cité
Welcome address by
Francine Closener, Secretary of State of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy, Luxembourg
and Marc Schiltz, Secretary General, Fonds National de la Recherche, Luxembourg
22:00
Joint bus transfer to Alvisse Parc Hotel
April 29, 2015
EARTO & EIRMA Conference 2015: Part 1
08:30-09:00
Registration & welcome coffee (Room Europe C)
09:00-09:45
Introduction (Room Europe B)
Gabriel Crean, Chief Executive Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) – Conference Host
Marc Hansen, Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Higher Education and Research,
Luxembourg
Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for R&I, European Commission
Maria Khorsand, President of EARTO and CEO, SP
Carlos Härtel, EIRMA President and Director GE Global Research Europe
Session chaired by Marc Lemmer, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and
Technology (LIST)
09:45-10:15
Coffee break (Room Europe C)
10:15-12:00
Part 1 - How to construct an appropriate ecosystem to support infrastructure and resource sharing between
industry & RTOs in Europe? (Room Europe B)
Overview - EIB and the Investment Plan for Europe
Klaus Trömel, Head of Lending, European Investment Bank
Government policy to support infrastructure and economic development
Mario Grotz, Director General for Research, Intellectual Property and New Technologies, Ministry of the Economy,
Luxembourg
Views of the JRC
Xabier Goenaga, Head of the Innovation Systems Analysis Unit, JRC Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
Shared infrastructures linked to economic & regional development policy
Jean-Philippe Bourgoin, Director Strategy & Programmes, CEA
Rejuvenate KETs technology infrastructure for SMEs: the case of the RTO’s technology infrastructures
Jean-Frédéric Clerc, Vice President of CEA Technological Research Division, CEA
Infrastructure sharing, industry experience of hosting start-ups
Tom Aelbrecht, Director Venture & Incubation Center, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Johnson & Johnson
Discussion moderated by Maria Khorsand, President of EARTO and CEO, SP
12:00-13:30
2
Lunch (Restaurant Véranda)
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
April 29, 2015
EARTO & EIRMA Conference 2015: Part 2
13:30-15:00
Part 2 - How is “smart specialisation” a reality? (Parallel Sessions)
Session 3
Room Fischbach
Session 4
Room Hollenfels
Session 1
Room Europe B
Session 2
Room Europe A
Regional specialisation:
what does it mean in a
global competitive
market?
How important are shared Shared infrastructures lessons learned
infrastructures for the
transfer of technology
between industry &
RTOs?
Volvo experiences
Urban Wass, Senior Vice
President Research &
Innovation Policy, Volvo
Frank Ruttens, Account
Manager, AGFA
Procter & Gamble/BIRD
working group
André Convents, Section
Head, Connect & Develop,
Procter & Gamble
Mapping research
infrastructures
Philippe Froissard, Deputy
Head of Unit Research
Infrastructures, DG R&I,
European Commission
Tecnalia experience
Iñaki San Sebastian,
Deputy Managing Director,
Tecnalia
AIT experience
Alexander Svejkovsky,
CFO, Austrian Institute of
Technology (AIT)
IMEC experience
Rudy Lauwereins, VicePresident, IMEC
Alignment of public and
private RDI
Georges Thielen, Manager
Winter Technology
Programs, Goodyear
Innovation Centre,
Luxembourg
Charlina Vitcheva, Director
Smart & Sustainable Growth
& Southern Europe, DG
REGIO, European
Commission
Christos Tokamanis, Head Peter Dröll, Director
of Unit Advanced Materials Innovation & ERA, DG R&I,
and Nanotechnologies, DG European Commission
R&I, European Commission
Promoting the access of
SMEs to innovation
Pedro Ortún, Director
Service Industries, DG
GROW, European
Commission
Moderator EIRMA
Léopold Demiddeleer,
Honorary President of
EIRMA, Formerly Solvay
Moderator EIRMA
David Brown, Chair
ProFactor Pharma. Ex
Global Head of Drug
Discovery, Hoffman La
Roche
Moderator EARTO
Anne-Christine Ritschkoff,
Executive Vice President,
CTO, VTT Technical
Research Centre
Moderator EARTO
Frank Treppe, Director
Corporate Strategy and
International Affairs,
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Rapporteur EARTO
Ragnar Heldt Nielsen,
Director, GTS – Advanced
Technology Group
Rapporteur EARTO
Marc Lemmer, Chief
Strategy & Innovation
Officer, Luxembourg
Institute of Science and
Technology (LIST)
Rapporteur EIRMA
Christopher Shilling,
EIRMA Individual Member
Rapporteur EIRMA
Falk Wottawah, Head of
Visioning & Scouting,
Siemens
15:00-15:30
Coffee break (Room Europe C)
15:30-16:15
Plenary Session (Room Europe B)
Mapping research and
technology
infrastructures: what type
of tools are available?
Four short reports on parallel sessions by rapporteurs
Discussion moderated by Carlos Härtel, EIRMA President and Director GE Global Research Europe
16:15-16:30
Closing by EARTO & EIRMA Presidents
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
3
Speakers
Tom AELBRECHT
Director Venture & Incubation Center, Johnson & Johnson
Tom Aelbrecht started at Johnson & Johnson in 1999 and joined the Janssen
Campus Office in July 2010 as Director Venture & Incubation Center (VIC). He
established the VIC in order to implement aspects of the mission statement pertaining
to how therapeutic solutions can be nurtured and grown into viable, high value
business options for Janssen Pharmaceutica and the Johnson & Johnson Family of
Companies.
For the last two years Tom has been working on the Open Life Sciences Campus,
preparing the Janssen Campus in Beerse to host start-up companies and research
organizations in a JLabs infrastructure.
Jean-Philippe BOURGOIN
Director Strategy & Programmes, CEA
Jean-Philippe Bourgoin has been Corporate Strategy and Programs Director at the
French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission since 2011. He is also
the secretary of the Atomic Energy Committee. He was designated as the
representative for France by the Higher Education and Research Ministry for various
international missions related to nanotechnology and he was a contributor to the
National Research and Innovation Strategy.
He acted as President of the Micro-nano sectorial scientific committee of the National
Research Agency (ANR) and contributed to the development of nanotechnologies in
France while acting as an expert for various international funding agencies and
programs and a member of various scientific committees and boards. He is Knight of
the French National Order of Merit.
David BROWN
Chair ProFactor Pharma. Ex Global Head of Drug Discovery, Hoffman La Roche
David Brown has 40 years experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry,
both in research and in senior executive roles. He served with four of the top 10
pharmaceutical companies: Zeneca, Pfizer, GlaxoWellcome, and Hoffman La-Roche,
and as President and Chief Executive of Cellzome AG. Whilst at Pfizer he was
named co-inventor on the patent for Viagra.
David Brown has a strong interest in entrepreneurialism. He coaches CEOs and
entrepreneurs at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at Cambridge University
Business School and he is an Angel Investor in high-technology start-up companies.
He has founded or co-founded several biotechnology companies.
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
Speakers
Jean-Frédéric CLERC
Vice President of CEA Technological Research Division, CEA
Jean-Frédéric Clerc joined CEA in 1995 and has been manager of the Microsystems
Program at LETI (Laboratory of Electronics & Technologies of Information), before
becoming LETI’s Vice President. In 2005, he was appointed Director of Strategy and
Programs of the CEA Technological Research Division. He became Vice President of
this division in 2010.
He was also Vice President of the Association of the Carnot institutes from 2006 to
2011 and member of the board of the French Evaluation Agency for Research and
Higher education (AERES) from 2007 to 2012.
Francine CLOSENER
Secretary of State of the Economy, Ministry of the Economy, Luxembourg
Following the legislative elections of 20 October 2013, Francine Closener was
appointed Secretary of State of the Economy, Secretary of State of Internal Security,
and Secretary of State of Defence on 4 December 2013 in the coalition government
formed by the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party
(LSAP) and the Green Party (“déi gréng”).
After completing a degree in journalism and communication in 1993 at the Université
libre de Bruxelles, Francine Closener started her professional career at RTL Radio
Lëtzebuerg as a political journalist and in 2008 became its chief editor.
In 2010, she left radio to work as a journalist for RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg’s news
broadcast.
André CONVENTS
Section Head for Connect & Develop, Procter & Gamble
André Convents is Section Head for Connect+Develop at Procter & Gamble. With 20
years of international experience at P&G, he led global multi-functional technology
and innovation initiatives. He is an open innovation expert with extensive experience
in hands-on management of strategic alliances and collaborations across universities,
companies and institutes. He is the leader of the open innovation program in a $10
billion business unit. With a keen interest in team collaboration, he has led global
culture change initiatives to enable organizational transformation in a large
organization. As a passionate innovator, he led both intrapreneurial new business
initiatives and global and regional collaborations with SMEs. He has a PhD from the
Vrije Universiteit Brussel and is inventor or author of more than 30 patents or peer
reviewed journals.
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
5
Speakers
Gabriel CREAN
Chief Executive Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
Professor Gabriel Crean will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer of the
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) as of 1 May 2015. At
present, Professor Gabriel Crean is Vice President for Technology and Director for
Europe of CEAtech, the Division of Technological Research of the CEA. This division
includes three world class research institutes in Micro-Nanotechnologies, New
Technologies for Energy and Information Technology in Paris and Grenoble. He was
previously Scientific Director of the Division of Technological Research from 2009 to
2012. He is an Advisor to the President of the Institut National Polytechnique de
Grenoble (INPG) on research policies as well as a visiting Professor.
Léopold DEMIDDELEER
Honorary President of EIRMA, Formerly Solvay
Léopold Demiddeleer has a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the Université libre de
Bruxelles. He started his career in 1976 by teaching mathematics and physics, then
joined the SOLVAY company in 1981, where he spent 33 years. He successively led
different R&D entities of the group before being appointed New Business
Development Director in 2000. Now retired from Solvay, he is currently helping
venture funds with investments, small companies with their business development
and the Georgia Institute for Technology (Atlanta, USA) with its connections in
Europe. He is also Chairman of the Board of McPhy and Honorary President of
EIRMA.
Peter DRÖLL
Director Innovation & ERA, DG R&I, European Commission
Peter Dröll is in charge of Innovation Union and European Research Area in the
European Commission's Research and Innovation Department. This Directorate is
about creating the conditions for excellent research and innovation throughout
Europe.
Peter is a lawyer by training with a doctorate degree in German constitutional law and
European law. Before joining the European Commission in 1991, Peter worked as a
lawyer in Germany.
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
Speakers
Philippe FROISSARD
Deputy Head of Unit Research Infrastructures, DG R&I, European Commission
Philippe FROISSARD graduated in nuclear engineering in Grenoble (France) in 1988 and completed his PhD in
nuclear physics in 1992. He worked on nuclear fusion research and particularly on radio frequency heating first at
the JET Joint Undertaking in Oxfordshire (UK) and then at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) in
Cadarache until 1999. He joined the Directorate-General for Research in 2000 and has since held several
positions in the Human Potential and International Cooperation Programmes. He is presently the Deputy Head of
Research Infrastructures Unit, which supports the development, implementation and integration of Research
Infrastructures of pan-European interest.
Xabier GOENAGA
Head of the Innovation Systems Analysis Unit at the Institute for Prospective
Technological Studies Joint Research Centre, European Commission
As of April 2015, Xabier Goenaga is responsible for the Innovation Systems Analysis
Unit of the JRC of the European Commission in Brussels, which amongst other
activities supports the preparation of Country Specific Recommendations in the field
of research and innovation. Between 2007 and 2015, he was responsible for the
Knowledge for Growth Unit of the JRC. Before working for the Joint Research
Centre, he was at DG RTD where he was responsible for Units dealing with (i)
economic analysis of research policies, (ii) SME measures in the Framework
Programme and (iii) agro-industrial and agricultural research.
Mario GROTZ
Director General for Research, Intellectual Property and New Technologies, Ministry of
the Economy, Luxembourg
Mario Grotz joined the Ministry of Economy in 2001 where his main focus was on the
evaluation of R&D projects or programs implemented by the private sector. From
2009-2012, he was appointed Head of Directorate for Infrastructures and
Technology.
Since 2012, he has been the Director General for Research, Intellectual Property and
New Technologies, responsible in particular for the development of the technologybased sectors in Luxembourg, meaning the cleantech sector, the biotech sector and
the ICT sector (including the space sector).
Additionally, he represents the State of Luxembourg on different boards of private
companies. Since 2012, he has been President of Board of Directors of the company
CREOS.
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
7
Speakers
Marc HANSEN
Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research, Ministry for Higher Education
and Research Luxembourg
Marc Hansen was appointed Secretary of State of Education, Children and Youth and Secretary
of State for Higher Education and Research on 28 March 2014 in the coalition government
formed by the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) and the
Green Party (“déi gréng”).
A member of the DP since 2008, Marc Hansen was an alderman for the municipality of
Useldange from 2005 to 2014. At national level, Marc Hansen was elected to Parliament for the
first time in 2013. In Parliament, he served as chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee
as well as vice-chairman of the Committee for Labour, Employment and Social Security from
2013 to 2014, when he was appointed to the government.
Marc Hansen started his professional career as a journalist at DNR (Den Neie Radio) and later
at RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg and RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg from 1995 to 2009.
From 2009 to 2011, he served as a parliamentary attaché and from 2011 to 2014, Marc Hansen
was the CEO of Éditions Lëtzebuerger Journal.
Carlos HÄRTEL
EIRMA President and Director GE Global Research Europe
Carlos Härtel is Director of the GE’s European research center in Garching near
Munich, Germany. He took this position in 2007, after having served as manager of
the Laboratory for Alternative Energies at the center since 2003.
Prior to joining GE, Dr. Härtel held positions as scientist and manager in the
development of gas turbines at Alstom in Baden, Switzerland. He studied mechanical
engineering at RWTH Aachen and TU Munich, and he received his doctorate from
the Institute of Fluid Mechanics of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Göttingen.
Subsequently, he spent several years at ETH Zurich, where he qualified as a
university lecturer in 1999. He is President of EIRMA.
Ragnar HELDT NIELSEN
Director, GTS - Advanced Technology Group
Since 2007, Ragnar Heldt Nielsen has been the director of GTS - Advanced
Technology Group (Godkendt Teknologisk Service), the interest organisation of the
nine Danish GTS institutes. Here he focuses on the development of the political and
administrative framework of the institutes.
Ragnar Heldt Nielsen serves as a national expert in the EC Programme Committee
'SMEs & Access to Risk Finance', and he heads the steering committee of the
national ‘Innovation agent program’ (SME innovation support).
Previously, Ragnar has been Department Manager at the Danish Society of
Engineers (IDA) with responsibility for policy development and campaigning,
especially in the fields of education, research and innovation policies.
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
Speakers
Maria KHORSAND
President of EARTO and CEO, SP
Maria Khorsand is the CEO of the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. SP is
the leading and largest technical research institute in Sweden. Maria Khorsand has a
Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from the California State University. She
has held a variety of executive positions at Ericsson, among others as President of
Ericsson Technology Licensing, where she worked for 17 years before becoming
President of OMX Technology and finally, President of Dell Sweden before joining the
SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden in 2007 as CEO. She is a board member
of several organisations, Chair of the Swedish Coordination Council for Smart Grids
and Vice-Chair of the Section for Research and Education within the Royal Swedish
Academy of Engineering Sciences. She became President of EARTO in May 2014.
Rudy LAUWEREINS
Vice President at IMEC
Rudy Lauwereins is Vice President at imec, a research company performing worldleading research and delivering industry-relevant technology solutions through global
partnerships in nano-electronics, ICT, healthcare and energy. He is director of imec’s
Smart Systems Technology Office, guiding the strategic research decisions in vision
and telecommunication systems, and in (bio)medical and lifestyle electronics,. He
also leads the imec Academy, coordinating external and internal training curricula.
He is a part-time Full Professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Before joining imec in 2001, he held a tenure Professorship in the Faculty of
Engineering at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven since 1993.
Professor Lauwereins has authored and co-authored more than 400 publications in
international journals, books and conference proceedings. He is a fellow of the IEEE.
Marc LEMMER
Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
(LIST)
Marc Lemmer holds a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the Pierre and Marie Curie
University in Paris, completed in 1993 after his master in chemistry (Dipl. Chem.) at
the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich. He also holds a Master of Business
Administration from Nancy 2 University. He joined the Public Research Centre Henri
Tudor in 2009 as CEO.
Today, Marc Lemmer is member of the Executive Committee of the Luxembourg
Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and holds the position of Chief Strategy
and Innovation Officer. LIST is a new RTO in Luxembourg created on January 1st,
2015, following the merging of the public research centres Gabriel Lippmann and
Henri Tudor, both established in 1987. LIST is a leader in research and innovation
and works in the fields of materials, environment and IT.
Marc Lemmer is a member of the Executive Board of EARTO.
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
9
Speakers
Carlos MOEDAS
European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation
Born in 1970, Carlos Moedas holds a degree in civil engineering from the Instituto
Superior Técnico and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has worked for
Goldman Sachs and Eurohypo Investment Bank. In 2010 he became Senior
Economic Advisor of the Portuguese Social Democratic Party (PSD). He was elected
Member of the Portuguese Parliament in 2011 and was appointed Secretary of State
working directly under the Prime Minister. Since October 2014 he has been
appointed European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation.
Pedro ORTÚN
Director Service Industries, DG GROW, European Commission
Pedro Ortún is an Industrial engineer, specialised in Chemistry and in Industrial
Organisation, with a Doctorate in Business Administration. He has been a Director in
the European Commission since 1988, in charge of different industrial and services
sectors. He was successively Director responsible for Tourism & Service Industries
and Corporate Social Responsibility and Director responsible for the “New Approach
Industries”, the Standardisation Policy, Tourism, CSR and Consumer Goods
Industries. He also held the position of Director in charge of Tourism, of the Textiles,
Fashion, Design and Creative Industries and of Key Enabling Technologies and the
Digital Economy. Since January 2015, he has been the Director of Service Industries
in the European Commission’s new DG for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW).
Anne-Christine RITSCHKOFF
Executive Vice President, CTO, VTT Technical Research Centre
Prof. Ritschkoff has been at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland since 1987 in
various research and management positions. She currently holds the position of
Executive Vice President, Strategic Research, CTO. In this role she is in charge of
VTT’s research function, and steers technology strategy, EU activities and research
partnerships. Prof. Ritschkoff has significantly influenced VTT’s research activities in
the areas of natural resources, environmental and clean technologies and
bioeconomy.
Prof. Ritschkoff contributes to Finnish and European innovation systems through
various position of trust. Throughout her career, Prof. Ritschkoff has been a member
and chairman of several international committees and boards of directors.
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
Speakers
Frank RUTTENS
Account Manager, AGFA
Frank graduated in Chemistry from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium in
1983 and obtained his PhD in 1988 (Molecular Dynamics and Spectroscopy lab of
Prof. F. De Schryver). After one year of military service (obligatory at that time) he
started working at Agfa-Gevaert in the former Electrophotography group, exactly 25
years ago now. He soon joined the Analytical department, and that is where he still is
today. He has been responsible for the Physicochemical and Colloïdal analysis labs.
In 2010 he was asked to represent Agfa's open innovation initiative Agfa-Labs that
offers its R&D services to third parties. The focus is on materials and coatings
research, fields where Agfa-Labs has acquired certain unique competences that can
bring added value to small and large companies in an industrial environment.
Iñaki SAN SEBASTIAN
Deputy Managing Director, Tecnalia
Iñaki San Sebastian is an industrial engineer from the University of Navarra (1989)
and in 2007 he received a Master Degree in Business Management (MBA-Executive)
at the University of Deusto. After 17 years working at Fatronik, in 2008 he became
General Manager. Two years later, Fatronik merged into Tecnalia to create the
largest RTO in Spain and he was appointed Deputy Managing Director. Throughout
his professional career he has belonged and belongs to several relevant national and
international committees related to the design and strategy of Science and
Technology Systems. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Executive
Committee of EARTO, the European Association of Research and Technology
Organizations, amongst others.
Marc SCHILTZ
Secretary General, Fonds National de la Recherche, Luxembourg
Marc Schiltz holds a PhD in Physics (Crystallography) and an Executive MBA from
INSEAD. He has been active in research and higher education for more than 18
years and is a recognised scientist in his field of expertise. Drawing on his
international experience, he has developed a thorough expertise in strategic research
management and organisation. Since 2011, he has headed the National Research
Fund, which is the central agency for promoting and funding research activities in
Luxembourg. In this role, he has significantly contributed to enhancing the quality of
the Luxembourg research system and to building bridges with the private sector as
well as with the international scientific community.
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
11
Speakers
Christopher SHILLING
Innovation Agent, The Florin Partnership
Christopher Shilling is an independent consultant providing innovation project
management and planning services to pharmaceutical and medical device
companies, and Public Private Partnerships.
In 1997, Christopher joined Pfizer’s Global R&D division, leading knowledge and
information systems projects to support senior management, drug R&D teams and
two large mergers. He became an independent consultant in 2007, and has
managed innovation and business planning projects for a range of start-ups, SMEs,
large companies and PPPs. Following a year-long engagement in 2010 for Novartis’
Pricing & Reimbursement global group, Chris has continued to provide research
services to Akceso Advisors in the field of drug pricing, reimbursement & market
access. He is also a consulting advisor to i2e Consulting, leader in developing
business apps for mobile devices. Chris chairs EIRMA’s Programme Planning Committee.
Alexander SVEJKOVSKY
CFO, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology
Alexander Svejkovsky has been the CFO of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
since 2008. AIT is the largest RTO in Austria and focuses on infrastructure
innovations. He is responsible for controlling, accounting, treasury, IT, purchasing,
investment management and national and EU research funding. He previously
worked as an executive consultant for industry and non-profit organizations and as a
controller in the IT and transport automation sector (Alcatel).
Alexander Svejkovsky holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration
(marketing, foreign trade financing) from the Vienna University of Economics and
Business and completed executive trainings at MIT, St. Galler Business School and
UC Berkeley.
Georges THIELEN
Manager for the Winter Technology Programs, Goodyear Innovation Centre
After having obtained a doctorate in Polymer Chemistry from the University
of Hannover, Georges Thielen has held multiple positions at Goodyear. Currently, he
is Manager for the Winter Technology Programs at the Goodyear Innovation Centre.
Previously, he gained extensive experience in R&D management, helping Goodyear
develop its external expert network in Europe. He is also President of the
Luxembourg Materials Cluster and Member of the Board of the Luxembourg Institute
of Science and Technology.
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
Speakers
Christos TOKAMANIS
Head of Unit Advanced Materials and Nanotechnologies, DG R&I, European
Commission
Christos Tokamanis is trained as a chemical and material engineer and holds a degree in
Business Administration. He has been working in the research field of advanced materials,
new production systems and transport technologies. He has been, for 5 years, Head of
Unit responsible for Sub- Priority 6.2 “Sustainable Surface Transport” in the FP6 Specific
Programme “Integrating & Strengthening ERA”. In 2004, he was appointed responsible for
the Unit “Products, processes, organisation” renamed “New generation of products” within
Directorate “Industrial Technologies” of DG R&I. In 2008, he took on responsibility for the
“Nano- Sciences and Nanotechnologies” unit. As of January 2015, he has led the unit
“Advanced Materials and Nano Technologies” of the same Directorate renamed “Key
Enabling Technologies”.
Picture Copyright: FFG / Karin Gartner
Frank TREPPE
Director Corporate Strategy and International Affairs, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Frank Treppe joined the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology in 1982.
Since then, he has served in various managing positions at different Fraunhofer
Institutes and companies in Germany and in the United States.
Frank Treppe is now member of Fraunhofer's top management team in Munich. As an
Associate Member of the Board and Director Corporate Strategy and International
Affairs of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, he is in charge of Fraunhofer's strategic business
development. In this capacity, Frank Treppe has a wide range of domestic and
international responsibilities. In addition, he is Member of the Board of EARTO, as
well as the Vice President of its Steering Committee, and he serves as evaluator in
the technology programs of the European Commission.
Klaus TRÖMEL
Director General, Head of Operations, European Investment Bank
2014- present: Head of Lending Operations - Director General
2011-2014: Director General, Risk Management Directorate
2007-2011: Director, Head of the Transaction Management & Restructuring
2000-2007: Head of Division Project Finance & EIF, Credit Risk Department, Risk
Management Directorate
1989-1999: Loan Officer UK/North Sea, Directorate for Lending Operations in
Europe; focus on transport, oil & gas and project finance
1988-1989: Trade & Pre-export Finance Officer, Credit des Bergues, Geneva,
Switzerland
1985-1987: Analyst, Hewlett-Packard European Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
13
Speakers
Charlina VITCHEVA
Director Smart & Sustainable Growth & Southern Europe, DG REGIO, European
Commission
Charlina Vitcheva has been a director at the European Commission, Directorate
General for Regional Policy since April 2009. As of 2014, she is Director for the
Competence Centre for Smart and Sustainable Growth and the Implementation of
the EU Cohesion Policy in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Malta, Cyprus and Greece.
In her previous posts, she has been responsible for the Competence Centre for
Inclusive Growth, Urban and Territorial Development and the implementation of the
EU Cohesion Policy in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and
Sweden.
Prior to her posts in the Commission, she was Director of the European Integration
and International Cooperation Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and
Food.
Urban WASS
Senior Vice President Research & Innovation Policy, Volvo Group
Urban Wass is Senior Vice President, Research & Innovation Policy at Volvo Group
Headquarters. He is responsible for driving and formulating research and innovation
strategies as well as maintaining a contact net that includes academia, funding
agencies and relevant governmental bodies. In addition, he chairs the Volvo Group
Research & Innovation Committee.
Falk WOTTAWAH
Head of Visioning & Scouting, Siemens Corporate Technology
Falk Wottawah studied research in biophysics at the University of Würzburg, the
University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Leipzig between 1998 and 2006.
He got his PhD in 2006 and worked for Siemens Management Consulting as
Consultant and Project Manager until 2012. In 2012, he became Project Manager for
Siemens Corporate Technology, Central Projects. Since 2012, he has been Head of
Visioning & Scouting for Siemens Corporate Technology, Technology & Innovation
Management.
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
Personnal Notes
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EARTO & EIRMA Annual Conference 2015
15
FACING
THE INNOVATION
CHALLENGE
PRACTICAL DETAILS
Dates
April 28-29, 2015
Venue Alvisse Parc Hotel | 120, route d’Echternach | L-1453 Luxembourg
Parking Free parking provided by the hotel
GALA DINNER
The Gala Dinner will be held on April 28, 2015 at 19:30 pm at the Cercle Cité | 2, rue Genistre | L-1623 Luxembourg.
A bus transfer will be organised from Alvisse Parc Hotel to Cercle-Cité: meeting point at 18.30 in the hotel lobby. A guided
tour will be organised during the trip.
A bus transfer will be organised after the Gala Dinner to the Alvisse Parc Hotel: meeting point at the Gëlle Fra at 22:00.
Coming by car, the Parking Saint-Esprit (paid car park) is located near the Cercle Cité.
Taxis can be hired from rue Notre-Dame or in front of POST Luxembourg, 25 Rue Aldringen, L-1118 Luxembourg. Taxis can
be also booked by phone: TAXIS COLUX +352 48 22 33, BENELUX TAXIS +352 80 02 51 51, CITY TAXIS +352 48 00 58.
CONTACT
For any questions, please contact us at:
[email protected]
+352 42 59 91 - 22 92 or +352 621 26 85 65
Parc Hôtel Alvisse**** SA