Speakers

She holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology and Food and Bioprocess Engineering from the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP), with a focus on the valorization of agri-food byproducts for the development of functional ingredients and sustainable solutions.

She was recognized by the EIT Food Global Food Venture (FFV) 2018 as an outstanding Ph.D. student and was selected for the “EIT Food Innovator Fellowship 2019” as a young talent with creative and innovative potential to participate in schedule in Cambridge, United Kingdom. She was a researcher at AZTI (Spain) and, since 2020, has been part of the MultiBiorefinery and MIRACLE (Horizon 2020) projects at the UCP School of Biotechnology.

She is the founder and CEO of AgroGrIN Tech, which transforms 100% of fruit and vegetable waste intoclean-label, high-value ingredients, and whose focus is on the agri-food industry’s transition to the circular economy.

Since 2024, she has served as European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation. Her mission is to place research and innovation, science, and technology at the heart of the European economy by encouraging investment and cooperation, creating the right conditions for researchers to thrive and develop new skills, and fostering the innovation needed to achieve the EU’s goals of competitiveness, security, and sustainability.

She was a member of the Bulgarian Parliament and served as Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017–2021), Minister of Justice (2015–2017), Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works (2013–2014).

She holds a Ph.D. in Management and is a public administrator and university professor, with a professional career marked by leadership and the design and implementation of public policies in the areas of the environment, sustainability, and urban management.

For nearly two decades, he held strategic leadership positions at the Porto City Council, spearheading projects focused on organizational transformation, innovation, the circular economy, biodiversity, and climate change adaptation. At the same time, he is active in higher education and scientific research.

He currently serves as Vice President of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Norte), contributing to the implementation of regional development and territorial cohesion policies.

An Associate Professor with tenure at the Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon, she is a researcher at IN+ – Center for Studies in Innovation, Technology, and Policy, where she directed the Laboratory of Technology Management and Policy (until 2021) and conducts research in the areas of innovation, commercialization, and technology adoption.

She served as President of the National Innovation Agency (ANI), Scientific Director of the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Partnership (2012–2021), Scientific Coordinator of CEiiA – Center for Engineering and Product Development (2018–2021), and Deputy Director General of the Directorate of Education and Science Statistics. She served as an advisor to the Minister of Economy for Innovation and Technology (2016) and to the Secretary of State for Science, Technology, and Higher Education (2009–2010).

Since 2024, he has served as Vice President of the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) for the Oeiras Campus .

Full professor at the University of Porto and professor at Carnegie Mellon University (Africa). He served as director of schedule CMU-Portugal schedule , leading the collaboration between Portuguese and U.S. universities for several years. Founder and CEO of Veniam, a technology company specializing in smart networks and mobility, with international operations. He has direct experience in launching deep tech startups, technology transfer, and securing international funding for R&D.

Curator, researcher, cultural programmer, and artistic producer. He holds a Ph.D. in Sculpture from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon and VICARTE, and a Master’s degree inFine Artsfrom Central Saint Martins,University of the Arts London.
His practice lies at the intersection of art, research, and territory, developing projects that bring together artistic creation, knowledge production, and cultural programming. Since 2014, he has collaborated with Oficinas do Convento (Montemor-o-Novo), where he participates in the design and coordination of research projects, artist residencies, exhibitions, public programs, and national and European grant applications.
Her research has focused on the development of “Process Curation,” an approach that prioritizes collaborative work among different fields of knowledge, institutions, and local stakeholders in the design and implementation of artistic and cultural projects.
She is currently the artistic director and curator of Terracronia, a project included in the official program of Évora 2027 – European Capital of Culture.