Jury

EU TalentOn is a team competition. During a hackathon rivalry, international teams of young scientists will compete for money awards and the exclusive EU TalentOn Winner title.

it's all about the teams

These are the 108 selected participants!

EU TalentOn call for proposals starts in April. By June, experts will select at least one hundred participants with the highest scores, who will be invited to compete in the finals.

They will get to know each other better and be divided into teams to take part in workshops until August. We will then present all the teams on this page.

In the meantime, see how the teams worked in Leiden in 2022 during the competition’s first edition.

Over the last few months, young scientists from all over Europe have been submitting their applications to become part of EU TalentOn and change the world. Thank you to everyone who applied – the level of your applications was very high! We had to choose the best applications from 1,276 registered people from 38 European countries

The evaluation process was in two stages: first, other applicants reviewed your applications, and then the applications with the best grades were subjected to expert evaluation. We are pleased to announce the EU TalentOn participants by individual Mission Arena below.

Congratulations! We can’t wait to meet you in Katowice!

  • Pawel Brusiło
  • Tara Kaila
  • Aleksandra Olbryk
  • Alicja Kunkowska
  • Alireza Borji
  • Ana-Maria Popa
  • Blessing Chidinma Umeh
  • Brita Laht
  • Charles Hatfield
  • Evelina-Elena Tanasie
  • Felicia Iacob
  • Laura Feliu-Paradeda
  • Laura Garcia Calvo
  • Liang Tian
  • Faisal Alaidy
  • Mersa Darbandsari
  • Michaela Korena Hillayova
  • Mohammad Abujar Shuva
  • Tomas Malina
  • Tereza Patlejchová
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dr hab. Ewa Łupikasza, prof. UŚ
Alexandre Gagnon
dr Dariusz Ignatiuk
  • Aimilios Efstathiou
  • Ana Filipa Moreno
  • Anneke Kastelein
  • Claudia Perez Almeria
  • Fernando Enrique Lobo Cerna
  • Francesco Bassi
  • Guillermo Nevot
  • Mariam Grigorashvili
  • Mariam Jorbenadze
  • Maxim Laryn
  • Nevena Slovic
  • Nutsa Matchavariani
  • Oana Maria Biro
  • Paula Blanco Vazquez
  • Simone Kresevic
  • Veronika Sigutova
  • Victoria Trifonova
  • Otilia Zvoristeanu
  • Vedika Kapoor
  • Monika Maciejewska
  • Palak Bhavesh
  • Alessio Zuliani
  • Anna Salamero Boix
  • Dorota Bęben
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Aleksandra Auguściak-Duma
Gabriela Kramer-Marek
Roberta Gatta
  • Adriano Nicola Pilagatti
  • Akshay Kowlesser
  • Alessia Torboli
  • Dora Rašan
  • Elifnaz Unay
  • Giorgi Chkheidze
  • Hamed Abdollahpour
  • Leonard Günzel
  • Dominika Dąbrowska
  • Luise Nottmeyer
  • Marta Kucharska
  • Mohamed Hamdy Eid Hemida
  • Siebe Lievens
  • Sunny Tiwari
  • Tamar Dandurishvili
  • Jessica Lizbeth Canchig Pilicita
  • Luca Rago
  • Spela Lemez
  • Nadzeya Fialkouskaya
  • Diane Esson
A Woznica
Vahid Nourani
YunqingXuan_SwanseaUni
  • Aanchal Sharma
  • Aishe Khalilova
  • Ali Badiei
  • Carmelo Carbone
  • Fabrizia Auletta
  • Faiz Iqbal
  • Josephine Lusi
  • Kristina Medić
  • Luka Gobronidze
  • Piotr Kamedulski
  • Sebastián Bouzas Rakela
  • Sérgio Pedro
  • SK. Md. Nur-E-Alam
  • Sopiko Gokadze
  • Veselin Mitkov
  • Victoria Andrea Cotella
  • Rajat Sharma
  • Camilla Hurst
  • Maliha Binte Hasan
  • Sabine Schloegl
  • Muhammad Hamza Daud
  • Michał Haida
  • Ali Soltani
  • Georgios Koutsikas
K.Ponikowska
Francisco Mendes Palma
Monika Kuffer
  • Adam Furtak
  • Antoniya Georgieva
  • Daniel-Nicolae Cojanu
  • Diana-Maria Branga
  • dr Eteri Tkesheliadze
  • Emma Olmi
  • Greta Mačiuitytė      
  • Julian Prieto
  • Kimberley Vandenhole
  • Marina Auer
  • Marta Woźniak-Karczewska
  • Pamela Rivera
  • Surya Prasad Dahal
  • Weronika Bodylska
  • Yonko Chuklev
  • Pedro Rodrigues Ribeiro
  • Qumber Abbas
  • Ieva Knoknerienė
  • Csenge Emese Tóth
  • Adam Grzywaczyk
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Zita Kriauciuniene
M.Pogrzeba
Diego Soto
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Lucien Geelhoed
Pedro Russo
Andrea Stephany Diaz
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Katarzyna Geiger
Robert Bielen
Monika-Habrzyk
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Alberto Vernieri

Prof. Ewa Łupikasza, Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice. She is a climatologist specializing in contemporary climate change, synoptic climatology, the urban heat island, trends in precipitation, including rainfall, snowfall and extreme precipitation, as well as climate in polar regions. Author of several dozen scientific articles published in JCR-listed journals. Representative of Poland at the IASC. The director of the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice.

Dr Alexandre Gagnon is a Reader in Climatology at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). His research focuses on climate change impacts and societal responses to those impacts. More specifically, his research aims to improve the characterisation and quantification of climate risks to advance knowledge and inform policy and management processes about reducing vulnerability to those risks. Dr Gagnon completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Geography at Concordia University, an M.Sc. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Physical Geography at the University of Toronto. Before joining LJMU, Dr Gagnon was a Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland. He also held several research fellowships and postdoctoral positions, notably at the Environmental Research Institute of the University of the Highlands and Islands, the University of Liverpool and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego. Dr Gagnon is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and Royal Geographical Society, as well as a research committee member of the Climate Change Research Group of the latter society.

PhD Dariusz Ignatiuk – assistant professor at the University of Silesia in Katowice (since 2013). In 2012-2013 Leader of the XXXV Polar Expedition of the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences at the Hornsund Polish Polar Station on Spitsbergen. In 2014–2019 Head of the Office of the Centre for Polar Studies, 2019–2021 employee of the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) as Scientific Integration and Data Officer. From 2023, President of the Polish Polar Consortium, and from 2024, Head of the Centre for Polar Studies and member of the Board of Directors (vice-chair) of the international consortium Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System. Representative of Poland in, among others, IASC Cryosphere Working Group, co-coordinator of Research Priority Team 7: Technology, Infrastructure, Logistics, and Services in the ICARP IV 2022-2026 process (The 4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning). Author and co-author of 26 publications in peer-reviewed journals in 2018-2024, author of popular science publications, reports and chapters in books and monographs. Manager and executor of over 10 projects in the last 5 years (NCN, Research Council of Norway, EU Horizon, Polish-Norwegian Grants). Currently, among others, PI of the HarSval project (A bilateral initiative for harmonization of the Svalbard cooperation) – a budget of EUR 1.58 million, 25 partners from Poland and Norway. Leader and participant of over 20 scientific expeditions of the University of Silesia to Svalbard. Glaciologist, geophysicist, and specialist in the field of mass balance and energy balance modelling of glaciers. He studies climate change and its implications for the environment in the Arctic (Svalbard) in the field of glacier interactions with the atmosphere and ocean, as well as research on snow cover, hydrology, thermals and glacier evolution. In his work, he uses field measurements, modelling and the latest technologies (Remote Sensing, UAVs, laser scanning, etc.).

Aleksandra Auguściak-Duma, PhD, graduated from the University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Genetics in 2002. Afterwards, she worked as a biologist at the Department of General and Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Medical University of Silesia. Her main research interest is the extracellular matrix and its influence on the processes in the human body. She defended PhD in medicine biology under the supervision of Prof. Aleksander L. Sieroń. 

She has been an academic employee at the Department of General and Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Medical University of Silesia since 2013. She has been a supervisor of MA and MSc theses and an auxiliary supervisor in doctoral dissertations dedicated to molecular processes in body development and molecular disorders of the extracellular matrix. She is a scientific supervisor of the Student Research Group of the Department of Molecular Biology.

Auguściak-Duma, PhD, has authored and co-authored over 30 scientific papers. Her research interests revolve around the molecular basis of cardiovascular system pathogenesis, in particular abdominal aortic aneurysms.  She has been conducting research on molecular causes of genetic background and environmental factors-induced genetic disorders, e.g. autism, osteogenesis imperfecta, or uterine fibroids. She is also interested in human evolution and the history of life on Earth.

Prof. Gabriela Kramer Marek has a PhD in Medical Physics from Silesian University in Poland. She worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Health, in the USA, before being appointed as an Assistant Professor at Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA. Here, she developed a new imaging approach for non-invasive assessment of HER2 expression in breast cancer. Currently, she works as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, where she leads Preclinical Molecular Imaging group. In 2021, she was also appointed as the head of Radiopharmacy and Preclinical Imaging Division at Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology in Poland. Her scientific work focuses on development of innovative preclinical imaging biomarkers for non-invasive and real-time mapping of specific proteins involved either in early tumour cell response or de novo resistance to new treatment combinations, with an emphasis on targeted cancer therapies and immunotherapies. Prof. Kramer-Marek research has resulted in 57 peer-reviewed papers (H-index based on Web of Science – 25), US patent (No. US 8,303,960 B2), and several prestigious awards, including Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow of the NCI/NIH in 2010 and Best Basic Science Investigation Manuscript published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in 2012. She has delivered numerous invited lectures both internationally and nationally and regularly chairs or co-chairs imaging- related sessions at major conferences such as EMIM and WMIC. Additionally, she has supervised and co-supervised 17 PhD students and has managed several postdoctoral fellows, radiochemists, and biologists.
PhD Roberta Gatta earned her PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Gdansk, Poland, where she also gained over four years of experience teaching molecular biology. Her academic journey was marked by several publications and participation to international conferences. In 2022, Dr. Gatta won the first-ever EUtalentON in Leiden as the best project in the arena “SoilDeal4EU” and overall best project of the EUtalentON. Building on this success, she joined the Women2Invest program in 2023 where she expanded her expertise in venture capital and start-up ecosystem. That same year she worked as Business Analyst at Eurekare-investing in synthetic biology. Since 2024, Dr. Gatta has been contributing her expertise as Clinical Operations Specialist at Oncoswab, where she integrates her scientific knowledge with business strategy to drive clinical innovation and operational efficiency. Dr. Gatta is committed to bridging the worlds of science and business, driving forward collaborations that advance scientific research, foster innovation, and bring disruptive ideas to market.

Andrzej Woźnica, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof.

Director of the USil Silesian Water Centre.
Employee of the Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice.

Expert in biochemistry and environmental protection. He deals with environmental biotechnology, biodetection and problems of environmental management of water bodies.

Leader of the team developing the Automatic Biodetector of Water Toxicity (ABTOW), a tool for examination of phenol- and cyanide-contaminated water. The Deputy Coordinator of the Project for Integrated Support System for the Management and Protection of Water Dam Reservoir ZiZOZap (POIG 2010-2014). Currently, responsible for the process of implementing the ZiZOZap project’s outcomes.

Author of numerous scientific and popular science articles in respected journals, including Chemosphere, PlosOne, Gospodarka Wodna. He holds the PRINCE2® Foundation certificate, a boatmaster’s license, the certificate of competency of motorboat helmsman, and a caving license. His hobbies include mountain climbing and caving, as well as jazz and classical music.

Prof. Vahid Nourani received his Ph.D. degree in Civil & Env. Engineering in 2005 from Shiraz University, Iran and Tohoku University, Japan. As an expert in the field of Hydro-environmental Informatics, Prof. Nourani was with Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz (Iran) as assistant (2005-2009), associate (2009-2013) and full professor (2013-present); with Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota (USA) at 2011 as visiting Associate Professor and as Adjunct Full Professor with Near East University (Cyprus) and Charles Darwin University (Australia) respectively from 2017 and 2022 till now. In this period, 19 Ph.D. and 131 M.S. students have been graduated under his technical supervision as well as 6 Postdoc scholars. His research interests include rainfall-runoff simulation, hydro-geological modeling, Artificial Intelligence applications to hydro-environmental engineering, Hydroinformatics and computational hydraulics. His researches outcomes include over 300 Journal articles mostly in Q1 and Q2 journals, in about 50% as first/corresponding author, 3 books, 19 book chapters, more than 200 conference presentations and 7 international projects. Currently he is Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Civil & Env. Eng., Associate Editor for Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Hydroinformatics and AQUA as well as Guest Editor for some other JCR Journals. He is founder and director of Excellence Center in Hydroinformatics of Iran and director of Institute of Environment at Tabriz University. In 2023, Prof. Nourani was ranked as 9035 among world’s top 2% scientists reported by the Stanford with the global position of 29th in Environmental Engineering (including water resources and climatolog). According to ScholarGPS report, Prof. Nourani is ranked in top 0.05% world scientists with 5-year global rank of 4107 and the global positions of 6th in Hydrology, 9th in Wavelet and 15th in AI sub-fields. In 2022 and 2023, Prof. Nourani was visiting Professor in CAS (IGSNRR, Beijing) and DPRI (Kyoto University, Japan) through CAS’s PIFI and JSPS funding programs, respectively. Prof. Nourani has had fruitful collaborations with Chinese universities and scientists in the last 3 years including CAS, Nanjing and Nankai Universities through Iran-China, one-road one-belt and high-end talent programs, respectively.

Yunqing Xuan, PhD, FRMetS, FIMA Associate Professor, Swansea University
PhD Yunqing Xuan is a co-lead of the Modelling, Data and AI in Climate Action of the Zienkiewicz Institute at Swansea University, UK. He has more than 20 years of research experience and leadership in Water and Environmental Engineering specialising in hydrometeorological modelling and hydroclimatic extremes. He is an academic partner of the UK Met Office in climate model/NWP development and applications. As founding board member and Vice Chair of the Welsh Local Centre of the Royal Meteorological Society (charity), he endeavours to promote public knowledge and engagement in climate impact sciences. He is also a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications.
Katarzyna Ponikowska, PhD is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Silesia, Faculty of Social Sciences. Graduated from sociology at the University of Silesia and Business School, University of Greenwich, London. Both, her master’s and doctoral thesis were devoted to ecological problems of the contemporary world. Her research has mainly concentrated on changing values and human awareness under processes of globalisation, sustainable development issues and their implementation into social movements, local communities and business. Now, her scientific interests and didactic activity develop around cross-cultural communication, negotiations, and conflict-solving problems.

Francisco MENDES-PALMA is Director of Transform4Europe Office at Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Outreach Leader T4EU. Invited Professor of the Executive Program Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics and of the Master’s Programs Nova School of Business and Economics. Former Director of Globgal Engagement at Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Experienced economist with MA in Economics from the College of Europe and with a mix of academic, institutional, public, and private sector experience. Former Counsellor and Chair of the Energy Working Party Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU 2021. CEO of aicep Global Parques, S.A., Board Member of a private bank in Africa and Head of Research in Portugal’s leading privately-owned bank. Economic consultant in both Portuguese and foreign private companies. Lecturer with a track record in applied research in several institutions like the Applied Research & Consulting (CEA) unit of Católica-Lisbon and the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center.

Francisco Mendes-Palma | LinkedIn

Monika Kuffer is a Professor of Sustainability of Rural-Urban Systems at the University of Twente. Her research centres on spatial inequalities, urban planning and sustainable development, particularly in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She employs a blend of data-driven and user-centered approaches, integrating bottom-up methods like citizen science with advanced technologies such as remote sensing, AI, GIS, and Big Data. Her work aims to inform evidence-based policymaking in areas such as housing, environment, climate change, economics, infrastructure, and services, all with a focus on spatial inequalities. Monika co-chairs the international IDEAMAPS network, dedicated to mapping deprivation, and leads several research projects on urban deprivation and environment, including IDEAtlas, ONEKANA, and SPACE4ALL. She is a Steering Committee Member of JURSE, and serves as the Dutch representative for the European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories (EARSeL).
Prof. Dr. Zita KRIAUČIŪNIENĖ (F) is Professor at the Department of Agroecosystems and Soil Sciences of Agronomy Faculty and Chief Researcher at Bioeconomy Research Institute of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, Lithuania. She is also Scientific Supervisor of Excellence Centre for Bioeconomy Research (BioTec). She defended her Doctoral Dissertation in Biomedical Sciences, Agronomy at Lithuanian University of Agriculture in 2008. Her field of research: soil and crop residues management improvement, soil organic matter, soil biological activity, agrochemical and agrophysical parameters, soil health, carbon farming, use of biostimulants, meat and bone meal organic fertilisers in crop growing technologies, crop and weed allelopathy, sustainable agrotechnologies, precision agriculture, ICT in agriculture, Kernza adaptation possibilities, crop productivity. Zita has over 50 refereed publications, including 38 CA Web of Science with impact factor, over 90 science promotion and other publications, she published two Chapters in Sustainable Agriculture Reviews in Springer Nature Switzerland, two scientific recommendations about sustainable agrotechnologies, has made over 80 presentations in conferences globally (Japan, China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, Morocco, Europe, etc.). She had long-term Scholar Internships at Swedish University of Agriculture and Delhi University in India. In 2018 she was Visiting Professor in Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, in 2024 in University of Regina in Canada. Zita was a Member of the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food in EU Framework Programme of European Commission for Research and Innovation ‘Horizon Europe’, 2019–2021. She was expert of EIP-AGRI Focus Group ‘Digital tools for sustainable nutrient management’ in 2022, expert of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Unit of the Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences since 2022-now, Expert of the Action Group ‘Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment for Horizon Europe in 2021-2023, Member of Advisory Board for Central-Eastern European Initiative for Knowledge-based Agriculture, Aquaculture and Forestry in the Bioeconomy – BIOEAST, 2021-2023, member of steering committee of European Research Alliance Towards a Chemical Pesticide Free Agriculture – ERA Pesticide Free since 2022-now https://www.era-pesticidefree.eu/. She has qualification of certified advisor for Organic crop farming; Implementation of agri-environmental and farming requirements in protected areas; and Implementation of cross-compliance requirements and occupational safety standards in farming since 2021-now.

IETU Director
Marta Pogrzeba, PhD, DSc, IETU Associate professor
An research scientist of the IETU for 28 years, until February 2022 Head of the Area of Soil Remediation, Nature Based Solutions (NBS) and Urban Farming, from September 2020 IETU Scientific Secretary, from March 2022 IETU Director.

PhD in technical sciences in the discipline of environmental engineering, DSc in agricultural sciences in the field of agricultural, forestry and veterinary sciences in the discipline of environmental protection and shaping. Specialization: environmental biotechnologies, environmental engineering and protection, environmental ecotoxicology. Since 2011, he has been managing the Soil Remediation Group at IETU, conducting research as part of national and international projects regarding phytoremediation (phytoextraction, phytostabilization) of soils contaminated with heavy metals, assessment of soil and soil substrates phytotoxicity to plants, construction of plant covers in contaminated areas, construction of soil substrates using waste materials (technosoils). Currently, he is focused on research regarding the use of energy crops in soil remediation processes as well as renewable energy source. She is a Vice-President of Committee on Environmental Protection and Waste Polish Academy of Science, member of: Silesian University Programme Committee for Environmental Protection and International Phytotechnology Society. Her scientific accomplishments include over 90 scientific publications. From September 2019 to January 2022, she was a Member of the Mission Board for the Mission Area “Soil Health and Food” under Horizon Europe Research & Innovation Programme (2021-2027) and in the years 2020-2021 an expert in two focus groups of the European Commission EIP AGRI “Protecting agricultural soils from contamination” and “Sustainable industrial crops in Europe”. Moreover since 2020, she has been an expert of Ministry of Education and Science supporting Poland’s participation in the new European partnership under the Programme Horizon Europe “Circular bio-based Europe” .

Diego Soto Gómez is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vigo, currently staying at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena. Since beginning his research in August 2011, he has completed two master’s degrees in “Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sustainable Use and Environmental Implications” and “Agri-Food Science and Technology,” and a PhD in the latter program. His PhD, which received the International Mention and Cum Laude qualification, was awarded the Spanish Society of Soil Science prize for the best doctoral thesis in 2020. He is currently coordinating the Horizon Europe project InBestSoil, which started in January 2023, with a budget of €5.8 million. Additionally, he has been involved in other European projects such as SoildiverAgro, Diverfarming, MRV4SOC, and soon, the DeepHorizon project.

His work has focused on crop diversification, soil management, and fertilization, examining their impact on total soil microbial abundance through worldwide meta-analyses. He has investigated the sustainable use of perennial crops and the changes in soil structure under different tillage management, developing models for solute and colloid transport. Diego has studied metal and pesticide transport in soils, using advanced techniques such as computed tomography and electron microscopy. His research has also addressed the capacity of soils to adsorb contaminants, contributing to improved agricultural practices and environmental management. Currently, his career emphasizes project coordination, consortium building, and proposal preparation for Horizon Europe calls.

Lucien Geelhoed is a versatile figure in science communication, game design, and academic event development. As the Intendant for Leiden’s European City of Science 2022, he curated a year-long program designed to make science accessible to the public on a daily basis. His expertise in developing large-scale events to foster young talent is evident in his recent projects, such as the EU TalentOn for the European Commission in 2022 and NL Moonshots’24, where 100 diverse student teams, challenged to ‘think bigger than ever,’ developed innovative ideas under the mentorship of 100 flown astronauts in a year-long ‘journey of a lifetime.’ As an internationally recognized game inventor with over 100 games published globally and a long-standing member of the Spiele Autoren Zunft (SAZ), Geelhoed integrates gamification as a hallmark of the large-scale events he develops. Inspired by Johan Huizinga’s concept of Homo Ludens—the idea that play is a fundamental aspect of human culture and creativity—Geelhoed’s approach adds a playful and engaging dimension to his projects, enhancing the overall experience for both participants and audiences. Currently, he is playfully strategizing the near future as a team member of Ciência Viva – the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture in Portugal.
Pedro Russo is a University Professor in Astronomy & Society at Leiden University, the Netherlands and a member of the board of directors of Ciência Viva, the Portuguese National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture. Pedro leads the Astronomy&Society Group. Dr. Russo was the global coordinator for the United Nation’s International Year of Astronomy 2009. Pedro obtained his University degree in applied mathematics, physics and astronomy from the University of Porto, Portugal. Pedro was a research fellow at the Max Plank Institute for Solar System Research in Germany. Pedro is involved with several international organisations, like the International Astronomical Union, European Astronomical Society, ECSITE. Pedro participated actively in the Leiden2022: European City of Science and was a jury of the first ever EU TalentOn. His work has received several awards, including Seeds Special Award 2009, Scientix Best Educational Resource in 2015 and 2016, Most Innovative Educational Activities in 2017 and 2018 by HundrED, 2018 Leiden University’s K.J. Cath Prize and the first NWO Science Communication Award in 2020.
Andrea Stephany Díaz is a visionary entrepreneur and the Co-founder of OncoSwab. When participating at EU TalentOn 2022, she and her team stumbled upon a cancer screening idea that led her to start her first diagnostic company at the age of 24. Andrea pursued a Master’s degree in molecular biotechnology with a goal of making an impact in global health. Today, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world, fueling Andrea’s strategic vision for early detection with OncoSwab. Andrea brings a wealth of expertise and passion to these topics, making her an engaging and insightful guest for discussions on entrepreneurship, healthcare innovation, and the transformative potential of OncoSwab. Andrea is also committed to inspiring the next generation of young women in STEM through her YouTube channel, DNAndrea.

Cleantech entrepreneur, expert in strategic resources recovery with focus water, sustainable food system designer, innovations scout, investor and startups mentor. Awarded by polish prime minister for developing the most innovative deeptech startup 2023.

Owner of Green Dreams Labs and co-founder of H+H Labs and consortia’s to recover wastewater and heavy industrial water.

She holds degrees in Economics, Culture Science from Europa Universität Viadrina (Germany) and Sustainable Value Chains from Cambridge University (United Kingdom).

Brings hands-on know-how and wide international network in innovations ecosystems, industry practices, supply chain and innovation early stage financing.

Her interests and work focus is the impact of sustainability concerns on strategic world resources, supply chain and corporate strategy development, business sustainability, education for sustainable development, and social enterprises and sustainable lifestyle. She is participating as a mentor for foodtech.ac, EIT Climate and EIT Food.

Robert Bieleń is a manager, lawyer and financial expert with over 15 years of experience in R&D commercialization, venture capital investments, M&A and financing for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Throughout his career in advisory firms, investment banking and VC funds he has personally assessed more than 1.000 investment opportunities and R&D projects. Robert orchestrated over 50 venture capital investments and helped more than 20 R&D projects enter the market. He has successfully executed numerous capital transactions and M&A deals, and has drafted and processed over 100 investment agreements for various investors. Over his career, he has been responsible for capital transactions worth over EUR 200 million.

Robert is skilled in advising companies on business planning, running R&D, growth strategies, and fundraising. He holds roles in several Supervisory Boards and Advisory Boards.

Robert has also conducted numerous training sessions for entrepreneurs and scientists, focusing on topics such as company financing, scientific research and R&D commercialization, and implementation of VC investments. These sessions have included lectures at institutions such as the University of Silesia, the Silesian University of Technology, and the Cracow University of Technology. He served as an economic expert at the National Centre for Research and Development and provided advisory services to the University of Silesia regarding the commercialization of scientific project outcomes. He holds authorship of articles in notable industry publications such as Investment Tribune, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, and Manager Magazine, focusing on venture capital investments, financial instrument issuance, and capital market law.

His international engagement includes participation in numerous venture capital conferences, programs, and trainings in countries such as the USA, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, and China. Robert has also developed concepts and strategies for three acceleration programs for Polish and CEE startups.

For the past three years, Robert has been particularly involved in supporting green startups (green energy, cleantech, ESG) and IT startups (AI, SaaS, Fintech) and has executed 21 investments in those sectors. Robert is also an Alumni of the American VC Lab program.

Co-founder of Planet Heroes | UI/UX Consultant | Product Designer

Co-founder and creative leader of Planet Heroes, a platform rewarding environmental action, I’m dedicated to driving sustainable change through innovative, user-centric digital solutions.
With a passion for merging UX/UI expertise and environmental impact, I design products that empower communities to act.

As a Product Designer and UI/UX consultant, I specialize in research, interface design, and building comprehensive design systems for mobile and desktop applications. My focus is on blending business needs with user insights to create seamless digital experiences. I leverage design thinking to craft user-centric products that combine business goals with a commitment to environmental stewardship. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and FBAUP in Porto, I’m passionate about sustainable development and innovation.


Dr. Ramos Vernieri is currently the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Untech Inc. and served as an Adjunct Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET-Argentina) and Professor of Immunology at the Faculty of Biochemistry (FBQyF-UNT) until 2023. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the National University of La Plata, a Degree in Biochemistry from the National University of Tucumán, and a Degree in Chemistry from the National University of Salta. He completed his postdoctoral studies in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Immunology at the Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul. Additionally, he earned a Specialist degree in University Teaching, Psychology, and Pedagogy from the National University of Cuyo and a degree as a Musical Theater Interpreter from the Chapeau School of Dramatic Arts. As a researcher, Dr. Vernieri has studied chronic wounds for the past 17 years, publishing numerous articles and book chapters on the subject. His work has garnered first prizes at international scientific congresses for four consecutive years, including twice the 1st prize at the International Meetings of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1st prize at the IV International Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria, and 1st prize from the Experimental Pharmacology Association. He co-founded the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Laboratory (Conicet-UNT), the first public laboratory in Argentina dedicated exclusively to technology transfer, where he served as Scientific Director. He has supervised several undergraduate and graduate theses, including two doctoral theses, and has secured and managed multiple grants from the Argentine Ministry of Science, the Argentine Agency for Research Promotion, and the Interamerican Bank for Development. Dr. Vernieri is the author of five books, including “Facilitating Biotechnology Transfer,” in which he proposes strategies to enhance the transfer of pharmaceutical biotechnology from the academic sector. He is also the primary inventor of several technology patents in 46 countries, including the international patent that protects Untech’s composition. He co-founded and presided over the NGO Impulso Norte, a non-profit organization established as a public policies laboratory. Furthermore, he co-founded Untech Inc., a biotechnology holding company aimed at bringing innovative medicines for chronic wounds to the international market. Under his leadership, the company has received numerous awards and honors from prestigious institutions such as Austral University, Everis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Singularity University, Samsung, Instituto Balseiro, and Stanford University. Untech was recognized as an Argentine promise by Forbes magazine and as the best Argentine Startup at the Technology Korea summit (South Korea). After winning the Global Impact Challenge at Singularity University (SU), Dr. Ramos completed a three-month incubation process in Silicon Valley at the NASA Campus, making Untech the first Argentine Startup to receive investment from SU. The Junior Chamber International awarded him the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” prize, recognizing ten young leaders under 40 for their contributions to individual development, business and entrepreneurship, community action, and cooperation. He received this award in the category of scientific and technological development. Dr. Vernieri has delivered lectures in various postgraduate programs and has been a speaker at numerous international events and congresses, including IP Key (led by the European Commission and implemented by the EUIPO), the International Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences (CIFARP) in Brazil, Singularity University (USA), the International Symposium on Health Administration Research (Colombia), Lusiadas Saude (Portugal), G20 (Indonesia), MIND (Ecuador), and the Advanced Wound Care Summit (England), among others.