As a dedicated advocate for sustainable development, Elliana is committed to leveraging her expertise in Circular Economy and Digital Identity/trust technologies to drive positive change. With a PhD in international relations focusing on the topic Climate Change, her academic foundation fuels her mission to address pressing environmental challenges.

Elliana is a founder of CircularTech, an international platform and Digital Product Passport community, that helps to bridge the gap between Circular Economy and Digitalization. Through CircularTech, Elliana is fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, promoting the adoption of Digital Product Passport and Circular Economy principles within the global business community.

The CircularTech initiative represents a crucial step in effective implementation and integration of connectivity and DPP interoperability, digital identity and trust technologies into solutions for Secure Supply Chains, contributing to a more sustainable and transparent future.

Susanne is founder of the consulting company 4TheRecord, SSI expert, author, podcaster and speaker. Her background is in security technology, and she has 20 years hands-on, technical experience in cryptography.

Today, Susanne is consulting companies and non-profit organisations on how to define IT-Security services and standards and bring them to market. She is a strong believer that technology based on open standards can help reach the climate goals and is currently engaged in defining the technical concepts for a digital, decentralized product passport to enable better repair, reuse, and recycling of products.

Thomas has been with Fraunhofer IPK for over 26 years, currently serving as the Head of the Department for Process Management and Factory Planning since September 2010. Previously, he was a Project Manager at Fraunhofer IPK from January 1998 to September 2010. Since April 2017, he has been an Honorary Professor at Technische Hochschule Wildau. Additionally, he chairs the JTC 24 Digital Product Passport System and Architecture at CEN and CENELEC as of March 2024. His expertise includes IT service engineering, business process management, and factory planning.

Ricky is a dedicated Product Owner at Spherity, with a profound interest in green innovation and decentralized identity solutions. His expertise lies in the emerging standards of decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) concepts, particularly within the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. Ricky is at the forefront of Spherity’s pioneering work on the Digital Product Passport, a revolutionary initiative aimed at enhancing transparency and sustainability in product life cycles. His passion for integrating cutting-edge technology with environmental responsibility makes him a valuable voice in the ongoing dialogue about the future of digital identities and sustainable innovation.

Niklas is a partner by Systemiq´s Materials Platform, with a focus on mobility and with strong links to the Energy Platform as enabler for the mobility transition.

He is a sustainability professional with 15 years of experience in industry and consulting with a deep understanding of renewable energy, grid infrastructure, and the transition to electric vehicles. His experience spans the European energy, utility and automotive sector, having worked for HSE/ Entega, RWE, McKinsey and, most recently, Volkswagen Consulting, where he spearheaded the sustainability efforts and led the CEO Alliance for Europe.

Marion is the EU Regulatory Affairs Lead for Home Care at Unilever, where she excels at the interface of technology and marketing. With a PhD in Chemical Engineering/Biocatalysis, Marion has extensive experience in FMCG (laundry, autodish, personal care) and B2B enzyme products. She is passionate about people, results, and innovation.

In her role, Marion ensures regulatory compliance for European personal care products, collaborates with global teams, and advocates for Unilever’s positions to EU governmental bodies and trade associations. She supports innovation projects and European-specific claims development, always prioritizing brand and consumer protection through comprehensive regulatory guidance.

Carolynn is the CIRPASS-2 (EU Digital Product Passport Project) – Project Coordinator and an accomplished Senior Research Engineer at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). With a robust background in integrated circuit and protocol design for IoT wireless communications, Carolynn has been at the forefront of innovative technological advancements in her field.

Her current research focuses on smart embedded perception systems, where she leads projects that integrate sophisticated sensors and computing capabilities into compact, efficient designs. These systems are pivotal in advancing technologies for the circular economy and circular electronics, promoting sustainability and efficiency in technology development and usage.

Carolynn’s expertise and dedication to her work make her a valuable contributor to discussions on emerging technologies and their applications. Her insights into smart systems and sustainable technologies are informed by years of experience and a deep commitment to innovation in energy and environmental solutions.

With overr 25 years of experience, Torsten excels in converting scientific chemistry into practical business solutions across industries such as agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. As BASF’s Battery Passport Project Manager, he leads efforts to innovate battery management and sustainability. Torsten’s extensive background in the chemical industry and his strategic leadership make him a key contributor to discussions on advancing battery technologies.

Daniel is an experienced Project Manager at BRGM, where he has built a strong reputation in the field of environmental technologies. With over a decade of expertise, Daniel initially concentrated on seismic risks before transitioning in 2018 to the Environment-Ecotechnologies team. Here, he has focused on critical areas such as construction waste, secondary resources, and the circular economy.

At BRGM, Daniel is a driving force behind several major projects, including CREATE, FutuRaM, and Scarcyclet, all aimed at enhancing resource efficiency and sustainability. Notably, he serves as the scientific coordinator for the Horizon Europe MaDiTraCe project, which is dedicated to advancing the traceability of battery metal origins, a key component in ensuring sustainable and ethical supply chains for energy transition materials.

Thomas is the dynamic CEO of GS1 Germany, a leading figure in transforming how businesses communicate and share information in the digital age. With over 30 years of experience in IT and business, Thomas is at the forefront of exploring and shaping the future of digital transformation, including innovations such as Blockchain, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

At GS1 Germany, Thomas spearheads a team dedicated to redefining how information is exchanged across diverse systems and processes. In an increasingly complex world, where different systems and methods can complicate even basic communication, GS1’s global standards offer a unified language that simplifies and enhances the way businesses connect with customers, partners, and suppliers.

Thomas’s passion for digital transformation is matched by his commitment to addressing the economic, ecological, and social challenges of our time. As a father of three digital natives, he is acutely aware of the evolving landscape that the next generation will inherit and is driven by a profound sense of responsibility to shape a better future.

Cornelia leads the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund’s ESG team. Among other things, her team conducts the ESG due diligence of potential investment targets, carries out the fund’s ESG monitoring and accounting, writes ESG reports and takes care of compliance with regulatory requirements.

Cornelia is an equity investment professional with 10+ years’ experience in the management of shareholdings and strategic projects in Europe and the Americas with a focus on the financial services industry. She is experienced as board member and in the realm of political decision-making. She majored in commercial law and international business.

Carsten is a Partner at Ernst & Young Global Consulting Services, focusing on Circular Economy, since June 2023. He also serves as Chairman and Initiator of the Circular Valley Foundation, promoting circular economy initiatives in the Greater Rhine Ruhr Area since December 2020. Previously, he was a Partner at A.T. Kearney for nearly 15 years and a Consultant at The Boston Consulting Group for over 9 years. His expertise includes sustainability and circular economy transformation.

Ilias is an esteemed Adviser at DG CONNECT within the European Commission, where he focuses on the intersection of digital and green transitions. His work is centered on evaluating the genuine (net) impact of digitalisation on environmental and climate outcomes. Ilias is also deeply involved in advancing the digitally-enabled transition to a circular economy, notably through initiatives such as the Digital Product Passport.

With a distinguished career spanning over 25 years, Ilias has been a pivotal contributor to the EU Agenda on eHealth and ICT for Active and Healthy Ageing prior to 2017. His extensive experience and expertise have shaped numerous initiatives aimed at harnessing digital technologies for sustainable development and improved quality of life.

Dieter Wegener is VP & Head of External Cooperation at Siemens Technology since 2016.

After four years as consultant for McKinsey he joined Siemens in 1996 as Head of Gas Turbine Engineering at “Power Generation”. He held various positions, as a personal Assistant for an Executive Board Member, as Chief Technology Officer for the Business Division “Industry Solutions” and as VP & Head of R&D -Organization “Advanced Technologies & Standards” for the Industry Sector.

Furthermore, he is chair of the BDI Taskforce DPP and Chair of the ZVEI Management Circle “Industry 4.0”. He graduated in Aeronautical and Aerospace Technology and worked as a scientist at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Johannes has been with Acatech – German Academy of Engineering Sciences, since 2018, holding various roles. As of June 2024, he is the Division Manager for ‘Transformation of the Business Environment’. Since April 2022, he has also been the Team Lead for BatteryPass. Johannes holds a PhD in industrial chemistry from RWTH Aachen and has studied chemistry at TU München and UC Berkeley.

Born and raised in the Netherlands with a background in material science, product and business development, Femke is a motivated business leader in the international (textile) industry, working with technology driven companies like Nike, PVH and DyeCoo textile dyeing systems.

Femke has always been passionate about using technology for a more sustainable future that enables circularity and contributes to carbon footprint reduction. Femke enjoys building bridges between commercial and technical professionals, because she speaks the language of technique and business. Femke is ambitious to collaborate with purposeful leaders (big and small) to create sustainable value and impact.

 

Iain brings extensive experience in the automotive, public sector and consulting industries to drive digital product development at RCS. Iain acquired expert industry and academic knowledge on responsible sourcing, human rights due diligence, implementing and managing sustainability in supply chain management, as well as strategies for technology and innovation as enablers and drivers of transparency and improved sustainability in multi-tier supply chains.

Lukas works for Bosch Connected Industry, the IIoT software house of Bosch, in business unit development and portfolio management, including strategic positioning towards new technologies and products. With his expertise and interest in (digital) innovation and technology management, he is committed to driving digital transformation and Industry 4.0. He wants to further develop how they create value for companies and society, e.g. in emerging B2B ecosystems and through appropriate business models. Lukas is actively involved in associations such as the German “Platform Industry 4.0” and ZVEI (Electro and Digital Industry Association), where he participates in the “Forum DPP4.0”, which coordinates collaborations for the design and implementation of digital product passports.