Dirk Michels studied chemical engineering at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Krefeld, Germany. Since September 2000, he has been a member of the scientific staff at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) in Stuttgart. From 2006-14, he held various positions with responsibility in projects and personnel in various companies in the paint processing industry as well as in consulting. Since 2014, he has been working as a project manager in the department of coating systems and painting technology at IPA. His major topics are the development and planning of innovative coating processes as well as the optimisation of existing coating plant concepts.

Sude Erkin holds a BSc degree in metallurgical and materials engineering from Istanbul Technical University. She has been working as a product sustainability engineer at Ford Otosan for more than a year. Sude's focus area is sustainable materials and she is responsible for sustainable plastic research and applications. She is also leading two EU-funded projects, MatDeMa and SAYEM, which are related to lightweight composite design for sustainability and additive manufacturing technologies.

Lisa Weigand holds a PhD in chemistry from Imperial College London and specialises in sustainable chemistry and circular economy in the chemical industry. She works as a circular economy advisor at Mitsubishi Chemical Europe, where she develops the CE strategy for the European businesses and is involved in implementing new circular business models and technologies. Lisa is passionate about innovation and new technologies in the chemical industry.

Ysée Génot is Solvay's global marketing manager for sustainability in the automotive market. She works as a bridge between customers and Solvay's R&I to make sure Solvay develops the right materials and the right value proposition to help customers address climate change and shape the future of a sustainable mobility. Ysée holds a double degree, an MBA from EM Lyon Business School in France, and in international strategy and sustainability from Hanken School of Economics in Finland. Ysée joined Solvay in 2018 and led several commercial and marketing projects for Solvay Group before joining Solvay Specialty Polymers frontline in 2020 with a specific focus on eMobility and sustainability market segments.

Vanessa Ventosinos is an engineer in industrial chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), with a master’s in innovation management. She joined CTAG (Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia) in 2007 and currently serves as a senior researcher in the materials innovation area. Throughout her career, she has actively participated in over 10 research projects, taking on the role of project technical manager for the past six years. She has authored three publications in the field of materials engineering for the automotive sector and holds 13 patents.

Mr. Chris Hillman is a design professional with over 18 years in the automotive field, working with brands in the Americas and Europe in key global roles as diverse as Design Director, Chief Designer, and Advanced Design Manager. Having earned, in 2001, his “Transportation Design” degree from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Chris, in 2021, completed the first-of-its-kind “Circular Economy and Sustainability” Program from the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. In 2020, Chris founded “Atlantiska Byrån” (Swedish for “The Atlantic Agency”) as a design firm focused on Sustainability and Circular Design. He serves as its principal and Chief Design Officer.