Main Panelists
Mayte Carracedo
Co-Founders and Chief of Development and Partnerships Officer at FundingBox
Mayte Carracedo is a Co-Founder and the Chief of Development and Partnerships Officer at FundingBox. With a diverse educational background, Mayte holds a degree in Political Sciences and International Studies from the University of Santiago de Compostela, a master's in European policies from ULB (Belgium), and an MBA from EAE. With over 20 years of experience in public funding for innovation, Mayte has played an active role in international projects. Currently, she leads the FundingBox Clustering Initiative, overseeing 40 projects centered around specific thematic areas aimed at enhancing their value within the company and its ecosystem of partners and stakeholders. Under her coordination, these thematic areas include 1) Trailblazers, focusing on AI, Blockchain, Data, and Next Generation Internet projects, 2) TechTransfer, 3) Manufacturing and 4) Digital Innovation Hubs. In addition to her role in project coordination, Mayte is tasked with expanding the FundingBox network by establishing collaborations with new partners. Her commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration drives her efforts to strengthen FundingBox's impact in the innovation ecosystem.
Klaus-Dieter Thoben
Full Professor at University of Bremen
Klaus-Dieter Thoben is an accomplished academic with a wealth of experience in mechanical engineering and production engineering. Klaus-Dieter earned his Diploma degree from the Technical University of Braunschweig and his Ph.D. from the University of Bremen. Since 2002, Klaus-Dieter has held the position of Professor for integrated product development within the Faculty of Production Engineering at the University of Bremen, Germany. He also serves on the Management Board of the BIBA Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik. With a career spanning over three decades, Klaus-Dieter has been deeply involved in research focused on ICT applications in production and logistics, as well as product development and lifecycle management. He represents the University of Bremen on various boards related to wind energy, logistics, and product development. Klaus-Dieter is a prolific author, having contributed numerous articles to journals and edited several books. His significant publications investigate cooperative processes, emphasizing product-based innovations, product and service engineering, product lifecycle management, and collaborative enterprise networks.
José Eduardo Carvalho
President of Portuguese Industrial Association
José Eduardo Carvalho hails from Vila Chã de Ourique, situated in the municipality of Cartaxo. He holds a degree in Sociology from ISCTE and a postgraduate degree in Business Management. José is highly regarded for his leadership in business associations, notably serving as the president of NERSANT - the Business Association of the Santarém Region, a role he fulfilled from 1994 until March 2011. Since then, he has served as President of the Board of Directors of AIP-CCI. During his tenure at NERSANT, José played a pivotal role in several impactful initiatives, including the introduction of natural gas to the Santarém region, the establishment of various business parks, and the founding of vocational schools, a crafts center, and a technopole. These efforts significantly contributed to the advancement of business development and the empowerment of entrepreneurs and enterprises in the region. As President of AIP, José has been instrumental in strengthening its operations and ensuring its financial sustainability. His strategic leadership has positioned AIP at the forefront of the association movement.
Drago Gverić
Director at Innovation Centre Banja Luka
Over 15 years of professional experience in organisation and management of projects: management, coordination and supervision of projects and resources, organisation and coordination of staff and experts as well as of pool of backstopping teams, in implementation of greater complexity projects involving institutions, administrations, local communities and governments, media, journalists, and in monitoring of all project activities. Main fields of professional work are focused on Business Support oriented services, Business consulting. Drago manage work of Innovation Centre Banja Luka and it has been very active members and creator of start-up community in wide region of North-West BiH with result of given support to establishment of 116 new start-ups in the business incubator. Mostly working on establishment of Business Incubator, Centre for non-formal education, Start-up Academy, Life Long Learning concept and Project management for Innovation centre but also for start-up community and various types of Governmental, non-Governmental organizations. Beside business support digital transformation is one the focuses in work with special attention to Smart solutions like “Banja Luka Future City” program and eGoverrnance trough creation of the project for local government of Banja Luka e Assembly in order to digitalize work of local Parliament.
Antoni Pijoan
Managing Director EIT Manufacturing West
Bachelor's Degree in Physics Science at the University of Barcelona (1994) and Industrial Engineer at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia/University of Aberdeen (1998). Executive MBA (2008). After more than 20 years of international career developed in Spain, France, UK, Germany and USA working in engineering and consultancy, Antoni joined EIT Manufacturing in 2019 as Interim Director of Business Creation and finally Managing Director of EIT Manufacturing West. Previously he worked at Tecnalia and its affiliated Tecnalia Ventures promoting, selecting (conducting due diligences) and mentoring new tech-based Business Opportunities, and leading technology transfer projects. He had been member of different governing bodies such as Nobatek (RTO in Southern France), EIT InnoEnergy and EIT Health.
Kulwant Pawar
Professor at Nottingham University Business School
Kulwant Pawar is a distinguished academic holding a chair in Operations Management at the University of Nottingham, as well as a Visiting Faculty chair in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the Indian Institute of Technology (IITM), Chennai, India. With extensive managerial and consulting experience across various sectors such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and fast-moving consumer goods, he specializes in new product design and development (NPD), manufacturing engineering, supply chains, logistics, and operations management. Having authored over 300 papers in respected international journals and conferences, Kulwant has chaired more than thirty-five international conferences and delivered over 20 keynote addresses worldwide. His research interests encompass collaboration in NPD teams, pharmaceutical R&D supply chain management, logistics and supply chain network analysis and configurations, and operations in diverse contexts and sectors spanning Europe, China, and India. From 2016 to 2018, he led a project on port logistics at Nottingham University's Ningbo Campus (UNNC). Engaged in over thirty major funded research projects, Kulwant has coordinated and managed numerous national, European, and international projects and networks. Currently, he leads a network of cold supply chains spanning 20 countries. Kulwant Pawar's contributions extend to editorial roles as well. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Logistics: Research & Application from 2002 to 2007 and sits on the editorial boards of several journals. As the founder and Chairman of the International Symposium on Logistics, held annually since 1993, and as the co-founder and co-organizer of the International Conference on Concurrent Enterprising (ICE), he continues to foster collaboration and exchange within the academic community. Furthermore, Kulwant is actively involved in international professional committees and boards, serving as an expert reviewer, evaluator, and consultant to the European Commission.
Alain Zarli
Senior Managing Partner at R2M Solution
With over 25 years of experience spanning various domains of Information and Communication Technologies, Alain Zarli has dedicated his expertise to the construction sector and collaborative research and innovation endeavors at national and European levels. Previously, he served as the Head of the "Innovation Numérique pour la Construction" division at the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB) and later as the European Affairs manager at CSTB's "Technologies de l'Information et Diffusion du Savoir" department in Sophia-Antipolis, France. Presently, Alain holds the position of Managing Partner at R2M Solution and has served as the Secretary General of ECTP since 2016. His primary areas of interest encompass programming languages, product modeling, rule-based languages, distributed architectures, software components, and technologies for smart constructions. These interests are applied extensively across the built environment and the construction industry. Alain has led various FP5, FP6, and FP7 projects, including the IST ICCI, ROADCON, and REEB projects, which established a roadmap for ICT-enabled Energy Efficiency in Buildings and construction. He has long supported ECTP initiatives such as the E2B cPPP and contributed to committees focused on Energy & Efficient Buildings, Active Ageing & Design, and Infrastructures & Mobility, particularly in roadmapping and impact assessment. Furthermore, Alain serves as an expert reviewer for European R&D projects on behalf of the European Commission and has been actively involved in the European Commission Advisory group for ICT Infrastructure for energy-efficient buildings and neighborhoods aimed at carbon-neutral cities. He has led the "Open Data" Action Group within the European Innovation Partnership Smart Cities and Communities (EIP SCC) and provides expertise to the EIP SCC Operational Implementation Plan, particularly in the "Sustainable District and Built Environment" Action Cluster.
Paula Cabaço
President of Administração dos Portos da Região Autónoma da Madeira (APRAM)
Paula Cabaço serves as the Chairman of the President of Administração dos Portos da Região Autónoma da Madeira - APRAM. Born in Luanda, graduated from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia at the Technical University of Lisbon. Paula holds postgraduate degrees in Marketing and Public Management, along with an advanced course in Public Management. Prior to her current role, Paula served as the Regional Secretary for Tourism and Culture from 20 October until the conclusion of the previous Miguel Albuquerque government. Throughout her career, she has held various public positions, notably as the President of the Board of Directors of the Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira, IP, IVBAM. In this capacity, she garnered public recognition and acclaim for her efforts in promoting and disseminating Madeira Wine.
Dieter Uckelmann
Professor for Information Logistics at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
Dieter Uckelmann has been Professor for Information Logistics at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (HFT Stuttgart) since 2012. He has been appointed scientific director of the Institute of Applied Research at HFT Stuttgart in 2023. He studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Braunschweig and received his Ph.D. at the University of Bremen, Department of Production Engineering, on the topic "Quantifying the Value of RFID and the EPCglobal Architecture Framework in Logistics". Since then, he is co-editor of the "International Journal of RF-Technologies: Research and Applications". His current research activities focus on applications of the Internet of Things in the areas of Industry 4.0, logistics, the Industrial Metaverse and smart buildings/cities. He leads a project on “Urban Digital Twins for iCity” and has done extensive research on smart public and industrial buildings. A second research stream is focused on digitalization in higher engineering education, where he is currently leading a project on “Artificial Intelligence in Education at HFT Stuttgart (KNIGHT)”. Both research projects are funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. From 2005 to early 2012, he was managing director of the LogDynamics Lab at the University of Bremen. Prior to his academic career, he was managing director of several companies in the ICT industry.
Henrique Martins
Associated Professor at ISCTE-IUL
Henrique Martins holds a Medical Degree, specializing in Internal Medicine, and possesses both a Master's and a Ph.D. in Management. Currently pursuing a Master's in Law, he focuses on exploring the legal implications of AI in Health, particularly in Public Liability. Alongside his academic pursuits, he serves as a Medical Doctor and University Professor at a Medical School and two Business schools. Henrique's teaching and research interests revolve around Digital Health, Leadership, and Management education for Medical Students and Health Professionals. He brings a wealth of experience, having served as the past president of SPMS, Portugal's Digital Health Agency, where he spearheaded national eHealth initiatives for nearly 7 years. Additionally, he held the role of Member States co-chair of the EU eHealth Network, the foremost policy body on eHealth in the Union. With over 4 years of experience as the Hospital Fernando Fonseca CMIO, Henrique led rapid digital transformation efforts, implementing an advanced EHR system and establishing a research center. Currently, he dedicates his expertise to academia, engaging in teaching and research at prestigious business and medical schools. Moreover, Henrique actively participates in individual consulting projects focused on Healthcare Transformation and Digital Health.
André Cabral
Portugal Country Manager at Philips
André Cabral has a distinguished career spanning over 15 years, characterized by progressive roles in Sales, Marketing, and various business domains within the company. He started his journey as the Commercial Director for Spain and Portugal in the Consumer Lifestyle sector, subsequently advancing to roles such as Commercial Director for Consumer Lifestyle in Portugal, Marketing Director for Personal Health in Iberia, and presently serving as Country Manager for Portugal. Throughout his career, André has played a pivotal role in advancing Philips' diverse businesses in Portugal and Spain. He has consistently demonstrated a high level of responsibility and unwavering commitment to numerous transformation initiatives within the company. André holds a degree in Business Administration and a Master's in Marketing and Management from ISEG - Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, along with another Master's in Digital Business (DIBEX) from ISDI - Instituto Superior para el Desarrollo de Internet. Additionally, he completed an executive program in Digital Transformation at the Silicon Valley Innovation Center.