2024 Speakers

Andrea Gutierrez-Solana has almost ten years experience in food, public health and sustainability policy. She currently leads the food and public health practice at Whitehouse Communications, where she advises clients – including brands, manufacturers, and trade associations – on the EU and UK policies and regulations that impact them, from food safety and reformulation strategies to sustainability and ESG requirements. Andrea offers organisations insights into the political landscape of the UK and the EU while helping them navigate potential challenges and make use of opportunities.

Andrea’s previous experience included working for a Brussels based law firm specialised in trade and agri-food regulatory matters and for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade, where she worked on food safety and market access files.

Andrea is a regular contributor on trade publications such as Food Manufacture, New Food, NutraIngredients, Beverage Daily, and New Natural. She is also a frequent speaker at events like Food Ingredients Europe, the Better Hospitality Conference and Vitafoods Europe.

Dr. Anne Louise Dannesboe Nielsen, a chemical engineer with a PhD in chemistry, has dedicated over a decade to advancing food research and innovation. Her work ensures that the latest scientific breakthroughs are effectively implemented within the industry. Currently, Dr. Nielsen leads the Food Technology Center at the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), where she oversees a team of 30 food innovators committed to developing the food solutions of tomorrow.

Ariane Voyatzakis is Innovation manager at ANIA, the association representing the French Food Industry. She holds a MS of AgroParisTech and a MBA of Sciences Po Paris. She has nearly 25 years’ experience in innovation financing.

In her most recent position, she was in charge of the agri-food sector at Bpifrance, where she was responsible for implementing French state funding for innovation and industrialization.

In 2023, she joined ANIA to bring her expertise to the food industries, supporting them in their search for funding for their projects and coordinating national and European collaborative projects.

I obtained a PhD in plant sciences in 2014. I first studied plant pathology and then worked in plant bioengineering in research laboratories in France and the United States.

In 2018, I joined an agricultural interprofession as Quality and R&D Manager to support professionals, from upstream to downstream, on technical and regulatory issues in the potato industry. Since July 2021, I have been Scientific Director of Synadiet, the national trade association for food supplements.

Joined Ingredia’s global marketing department in 2020 after 7 years in veterinary pharma and 9 years in consumer goods. In charge of marketing the bioactive ingredients range, she has a MSc in management and international marketing.

Cecilia McAleavey, Director of Sustainable Eating and Public Affairs at Oatly, is a committed spokesperson on sustainable food systems and plant-based diets to tackle climate change.

Cecilia has considerable experience working on sustainability and communication in different sectors. She is driven by a desire to make a difference, and throughout her career has taken on roles to achieve impact on subjects close to her heart. Cecilia started her career as a journalist before moving to work at the European Commission, first in overseas development cooperation before joining the Cabinet of European Commissioner for the Environment Margot Wallström in 2000. After then working at Lund University and the University Hospital of Malmö heading up the communication departments, Cecilia held the position of Sustainability Director at the Nordic food company Orkla. She joined Oatly in 2016.

Cecilia has been instrumental in founding of Plant-foods Sweden, UK Alliance for Plant-based Foods and the pan-European initiative European Alliance for Plant-based Foods (EAPF).

About Oatly
We are the world’s original and largest oat drink company. For over 30 years, we have exclusively focused on developing expertise around oats: a global power crop with inherent properties suited for sustainability and human health. Our commitment to oats has resulted in core technical advancements that enabled us to unlock the breadth of the dairy portfolio, including alternatives to milks, ice cream, yogurt, cooking creams, spreads and on-the-go drinks. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, the Oatly brand is available in more than 20 countries globally.

For more information, please visit www.oatly.com

Claudia is a Vice-Chair of the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance and Nutrabolt’s Director of Regulatory and Quality Compliance for EMEA. She has hands-on experience with a range of sports nutrition products such as protein and pre-workout powders, protein and energy bars, as well as meal replacement products, RTDs and capsules and tablets. In terms of overall professional background, Claudia has over a decade’s worth of experience in compliance of sports foods and supplements, with previous roles at Herbalife, GSK and Glanbia Performance Nutrition. Claudia has extensive knowledge and experience working with harmonised EU legislation as well as dealing with challenges which arise from differing national legislation, or from various interpretations of existing food law.

With over 13 years of global industry experience, I’ve spearheaded the development and promotion of science-driven products, brands, and strategies, consistently delivering value to both customers and stakeholders. My expertise lies in crafting product roadmaps, managing portfolios, orchestrating go-to-market strategies, optimizing product profitability and pricing, conducting market intelligence, and driving business development initiatives.

Currently, I serve as Marketing & Strategy Director at DARWIN Bioprospecting, where I lead strategic planning, oversee the development and launch of products and R&D services, drive brand development, spearhead thought leadership activities, engage with industry stakeholders, manage portfolio and product lifecycles, and gather market and industry intelligence.

My primary passion lies in leveraging scientific discoveries and innovation to foster positive societal change. Beyond my professional responsibilities, I actively engage with the industry by speaking at forums, participating in audiovisual formats, writing articles, and contributing to various associations and platforms aimed at promoting knowledge, education, and collaboration within the biotech, foodtech, and agritech sectors. Driven by curiosity, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to these fields, I am dedicated to shaping a better future through transformative advancements.

After obtaining my PhD in 2016 on glucose transport in broiler chicken muscle at INRAE, I continued with several postdoctoral positions at INSERM and INRAE, focusing on the use of algae to improve health and well-being in livestock species, especially in chickens. In 2021, I joined the Centre Mondial de l’Innovation Roullier as a Project Manager for Monogastrics subjects. Since 2023, I have held the position of Animal Nutrition Innovation Manager, where I lead a team of researchers dedicated improve feed efficiency, health, and well-being in livestock. We have the objectives to understand animal inner mechanisms, share this knowledge, develop and deliver breakthrough products on the market.

Eva is a nutrition and health professional with a passion for driving positive change in the food system, addressing its multi-faceted, global challenges. As a Senior Investment Analyst at PeakBridge VC, she identifies and supports innovative, scalable ventures that promote sustainability and public health. With a MSc in Nutrition & Health from Wageningen University and an enthusiastic, entrepreneurial mindset, she provides a unique perspective on the intersection of nutrition, health, technology and business.

PeakBridge VC invests in early-stage (Seed-Series B) FoodTech companies globally with a focus on B2B, enabling technologies.

VC | Impact Investing | Longevity | Preventative Healthcare | Food Systems | Alternative Proteins

With 20+ years’ experience in tracking health and wellness, microbiome and e-commerce trends, Ewa offers unique expertise on the biotic marketplace and its growth opportunities. She oversees the data strategy for Lumina Intelligence, a business intelligence service from William Reed. In her previous role, Ewa managed the global Health and Wellness, Nutrition and Ethical Labels industries at Euromonitor International. A presenter, judge, and expert at conferences and industry award events, with a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Poznan, Poland and postgraduate Marketing studies at the University of Westminster, London.

Femke Hoevenaars, studied Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology (MSc) at Wageningen University. During her Ph.D. in Nutritional Physiology and Metabolism at Wageningen University as well as her Postdoc at VU University Medical Center she investigated the adaptive character of adipose tissue in response to environmental challenges including nutrition. Currently, she is a Senior Scientist in the Department of Microbiology and Systems Biology at TNO. Her research focuses on understanding systemic health to improve our knowledge of the body’s homeostatic capacity in relation to nutrition. She places special emphasis on the influence of nutrition on the gut as everything we eat could serve as a substrate for bacterial metabolism. Her studies integrate knowledge of physiology, molecular nutrition and gut health to create actionable nutrition strategies. Furthermore she investigates the translation ability from in vitro models to in vivo clinical studies concerning gut health. To achieve this, she collaborates with computational scientists who create methods to improve digital health and facilitate the translation of laboratory findings to human applications.

Francesco Asnicar, Ph.D., is a tenure-track researcher at the CIBIO Department at the University of Trento (Italy). Previously he was a postdoctoral researcher in the Computational Metagenomics lab under the supervision of Prof. Nicola Segata. Francesco has a computer science background and his research interests focus on developing computational analysis tools to study the human microbiome, studying in particular the complex relationships between diet and metabolic responses with the human gut microbiome.

François Heroufosse is a BioEngineer in Chemistry graduated from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. He spent 29 years in the food industry in diverse functions, first as R&D Manager and then as General Manager. He has been active in the Puratos group on bakery ingredients and then at Beneo Orafti, working on prebiotic fibers inulin and FOS. Then he took the lead of Wagralim innovation cluster in Belgium, a network of more than 250 food companies and universities dedicated to food innovation. In 2023, he joined THT as General Manager where he leads the different teams preparing pro- and postbiotics to respond todays’ and tomorrows’ needs on the dietary supplement and food markets.

Frédéric Baudouin is in charge of analytical and application lab at IMPROVE, a leading R&D centre dedicated on the valorisation of alternative proteins. He has a PhD in Food science and has 15 years of experience in the protein sector, studying proteins from cereals, milk, pulses, insects, single-cells organisms and precision fermentation. He regularly provides trainings, consulting and webinars for professionals of the food industry and participates to various initiatives for the structuration of the alternative protein sector.

Gabriele Gross has studied Nutritional Sciences in Giessen, Germany. During her PhD research at Wageningen University (NL) as well as her Postdoc with Gent University (BE) and Unilever R&D Vlaardingen (NL), she investigated host-microbe interactions and effects of diet on human health mediated by the gut microbiota. Over the last 14 years, she was part of the R&D team at Mead Johnson Nutrition / Reckitt in Nijmegen (NL), focusing on scientific substantiation and identification of innovation opportunities for (infant) nutrition related to various ingredients and benefit areas. She recently started as Principal Scientist Health & Microbiology at NIZO (Ede, NL), a CRO providing research services to improve food and health products.

Grégory Dubourg is an agro engineer specialized in agri-food and nutrition, graduated from AgroParisTech. After 10 years of experience in marketing and innovation in the agri-food and nutraceutical industries, he founded Nutrikéo in 2009. Since then, he has managed this Nutrition Strategy Consulting agency whose expertise covers Studies, Innovation, Marketing and Communication strategies across the entire supply chain: food, nutra, cosmetics & pharmaceuticals.

@GregoryDubourg

www.nutrikeo.com

www.culture-nutrition.com

Hannah is an Enterprise Account Director at Tastewise, helping some of the world’s leading food and beverage brands to leverage data and AI to bring them close to their consumers to inform product and marketing strategy.

Hannah has over a decade of experience in all things consumer research and insights, including social listening and market research.

Heidi is R&D Director at COSUCRA, Belgian producer of natural ingredients from chicory roots (inulin, oligofructose) and yellow peas (protein isolates, fibres, starch).

She holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences (KU Leuven) and developed expertise over the last 25 years in R&D, Health & Nutrition science, Regulatory Affairs, IP and Quality.

Graduated in industrial biology engineering and holding a doctorate in systems biology applied to microbial ecology obtained at the University of Luxembourg in 2013, Hugo developed methodologies for integrated multi-omic analyzes of complex microbial consortia applied to the treatment of wastewater and the production of biofuel. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology in Ghent (Belgium) where he developed methodologies for the characterization of microbial communities by metagenomic to optimize fermentation processes. Before joining Lesaffre, Hugo was operational manager of high-throughput next generation sequencing of the quantitative metagenomics platform at the MetaGenoPolis Unit, center of metagenomics expertise in human and animal gut microbiome research of INRAE in Jouy-en-Josas (France).Since 2020, Hugo has joined the Lesaffre entity, a global player in fermentation, in the Discovery, Front-End Innovation and Category Defense team as senior microbiome scientist to stimulate innovation related to nutrition and health. Since mars 2024 Hugo as been promoted as Microbiome Program Coordinator

Ivan has been an active venture capital investor for the last 27 years and he is the co-founder of Five Seasons Ventures, the first European venture fund fully focused on consumer Foodtech.

He is passionate about product and technology innovation aimed at solving big challenges in the food industry: from alternative sources of proteins, to functional foods, from new models of food distribution, to the reduction of food waste.  At Five Seasons he invested, among others, in Butternut Box (D2C pet nutrition), YFood Labs (meal replacements) and Just Spices (D2C spices), THIS.co (plant-based meat alternatives), Cortilia (D2C fresh food retailer), La Fourche (D2C organic groceries), Air-Up (reusable water bottle & flavour pods) and KoRo (D2C natural healthy snaking).

His experience includes structuring investments, organizational and strategy development, setting up governance for growth and planning for successful exits.

In his spare time, he enjoys family life, fly fishing, and practicing jiu-jitsu with his son Adam.

Jérôme Darribeau is an experienced professional in the probiotics and dietary supplement industry, currently serving as Product Development Director for Probiotics and Postbiotics at ADM. He has held key roles in marketing, product management, and innovation at companies such as Lallemand, IFF, and DuPont, with a focus on product development and business strategy. Jérôme’s expertise in probiotics and postbiotics reflects his commitment to advancing innovative health solutions.

Chemist and PhD in chemistry with more than 25 years of experience. During that time I have worked as a researcher at the Faculty of Science and at the Technological Research Center of the University of A Coruña, where I was its director for 12 years, to later join the company Hijos de Rivera, where I work as R&D manager.

I have directed 5 doctoral theses, participated in more than 60 scientific publications and more than 50 research projects in collaboration with about a hundred companies.

I have also been founder 10 years ago of the biotechnology startup Glecex and I am currently president of Bioga, the biotechnology cluster of Galicia.

Dr. Josep M. del Bas holds a BSc in Chemistry, a BSc in Biochemistry, and a PhD in Nutrition and Metabolism. His research focuses on the interaction between food nutrients, bioactive compounds, and human metabolism, utilizing a holistic approach grounded in translational research, -omics technologies and systems biology. From 2006 to 2009, he conducted research at the University of Milan (Italy), Baylor College of Medicine (Texas, USA), and the University of Liverpool (UK). In 2009, he joined the Technology Center of Nutrition and Health in Spain as a senior researcher. By 2018, he became the Director of the Unit of Nutrition and Health at Eurecat, the Technology Center of Catalonia. In 2022, he advanced to the role of Research Manager for Eurecat’s Biotechnology Area. Dr. del Bas has been instrumental in over 100 R&D projects for industry through technology transfer activities. He has served as the principal investigator for various European projects under the H2020 and Horizon Europe programs. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, holds 4 patents, supervised three doctoral theses, and mentored several international post-doctoral fellows. Additionally, Dr. del Bas is an associate professor at Rovira i Virgili University, an editor for the journal Genes & Nutrition, and an advisor for the Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness.

• Large technical expertise in different areas and business knowledge in food industry and nutrition research for 30 years – nutrition research, product development, food ingredient production, scientific communications outreach and scientific and regulatory affairs in CPG companies (Abbott Nutrition, Nestlé and Coca-Cola), ingredients for Pharma, Food and Dietary Supplements (HTBA and Puleva Biotech) and start-ups (Kaleido Biosciences)
• Outstanding track record of bringing product concept ideas into successful products in the market in the areas of Functional Food and Beverages and Infant Nutrition.
• Author of 60 scientific articles published in peer reviewed journals and 14 international patent applications. Director of 3 PhD thesis.

Kees (C ) de Graaf had a chair in Sensory Science and Eating Behavior at the Division of Human Nutrition & Health of Wageningen University in the period 2006 – 2021. He worked on the meaning of sensory signals, such as taste (e.g. sweetness), odor, and texture for eating/nutrition behaviour and the regulation of energy intake. Part of his work has been devoted to the sensory characteristics of plant based meat replacers and the attitudes/personality profiles of consumers of these products. One of the latest themes of his work focused on the issue of ultra-processed foods, nutrition and health. The mission of his work was/is “to make the healthy choice the happy choice”.

Kelly is the CSO of Bon Vivant since 2022. Originally from Brazil, she boasts more than 9 years of experience as a team leader in fermentation biotechnology projects to achieve scalable, sustainable and patentable technologies for innovative companies like Novozymes.

Laure Darras is graduated from an Agriculture Engineering Unversity (ISA Lille). After about 12 years developing business and application with a strong focus on insoluble fibers for food and animal nutrition, she is now in charge of technical support for Petfood and Feed Specialties within Roquette Animal Nutrition GBU. With a strong experience in Petfood, her objective is to support the usage of Roquette solutions in petfood formulations and innovate to anwser the challenges of the future, wether they are about functionality, nutrition or sustainability.

Lethicia is Innovation Project Manager at Centre Mondial de l’Innovation (CMI), the research and innovation hub of Groupe Roullier. At the CMI, she is in charge of innovation funding, innovation management, partnerships and the scientific network.

She holds a double-degree in Agronomy from ISA Lille (France) and ESALQ (Brazil), and a PhD from INRAE (France). Her expertise lies in combining science with business, thanks to her professional experiences in research in public institutes, consulting to private companies and volunteering within international organizations (Thought For Food, World Food Forum).

Lorna is a co-founder of Twinds Foundation, with a mission to empower organizations and developers to rebuild trust in the digital domain, and in particular how we share our identities and data online. As coordinating partner in the Horizon EU project – Digital Responsibility Goals for Food (DRG4FOOD) – she is developing a library of open-source software and resources to enable more responsible software development, as well as mentoring selected pilot projects being funded to demonstrate digitally responsible solutions for the food system in the areas of digital food tracking, targeted nutrition and customer food choices.

With over 20 years’ experience working as a global leader in design strategy, digital innovation and product development across a wide range of industries from Consumer Electronics, Smart Cities and Retail, to FMCG and Agro-tech, she is also working as a Venture advisor at the Impact Venture Fund, Lumo Labs in Eindhoven (Netherlands).

Louise Ribéreau-Gayon is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at ACCRO (Nxtfood group), a French plant-based alternatives brand and industrial player created in 2019 in the North of France.

Prior to this experience, Louise was a strategy consultant in Paris and spent a sabbatical year in 2023 dedicated to food transition and alternative proteins.

Overview: Dr Maria Hayes is a senior scientific officer at the Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Food Science and Environmental Health at TU Dublin. She works on developing new products with health benefits through identification and characterisation of bioactive ingredients from different marine and terrestrial resources. To do this, she uses a combination of different bioassays that she established at Teagasc including those relevant to maintenance of heart health; prevention of type 2 diabetes and mental health issues, prevention of atherosclerosis, inflammation and pain and antimicrobial and prebiotic assessment assays. She has also developed a method to screen for methane mitigating abilities of algae in vitro. E-mail: Maria.Hayes@teagasc.ie

Background: Scientific research in the areas of Natural products chemistry and industrial microbiology/biotechnology and food product development. Interested in the Bio-economy and utilisation of our natural resources to their full potential. h-index: 51; over 115 papers published in international journals, citations: >10,000, editor and contributor to several books on the topic of marine natural product chemistry. Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GeuIEEIAAAAJ&hl=en

Maria has an Honours degree in Science (Industrial Microbiology and Chemistry) from University College Dublin (UCD) and a PhD in Microbiology and chemistry from University College Cork (UCC). She has a Post-Graduate qualification in Leadership and Development from the Institute of Managers (IMI), Dublin & UCC, Ireland and a Diploma in regulatory affairs from the University of Birmingham and UU.  She joined Teagasc as a researcher on the Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative – NutraMara project in 2008 and has been interested in utilisation of marine resources ever since. She is an academic collaborator of the SFI funded Bio-economy research centre (BiORBIC – https://www.sfi.ie/sfi-research-centres/Biorbic/ ). Maria has previous project management experience (NutraMara) and has worked extensively with the marine sector since 2008. She is the current coordinator and PI of several EU projects including Seasolutions https://seasolutions.ie/ and a PI participant in the EU funded projects Algae4IBD, IDEA and IDEA plus as well as nationally funded projects like U-Protein.

Working towards “improving nutrition and promoting health across the lifespan” is core to what Marjolijn Bragt does as Programme Manager for Nutrition for Optimal Health at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. In this role, she fosters research collaborations and public-private partnerships to tackle global challenges in food and health. Marjolijn holds an MSc in Health Sciences and a PhD in Human Biology from Maastricht University, The Netherlands. With over 15 years of experience in various expert and leadership roles in food industry and academia, she is passionate about promoting healthier and more sustainable diets and eating habits for all!

Martin Ham is a Business Development Manager at NIZO food research B.V,  an independent Contract Research Organization in the Netherlands, working with global companies in the food and ingredients area as well as personal care. Martin obtained a MSc. degree in Chemistry at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and has gained more than 25 years’ experience in business development, sales and marketing of science based CRO/CMO services in both the pharmaceutical, chemical and food market. His current focus is on foods and food ingredients with a health benefit or improved nutritional impact.

Mary-Liis Kütt has been working in food science for over 15 years. Starting her studies first in the field of Food Technology and Product Development at TalTech, she defended her doctorate in food science at Aarhus University, Denmark in 2015. In 2016, she did her postdoc at the University of Vienna, Austria, studying the effects of mycotoxins on the human body and working in the core laboratory of analytical chemistry. After her studies, Mary-Liis started working at the Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK) cultivating various microorganisms such as yeasts, bacteria, and fungi. She has studied different microorganisms from the perspective of the food industry, applying them to the production of dairy, beverage, and plant-based alternatives. In 2022, Mary-Liis joined the ÄIO team and wants to share with you some knowledge about current lipid production, the effects of fats to our health and how microbial oils can help save the world.

Dr Melissa Antoniou-Kourounioti is the Network & Partnerships Manager for the Food Safety Research Network, hosted at the Quadram Institute.  Her role is to support the network’s success by attracting new members, facilitating fruitful communication between members, and enabling impactful collaborations in the field of food safety.

Melissa grew up on Crete, Greece and moved to London to pursue her fascination in genetics and molecular biology at King’s College.  After a master’s on developmental biology in Nottingham and a PhD on cell biology at Cambridge, she moved to Norwich to work as a PostDoc at UEA looking at cardiac development in chicken embryos.  Melissa then moved to the Quadram Institute to pursue a career in science administration.

Mohammed Gulrez Zariwala is a Professor of Translational Physiology and founder Director of the Centre for Nutraceuticals at the University of Westminster. The Centre is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the area of nutraceuticals, supplements, and functional foods that seeks to act as a global catalyst for improving health and wellbeing guided by research and innovation. His research expertise spans the diverse areas of metabolism, neurodegeneration, and sports nutrition, with a focus on the use of natural bioactives to formulate and validate novel ingredients and supplements products.  He leads a research team that includes over 20 academics and researchers and has published 70+ high impact international research articles, abstracts and book chapters in his field.

Professor Zariwala works with multiple commercial partners worldwide and was involved in the development of the UK’s leading liquid iron supplement (Spatone Apple^®), now marketed in 40+ countries. His most recent outputs include development of a range of high performance wellness and sports supplement products (Unity Ultra U^®) that was launched worldwide in July 2021 in partnership with the international footballers Mathieu Flamini and Mesut Ozil. He has been awarded research and innovation grants from the UK government (Innovate UK), and international awards from prestigious government bodies such as the LPDP (Indonesia) and TETFund (Nigeria).

Professor Zariwala is established as a global thought leader in the field of iron deficiency and supplementation and regularly speaks at world leading events. He has presented his research at prestigious platforms such as the UK Parliament to the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee and keynotes to the Australian College of Midwives. He routinely communicates to the media, and has made appearances on the BBC, BBC radio and various newspapers and publications.

Myriam joined the EIC Fund team in 2021. She has 15 years’ experience in corporate finance and private equity investment in growth and venture capital.

Previously, Myriam worked in investment advisory for KPMG, and subsequently as an investment manager in private equity investment funds. She joined the EIB Group in 2018, where she spent the first three years monitoring a portfolio of venture capital investment funds with the EIF.

Myriam is a graduate of HEC Paris and CFA charterholder.

Nadia Everaert was born in 1981 and obtained her Master in Bioscience Engineering in 2004 at KU Leuven (Magna cum laude) with a specialization in Agriculture (Animal Production). She obtained her PhD at KU Leuven in 2008, on avian embryonic development. During her post-doctoral fellowship, including an internship at the INRAE in Tours (France), she developed her molecular skills using birds as a model for fetal and nutritional programming. From October 2013 until September 2021, she was an associate professor at Liège University (Belgium), at the faculty Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (bioscience engineering). Since October 2021, she came back to KU Leuven as an associate professor, and is now heading the Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota EcoSystems (NAMES) lab. Her research focuses on nutrition and health in pigs and poultry, with an emphasis on the microbiota and intestinal health. The NAMES Lab investigates host-microbiota interaction and its impact on gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development through in vivo experiments and in vitro models to improve animal performance and health to make chickens and pigs more resilient to antigen and environmental stressors.

Nard is an experienced networker, business developer, innovator, entrepreneur and strategic thought leader in (personalised) nutrition.

After his study of Human Nutrition at Wageningen University, he worked for the food industry in international positions for more than a decade as a successful liaison between business and science.

He then joined Dutch innovation organisation TNO to lead their Nutrition and Health business line and set up the world’s largest public-private research consortium on personalised nutrition & health. This led him on a path of ‘personalised nutrition’, involving co-founding startup Happ as their CSO, founding NCNC Nutritional Consultancy and many public appearances on the topic.

Natanael Viñegra works as a project coordinator at CNTA. He obtained his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, focusing on seed germination and molecular biology. Later he moved on to study flowering regulation at the University of Cologne, working on a perennial model plant. After this academic period, he switched fields to project management, working at the start-up The Cultivated B in Heidelberg, covering all aspects of cellular agriculture and its biotechnology uses. Since a few months, he is a project coordinator at CNTA, where he is in charge of project tracking and deadlines, as well as contributing to the preparation of new proposals. His interests span the field of biotechnology and its potential applications.

Nelly Badalato, PhD, is the manager of the Research and Development Department at GenoScreen. Her expertise lies in molecular microbiology, with a specific focus on deciphering the environmental impacts on microorganisms through genomics. She currently leads the development of molecular-based approaches targeting microorganisms, specifically designed for monitoring human and animal health.

Dr. Nico van Belzen is the founder and Director General of ScienceConsult.

From 2012-2018 he was Director General of the International Dairy Federation (IDF).

From 2003-2012 he was the Executive Director of ILSI Europe, the European branch of the International Life Sciences Institute.

From 1998-2003 Nico worked for DMV International, the business-to-business division of the dairy company Campina, where he set up and managed a laboratory to develop bioactive food ingredients, and subsequently became head of the department Research and Analysis.

From 1986-1998 Nico worked in universities and academic hospitals in The Netherlands as biomedical researcher specialised in molecular cell biology and cancer research, e.g. cloning the genes Drg1/NDRG1 and ICT1. He received a PhD in cell biology from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, in 1990.

Olivier Raimond is a Belgian microbiologist and co-founder of BellaVie, a laboratory specializing in the development of innovative probiotic-based food supplements. With over 25 years of experience in the health field, Olivier Raimond co-founded BellaVie in 2018 with Benoît Ligot. Their goal was to create a unique range of 100% Belgian food supplements, focused on current global health issues.

As CEO and Head of Research and Development at BellaVie, Olivier Raimond plays a key role in managing the company’s strategy and developing new products. He is also involved in the scientific and commercial training of the company’s partners.

BellaVie has rapidly expanded internationally, collaborating with over 20 countries around the world. BellaVie products are designed to address specific health issues such as the immune system, fatigue and stress, cholesterol, blood sugar and excess weight, allergy, as well as disruption of the vaginal flora.

Olivier Raimond and his team are constantly working to improve BellaVie products and services, with a focus on performance, quality, innovation and respect for the environment.

Nutritionist specialised in marketing and product development for the food industry, wide experience in consumer analytics, strategic marketing and R&D programs. BS Degree in Human Nutrition Univ. Autónoma de Madrid. MSc Food Consumer Marketing and Product Dev. Univ Sheffield Hallam, Programa Product Marketing ESIC Business School.

Dr. Pi Nyvall is the Scientific Director at the Olmix Group, where she specializes in the innovative applications of seaweed and algae in agriculture and biotechnology. With a strong academic background including a Ph.D. from Stockholm University, Sweden, Dr. Nyvall has dedicated her career to advancing the field of algae research, focusing on seaweed valorization and the extraction of active molecules. Her expertise encompasses green chemistry, biochemistry, genomics, and enzymology, contributing significantly to the development of sustainable solutions for agriculture and animal feed. A recognized leader in her field, she has over 50 publications and 8 patents on various algae-related inventions and is a corresponding member of the French Academy of Agriculture. Dr. Nyvall’s work aligns with global initiatives promoting a bio-based and circular economy, underscoring her commitment to harnessing the potential of seaweed resources for a sustainable future.

Pierre-Antoine Mariage is a Belgian entrepreneur, with over two decades of expertise in the field of FoodTech, specifically spanning the areas of industrial fermentation and medicinal plants. He is the Founder and CEO of Botalys, a company dedicated to pioneering advancements in rare botanical ingredients for the nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, with a focus on purity, potency, sustainability and resilience of the supply chain.

Ramin, formerly Vice Chair of the Board and Head of Science at the Association for Vertical Farming, now serves as a Business Development Manager at the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) at the James Hutton Institute. Ramin is focused on driving innovations in plant growth technologies and strategies to strengthen climate resilience and agricultural advancement in the UK and Scotland.

In his role, he leads initiatives positioning the APGC as a hub for modern breeding techniques and climate adaptation strategies. His work fosters collaboration to integrate scientific research with practical applications, addressing food security and sustainability challenges in the face of climate change. Ramin is also championing the financial sustainability efforts for the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), a new UK-wide initiative supporting the development of sustainable protein alternatives.

Raphael is an Investment Associate at Rockstart’s AgriFood Fund, where he identifies and evaluates high-potential startups within the AgriFood sector. Leveraging his expertise, Raphael not only sources and assesses promising investments but also actively manages a portion of the Fund’s portfolio. He collaborates closely with founders to drive sustainable growth and create significant impact in the industry.

Raphaëlle is the Founder of inewtrition, a business development platform and specialised consultancy that helps companies explore, connect and innovate in customised nutrition. Inewtrition provides ideation, development, and commercialisation services by combining real option analysis tools and processes via a global network of domain experts.

Raphaëlle has worked in the product development and commercialisation of functional foods, beverages and dietary supplements for over 25 years and leverages her combined expertise in project management, business and research to create a more resilient food system at the intersection of nutrition, food and health.

Robert-JM Brummer studied medicine at Nijmegen University, the Netherlands and performed his PhD studies in Göteborg, Sweden (PhD 1992) and continued clinical training in internal medicine and gastroenterology at University Hospital Maastricht, the Netherlands. He became professor at Maastricht University 2002 and was acting director of the nutrition research institute (NUTRIM) of the University. Subsequently, he became research director at the “Wageningen Centre for Food Science”, later “TI Food and Nutrition”, the Netherlands.
From 2008 he joined Örebro University, Sweden as professor of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition and senior consultant at the University Hospital. Brummer was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health during 6 years and currently is Pro-Vice- Chancellor of the University. In that role he also is director of the Örebro University Food & Health Programme. He leads both the interdisciplinary “Nutrition-Gut-Brain Interactions Research Centre” at the University as well as the governmentally funded national research excellence centre “Plant-based Proteins for Health and Wellbeing – PAN Sweden” and the research profile Responsive Nutrition – Rosetta@oru.
Furthermore, he is engaged in national boards and strategies regarding food and nutrition research and innovation and acts as reviewer for several international research councils, member of the Board of Directors of ILSI Europe and represents Sweden as vice-chair of the European Universities Association Expert Group on
Innovation.
His main field of interest in research is the nutrition/microbe-gut-brain interactions with special reference to human application and still performs all research endoscopic investigations himself.

Tim is currently the Scientific Program Director at Integrative Phenomics, leading the research and development program on precision and personalized nutrition. His training is in gastrointestinal physiology with over 15 years of experience focusing on interplay between metabolic diseases, nutrition, and the gut microbiome.

Before his tenure at Integrative Phenomics, Tim was at Danone Research in France in the metabolic health program. More recently, he was at the Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition in Paris where he collaborated on EU-funded clinical and scientific projects focusing on cardiometabolic diseases, the gut microbiome, and nutrition.

In his current role, Tim is working with the Integrative Phenomics team to provide evidence-based precision and personalized nutrition solutions for cardiometabolic disease prevention and management.

Urbi is a Research Associate at Lux Research, where she contributes to the Consumer-Packaged Goods team’s coverage of food and nutrition. Her research focuses on emerging technologies in consumer health and wellness, alternative proteins, and sustainability initiatives. Before joining Lux Research, Urbi served as a Food Scientist at Assay Consulting and as a Hygiene Auditor at Equinox Labs in India. She holds an M.Sc. in Food Science from the Institut Supérieur d’Agriculture de Lille, France, and has experience as an Assistant Engineer at Phileo, Lesaffre.