Discover the speakers of the conference

Dovgan Diana
Secretary General CECOP (Moderator)
Proximity & Social Economy ecosystem
Proximity & Social Economy ecosystem
The digital and green transitions open unprecedented opportunities for Europe, yet they also bring certain challenges. Inequalities across Europe caused by globalisation, technological change, previous economic crisis or current COVID-19 pandemic are hampering sustainable growth and can lead to social conflict, reduced participation in society, increased social exclusion, potentially undermining the future of our youth. Joint forces of industry and civil society can provide solutions to those societal challenges beyond the creation of jobs and growth and become a resilient provider of prosperity, by making production respect the boundaries of our planet and placing the wellbeing and participation of the industry worker at the centre of the production process. At the same time, the industrial transformation should serve to create new relationship with a wide set of stakeholders at the local level and in our “proximity economies”. At this level, citizens engagement models can cross-fertilise with business models. Those belong to the heart of social economy. Those business models are very attractive for young entrepreneurs, but also for young citizens to engage in a business process, such as for example a cooperative society or a volunteer association amongst other forms. Bringing those actors together with public authorities in a “local proximity and social economy ecosystem” is therefore a promising avenue for new or reinforced public private partnerships.
Moderator:
- Diana Dovgan
Speakers:
- Mohammed Ridouani
- Francesca Montalti
- Anna Athanasopoulou
- Henrik Barkman
- Maryline Filippi
Dovgan Diana
Since 2018 Diana Dovgan is the Secretary General of CICOPA (International organization of cooperatives in industry and services) and CECOP (European confederation of cooperatives in industry and services). Previously she was Policy Officer for 10 years for both organizations. From 2004 to 2008, she was Policy Advisor for the Belgian minister in charge of Social Inclusion & Equal Opportunities.
Dragomir Bianca
Chief Executive Officer AVAESEN Cluster
Driving the sustainability transition for European SMEs: support to change and innovate
Driving the sustainability transition for European SMEs: support to change and innovate
This session will explore the main actions and instruments that should be deployed for the acceleration of the sustainability transition of SMEs. The discussion will inspire and give advice to authorities, business and civil society organisations on how to jointly develop and put in place adequate mechanisms that identify and support SMEs access to green and sustainable technologies, business solutions, R&D partners and facilities, skills, dedicated funding and markets and thus facilitate their innovation, growth, resilience and competitiveness.
Dragomir Bianca
Bianca Dragomir is a cluster expert and public speaker on the power of clusters and clean technologies. She is the first women to be awarded as “European Cluster Manager of the Year” for her work as CEO of the Valencian Cleantech Cluster AVAESEN in Spain, which she leads. She is an advisor to the Commission’s High-Level Roundtable ‘Industry 2030’ and member of the Expert Group on ‘Clusters’.
Drozd Grzegorz
Team Leader European Commission (Moderator)
Future-proof: how foresight helps policy makers and businesses anticipate and shape the future
Future-proof: how foresight helps policy makers and businesses anticipate and shape the future
Change in climate, digital technologies and geopolitics are having a profound effect on the lives of Europeans and people around the world. These transformations are taking place at all levels, from grassrotts politics to global power structures. To support the transitions to a green, digital and fairer Europe, the EU and other institutions, e.g. OECD or national governments, are strenghtening their culture of preparedness and evidence-based anticipatory policy-making. This session will present foresight as a tool which helps policy makers and businesses prepare for and shape tomorrow. Speakers from the OECD? Finnish government and the European Commission will showcase specific foresights tools developed at different levels, and by different actors.
Drozd Grzegorz
Grzegorz is a Team Leader for strategic foresight in the European Commission's Secretariat General. Previously he worked in DG GROW, coordinating industrial policy and dealing with social innovation and future of work. He started his professional career in the Polish public administration.
Drüner Dietrich
Policy officer European Commission (Moderator)
Your Europe Business – a portal which you must know when doing business abroad
Your Europe Business – a portal which you must know when doing business abroad
Starting with a short summary of the history of YEB and the SDG (YEB exists since many years, since December 2020 the SDG is the backbone of the portal, explaining what has changed: links to national pages, assistance service finder, search engine, feedback tool) and giving an outlook to the online procedures. · Showcasing the portal - what’s in for SMEs, giving concrete examples · Maybe using short video sequences from influencers who were involved in the digital roadshow · Presenting Your Europe Advice and Solvit and how SMEs can benefit from these two services Speakers (please give strong consideration to geographical, gender and age balance): · All are from within DG GROW, who exactly will be decided at a later stage.
Drüner Dietrich
Dietrich Drüner has been working on the Single Digital Gateway since the ‘first hour’ in 2015. The SDG Regulation is the legal base for some of Your Europe's services. Within his team Dietrich focuses on collaboration with the Member States and on communication. He draws satisfaction from working on this project which makes it easier for Europeans to experience Europe in a tangible way.
Durno-Couturier Scott
Senior web editor, Your Europe Business, DG GROW European Commission
Your Europe Business – a portal which you must know when doing business abroad
Your Europe Business – a portal which you must know when doing business abroad
Starting with a short summary of the history of YEB and the SDG (YEB exists since many years, since December 2020 the SDG is the backbone of the portal, explaining what has changed: links to national pages, assistance service finder, search engine, feedback tool) and giving an outlook to the online procedures. · Showcasing the portal - what’s in for SMEs, giving concrete examples · Maybe using short video sequences from influencers who were involved in the digital roadshow · Presenting Your Europe Advice and Solvit and how SMEs can benefit from these two services Speakers (please give strong consideration to geographical, gender and age balance): · All are from within DG GROW, who exactly will be decided at a later stage.
Durno-Couturier Scott
Scott is part of a dedicated team of editors responsible for the content on the Your Europe website. He has been working at DG GROW on Your Europe Business since January 2021, before which he spent most of his career in the non-profit sector.
Ehrlich Klaus
General Secretary Ruraltour-European Federation of Rural Tourism
Spotlight session on The EU Pact for Skills: towards the up and re-skilling of the European workforce
Introduction by Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
Ehrlich Klaus
General Secretary of Ruraltour-European Federation of Rural Tourism
Engelmann Ulla
Head of Unit DG GROW, European Commission
Supporting the co-creation of Transition Pathways for the EU industrial ecosystems
Supporting the co-creation of Transition Pathways for the EU industrial ecosystems
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs: final pitching session and awards ceremony
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs: final pitching session and awards ceremony
We are organising an EU Industry Days Pitching contest for new business ideas supporting the transition to a sustainable, digital and resilient economy. Four finalists will pitch their business ideas live and get feedback from business experts and investors, as well as the audience. Two winners, by jury and audience vote, will be invited to participate at the next SME assembly in Prague, Czech Republic. During this session there will be also a short presentation of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, given by Mr Jakub Boratynski, Director of Networks and Governance Directorate in DG GROW of the European Commission.
Moderators:
- Anna Heijker, Moderator & Pitch Trainer, Pitches & Presentations
- Alex Glod
Jury members:
- Ulla Engelmann, Head of Unit, DG GROW, European Commission
- Ruxandra Creosteanu, Co-Founder, Babele Create Together
- Jeremy de France, Founder @ Graphee & VP French Tech Bucharest
Finalists:
- David Pereira de Castro, Founder, Blueveg
- Iulia Dorobantu, Co-founder, Charger.ro
- Dimitri Ionescu, Founder, LightMirror
- Martin Branný, COUNTER SOMETHING s. r. o. Kristina
Speaker:
- Jakub Boratynski, DG GROW Director of Network and Governance, European Commission
Engelmann Ulla
Ulla Engelmann is a Head of Unit in DG GROW and her portfolio covers the work of the industrial forum, governance of industrial alliances, the organisation of the EU Industry Days, the management and coordination of networks such as Enterprise Europe Network, clusters and Erasmus for Young entrepreneurs. In the past, she was responsible for Social Economy, Pact for Skills, women entrepreneurship.
Erfurt Gunter
Chief Executive Officer Meyer Burger Technology AG
An industry perspective on resilient supply partners
An industry perspective on resilient supply partners
The panel discussion will unpick how companies are dealing with current supply chains shortages and risks linked to the geographic concentration of some inputs. Particular attention will be paid to the role of public authorities, notably at the European level, and how they can support supply chain resilience and sustainable growth. The speakers will discuss the main challenges to supply chain resilience in their sectors of expertise and will be expected to offer insight on such questions as: - Could you tell us what are the main challenges your business faces when trying to diversify their supply chains. - How can partnerships create new business opportunities and supply chain resilience?- What can governments (especially EU) do to ensure security of supply of critical goods? - If you had one policy recommendation/priority to pitch to the EU, what would you say?
Reshoring the Solar PV Industry in Europe with the European Solar Initiative
Reshoring the Solar PV Industry in Europe with the European Solar Initiative
Solar energy is a central component of Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral economy. The Commission estimates that the deployment of new solar generation capacity will reach 18 GW per year from now to 2030 and as high as 34 GW per year 2030 onwards. It is therefore critical to ensure that the solar panels that will meet Europe’s energy demand are "Made in Europe" and trigger growth and job creation locally. The European Solar Initiative, firmly anchored in the new Industrial Strategy for Europe presented by the Commission, aims at scaling up the European solar PV industrial ecosystem at the 2025 horizon and at providing a for industry and policy-makers to come together and deliver this objective. This session will take stock of the initiative one year on, present three large-scale PV manufacturing projects across the value-chain, and discuss what can be done to help projects reach the scale and speed needed to reshore the PV industry.
Organiser: EIT InnoEnergy
Erfurt Gunter
Diploma in Engineering Physics (Univ. of Applied Sciences Zwickau), Degree in Physics and PhD in Physics at Technical Univ.Bergakademie Freiberg. Since 2020, he is CEO and member of the Exec. Board at Meyer Burger. He has been with the company since 2015, first as MD, later as COO and CTO. In solar cell and module business, he gained experience in his time as MD of the R&D branch of Solarworld AG.
Fandrejewski Matthäus
Representative CESI Youth
After 2008, after 2020: the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 crisis on young Europeans
This session will zoom in on the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic crisis on the youth, by providing a space for discussion regarding youth unemployment, rising living costs, precarious work, among other similar topics.
Fandrejewski Matthäus
Matthäus did an apprenticeship in the German public service where he was working many years. Since 2015 he studied Int. Business Administration with the focus on HR and Organizational Behavior in Berlin and Paris. Right now, he is finishing a Master's program on 'Political Integration of the EU'. He is President of CESI Youth – where he is focusing on youth employment and social inclusion.
Farinelli Marco
Global Supply Chain AstraZeneca
Strengthening the European pharmaceutical supply chains: what role for industry?
Strengthening the European pharmaceutical supply chains: what role for industry?
The session will address from an industry perspective the remaining gaps and existing challenges threatening the resilience of European pharmaceutical supply chains. Ways to reinforce the transparency and robustness of industrial value chains will be explored to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the Health industry and its contribution to the EU preparedness for future health crisis.