Professor Aoife Foley is Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at The University of Manchester and leads the AVANTERN Group. A globally recognised expert in sustainable energy systems and infrastructure planning, she brings nearly 30 years of experience across industry and academia. Ranked among the top 2% of scientists globally (h-index 55, 14,000+ citations), she has secured over £25 million in research funding. From steered Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from 2014 to 2023, serving as Editor-in-Chief for the last five years, guiding its impact factor from 5.9 to 16.3. She publishes in top quartile journals, including Nature, Nature Energy, and npj Urban Sustainability, and frequently features in media including BBC, RTÉ, Le Figaro, TV5 and The Times. She holds a BEng in Civil Engineering, an MSc in Transport and Environmental Engineering, and a PhD in Energy Engineering. A former MIT adjunct, she advises governments and industry on energy transitions, climate resilience, and policy. She has chaired or evaluated proposals for the EU, UKRI, Swiss National Science Foundation, Academy of Finland, and others. Professor Foley has won the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) to recognize outstanding work in civil engineering, particularly focusing on innovation and real-world impact, as well as the Jose Maria Sarriegi Major Catastrophe Research Award from the Queen of Spain in 2019. More recently in 2022 was awarded the Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) award. Finally, she is widely recognised as a leading expert in sustainability and climate-aligned technology in energy systems, with research spanning hydrogen, energy storage, digital twins, energy justice, and equitable net-zero transitions.  

Marina Tišma is a Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology, Croatia. She excels in bridging academia and industry, with ground-breaking research in fungal biotechnology that supports the transition from a petroleum-based to a sustainable and circular bioeconomy. Her research focuses on the utilization of lignocellulosic residual biomass, primarily from the food industry and agriculture, for the production of high-value compounds, protein-enriched feed, biofertilizers, and biofuels. With substantial industrial experience, Marina has led and collaborated on various R&D projects, particularly those funded by European Union Structural Funds. Her current projects include the “Valorisation of residues from the vegetable oil industry based on a biorefinery approach – VALREO,” and Horizon Europe’s “Bioeconomy excellence alliance for stimulating innovative and inclusive green transition – BEAMING.” As an expert for the European Commission, Marina evaluates Horizon Europe proposals, helping shape the future of bioeconomy. She is also an initiator and leader of Postgraduate Specialist Study Programme in Sustainable and Circular Bioeconomy at the University of Osijek. Additionally, she is Vice President of the Croatian Society of Biotechnology and was honoured with the 2024 President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.