André is senior scientist and project leader in the Biorefinery group of TNO (Unit Energy and Materials Transition). His focus is primarily on development and upscaling of the patented FABIOLA organosolv fractionation process for lignocellulosic biomass. In addition, the research aims to find suitable and economically viable applications of the fractionated sugars (C5 and C6) and of the lignin towards bio-based chemicals, products and/or biofuels.

Rutger Douma holds an MSc from Wageningen University in Bioprocess Technology and obtained his PhD at Delft University of Technology on penicillin fermentations. Rutger worked for 6 years at Novozymes, Denmark, scaling up enzyme production fermentation and downstream processes from lab via pilot to production scale. Since 2016 Rutger is working for Janssen in Leiden, The Netherlands. Rutger has held roles with increasing responsibility in Technical Operations and Operations for large molecule production processes and is currently Director Vaccines Process Science, providing technical leadership and expertise to Janssen’s vaccines manufacturing platform.

Andrew was awarded a 1st class (hons) degree in Microbiology from the University of Leeds, UK. This was followed by a Unilever sponsored PhD in enzymology at Cardiff University. Andrew joined Biocatalysts Ltd in 2002 shortly after finishing his PhD. He was recruited as senior research scientist within the new product development department. His key responsibilities were development of new enzyme products and providing technical advice to Biocatalysts’ customers. Andrew left Biocatalysts Ltd to join Fayrefield Foods, a food ingredients supplier based in Cheshire, UK. His role of Technical Sales Manager involved account management, business development, and project management. After 18 months in this role he joined the Centre of Excellence for Biocatalysis at the University of Manchester, UK as Project Manager. This industry- and public- funded organization developed new enzymes and processes for clients in the pharmaceutical, fine chemical, biofuels and fragrance industries. After 4 years at the University of Manchester, Andrew re-joined Biocatalysts Ltd as Product Development Manager, later to be promoted to Technical Director. Andy is now responsible for new product development, innovation, business development for customer projects and development of the company’s capabilities. In addition, Andrew is a key member of the Senior Management Team and Board of Directors.

Claude Bensoussan, expert in industrial biotechnologies for 30 years - P.h.D. in Molecular Pharmaco-chemistry - Operational and functional experience in the international pharmaceutical and chemical industries for 25 years, - Participated in the development and industrialization of numerous bioprocesses for various fields (pharmaceutical, agrochemical, cosmetic, nutraceutical) - Author of scientific publications and patents in exploitation - Member of strategic and scientific boards of start-ups, SMEs and large groups

Maher Abou Hachem has obtained his PhD from Lund University in 2003, working on the thermostable xylan-active proteins. After a short post-doc at Carlsberg Research Laboratory, Maher Joined the Technical University of Denmark, where is currently a full Professor with focus on the interactions of the gut microbiota with dietary and host derived glycans. The group of Prof. Abou Hachem has performed pioneering work that highlights the role of bacterial oligosaccharide transporters as key in defining competitive growth niches for different bacterial groups (see google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.dk/citations?user=gmYG5G0AAAAJ&hl=en) Selected publications: 1. Pichler, M. J., Yamada, C., Shuoker, B., Alvarez-Silva, C., Gotoh, A., Leth, M. L., Schoof, E., Katoh, T., Sakanaka, M., Katayama, T., Jin, C., Karlsson, N. G., Arumugam, M., Fushinobu, S., and Abou Hachem, M. (2020) Butyrate producing colonic Clostridiales metabolise human milk oligosaccharides and cross feed on mucin via conserved pathways. Nature Communications 11, 3285 2. Sakanaka, M.‡, Hansen, M.‡, Gotoh, A., Katoh, T., Yoshida, Keisuke., Odamaki, T., Yachi, H., Sugiyama, Y., Kurihara, S., Hirose, J., Urashima, T., Xiao, J.-z., Kitaoka, M., Fukiya, S., Yokota, A., Lo Leggio, L., Abou Hachem, M.†, Katayama, T.† (2019) Evolutionary adaptation in fucosyllactose uptake systems supports bifidobacteria-infant symbiosis. Science Advances 2019, 5 (8) eaaw7696. (†co-corresponding authors), ‡equal contribution 3. La Rosa, S.L, Leth, M.L., Michalak, L., Hansen, M.E., Pudlo, Nicholas, A., Glowacki, R., Pereira, G., Workman, C., Abou hachem M., Bjørge Westereng (2019) The Human Gut Firmicute Roseburia intestinalis is a Primary Degrader of Dietary β-Mannans Nature Communications 10, 905 4. Leth, M.L., Ejby, M., Workman, C., Ewald, D.A., Pedersen, S.S., Sternberg, C., Bahl, M.I., Licht, T.R., Aachmann, F.L., Westereng, B., Abou Hachem, M. (2018) Differential bacterial capture and transport preferences facilitate co-growth on dietary xylan in the human gut. Nature Microbiology 3, 570-580 5. Theilmann, M.C., Goh, Y.-J., Fog Nielsen, K., Klaenhammer, T.R., Baranngou, R., Abou Hachem M. (2017) Lactobacillus acidophilus metabolizes dietary plant glucosides and externalizes their bio-active phytochemicals. mBio 6, e01421-17

Working Activity: From 2014 to date Founder and CEO of South Hemp Tecno srl, the first industrial plant for the processing of hemp straw in Southern Italy and technical consultant for companies and start-ups for production, processing and marketing for industrial hemp sector and international cooperation. Italian Activity: Started working in the hemp sector in November 2011 as an affiliate of Assocanapa srl, then developed an ethical agricultural network in Southern Italy, which lead to the foundation of the National Hemp Association (Federcanapa) in February 2016 where I’m Vice President. European Activity: Member of the board of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) since January 2018 after spending one year as Member of the EIHA Advisory Committee and three years as a Regular Member.

James is a Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group at Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre at Munster Technology University, and Academic Collaborator at the SFI BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre. James has been coordinator, lead PI and Co-PI on several EU and nationally-funded circular bioeconomy research projects. Nationally, James is coordinator of the Biorefinery Glas and INFORMBIO DAFM-funded research initiatives and is a member of the SFI Farm Zero C research team. At EU-level James was scientific coordinator Biobased Industries (BBI JU) ICT-BIOCHAIN initiative, and is PI and Co-PI on a number of current BBI JU and H2020 projects including BIOSWITCH, COOPID, agroBridges and BIO4AFRICA. James is part of the core programme development team and lecturer on the Postgrad degree programme Bioeconomy with Business. He is a member of the Expert Advisory Group to Ireland's National Bioeconomy Forum, and was on the Expert Panel for the Impact Assessment of Circular Biobased Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) successor programme to BBI JU under the Horizon Europe programme. Prior to joining MTU, James worked in the biorefinery industry since 2009 with the Technology Centre for Biorefining and Bioenergy, Sustainable Biopolymers and Cellulac Ltd and through projects including Bio-Eire, Future European League for Microalgal Energy (FUEL4ME) and Sustainable Polymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons (SPLASH).