Keynote speakers

Prof. Dr. Hannes Utikal

Prof. Dr. Hannes Utikal is the Head of the Center for Industry and Sustainability (ZIN) at Provadis Hochschule, Frankfurt, Germany. He is involved in the Cluster Process4Sustainability, situated at the Industriepark Höchst. The cluster is a network of companies in the process industry, research institutions and societal innovation partners with the aim to proactively shape the sustainability transformation. They do so by for example translating the major goal of CO₂ neutrality into tangible steps for individual companies and its specific local conditions. Options in the transformation of the Höchst Industrial Park (IPH) will be discussed in the speak, including renewable electricity, heat electrification, green hydrogen, carbon capture and utilization, biomass, and recycling.

Stefan Sandelin

Stefan Sandelin is R&D Manager at Heidelberg Materials. He will share experiences from Slite CCS, which is one of Sweden's most significant climate transition projects aiming to manufacture cement with net-zero carbon dioxide emissions, with the goal of achieving negative emissions. With innovative CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology, emissions will be captured, transported, and stored to prevent them from reaching the atmosphere. This reduces Sweden's total carbon dioxide emissions by 4 percent.

Dr. Martin Pei

Since 2007 Dr. Martin Pei has served as executive vice president and CTO at SSAB, and he stepped down in April 2025 and is now a senior advisor at SSAB. Martin Pei is the initiator of the HYBRIT, a joint venture between SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall and he is the chairman of board for Hybrit Development AB. The HYBRIT is a pioneering Swedish initiative launched to replace coal-based blast furnace technology with hydrogen-based direct reduction.

Àngels Orduña

Àngels Orduña is an experienced EU and international collaboration leader with a proven track record championing success in technology and business development through multi-partner, multi-country, and multidisciplinary collaboration. With an academic background in International Relations, she has managed and led several RDI projects in the EU and Canada in technology areas related to value chain productions and enabling technologies such as ICT, energy, renewables, environment, advanced materials, or manufacturing. She has shown great ability to translate technological concepts to market opportunities and to link partners’ commitment through a win-win perspective. She now runs the Association A. SPIRE, representing the private side in the Processes4Planet Public Private Partnership (and previously SPIRE Partnership) in the framework of Horizon Europe.

Dr. Petri Vasara

Dr. Petri Vasara, Dr. Tech and Vice President, is one of AFRY’s experts. He has been in the company a couple of decades and has more than 20 years’ experience of artificial intelligence. Petri Vasara is an engineer with a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence and Data Visualization, which is a lot more fashionable now than earlier! AFRY has more than 20 years’ experience using artificial intelligence in everything from forecasting sustainability trends to analyzing company strategies, bioproduct startups and market dynamics.

Francisco Razzolini

Francisco Razzolini, with a Master in Paper Engineering is CTO at the forest company Klabin in Brazil, overseeing Industrial Technology, R&D+Innovations and Sustainability. Since 2006, he serves as Klabin's Executive Director for major capital projects. He is responsible for feasibility and implementation of Puma Projects I and II, Klabin´s greenfield pulp and packaging paper mill and served as COO of the Pulp Business Unit. Additionally, he was president of the Executive Board of the Brazilian Pulp and Paper Technical Association

Presentation of Dinner speaker

Prof. Dr. Johan Eklund

Johan Eklund is CEO of the South Swedish Camber of Industry- and Commerce. He is also Professor of Industrial Economics at Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH). He has previously served as CEO of Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum and played a central role in establishing the Scandinavian Policy Institute in 2023. He has pursued studies at George Mason University in the United States and is Fellow of the Royal Engineering Science Academy (IVA). His research focuses on regulatory issues, industrial dynamics, and matters related to education, skills provision, and the labour market. Johan is furthermore an active voice in the public debate on industrial development, growth and competitiveness.