Invited Speaker: Prof. Xinyong Li

Dalian University of Technology, China

Professor XinyongLi is a professor in the School of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, and Life Sciences at Dalian University of Technology. His research interests include environmental catalysis and materials, green catalysis, industrial pollution control, energy catalysis and waste resource recovery, as well as environmental nanoscience and engineering. He has undertaken or participated in multiple national projects, including the National Key R&D Program, the National High-Tech Research and Development Program, the National Basic Research Program, and various projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (major projects, general projects, and international cooperation projects). He has been selected as a highly cited Chinese scholar in the field of environmental science by Elsevier for 10 consecutive years. Professor Li has published over 290 SCI papers in prominent journals, with more than 16,800 citations on Google Scholar. He has filed over 55 patent applications, with 22 patents granted, and holds a Google Scholar H-index of 74. Additionally, he has delivered more than 40 presentations at international conferences in the fields of energy, environment, and catalysis.

Invited Speaker:Dr Bahman Amini Horri 

University of Surrey, Guildford

Dr Bahman Horri is an Associate Professor of Energy Materials and the leader of MSc Sustainable Energy at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey. He is also a Sustainability Fellow at Surrey's Institute for Sustainability and an adjunct research fellow at Monash University. His research focuses on green hydrogen, solid oxide fuel cells & electrolysis cells (SOFCs/SOECs), and thermo-electrochemical water splitting. He holds seven US/European patents, has authored over 100 papers in top-tier journals, contributed to 5 book chapters, and delivered more than 35 presentations as a keynote, invited, or plenary speaker at national and international conferences. Dr Horri received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Monash University in 2012. His research in hydrogen and electrolysers has been recognised with several awards, including the IAAM Lecture Award (2023, Sweden), Research Supervision Award (2022), Innovation Award in Emerging Technologies (2021, UK), Leverhulme TrustResearch Fellowship Award (2021), and Postgraduate Publication Award (2012, Australia). He is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) for multiple research and commercialisation projects in Energy Materials and Sustainability sponsored by EPSRC, the Royal Academy of Engineering, Innovate UK, the Royal Society, and the private sector. He has secured over £2 million as PI in various competitive research grants. He is the inventorof SurreyH2 technology and the founder of the spin-out company Surrey Hydrogen Ltd. at the University of Surrey. With a multidisciplinary background in ceramic fuel cells and material science, Dr Horri is a member of IChemE with Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Chartered Scientist (CSci) qualifications, and the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE). He serves as an associate editor for Frontiers (in Materials Process Engineering) and Energies, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK FHEA).

Invited Speaker:Dr Christopher Roads

Senior research fellow, University of Cambridge, UK

Dr. Roads is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge, where he is also responsible for fostering university collaborations. His distinguished and wide-ranging career is documented in Who's Who. Since 2012, he has served as Adviser to the Chancellor of Nizwa University in Oman, where he is overseeing the establishment of technologies for alloy production. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Roads is the Project Director and founder of the most extensive global museum of small arms in the Middle East, as well as the world’s largest de facto museum of muzzle-loading artillery, both based in Oman. These institutions are of such standing that the International Council of Museums has held one of its annual conferences there. Earlier in his career, Dr. Roads held a fellowship in tropical marine biology, during which he successfully established a research group under his leadership. Over 13 years, the group published 54 peer-reviewed papers. The success of this initiative was such that the group recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, with participation from over 100 of his former colleagues.

Invited Speaker: Ingo Wender

Founder of Advanced Potash Technologies, Brazil

Ingo is a high-tech entrepreneur and investor with focus on natural resources conversion processes, with a track record of supporting the development of innovative and sustainable solutions in metal production, soil revitalization, water quality, energy management, and advanced materials. He was the first investor in Boston Metal, an MIT spinout and Bill Gates-backed company, commercialising molten oxide electrolysis for ferro ally and green steel production. His other ventures include pioneering potassium-based nutrients produced from feldspar, to restore degraded soils, producing sustainable potash fertilizers to enhance crop health and improving crop productivity and backing the advancing of cost-effective high-quality graphene for energy storage. As the founder of Cambridge Advanced Holdings, Ingo supports groundbreaking research on recycling waste plastics, promoting a circular economy, and upcycling waste into high-performance materials for energy storage applications and others.

Invited Speaker: Prof. Pier Paolo Piccaluga

University of Bologna, Italy

Pier Paolo Piccaluga, MD, Ph.D., currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Pathology at the Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Bologna University School of Medicine—Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology. He also serves as an executive physician at The Biobank of Research, IRCCS S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital. In 2018, he was appointed to teaching positions at Queen Mary University of London and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Piccaluga has authored numerous international publications in prestigious journals such as Nature Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood, Lancet Oncology,and Lancet Infectious Diseases. His contributions have earned him recognition as a Top Italian Scientist (TIS) by VIA-Academy.

Invited Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Amor M. Abdelkader

The University of Auckland 

Amor M. Abdelkader received his PhD degree (2011) in Materials Science and Metallurgy from the University of Cambridge supervised by Professor Derek J Fray, FRS. He then moved to study self-healing materials with Professor Sybrand van der Zwaag at the Delft University of Technology. In 2012, he Joined the school of materials at the University of Manchester to work in the graphene technologies. He then moved to the National Graphene Institute to work with Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov (a Nobel laureate in physics). Amor returned to Cambridge in 2016 where he was working with Professor Andrea C. Ferrari at the Cambridge Graphene Centre. In 2017, Amor was appointed as a professor of advanced materials at Bournemouth University. Amor is also a research fellow and visiting academic at the University of Cambridge, TUDelft, Northeastern University, and City University of Hong Kong. He has published over 70 papers, 20 patents, and 1 book chapter. His research activities cover a broad spectrum of materials topics ranging from newly discovered nanomaterials to traditional engineering materials such as alloys and ceramics. He also has a keen interest in carbon dioxide sequestration.

Invited Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Duygu Ege

Boğaziçi University, Turkey

Duygu Ege is currently Associate Prof. at Boğaziçi University, Turkey. She was Humboldt fellow at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute of Biomaterials between 2022-2023. She has a PhD in Medical Materials from University of Cambridge and a MEng (Bachelar studies + Master studies) Degree in Materials Science and Engineering (First Class Honours) from Imperial College, London. Her research on production and characterisation of bone screws at ETH Zurich, lead her to receive the Centenary Prize from Imperial College, London (2009). Her other awards include Dorothy Hodgkins Scholarship leading to PhD at University of Cambridge, Best Podium Presentation Award by International Society for Ceramics in Medicine and IDEA League Grant for her research work at ETH Zurich. Our research so far has concentrated on the production and processing of novel biomaterials including bioactive and bioinert ceramics, carbonaceous materials, and natural polymer composites for bone replacement, implant coatings, nerve regeneration, muscle and cardiac tissue engineering.

Invited Speaker: Prof. Zhao Wang

South China University of Technology, China

Zhao Wang is a professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, and the Executive Director of the Institute of Green Advanced Materials Technology. Since 2009, he has been focusing on the field of bio-based synthetic rubber, mainly engaged in the molecular structure design, engineering, and application development of bio-based copolyester rubber, as well as the development of green and environmentally friendly additives for rubber. He has published over 50 SCI papers in high-impact journals such as Progress in Polymer Science and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, with more than 1,800 citations. As the first inventor, he has filed 35 invention patents, including 10 international patents, and holds 13 authorized patents. Professor Wang is an outstanding young editorial board member of the journal SusMat (Impact Factor 28.6), which is hosted in China. He is also a member of the Expert Committee of the China Synthetic Rubber Industry Association and a committee member of the journals Rubber Industry, Tire Industry, and Rubber Technology. In 2018, he was awarded the "China Rubber Science and Technology Innovation Award." He has led two projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (one Youth Fund and one General Program), and over 20 major national and industrial collaborative projects. 

Invited Speaker: Prof. Beti Andonovik

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Macedonia

Prof. Beti Andonovic is a full professor at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy at the "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" University in Skopje, Macedonia. She holds a PhD in Mathematical Sciences, with a focus on algebraic topology, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje. Her academic and research work bridges mathematics, mathematical modeling and its applications - particularly in materials science, as well as management and communication skills. She is the author of numerous scientific publications and several university textbooks, some of which are recognized as bestsellers. Prof. Andonovic has presented her work as an invited and awarded speaker at international conferences and renowned academic institutions around the world. She has participated in numerous international and national research projects, serving as a contributor, member of management committees, and Scientific Communication Officer. Prof. Andonovic previously served as Head of the Institute of Chemical and Control Engineering and currently holds the positions of Head of the Second-Cycle Study Program in Quality Management and Vice Dean for Science and International Collaboration at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy.

Invited Speaker: Dr. Giorgio Divitini

Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy

Giorgio Divitini received his PhD in Materials Science from the University of Cambridge (UK), following a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Physics from the Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy). He spent four years as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy before becoming the Advanced TEM Officer at Cambridge’s largest electron microscopy facility. In 2021, Giorgio became a group leader at IIT, where he focuses on advancing electron microscopy and its applications. He is passionate about pushing the boundaries of nanoscale characterisation through the development of new detectors, acquisition protocols, and data analysis methods for electron microscopy and related techniques. His research spans a wide range of analytical methods, including electron tomography, EDX and EEL spectroscopy, cryo-EM, and in situ characterisation. His work primarily targets materials and devices for green energy applications, such as solar cells, LEDs, and battery materials.

Invited Speaker: Dr. Niranjala Fernando

Vianode, Norway

Dr. Niranjala Fernando is a Product Manager at Vianode, Norway, where she specializes in developing sustainable graphite solutions for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). With over eight years of experience in materials science and battery development, Dr. Fernando has played a key role in advancing battery technologies for commercial applications. Prior to joining Vianode, she worked as an Anode Scientist at InoBat, a European battery company, where she focused on the development of graphite and silicon-composite anodes for EV batteries. She holds a PhD in anode material development for lithium-ion batteries from Bournemouth University, UK.

Invited Speaker: Dr. Ayşenur Gül

Işık University, Turkey

Ayşenur Gül is currently an Assistant Professor at Işık University, Turkey. She held a postdoctoral research position at the University of Cambridge, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, where she worked on carbon nanomaterials and their polymer composites. She completed her PhD and MSc in Materials Science and Engineering, and her BSc in Chemical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety. She has carried out visiting research at Kyushu University and Gunma University in Japan. Her research focuses on the design, production, and characterization of carbon-based materials, including mesophase pitch-derived carbon foams and nanocomposites. She teaches courses such as Materials Science, Thermodynamics, General Chemistry, Process Safety, Energy Systems, and Occupational Health and Safety. Dr. Gül is a member of the Turkish Carbon Society and serves as editor of the Journal of Occupational Health and Safety Academy. Her interdisciplinary experience supports innovative and sustainable approaches in materials science and engineering education.

Invited Speaker: Dr. Mohd Ubaidullah

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Mohd Ubaidullah is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry at King Saud University, Riyadh, specializing in materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and sustainable energy systems. His current research focuses on the valorization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste into advanced metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for energy storage, catalysis, and environmental applications. He has developed sustainable approaches to convert PET plastic into functional MOFs with high surface area and excellent electrochemical performance, aligning with global efforts toward a circular economy. Dr. Ubaidullah has authored over 240 peer-reviewed publications, holds 07 U.S. patents, and has edited 04 scientific books. His work has received over 5300 citations (Google Scholar), with an h-index of 40, reflecting his strong impact in the field. He is actively involved in several national and international research projects, serves as serving as Editor in several prestigious scientific journals i.e. Discover Chemical Engineering (Springer Nature), Journal of King Saud University-Science etc. and mentors BS, MS, and PhD students. 

Dr. Alan Bates

Partner, Patent Attorney, Reddie & Grose

Alan received a PhD on the microstructural development of pipeline steels from University of Cambridge in the late 1990s before training as a patent attorney. In the subsequent years he has assisted materials innovators in a wide range of technologies to develop patent portfolios, prepare freedom to operate assessments, and conduct hearings at the European Patent Office. Alan believes that innovation in advanced materials is the foundation of our push towards a sustainable future. He is a Chartered Patent Attorney since 2007, and a European Patent Attorney since 2006. 

Alex Maxwell-Keys

Partner, Patent Attorney, Reddie & Grose

Alex Maxwell-Keys is a UK and European patent attorney. Alex’s background is in mechanical engineering and materials, and he particularly enjoys working with innovations at the intersection between sustainability and materials science. His work as a patent attorney over the past nine years has spanned a wide range of materials-based technologies, from green methods for producing glassy carbon and graphene, to the use of shear-thickening fluids in prosthetic joints, to electrolytic reduction processes for reducing metal oxide powders.