Dr. Kris Broos graduated as an environmental engineer in 1999 and obtained a PhD in Applied and Biological Sciences in 2003 at KU Leuven (Belgium). After 5 years of environmental research at the CSIRO Land and Water in Australia, Kris moved back to Belgium to work at VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research. With a track record of more than 30 SCI papers and a strong involvement in several large EU projects (H2020, FP7, Interreg, EIT Raw Materials), Kris has become an expert on Sustainable Materials Management. His field of expertise is the transformation of inorganic waste streams into new resources and products. In particular, the recycling of construction and demolition waste, metal slags, and industrial waste streams have been some of his focus areas. Kris has been closely involved in the latest revision of the waste legislation for Flanders, under the authority of the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM). Currently, he is exploring a new strategic research line on the use of sensor-based technologies and machine learning for the inline characterization of heterogeneous waste streams.  

Roel Vleeschouwers started his career at Hydrochem, heading its environmental laboratory, and then spent 9 years at Ecowater Watrex as a sales manager in the industrial water treatment department. He joined VITO in 2005 and has since worked as a business development manager in the business unit Sustainable Chemistry. Roel holds a degree in Applied Chemistry and Environmental Sciences from KU Leuven. 

Tom Van Haren (MSc) graduated as a geologist in 2007 and obtained a Master degree of Environmental Sciences and Technology in 2009. At VITO he has mainly been working on the development of 3D geological models with focus on raw materials and city scale modelling. Currently he is leading a 3D modelling project that brings into focus the urban subsurface of the Antwerp area. An urban subsurface model is a useful starting point to support decision-makers in managing the city’s subsurface. With "Down2Earth" Tom wants to present and explain subsurface data in one central place, so that at an early stage project planners get a better idea of the expected situation of the subsurface and what this means in terms of risks and opportunities for their project. 

Dr. Marianne Stranger holds a master in chemistry and obtained her PhD in Sciences in 2005 from the University of Antwerp in the field indoor and outdoor air quality. In 2005 she became a research coordinator at the University of Antwerp's faculty of Design Sciences (Industrial Design), where she initiated new research activities, national and international collaborations. In 2008 Marianne started working at VITO in the team Air Quality Measurement Systems of the Health Unit, going back to her initial passion: indoor air quality (IAQ). Currently, she is a senior researcher, active in regional, national, European and international research projects. Her activities and expertise are focused on prevention and remediation for good IAQ. They include the organization of (small and large-scale) IAQ assessment studies, targeted studies on source reduction and exposure reduction strategies, the development of strategies for source identification and quantification, as well as the communication of research findings to target groups. Studied indoor environments include the built environment (residences, schools, offices, daycare centers and elderly homes), as well as transport (airplanes, public transport and marine environment). Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic she has specialized more thoroughly in airborne virus transmission in indoor environments, providing expertise to policy makers and various sectors. 

Metin Bulut is an expert in the field of catalysis and started his career in the petrochemical industry. He joined VITO in 2010 where he was involved in several research projects related to process intensification. Next to his technological expertise, Metin has relevant experience in market analysis, techno-economic analysis and technology benchmark for sustainable chemistry applications. He has been working as a business development manager at VITO since 2014. Metin holds a doctoral degree in bio-engineering from KU Leuven. 

Dr.ir. Jan Vaes holds a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from KU Leuven (Belgium), where he also completed his PhD in electrochemistry.  He started as a corrosion consultant to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries before joining imec as an R&D engineer in 2005. In this role, he developed process steps for semiconductor and solar cell manufacturing.  In 2012 he started as Technology Director at Hydrogenics On Site Generation division, where he led to the development and engineering of alkaline and PEM water electrolysis systems, from basic component research to full system integration. Since 2018, Jan has been a programme manager in VITO’s Sustainable Chemistry business unit, focusing on electrosynthesis of chemicals and e-fuels for energy storage.

Elfi Goesaert holds a doctoral degree in Psychology, doing research in the field of neuroscience on visual perception at KU Leuven (Belgium). After a couple of years as a postdoc looking at the organization of the visual cortex using machine learning techniques, she switched tracks and started at Domus Medica on out-of-hours care. In 2016, she became project manager ICT and eHealth, and worked on several federal and Flemish projects on eHealth and the digitization of healthcare (e.g. medication scheme, GDPR and secure communication in health, eHealth training for health care professionals,… ) , and became vice-chair of the Vitalink Consultation Committee in 2019. She co-managed the digitization of the Domus Medica Health Guide, and started collaborating on the BIBOPP project. In 2021, she joined the VITO Datascience Hub to further develop projects in personalized medicine and prevention.   

Dries Van Gheluwe is Business Development Advisor at Port of Antwerp. He is responsible for the development of the NextGen District in which investors are attracted, according to a predefined scope and criteria, including sustainability and circularity. In his role, he also encourages the integration of the various companies on the NextGen District. This involves looking at synergies, cluster reinforcement and integration of the operations.