INIGO CRUZ MARTINEZ
POLICY OFFICER -EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG MOVE
Íñigo Cruz, with a background in physics, he has been working for the last 13 years in the rail sector and since 2017 as Policy officer at European Commission with responsibilities in the area of Interoperability, Safety and Hyperloop. At the Commission, he has been working in the area of ERTMS and rail safety management systems and reporting. He is the policy officer responsible of managing Commission activities in relation with Hyperloop at the DG MOVE.
Ines Pinho
CONSULTANT – TIS
Inês Pinho holds an academic background in Political Science and International Economics and has contributed to multiple high-level consultancy projects for the European Commission. Her work includes in-depth policy and market analyses, such as assessing strategic options to support the emerging European Hyperloop sector.
JUDIT SANDOR
PROGRAMME MANAGER & EUROPE`S RAIL JOINT UNDERTAKING
Judit Sandor studied management engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. In 2006, she started to work at the Association of the European Rail Manufacturers in Brussels where she held various positions, including Project Coordinator of FP6 and FP7 projects, Sustainability Manager and the ERTMS project manager of UNISIG. In 2014, she joined to the European Commission (DG MOVE) as Policy Officer for ERTMS and Shift2Rail. She has been working at Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking since June 2017; she is the Programme Manager for Flagship area 6 „Regional rail services“ and Flagship area 7 „Innovation on new approaches for guided transport modes“.
JÖRG MARIENHAGEN
DIRECTOR MOBILITY CONSULTING – DB ENGINEERING & CONSULTING
Jörg Marienhagen is a passionate railway engineer with substantial experience in the management of complex both national and international railway projects. His 30-year career has covered the complete life cycle of rail-bound infrastructure, from feasibility studies to operations. Besides railway, he is well connected to the maglev and hyperloop projects utilizing the project development skills as well his deep technical knowledge. Having spent his entire career world-wide in the railway industry, he works for Deutsche Bahn since 2010. Jörg is currently appointed as Director Consulting, Region Europe at DB Engineering & Consulting based in Berlin, Germany.
DR. MARKUS BAUER
MANAGING DIRECTOR – THYSSENKRUPP TRANSRAPID
Markus is a physicist with a broad background in maglev technology and the development of deep tech based innovations. After participating in the development of the Transrapid for many years he joined a startup where he was responsible for setting up production and subsequently for business development and sales in the area of superconductivity. In 2021 he rejoined Transrapid again. As general manager he is leading its activities in the development of modern maglev applications, innovative mechatronic systems, and industrial digital products. Markus combines an in-depth understanding of technical-physical processes and innovative development opportunities with a solid background in business management built up over many years of work. He is convinced that emerging technologies such as Hyperloop will help to overcome the immense challenges that lie ahead of us towards a more sustainable society.
KATHLEEN SCHROETER
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER – ootiboo GmbH
Kathleen has a background in science communication and marketing working a total of 13 years for the prestige Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Today she serves as the honorary chairwoman of VRBB – Virtual Reality e.V. Berlin-Brandenburg and is Co-founder and CEO of ootiboo GmbH. In collaboration with creative industry stakeholders, teachers and neuroscientists, ootiboo investigates the effects of fostering creative expression on the cognitive development, collaborative thinking, critical questioning and mental health in children and grown-up alike worldwide. In 2018, the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) honored her with the Distinguished Leadership Award in L.A. as one of 13 influential women from the entertainment and high-tech industry. As a public speaker and moderator her insights into Deep and High Tech allow audiences to contextualize tech trends, deepen their understanding of R&D processes, and explore sci-fi scenarios that could soon become a reality.
ANDRÈ FREITAS
TRANSPORT POLICY & REGULATION – TIS
André Freitas is a sociologist with more than 15 years of experience in urban and rural transport-related projects, strong expertise in TEN-T policy, as well as in new transport concepts. Transportes, Inovação e Sistemas (TIS) is a Portuguese independent consultancy (SME) with more than 30 years in the market and totally focused on transport and mobility systems. The company covers all current and future transport modes, encompassing the whole spectrum of studies and projects, themes, perspectives, or scales, and including feasibility analysis of innovative and disruptive technologies.
Dr. FLORIAN DIGNATH
SENIOR SYSTEM ENGINEER – THYSSENKRUPP TRANSRAPID
Florian Dignath studied mechanical engineering and conducted research at the University of Stuttgart (Germany), the University of Sussex (UK), and Queen’s University Kingston (Canada) on the topics of railway dynamics, satellite dynamics, and mechatronic systems. In 2002 he joined thyssenkrupp Transrapid, where he worked on vehicle dynamics, vibration damping, vehicle-guideway interaction, vibration emissions, aerodynamic interactions and pressure tightness. Currently, his main topic is the advanced control of MAGLEV levitation and guidance systems for higher speeds.
DR. WOOYEON CHO
SENIOR RESEARCHER – POSCO STEEL SOLUTION RESEARCH LABORATORY
Dr. Wooyeon Cho: After receiving his doctorate in structural analysis, he has been working in the field of pipe/tube structural design for over 20 years. He works at POSCO, a steel company, and has been working with customers to optimize steel matching for each field and design the optimal structure of the steel. Currently, he is conducting research on tube structure design optimization and innovative tube structures to improve competitiveness in the hyperloop infrastructure field. In particular, he has been conducting research on ways to reduce total costs from the perspective of all stages of the process, including material supply, production, transportation, construction, and maintenance, as tube structures become larger.
JUAN DE DIOS SANZ
PROFESSOR – DEPARTMENT MECHANICA ENGINEERING UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
Dr.-Ing. Juan de Dios Sanz Bobi is Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). He holds a PhD in the Process Control and Artificial Intelligence Program at UPM and has been engaged in research and innovation in railway systems since 1992. His main research line focuses on computational modeling applied to rail systems. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Spanish Railway Technology Platform (PTFE), the Permanent Advisory Board of the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC), and the Scientific Steering Group of Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail JU). In the field of hyperloop transport system, he leads a research line on operational conditions and serves as Chairman of CEN/CLC JTC 20, the European standardization committee for hyperloop.
DOMENIK RADECK
TECHNICAL LEAD – TUM HYPERLOOP
Domenik Radeck has been passionate about Hyperloop since the early days, contributing research from a bachelor’s thesis on magnetism to a PhD on technical Hyperloop concepts. He led the research teams at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competitions in 2018 and 2019, and later served as Technical Lead of TUM Hyperloop, overseeing the demonstrator build. Today, he heads the Hyperloop research group at the Technical University of Munich, driving forward the technical frontiers of this emerging technology.
JOHANNES WINTER
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE SMART INFRASTRUCTURE – DREES & SOMMER
Johannes is a mechanical and economy engineer with over 15 years of international experience in automated guided transportation. He has led operational companies for major projects such as the People Mover Projects in Toronto and in Oakland, as well as Emirates Air Line in London, the Wynn SkyCab in Macau, and the Disney Skyliner in Orlando, overseeing long-term operations and maintenance contracts. Since 2022, he is with Drees & Sommer, where he focuses on advancing operational excellence for smart infrastructure projects worldwide. As frequent speaker and author, Johannes brings global insights on innovation and operations to the industry.
ORI MAROM
PROGRAM MANAGER NEW MOBILITY – PORT OF ROTTERDAM
Ori Marom (PhD, MBA) is Program Manager New-Mobility at the Port of Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Board Director at SAE Industry Technologies Consortia. At the Port of Rotterdam, he is responsible for the integration of connected autonomous machines, such as autonomous-vessels and drones, into port-systems. Before joining the port, he was a start-up entrepreneur and served on the faculty of the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University.
MARTIN JOHANN FRÖHLICH
CEO & FOUNDER HYPERLOOP CONFERENCE
Martin Johann Fröhlich belongs to a new generation of entrepreneurs. After his studies in International Management achieved around the world (Berlin, Paris, London, Chengdu/China) and his cooperation with Siemens in Denmark, he becomes self-employed. As an innovative and ambitious entrepreneur, he founds his sustainable fashion label Martin Joyeux and his Capital Fund Mother Earth Ventures, whose vision and aim is to transform our world into an ecologically compatible, socially just and economically efficient place to live in. In other words, its aspiration and contribution is to balance technology, people and planet. Currently Martin works as Senior Manager in the department Ecosystem Management and Partnerships at Deutsche Bahn. He deals with future topics, specifically he develops disruptive business models in the mobility sector and works on long-term sustainable mobility solutions such as flying taxis, hyperloop, autonomous hotel rooms.
ANDREA COSTA
INNOVATION OFFICER ELECTRIFICATION & ALTERNATIVE FUELS BUSINESS DEVELOPER – EIT URBAN MOBILITY
Andrea Costa is an Engineer (MSc) and Executive MBA with over 18 years of experience in innovation, business development, and deep-tech project management across Europe. Spent 10 years in the energy and nuclear sectors, contributing to major research initiatives such as ITER and advancing technology implementation in France and Spain. Currently leading the Electrification & Alternative Fuels portfolio at EIT Urban Mobility, with a strategic focus on hydrogen and battery-powered mobility.
GABRIELE SEMINO
PROJECT LEAD – TUM HYPERLOOP
Gabriele has been actively involved in the development of hyperloop technology since 2016. Currently, he is the project lead of the TUM Hyperloop research and development program at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). TUM Hyperloop’s mission is to develop the technology necessary for ultra-fast, emission-free, and effortless transportation between mobility hubs. In July 2023 the team completed Europe’s first passenger-size demonstrator, a 24-meter-long test segment designed to test key hyperloop technologies and certified for passenger operations, and conducted the first passenger test under full vacuum conditions. While pursuing his studies, Gabriele previously served as the project lead of the TUM Hyperloop student initiative. Under his leadership, the team achieved remarkable successes, securing victories in both the 2017 and 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competitions.
LUKAS ESCHMENT
PROJECT COORDINATOR – INSTITUTE FOT HYPERLOOP TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY EMDEN/LEER
Lukas Eschment helped initiate and is now coordinating projects at the Institute of Hyperloop Technology where he is also a PhD candidate. After starting with the Hyperloop Pod Competitions and reaching out to industry partners, he is now focusing his work on Full-Scale Hyperloop Technology. He is involved in standardization at national and European level, EU projects and Hyperloop Programs like ePIcenter, the Hyperloop Development Program and the EU HyTeC project. In his research he is looking at modelling and simulation of hyperloop as well as large-scale test infrastructures. Today he is focusing on Hyperloop efforts on a European level, forming partnerships and consortia including industry and academia with the goal of developing future transportation.
DELPHINE ROMEU
DIRECTOR – TOMORROW.MOBILITY CONFERENCE
Delphine Romeu is the Director of Tomorrow.Mobility, the leading international event for sustainable and intelligent urban mobility. Co-organized by Fira Barcelona and EIT Urban Mobility, the event takes place annually, each November in Barcelona, within the framework of Smart City Expo World Congress. Delphine holds an International Bachelor in Business Administration and a Master in International Projects Management. She has lived in the Catalan capital for more than 15 years, after moving from her native Marseille. Previously she managed the Spanish branch of the consulting firm Novalys. She joined Fira Barcelona in 2010 and has collaborated in the management of the following international events related to cities and sustainability; Smart City Expo World Congress, Innovate For Climate and Iwater. In 2021, she was appointed the Director of Tomorrow.Mobility.
JASNE PRILOP
HEAD OF PROJECTS – DRO Deutsche Rail Operations
Jasne Prilop, Head of Projects at DRO, manages projects and innovative developments in the rail sector. With a background in Industrial Engineering and years of railway industry experience, she is advancing Hyperloop activities in Germany, examining the system from both project development and operational perspectives.
ALEXANDER ROTH
COORDINATOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AUTOMOTIVE – MESSE FRANKFURT EXHIBITION
Alexander Roth ist Project Coordinator Automotive International bei Messe Frankfurt und verantwortet die Marken- und Geschäftsentwicklung im internationalen Umfeld. Er entwickelt innovative Eventformate, führt diese erfolgreich in neue Märkte ein und begleitet sie in ihrer Weiterentwicklung mit weltweiten Partnern. Aktuell ist er insbesondere in der Region Nahost und Korea aktiv, während neue Projekte in den USA und Zentralasien vorbereitet werden.
NARDI POLAK
HEAD OF SUPPLIER INNOVATION – VATTTENFALL
Nardi Polak is a respected professional at Vattenfall, currently serving as Head of Supplier Innovation, recognized for his strategic vision and innovative approach. He began his career at Nuon in 2006 and has since held a variety of roles within Nuon and later Vattenfall, consistently driving forward innovation and business growth. In his current role, Nardi focuses on Supplier Innovation & Digitalization, where he is responsible for sourcing and implementing innovative, disruptive technologies across all Vattenfall business units.
He has an impressive track record of successfully introducing new solutions that enhance operational efficiency, support sustainability goals, and create measurable value for the company. Through his work, Nardi has significantly contributed to strengthening Vattenfall’s position as a forward-thinking, innovation-driven energy company, forging impactful collaborations with suppliers and advancing technological development.