SPEAKERS GDANSK

Frits Staals

PROGRAMME MANAGER HYPERLOOP TATA STEEL NETHERLANDS

Frits Staals is the program manager for hyperloop at Tata Steel Netherlands since October 2022. He has a background in mechanical and electrical engineering. He has worked since 1988 in the chemical, paper and steel industry in functions varying from automation, maintenance, projectmanagement to marketing and sales. His special interest is TOC, a methodology developed by Eli Goldratt, that can be used to improve every possible process.

PRZEMEK BEN PĄCZEK

CEO & CO-FOUNDER – NEVOMO

Przemek is the CEO of Nevomo and co-founder of the company. Previously, he held the position Chief Product Officer responsible for coordinating the development of Nevomo’s products, including supervision of R&D projects and collaborations in technology areas. Przemek has over fifteen years of managerial experience in finance and sales, gained mostly in private banking, fund management, real estate brokerage and land development sectors. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and a Ph.D. candidate at Kozminski University in Warsaw (Management in New Technologies). Przemek is a graduate of ESCP Europe in Paris (Master’s in Management: London-Madrid-Paris, Major: Public Management), Cracow University of Economics (Master’s in Economics, Major: Spatial Economics) and the Microeconomics of Competitiveness Program at Kozminski University (in cooperation with Harvard Business School). He is a scholarship holder of the French Foreign Ministry (Bourse Eiffel).

DR. HANS VAN DER WEIJDE

Director Programmes at Tata Steel R&D Netherlands

Hans is a materials scientist and engineer who initially specialised in surface related technologies. After a short academic career at Delft University he transferred to Tata Steel (and its predecessors) in ’98 and has broadened his field of expertise since. His main specialisation is in applied electrochemistry, metallic and organic coatings, corrosion and in metal packaging but as programme director the project portfolio’s covers a much wider area of the steel industry as well as applications of steel with a special focus on the changes that are needed to renew the steel industry towards a green future.

KEIR FITCH

HEAD OF UNIT RAIL SAFETY & INTEROPERABILITY IN DG MOVE IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The mission of the Unit is to establish an interoperable and safe Single European Rail area and to manage the relationships with the European Union Agency for Railways and the Shift-To-Rail Joint undertaking. This includes in particular: pursuing the conditions to achieve interoperability and safety in the rail systems across the EU, in particular in partnership with the European Union Agency for Railways; and ensuring the delivery of a long term R&I programme with the rail industry which supports the Commission’s vision for the future of rail and broader transport, competitiveness, environmental and social policy objectives.

RAJA NARAYANAN

CEO –  H1

Over the past 3 years, he has been working closely with potential early Hyperloop commercial projects in India, USA, and Italy. Before joining Virgin Hyperloop as CFO and interim CEO, Raja was an SVP at Hyundai-Aptiv Autonomous Driving Joint Venture, focused on commercializing L4 autonomous driving technology. He was part of a broader executive team at Aptiv that led to the creation of the joint venture (JV) valued at $4 billion. At the JV, he was responsible for developing, nurturing, and maintaining a broad swath of partnerships which included maximizing commercial value into the program ecosystem. Prior to that, Raja was involved with OneWeb, where he led the creation of a financially compelling offering for commercial aviation. As a VP at Panasonic, he led the strategic plan and P&L transformation of the appliances business unit into IoT-based automation. In a previous assignment, he was responsible for driving the re-imagination of the business and technology architecture of the in-flight platform for commercial aviation. Raja holds a master’s degree in computer science from University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and dual bachelor’s degrees in engineering and physics from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, and the University of Madras, India, respectively. He is also a co-author of 6 wireless networking patents that have been granted by the U.S. patent office.

PIOTR GRZELAK

DEPUTY MAJOR CITY OF GDANSK 

HARJ DHALIWAL

FOUNDER & CEO – GENESIS URBAN FZE

ANDRÉS DE LEÓN

CEO HYPERLOOPTT

Known globally for his focused management style and creation of growth-oriented businesses within the infrastructure construction and alternative energy sectors, Andres de Leon was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2019. Previously, Andres had served as Chief Operations Officer for HyperloopTT for three years. Andres brings 30 years of international experience as a senior executive in manufacturing, finance management, private/public business negotiation, and tax and audit supervision to HyperloopTT. Andres has initiated and executed corporate affairs in Spain, Belgium, Portugal, France, Italy, Mexico, Chile, and the United States.

MARS GEUZE

CEO & CO-Founder HARDT HYPERLOOP

Mars Geuze is Chief Commercial Officer at Hardt Hyperloop, a European company that develops the hyperloop: sustainable high-speed transportation for passengers and goods. Within Hardt, Geuze is responsible for all the non-technical aspects concerning hyperloop, such as public adoption, standardization, the financial and socio-economic business cases and the integration in the spatial environment as well as in the transport network. Hardt Hyperloop has realized Europe’s first full-scale hyperloop test facility and is spearheading a broad public-private development and implementation program to collaboratively create a world where distance does not matter.

DR. LUCIENNE KROSSE

THEMATIC LEAD SMART BUILDINGS & CITIES EIT INNOENERGY

Dr. Lucienne Krosse has a background in Chemical Engineering. She obtained her Master’s degree from the University of Twente in the Netherlands. At the Technical University of Delft she worked on her PhD ‘compact thermochemical storage’. Afterwards, she started to work for the Dutch Institute for Applied Scientific Research, TNO where she served in different scientific, business and management positions. During that time she also worked for a year at the Dutch Embassy in Beijing at the department of Economic affairs. Meanwhile, she was involved in setting up a joint venture for TNO in China, BBTDC. Currently she works for InnoEnergy as thematic leader of ‘Smart Buildings and Cities’. InnoEnergy is the innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. InnoEnergy invests in innovative products, services and start-ups.

MARCUS EBERT

SALES DIRECTOR DB INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

SABINE SCHLOSSER

PRINCIPAL – DETECON INTERNATIONAL (PART OF DEUTSCHE TELEKOM)

Sabine Schlosser is Principal at Detecon International GmbH (part of Deutsche Telekom), forward thinking global mobility expert and strategic management consultant. Her international track record covers over 25 years in transports & logistics, and more than 15 years of experience in consulting. Two decades of regional management responsibilities at DB Schenker (APAC) saw her delivering some of the largest worldwide logistics projects including the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, always (and only possible) with a dedicated, multicultural, high-performance team at her side. Her focus on strategic and solution-based consulting, mixed with her passion for technology & innovation, led her into the world of strategic management consulting. At Detecon, she is instrumental in driving the “travel, transport & logistics” sector forward. Always looking for new trends in technology, forever curious about innovation, she stands for strategic advisory, digital transformation and change management, with a clear focus on mobility of the future.

GIUSEPPE CARCASI

TEAM LEADER OF THE “STUDIES AND SYSTEM INNOVATION” B.U., RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA (RFI)

Giuseppe has more than 12 years of experience in RFI, the Italian railway Infrastructure Manager. Since 2018, he is in charge of exploring future mobility scenarios to identify long term strategies and investment needs for the infrastructural and technological enhancement of the transport system focusing on the railway network and rapid transit solutions, new advanced transport systems, new technologies & digital transformation initiatives, decarbonisation & energy transformation initiatives, risk evaluation of climate change effects & adaptation actions. Giuseppe is a mechanical engineer (BSc and MSc) and holds a PhD in Economics of Monetary and Financial Markets from La Sapienza, University of Rome.

STEFAN KIRCH

CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER & CO-FOUNDER – NEVOMO

Stefan is responsible for Nevomo’s business development and maintaining relationships with customers and partners for the MagRail technology. He is an experienced manager in the rail industry, having gained his experience, among others, at Deutsche Bahn in a number of roles over 14 years: Head of Sales DB Netz, Product Owner Partner-Account-Management DB Systel and as a Founder of several innovation initiatives, like EinfachBahn, Netzfonds, and DB FlexRail. Stefan is a qualified economist with a Diplom-Kaufmann degree from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.

JULIAN MADSEN

STRATEGY & SALES DEVELOPMENT OFFICER EUROPE – GATX RAIL GERMANY 

Julian Madsen is responsible for the Strategy and Sales Development in Europe at GATX Rail Europe. GATX is one of the leading private wagon hire companies with a fleet of approximately 29,000 wagons in Europe (approximately 147,000 wagons worldwide). GATX operates in the US, India and Europe. In his role, Julian and his team are involved in many different subjects around the strategic development of the product portfolio and business direction. A key focus is evaluating potential business opportunities that involve further developing the product portfolio or improving the current offering. The aim is to promote innovative ideas and to complement them meaningfully with experience and competencies from the existing business.

ALEXEI VESELIY

SENIOR DATA ENGINEER – ACCENTURE

Alexei is a PhD researcher at Transport and Telecommunication Institute (Riga). My PhD topic is “Assessment methodology for Hyperloop implementation”. Currently I hold position as Senior Data Engineer at Accenture, focus on Big Data applications development. To support Hyperloop development I lead “Hyperloop Baltic” community. It connects Accenture and TTI enthusiasts in ultra-high speed transportation aiming to support Hyperloop development in the Baltic countries. My hobbies are hiking, travelling, reading books, exploring Metaverse and quantum computing, playing video games and volunteering.

MARTIN JOHANN FRÖHLICH

CEO – MOTHER EARTH VENTURES

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.

MICHAEL STEININGER

MARKET SECTOR MANAGER – LEYBOLD INDUSTRIAL VACUUM

Michael Steininger works as a Global Business Development Manager for Industrial Vacuum within the Leybold GmbH, a member of the Swedish Atlas Copco group. Constantly challenged by new emerging markets with different technologies and demands, he has to transform the input to a business strategy and has to outline the influence on existing vacuum designs and initiate new pump developments. In view of the enormous potential of Hyperloop, a high-speed, vacuum based, ground transportation system for which the company became a key technology partner, he closely accompanies Hyperloop activities all over the world for many years.

JAKOB ZARANEK

LEADER TASK FORCE URBAN RAIL – TÜV SÜD Rail

Jakob Zaranek is an experienced engineer in the fields of fire protection, fire safety concepts and fire risk analysis. Moreover, he has worked as project manager and coordinator in many national and international projects. Mr. Zaranek has also performed numerous trainings and presentations, mostly at international levels, related to aspects of fire safety and homologation processes for rolling stock. In the aerospace sector Mr. Zaranek has a broad expertise in the engineering, testing and qualification of aircraft interior components as well as airworthiness regulations.

GABRIELE SEMINO

Project Lead – TUM Hyperloop

Gabriele Semino 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. At the moment, the team is in the final stages of constructing Europe’s first passenger-size demonstrator, a 24-meter-long test segment designed to test key hyperloop technologies and certified for passenger operations. 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. Moreover, Gabriele served as the founding chairman of NEXT Prototypes e.V., a non-profit student organization dedicated to building advanced prototypes and developing future technologies, such as hyperloop. Meanwhile, Gabriele earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Applied and Engineering Physics from the Technical University of Munich.

LUKAS ESCHMENT

Scientific Research Assistant – HOCHSCHULE EMDEN/LEER

Lukas is a curious engineer and PhD candidate at the Institute of Hyperloop Technology at the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer. After starting into Hyperloop with the Hyperloop Pod Competitions, he is now focusing his work together with the team of the institute towards the transition of the former MagLev test track in Lathen to a European Hyperloop Large Scale Technological Research Infrastructure. Simultaneously he is involved in EU Projects and other transnational Hyperloop Development Programs like the ePIcenter EU-project, the Hyperloop Development Program which is a Dutch initiative with European cooperation and the EU HyTeC Project of Lower Saxony.

MARIELIES BECKER

SENIOR INNOVATION MANAGER AEROSPACE & HYPERLOOP – BERLIN PARTNER OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

Since 2020 Senior Innovation Manager Aerospace + Hyperloop at Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, which is the Economic Development Agency of Berlin. Several years of Experience in Research and Development in the Industry as well as in the Scientific field.  Master of Engineering in Composite Materials. 

HARJ DHALIWAL

FOUNDER & CEO – GENESIS URBAN FZ 

Harj Dhaliwal is a seasoned executive with an established track record in the Middle East, India, and the UK. With over 40 years in transportation and infrastructure, Harj is passionate about people, places and the planet. Harj has a proven track record for structuring, developing and delivering mega transportation projects and was responsible for delivering the first heavy haul railway in the UAE, and pioneering Hyperloop technology across the Middle East and India. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Member of the UK Engineering Council, Advisor to the Airbus Executive Committee, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Nottingham Trent University, UK

DR. FLORIAN DIGNATH

BASISTECHNOLOGIEN -THYSSENKRUPP TRANSRAPID

MEHMET ÖRGEN

HYPERLOOP LEADER – ERCIYAS

Mehmet Örgen is an Electric & Electronics Engineer. After 30 years of experience in Turkish Navy and NATO, he has been a Senior Manager at Erciyas Holding since 2014. Besides his corporate responsibilities, he is working on startup discovery, innovation development, energy and technology projects acceleration in a broad ecosystem. In his capacity, he is leading Hyperloop activities in the conglemorate  and putting all his efforts to pioneer Hyperloop Development globally.

JULIA OOMENS-MEER

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD – HARDT HYPERLOOP

Julia is a German national, residing in the Netherlands for 14 years and brings over 20 years of Sales & Business Development experience to the table. Her last 14 years were dedicated to assisting companies in Mobility, Sustainability, and Digitalization with international expansion in her semi-government role. A skilled networker, Julia thrives on creating win-win situations by connecting people. Passionate about climate change and energy transition, she aims to make a meaningful impact in these areas. At Hardt she leads the Business Development in Europe and changes mindsets from “non-believers” to ambassadors.

JUDIT SANDOR

EUROPE`S RAIL PROGRAMME MANAGER - EUROPE`S RAIL JOINT UNDERTAKING

Judit 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”