Head of Sustainability & Climate Transition at Bondalti

Graduated in Environmental Engineering in Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa – Portugal, holds an Advanced Studies Diploma in Sustainable Energy Systems from MIT Portugal and almost 20 years of experience in Innovation, Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility in Industry, Consulting, Technology, Transports, and Nonprofit organizations.

Talks about sustainable innovation, business strategy, conscious capitalism, ESG reporting, renewable energy systems, smart mobility, decarbonization and climate change adaptation, partnerships for environmental and social impact and stakeholder engagement.

Passionate about people, technology, leadership, and happiness culture in organizations. Mission in life: Transform business and minds. Life mantra: Work hard, play harder.

Sustainability & Blue Economy Director at Beta-i

Ana Costa is one of the Directors of Beta-i and expert in Sustainability, Blue Economy, Innovation in Fashion, to name a few. After 15 years working in different industrial environments (water and wastewater treatment, Oil & Gas), she founded Baseville, a sustainable fashion brand, and co-founded Fashion Catalyst, a fashion consulting studio. Creating purpose-centered innovation ecosystems has been one of her missions while working at Beta-i.

Her areas of expertise include ecosystem strategy & governance, waste value chains, blue economy, sustainability, blue innovation in fashion, strategic planning, circular economy, and stakeholder management.

Head of the Chemical Engineering Department at FEUP

Full Professor at FEUP and Head of the Chemical Engineering Department since 2018. With a PhD in Chemical Engineering (1998), his research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis, carbon materials, energy, environment, and smart textiles. He has coordinated numerous national and international projects, supervised over 130 researchers, and published extensively with an H-index of 79 (Scopus, 2024). He is also the President of the Carbon Group of SPQ and Portugal’s representative in the IACS and European Carbon Association.

Director of the Chemistry Department at UA

PhD in Chemistry, full professor and currently Head of the Chemistry Department at the University of Aveiro, his research focuses on renewable-based materials, particularly in the development of biopolymers and biocomposites from agro-industrial residues, contributing to sustainable material innovation.

He was a member of the CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, one of Portugal’s leading materials research institutions, and actively collaborates on European and international projects in the field of green chemistry and circular economy.

Director of the Environment and Planning Department at UA

Holds a PhD in Environmental Applied Sciences from the University of Aveiro. She is currently the Director of the Department of Environment and Planning at the University of Aveiro and Vice-Director of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM – Associate Laboratory), in addition to serving as Director of the Institute of Environment and Development (IDAD).

With over 35 years of professional experience, her areas of expertise focus on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Marine Resources Management, Planning and Management of Protected Areas, and Strategic Planning.

Has extensive experience in consulting for public and private organisations, both nationally and internationally, in the fields of land use planning, strategic environmental assessment, and public participation and consultation processes. Between 2019 and 2022, she served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Port of Aveiro, S.A. and the Port of Figueira da Foz, S.A.

Innovation Manager 
at IRIS

Francisca is the Innovation Manager at IRIS Incubadora de Inovação Social and is responsible for the educational project Mudar o Mundo. Throughout her career at IRIS, she has followed the challenges and evolution of innovation and social entrepreneurship projects. She has a degree in Sociology from the University of Porto, with a dissertation in the area of ​​impact assessment.

Treasurer 
at Quercus Aveiro

Information management professional with experience in municipal archives and currently working in a municipal library.

Joana is a trainer and has collaborated as a volunteer in several projects and events of cultural, sports and environmental associations.

After the fire that affected her village in September 2023, Joana co-founded a civic movement and a residents’ committee, currently committed to creating a Local Development and Protection Association, with the aim of combating desertification, rural abandonment, the proliferation of invasive species and the lack of territorial protection.