Speaker | Institution | Contribution to ESBBC | Biography |
Olivier Arnould | University of Montpellier, LMGC Laboratory | Keynote lecture: wood fibres - from their biological origin to their properties | After obtaining a post-graduate degree in mechanics of materials in 1999, at the Université de Paris XIII (Paris, France), Olivier Arnould obtained a Ph.D. in mechanics of materials from the University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France) in 2003. He became a lecturer in the Wood team of the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC), teaching at the Department of Mechanics of the Faculty of Sciences, of the University of Montpellier (Montpellier, France) in 2004. His main research interests are the mechanical characterization of plant fibers and wood materials, from the cell wall scale -using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation- to the macroscopic (bulk) scale -using ultrasound, modal analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. Olivier Arnould is the author and co-author of more than 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals, has contributed to more than 80 presentations at national and international conferences and has given several international courses on the use of AFM for the mechanical characterization of plant cell walls. |
Steve Barron
| Film director and producer, writer, music video director | Introductive talk: Towards a more sustainable world – From film to hemp farming | For MTV in the 1980’s Steve conceived and directed Michael Jackson’s 'Billie-Jean’, Dire Straits 'Money For Nothing’ (winner of the 1986 Video of the Year) and A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’. He also made videos with Madonna, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and many others. His Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) movie was the first independent to take $100 million theatrically in the US. Comedies like ‘Coneheads’ starring Dan Aykroyd followed and UK football hit ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’. Steve also directed TV mega-series ‘Merlin’ with Sam Neill, which was watched by 60 million NBC US viewers, Treasure Island featuring Eddie Izzard and Elijah Wood and The Durrells (2016), BAFTA nominated for best Drama. |
Johnny Beaugrand
| INRAe Nantes, BIA Unit | Keynote lecture: Towards better knowledge of fiber cell wall : from biochemistry to the properties of plant walls, main lines and variables | Dr Johnny Beaugrand is a Research Director in Bio based Materials at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France. At the Biopolymers- Interactions-Assemblies Unit (Nantes), J. Beaugrand works with scientists involved in understanding the potential of plant cells. Those are fascinating hierarchical bio-assemblies that are perfectly designed to fulfill a specific role in Nature (structural, protection, energy storage, transportation…) and are able to adapt in an evolutive environment by polymers remodelling. Though being used since several thousands of years for human needs (food, textile, mud houses…), new uses of plants may arise from the growing interest in the development of bio-based and smart materials in technical and high performance applications. In this regard, the on-going interdisciplinary researches gathering plant biology, biotechnologies, wood science and polymers & materials science are a driving force to boost ideas and innovations for the development of new bio-based materials with original functionalities. The global warming also pushes us to better understand the biochemical changes caused in plant cell walls and their impacts on uses. |
Alain Bourmaud | University of South Brittany, Dupuy de Lôme Research Institute (IRDL), UMR CNRS 6027 | Keynote lecture: Overview of plant fibres for bio-based composite reinforcement; main specificities and key properties | Dr. Alain Bourmaud is a researcher at the University of South Brittany (France) since 2001. He mainly works on biocomposite processing and recycling or plant fibre structure- property relationship. Its research work is strongly linked to the use of plant fibres in composite materials, in connection with the national industrial ecosystem. He also develops more academic research topics such as the understanding of the temporal evolution of flax fibres, through the study of ancient archaeological objects. He published around 140 papers in international journals on biocomposite processing or plant fibre structure and properties and supervised 14 PhD students and 3 post-doc. Alain is also the scientific coordinator of the FLOWER project (INTERREG Cross-Channel, 8 partners, 4.6M€, 2018-2022). He is involved in many research collaborations at the national (FEMTO, INRA, ENIT, CIMAP, PBS, ICUBE, Centrale Supelec….) and international (UoKazan, UoBremen, UoPortsmouth, UoCambridge, Scion NZ…) scale. Finally, Alain is expert for H2020 projects or MSC fellowships and also Managing Editor for the international journal Industrial Crops and Products (Elsevier). |
Michael Carus
| NOVA Institute | Keynote: Renewable Carbon Concept and Initiative – what does this mean for bio-based composites? | Michael Carus studied physics at the University of Cologne. He worked as a scientific staff member for nuclear energy and environment at the University of Tuebingen, as a scientific journalist for different professional magazines, at the KATALYSE-Umweltinstitut in Cologne (head of the department environment and resources), for the US company Tektronix GmbH in Cologne (IT) as well as for the company Flachglas Solartechnik GmbH in Cologne (solar power) until founding the nova-Institute for Political and Ecological Innovation together with other scientists in 1994. The nova-Institut is a private and independent research institute providing research and consultancy with a focus on renewable carbon in the chemical, plastics and fibre industries: bio- and CO2-based and recycled materials. This involves raw materials, technology scouting, markets, sustainability and life cycle assessment, policy as well as dissemination and B2B/B2C communication. The institute has more than 40 scientific staff. Since its founding, Michael Carus has served as a board member and managing director. Mr Carus is a member of various associations, societies and international organisations. Carus is a science-based advisor on corporate strategy, policy and sustainability in the chemical, plastics and fibre industries around the world. In 2020, Carus initiated the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI). The RCI aims to support and accelerate the transition from fossil carbon to renewable carbon for all organic chemicals and materials. |
Michel Chalot
| University of Franche Comté | Presentation: NETFIB project | Michel CHALOT is Professor « Exceptional class » of the University de Lorraine, and member of the Chrono-environnement laboratory since 2013, with more than 25 years of research experience in the fields of phytomanagement, microbial and plant physiology. He published around 120 papers and supervised 40 master, 26 Ph-D and 12 post-doc students. He has developed an extended network of collaborations between different European and French academic laboratories. He is fully involved in industrial networking,and has received the 2012 Prize winner of NICOLE (Network of Industrially Contaminated Land in Europe for Innovative Technology) for the PIT project. He has the responsibilities in recent scientific programs were international or national scientific consortia were built (ERA-NET-NETFIB, ANR-BIOFILTREE & ADEME-PHYTOFIBER, ANR-ECOPOLIS) to address the restoration of contaminated lands and the production of industrial biomasses on contaminated soils. By combining the skills of academic and industrial partners, it is possible to integrate the technical and economic aspects of the development of this sector throughout the value chain. |
Peter Davies
| IFREMER, the French Ocean Research Institute | Keynote lecture: Hygrothermal ageing and durability of bio-based composites and structures | Peter Davies joined IFREMER in 1991 following a PhD on thermoplastic composites and a 3-year post-doctoral position at the EPFL. His research activity has focused on the durability of polymers and composites in a marine environment. He edited two books on this subject “Durability of Composites in a Marine Environment” with Dr Rajapakse of the US Office of Naval Research in 2014 and 2018. In collaboration with colleagues in the Marine Structures Laboratory he has also worked on a wide range of other materials including fibres, elastomers, ropes and foams. He has been working on the durability of bio-based materials for about 15 years, with several projects in collaboration with the University of South Brittany. |
Arnaud Day | FRD – Fibres Recherche Développement | Keynote lecture: Towards better knowledge of fiber cell wall : from biochemistry to the properties of plant walls, main lines and variables | Arnaud Day has developed since 1998 an expertise of plant fibers from their genetic origin to their uses in materials with a special focus on plant cell wall knowledge. Since 2015, he holds the position of Scientific Director of Fibre Recherche Développement compagnies (FRD) after two years employed as project manager. Since 2013 Arnaud is also at the head of FRD-lab, a pilot scale plateform dedicated to the fractionation and characterization of natural-based pellets and fibres for material end-uses. This expertise on industrial research was initiated by a 14 month mission (2006-2007) as R&D project manager at French Hemp Technical Institute. Meanwhile, he held a position of PhD lecturer in the plant fiber teams at UMR INRA - Université de Lille “Stress Abiotique et Différenciation des Végétaux” (2007-2014) then at UMR CNRS - Université de Lille “Unité de Glycobiologie Structural et Fonctionnelle” (since 2014) where his research was focused on stress / environmental effects/response of flax and hemp at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. These works were in line with his research on the lignification of flax fiber during his PhD (2004) and two years Post-doc experiences (2004-2006). Within this 20 years’ experience on plant fibers, Arnaud Day has been involved in numerous projects granted by different french agencies, European institution or Private compagnies and designed to increase the knowledge of plant fiber formation and to develop the use of plant fraction in materials. Actually, he manages projects dealing with I. the development of new reinforcement and/or functionalization strategies of fibres for composites applications in automotive, train, building sectors and ii. the development of methods to improve quality management of biobased products. |
Michaela Eder
| Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung | Keynote lecture: wood fibres - from their biological origin to their properties | Michaela Eder studied Wood Science and Technology and has a strong interest in plant materials in general. She did a PhD on structure, properties and functions of single wood fibres of Norway spruce and since then fibrous structures play an important role in her research. Currently she leads the research group Adaptive Fibrous Materials in the Department of Biomaterials, MPI of Colloids and Interfaces. A large part of her research is focussed on interactions between plant materials and the environment. |
Philippe Evon | Laboratory of Agro-industrial Chemistry (LCA) UMR 1010 INRAe/Toulouse INP-ENSIACET, Toulouse, France | Keynote lecture: Fibre extraction and valorisation of the different constituents of European plants | Dr. Philippe EVON specializes in the valorization of wastes from biomass to produce extracts and to design agromaterials. He is mainly developing studies for using biomass as raw material for: |
Marion Frey
| BCOMP | Industrial applications #2: Natural fiber composites for lightweight mobility | Marion Frey is R&D Project Manager at Bcomp, leading developments in textiles and thermoplastic natural fiber composites. She obtained her Masters in Materials Science at ETH Zürich in 2015 and was working for the company Brugg Cables as R&D engineer, developing high-strength steel and carbon fiber reinforced cables. In 2017, Marion Frey decided to gain more knowledge in natural fiber based materials and started a PhD at the Institute for Building Materials/Wood Materials Science at ETH Zürich in the research group of Prof. Ingo Burgert. She finished her PhD Thesis on “Delignified and Densified Wood – A Versatile Concept for New High-Performance Wood-Based Materials” in 2020. |
Ana Gatóo
| Centre for Natural Material Innovation University of Cambridge | Keynote lecture: Bio-based materials in construction and architecture | Ana is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation in the University of Cambridge where she previous worked as a researcher for three years, developing structural bamboo products as well as better housing with natural materials in informal settlements. The focus of her current research is the use of engineered timber with digital tools for affordable housing. Ana is a partner at Light Earth Designs, a Board Advisor for Prospectives Journal, and a Committee Advisor for REDER Journal. She holds a Bachelor in Engineering and a Masters in Architecture. She has worked for INGOs on emergency architecture and disaster response with the use of natural materials in various countries. |
Tim Huber
| School of Product Design University of Canterbury | Presentation: Influence of processing on the physical and emotional properties of plant fibre-reinforced composites | Tim Huber is an emerging researcher teaching Material Science for Design in the School of Product Design at UC. He has a strong research background in the processing and analysis of sustainable and bio-based materials with a focus on additive manufacturing of biopolymers for separation technology, especially of lignocellulosic materials. He is also working on meaningful, material-centred design with natural fibres and biopolymers and is aiming to increase the understanding of value perception of bio-based materials and materials. |
Pasi Kallio
| Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Finland | Presentation: FibreNet Project Mechanical testing of individual wood fibres: video/live demonstration | Professor Pasi Kallio is the head of Micro- and Nanosystems Research Group in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University. Prof. Kallio has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed articles, given several invited and keynote talks in international conferences, has fifteen patent applications and has co-founded three spin-off companies. Prof. Kallio’s current research interests include microrobotics, microfluidics, biomeasurements, organ-on-chip technologies, and their use in micro-scale material testing applications and cell and tissue engineering. His group has developed microrobotic methods for single fibre and fibre-matrix interface testing. Currently, he is a principal investigator in six large research projects including a FibreNet Innovative Training Network funded by MSCA of H2020 in 2017-2021, where the goal is to find comprehensive solutions to improve and tailor the properties of fibre products. The project aims to provide new environmentally friendly products and products with totally new functionalities in the fields of biocomposites, paper and packaging materials and medical textiles. |
Mark Lepelaar
| NPSP BV | Industrial applications #1: Developing Biobased Composite Products | Mark Lepelaar (1972) has always worked on researching and developing technical innovative products at the intersection of sustainability and market after obtaining his master's degree at the Faculty of Industrial Design at TU-Delft. From 1997 to 2003 the focus was on sustainable energy and energy savings at the development and consultancy agency Ecofys. During that time the main focus was on product development of energy management and building integration products of sustainable energy systems. Some two of these products are patented. He also set up several market development projects (solar panels for individuals) and carried out feasibility studies (of wind energy in the built environment, among others). In 2001 and 2002 he worked from Cologne on the market introduction of innovative solar building integration products in Germany. From 2003 until today he worked in the field of biobased and circular high performance materials and production techniques. During this period he founded and co-managed a knowledge intensive manufacturing company, NPSP BV. The company is active in the field of biobased composite material development, market development and production of the products. During this time products such as prefabricated facade elements, innovative train components, charging points for electric cars as well as interior and street furniture products have been co-developed, put into production and delivered in series. After initially developing and producing high-tech biobased materials, the focus has broadened in recent years to the development of new materials based on biobased waste streams. This always in combination with a corresponding (mass) production technique to achieve efficient and serial production of commercial products. Since 2014 he also works as a senior researcher and project manager on Circular Design and Business at the University of Applied Science Amsterdam. |
Bo Madsen
| DTU Wind Energy, Section of Composite Materials | Keynote lecture: Bio-based composites in wind energy | PhD degree from Technical University of Denmark, 2004, on properties and performance of plant fibre yarn polymer composites. Participation in a number of EU projects on development of biobased composites for industrial applications, such as BIOCOMP, NATEX, WOODY and BIO4SELF. Research area of mechanical and physical properties of composite materials, especially microstructure, volumetric composition, and moisture sorption. Experiments and modelling; micromechanical and analytical. Special interest in new fibres and matrix materials, in particular natural fibres and biopolymers. Bo Madsen has authored and co-authored over 50 papers in peer-review journals, and over 40 conference publications. Bo Madsen is Associate Professor, and Head of Section for Composites Manufacturing and Testing at Department of Wind Energy, Technical University of Denmark. |
Jörg Müssig | HSB – City University of Applied Sciences Bremen, Biomimetics, The Biological Materials Group | Presentation: Influence of processing on the physical and emotional properties of plant fibre-reinforced composites Workshop: Perception of the quality and environmental friendliness of bio-based composites | Since 2007 Jörg Müssig is Professor at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences. He obtained his degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Duisburg (1995) and his doctorate from Bremen University (2001). After graduating, he joined the Faserinstitut Bremen (FIBRE) in 1995. From 1996 until 1998 he was a member of the ‘New materials’ working group of the European Academy Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. In 1998 he joined the Bremen University (Material Sciences) and rejoined the FIBRE in 2001, where he was head of the department ‘Bio-based Materials’ till 2007. From 2004 till 2009 he was an appointed member of The Young Academy, Berlin. In 2020, he received an Erskine Fellowship from the University of Canterbury (UC), School of Product Design, Christchurch, NZ. In the same year, he and his research group were awarded second place in the Bremen University Prize 2020 for excellent teaching. His current research focuses on developing concepts for sustainable materials, biomimetic composites, natural fibres & natural fibre-reinforced composites, and interfaces in composites. |
Pierre Ouagne | ENI Tarbes | Keynote: Fibre extraction and valorisation of the different constituents of European plants | Pierre Ouagne (45) is professor at the ENIT since feb. 2016 and researcher at the LGP. He received a master degree in apply radiation physics in 1996 from the U. Of Birmingham (UK), and a PhD in Materials science and Engineering, about the fracture mechanic of nuclear graphite from the U. of Bath (UK) (2001) and (HDR) the accreditation to direct research from the U. of Orleans (France) in 2011. After two years spent working in an innovative SME, he joined as a research officer the U. of Le Havre (France) in 2003 where he stayed five years working on the impregnation of textile reinforcements for the composite materials. Pierre Ouagne became assistant professor in 2008 at the U. of Orleans where he mainly developed activities centred around the forming and the valorisation of plant based textile products for the composite industry as well as for the ecological engineering. He became there associate professor in 2011 before moving in feb. 2016 to the ENI of Tarbes for a professor position. |
Tulio Panzera
| Centre for Innovation and Technology in Composite Materials - CITeC (UFSJ/Brazil) | Keynote lecture: Multifunctionnal bio-based and recycled composite materials and structures | Professor Panzera is a Senior Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UFSJ (Brazil). He has a fellowship in Research Productivity from the currently Brazilian Research Agencies (CNPq and FAPEMIG) and an h-index of 23 with 1,788 citations. Prof Panzera’s experience includes two post-doctoral positions in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol (2014 and 2019) and a PhD in Mechanical Design (Federal University of Minas Gerais-UFMG, Brazil / University of Bath, England - 2007). The education background of Professor Panzera also involves a master's degree in Manufacturing Processes (UFMG, 2003) and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (UFMG, 2001). In 2011 Professor Panzera established a national research group focused on innovation and technology of composite materials (CITeC). His research activities cover the fields of Precision Engineering and Sustainable & Smart Structures, working on polymeric and ceramic composites, biocomposites, metal fibre laminates (FML), metamaterials, smart structures, and aerostatic bearings. He pioneered several innovative compounds and techniques, like the use of Portland cement in laminated composites reinforced with synthetic fibres to increase the stiffness and specific mechanical properties. Professor Panzera’s group has also developed cementitious composites as air restrictors for aerostatic porous bearings applied to precision engineering. Professor Panzera’s group have recently published works on metal fibre laminates made of aluminium skins and biocomposites cores for secondary structural parts in aircraft, automotive and construction. Another activity of Professor Panzera’s group involves developing sandwich structural panels containing aluminium skins and honeycomb cores made from PET bottle caps as an innovative and promising route for using plastic polypropylene waste. A characteristic of the experimental work of Professor Panzera is the consistent use of robust statistical methods in composites designs during the last fifteen years. |
Vincent Placet | University of Franche-Comté, FEMTO-ST Institute | Keynote lecture: Overview of plant fibres for bio-based composite reinforcement; main specificities and key properties Presentation: SSUCHY Project | After receiving an engineering diploma in wood science and engineering from the “Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Technologies et Industries du Bois”, Epinal, France in 2003, and a Ph.D. degree in wood science from the University Henri Poincaré, Nancy, France in 2006, Vincent Placet became Research Engineer at the Department Applied Mechanics of FEMTO-ST Institute, Besançon, France in 2006. He obtained a habilitation degree in composite materials from the University of Franche-Comté in 2013. His main research interests are thermo-hygro-mechanical behaviour of plant fibres and wooden materials, long-term durability, fatigue tolerance and health monitoring of bio-based composite materials and structures. He is the head of the T2DC team (Damage Tolerance and Durability of (Bio) Composites) within the Department of Applied Mechanics of the FEMTO-ST Institute since 2014. Within the last ten years, Vincent Placet has been involved in various French and European research projects publically funded or granted by private companies dealing with the valorization of plant fibres in structural and multifunctional bio-based composites. Vincent Placet has authored and co-authored over 60 papers in refereed journals and has contributed over 80 national and international conference presentations. In 2015, Vincent Placet was awarded “Daniel Valentin Price” by AMAC, the French association for composite materials. |
Fabrizio Scarpa | University of Bristol, Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) | Keynote lecture: Multifunctionnal bio-based and recycled composite materials and structures | Professor Fabrizio Scarpa is Materials Theme Leader at the Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) of the University of Bristol. Fabrizio Scarpa’s research interests are in the field of mechanical metamaterials, with particular focus on auxetics – negative Poisson’s ratio and negative stiffness materials. Professor Scarpa’s group designs, models and manufacture auxetic foams, composites and architected cellular structures for structural integrity, vibration damping, vibroacoustiics, shape morphing and multifunctional applications. Professor Scarpa’s activities also involve the design, modelling, manufacture and characterisation of natural fibre reinforcements for composites (sisal, agave, cactus, juncus), recycled polymers (originated from rubber tyres) and hygromorph composites with classes of flax, hemp and choir fibres. Those activities are also connected with the use of Synthetic Biology tools to develop energy absorbent bio-based materials. Professor Scarpa is also national coordinator for Mechanical Metamaterials activities in the UK EPSRC Metamaterials Network. |
Darshil Shah | University of Cambridge (UK), Department of Architecture | Keynote lecture: Bio-based materials in construction and architecture | Dr Darshil Shah is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Materials, and a senior researcher at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation, at the University of Cambridge. Shah works with scientists across disciplines developing biomaterials, such as engineered wood, bamboo, and natural fibre composites as lightweight, sustainable, and structural alternatives to conventional materials for various application sectors, including wind energy, construction, transport, healthcare, and consumer products. A major aim is to combine sustainability with performance and functionality. Three principle areas include applied research developing low-embodied energy structural composites; fundamental research exploring natural materials and structures for bioinspiration; and a combined approach designing smart, functional biomaterials. Profile |
Karel Van Acker
| KU Leuven, Sustainable Materials Processing and Recycling (SeMPeR) | Keynote lecture: End of life of bio-based materials | Karel Van Acker is full professor in Circular Economy at KU Leuven with a joint mandate at the the department of Materials Engineering (faculty of Engineering Sciences) and at the Centre for Economics and Corporate Sustainability (faculty of Business and Economics). His research is on developing strategies to realize the circular economy (CE) and on sustainability assessments of these CE strategies, including amongst others biobased polymers and composite materials, recycling, sharing economy. Karel holds a PhD in Materials Science and has been for 12 years coordinator of the KU Leuven Materials Research Centre (>500 researchers). He also leads the policy research centre “Circular economy” for the Flemish government and currently is the chairman of the Sustainability Council of KU Leuven. |
Aart van Vuure | KU Leuven, Campus GroupT | Keynote lecture: Hygrothermal ageing and durability of bio-based composites and structures | Aart van Vuure is a professor in the Department of Materials Engineering of KU Leuven, Belgium. He specializes in sustainable composites, particularly in natural fibres for polymer composites. In this domain he focuses on durability aspects of bio-based composites and the study of fibre-matrix interfaces. He obtained his Chemical Engineering degree at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and his PhD in Materials Engineering at KU Leuven in 1997, with a study on sandwich-fabric composites. He subsequently worked at a small composites company in Philadelphia, USA and for 5.5 years at Unilever Research in Port Sunlight, UK as research scientist on materials for hair care products. From 2005 till 2012 he worked for both KU Leuven and for Sirris, a Belgian technology centre, as an advisor on composite materials. In 2012 he joined the new faculty of Engineering Technology of KU Leuven. |
