SPEAKERS

Laurent ANTONI

Dr. Laurent Antoni, senior fellow for hydrogen at CEA the French research and technology organization developing alternative energies, is since 2023 the Executive Director of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and fuels cells in the Economy – IPHE (www.iphe.net).
Laurent Antoni is the former President of Hydrogen Europe Research, the European research association on hydrogen and fuel cells gathering more than 130 universities and research institutes, member of the Governing Board of the European Clan Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
He is also President of the Technical Committee of Fuel Cells at the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC/TC105).
Contact: laurent.antoni@cea.fr​

Amela AJANOVIC

Amela Ajanovic is Associated Professor in Energy Economics at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien).
She is a lecture and faculty member of the postgraduate MSc Program “Renewable Energy Systems”. She holds a master degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in energy economics at TU Wien. Her main research interests are alternative fuels and alternative automotive technologies as well as sustainable energy system and long-term energy scenarios. She has been guest researcher at the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) in Amsterdam and at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris working on the World Energy Outlook, as well as a guest lecturer at the Technical University of Prague. She has been involved in many national and international research projects, and her work has been published in the leading scientific peer- reviewed international journals. She has also served as a guest editor on several occasions and is an associate editor of different scientific journals. She is an active member of various academic and scientific committees and associations.​

Remzi Can SAMSUN

Dr. Remzi Can Samsun is the acting Head of Department Process Engineering for Fuel Synthesis at the Institute of Electrochemical Process Engineering (IEK-14) of Forschungszentrum Jülich. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Middle East Technical University and afterwards started his post-graduate studies in Energy Systems at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences. He started working in the field of “Reforming of kerosene for applications in aviation” in Jülich and was awarded his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering at the RWTH Aachen University with his thesis on the same topic.
Dr. Samsun’s research activities focus on processes, reactors and systems for hydrogen production and utilization. On the utilization side, the fuel synthesis aims at the production of sustainable fuels from carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen from water electrolysis based on the power-to-fuel process. On the production side, the fuel processing activities focus on the development of fuel cell systems with diesel and kerosene reforming. In both fields, the research tasks follow an integrated approach which combines stationary and dynamic modeling, engineering, and experimental characterization with the help of an interdisciplinary team.
Dr. Samsun is topic speaker for fuel cell technologies at IEK-14. Since 2009 he is the Alternate Delegate for Germany for the Executive Committee of the Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells (AFC TCP) of International Energy Agency (IEA). He is Member of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technical Committee at VDI/VDE. He is editor of the book “Fuel Cells: Data, Facts and Figures” published by Wiley-VCH, co-author of more than 60 publications (Scopus) and reviewer for several leading scientific journals.

Arianna Bionda

Arianna Bionda, PhD in Design, is researcher and professor at the Design Department, Politecnico di Milano. Architect, sailor and yacht designer, since 2014 she is involved in teaching and research activities within the interdisciplinary research group in Yacht Design and Vessel Design, the SMaRT Lab, and the Master program in Yacht Design at Politecnico di Milano. Her research activities are mainly focus on innovative technologies and materials role in a yacht design project, their current dynamics and practices of interaction. She is involved in national and international research activity mainly focused on Yacht Design Digitalization and Design for Sustainability: Industry 4.0, digital technologies onboard, smart shipbuilding, design for sustainable material and technology, alternative fuel vessel design, design for circular economy, design for disassembly and for recycling, design for sustainable social innovation and sustainable business model, and design4all. Furthermore, she is vice-director of the Specialized Master in Yacht Design and Project Manager of the sports&design team ‘Polimi Sailing Team’.

Frano BARBIR

Frano Barbir is Professor Emeritus at Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Croatia, where he is employed as a Project Activity Leader at Center of Excellence for Science and Technology – Integration of Mediterranean Region.
He has been actively involved in hydrogen and fuel cell technology R&D, engineering and applications since 1989, working in U.S. as a researcher and R&D manager in both industry (Energy Partners, Proton Energy Systems) and universities (University of Miami, University of Connecticut). From 2005 to 2008 he worked as the Associate Director of Science and Technology of the UNIDO – International Center for Hydrogen Energy Technologies in Istanbul, Turkey.
His research interests include heat and mass transfer in PEM fuel cells, effects of operational conditions on fuel cell performance and durability, design of fuel cells and fuel cell stacks and systems, fuel cell applications, and hydrogen energy concept and its role in context of energy future. He has authored and/or co-authored more than 200 papers on hydrogen and fuel cells published in scientific and technical journals, books, encyclopedias, and conference proceedings, as well as 7 U.S. and one EU patent on various aspects fuel cell stack and system design and operation. His book, PEM Fuel Cells: Theory and Practice, published by Elsevier/Academic Press in 2005 (2nd edition came out in 2013), has been translated to Chinese, Korean and Farsi, and it is being used as a textbook at many universities all over the world.
He is the Founding President of Croatian Hydrogen Association, a Vice President of the International Association of Hydrogen Energy, and a Croatian representative in the States Representatives Group at Clean Hydrogen Partnership. He is a member of the Croatian Academy of Technical Sciences, and a recipient of Croatian Annual National Science Award for technical sciences, and a recipient of Hrvoje Pozar Award by Croatian Energy Society for exceptional contribution to energetics.
Prof. Barbir holds a Dipl.-Ing. degree in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc. degree in chemical engineering both from University of Zagreb, Croatia, and a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.