Martin Spörk is an internationally renowned expert in the field of polymer-based additive manufacturing for pharmaceutical and medical products (h-index of 20). He serves as the scientific area leader of the area “Next Generation Manufacturing” at the RCPE – the globally leading research center for pharmaceutical process engineering – where he leads a group of 38 employees. He studied polymer engineering and science at the Montanuniversität Leoben and received his PhD from Ghent University, Belgium, and Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria, in the field of material optimizations for extrusion-based additive manufacturing. His current scientific interest is in pharmaceutical material science and advanced pharmaceutical process engineering, with a special focus on personalized manufacturing techniques, pharmaceutical additive manufacturing technologies and hot-melt extrusion. Parallel to his role at RCPE, Martin teaches at three Austrian universities courses on pharmaceutical engineering, personalized medicine/manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and special polymer processing techniques.

Chris Rauwendaal is the founder and president of Rauwendaal Extrusion Engineering, Inc. He has more than 45 years of professional experience including work at American Enka Company and Raychem Corporation. Dr. Rauwendaal graduated with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University and obtained his Doctorate in Polymer Processing from Twente University. He has published more than 100 academic publications and authored 7 books -which are prominently used in the extrusion industry. As an expert in the field, Chris has given seminars around the world including Istanbul, Turkey at PAGDER (Plastics Industry Association), Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA, Bangkok, Thailand, Jakarta, Indonesia, and many other locations.

Prof. Shmuel Kenig has been elected as Vice President of Shenkar College and Director of the Research and Development Authority. He received his B.Sc. in chemical engineering with honors from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and a PhD in Chemical Engineering with honors from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Prof. Kenig has authored over 200 scientific publications, delivered 120 lectures at international conferences, and has 22 patents registered in his name. He received the “International Award” of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and the “Innovation Award” of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS). He was elected as Fellow of the SPE and PPS.

Professor Neumeyer is currently the Research Director for the program area “Manufacturing Science” at the Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe in Kaiserslautern (Germany). He received his Engineer Diploma in Precision Engineering from the University for Applied Sciences in Munich and acquired his PhD from the University of Bayreuth. His research focuses on fiber-reinforced polymers, polymer foams, special injection molding processes and polymer-based additive manufacturing. Professor Neumeyer has published over 30 articles and received the Wilfried Ensigner award in 2016.

Prof. Kikutani is a Specially Appointed Professor in the Tokyo Institute of Technology since 2020. He received his B.Eng., M.Eng., and PhD from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He has an extensive research background in polymeric fibers evidenced in the more than 300 publications, published several books which he has coauthored, 40 patents and he has given lectures in numerous international conferences. He has been part of 8 specialized associations related with polymers, fibers, and textiles and received numerous awards from associations. He also has become a fellow of The Textile Machinery Society of Japan and The Society of Polymer Science, Japan, and received the Outstanding Paper Awards from the Japan Society of Polymer Processing.

Petra Pötschke heads the department of «Functional Nanocomposites and Blends» at IPF Dresden. She received her doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1988 from the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany. Since then, she has held several positions as a research scientist in the field of polymers, polymer blends, and composites at the Institute of Technology of Polymers and the Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden, Germany. Based on a grant from the Max-Kade Foundation, New York she worked in 2000-01 with Prof. Donald R. Paul at the University of Texas at Austin (USA) in the Chemical Engineering Department on multiphase blend systems. Since then she has focused on carbon nanoparticle filled composites and their applications for antistatic, sensor, thermoelectric, and thermal management applications. Dr. Pötschke has published more than 400 papers. In 2011 she edited a book on Polymer-Carbon Nanotube Composites (Woodhead Publishing) with Tony McNally. In 2018, she received the title “Nanochair Visiting Professor” from the Mahatma Ghandi University in Kottayam, India. She is a member of the editorial boards of the journals Polymer and Functional Composite Materials.

Patricia Frontini is currently a Titular Professor at INTEMA at the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. She is also a Superior Investigator at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina. Her research focuses in material engineering and science, specifically fracture mechanic, failure analysis in polymers and composites, and abrasion and wear in polymers. She earned her Bs. In Chemical Engineering from Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata as well as her ScD. in Material Science. She has published more than 150 articles and has been invited to give conference several times in different countries around the world. She has received the Ing. Miguel de Santiago award in 2015 by the Engineering Academy of the Buenos Aires province.

Graduated in Materials Engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos (1979), with a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos (1982). He obtained his PhD in Polymer Technology from Loughborough University of Technology, England (1986). He is a Full Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering DEMa at the Federal University of São Carlos UFSCar. His work focuses mainly on the following topics: polymer processing, twin-screw extrusion, thermo-mechanical degradation, real-time monitoring (in-line) of the extrusion process, behavior rheo-optics, nanocomposites and polymer blends. He is a founding member of ABPol, having served as Director from 1988 to 2011. He is Chief Editor of the journal Polímeros:C&T. Published the book «Polymer Science: A textbook for engineers and technologists» in 2019 by HANSER, and «Polymer Characterization Techniques» both by ABPol/ARTLIBER. He has more than 140 publications and became an Honored Professor during the 50th anniversary celebration of UFSCar, Federal University of São Carlos.

Amine Ammar is a full Professor on Computational Mechanics at Arts & Métiers (French high schoolof engineering). He has obtained his PhD Thesis in 2001 at Paris VI university – ENS Cachan, the title is “Polymer flow induced crystallization, Application to injection molding”. In the year 2006 he has obtained his French degree to supervise research (HdR); specialty: mechanics. It was about “the solution of kinetic theory models related to complex fluids”. On 2009 he has obtained the Scientific prize of the European Association of Material Forming awarded in the 12th Esaform conference and the French Jean Mandel prize awarded in the 19th CFM conference. His research has been made on different topics: model reduction of PDE resolution, proper generalized decomposition, kinetic theory of polymers and suspensions, short reinforced fiber composite processing. He is author of 130 scientific works published in international journals. He has supervised more than 20 PhD. He is the assistant director of the research laboratory LAMPA – Angers and the local correspondent at Angers of the doctoral school SMI – Arts; Métiers.

Dr Mohanty is a Full Professor, Distinguished Research Excellence Chair in Sustainable Materials and the Director of Bioproducts Discovery & Development Centre at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He is an internationally renowned expert and is a highly cited researcher with 475 peer-reviewed journal papers, 71 approved/applied patents (h-index 105, Citations 54,379) in the area of biodegradable plastic, biocomposites, sustainable polymers and biobased composites. He has received many awards including J. L. White Innovation Award from the Polymer Processing Society (PPS), Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), and Life Time Achievement Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineer (AIChE), the Society of Plastic Engineer (SPE), the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).

Dr. Bart van Hoof is an Associate Professor in the School of Management, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. His transdisciplinary research focuses on scaling environmental sustainability in organizations through Circular Economy, Industrial Ecology, and Sustainability Strategy. He obtained his MSc. in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de los Andes and his Ph.D. in Industrial Ecology from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He has been a Leading External Advisor National Strategy for the Circular Economy of several countries and international companies, as well as part of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). He also has been a visiting scholar in many countries and universities. He has published 8 books and numerous chapters in academic and dissemination-oriented books.