Speakers

Alan Aleksandrowicz, Vice President of the Management Board for Finance and Security, has worked in the field of economy and investments almost from the beginning of his professional career. He is also the Chairman of the Baltic Ports Organization. In his additional role, he shares his expertise in port infrastructure, security, digitalization and international relations. In 2008 he initiated operations of Gdansk Economic Development Agency Ltd. (InvestGDA) founded by the City of Gdansk and later served as its CEO for 12 years. He led initiatives supporting investors and activating strategic investment areas, particularly in the industrial and logistic zones of the Gdansk seaport area. His extensive experience in managing large-scale investment projects was further strengthened during his tenure as Deputy Mayor of Gdańsk (2019–2022), where he managed and oversaw key urban infrastructure developments. He has chaired boards of various public and economic entities, enhancing his governance expertise. He also served in the Foreign Service at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago (1999-2003). His international collaboration experience and strategic approach, developed through roles focused on fostering partnerships and economic growth, align well with his current role – the Vice President of the Board for Finance and Security at the Port of Gdansk Authority.

Aleksander Wołowiec is a senior executive, former diplomat with extensive experience in public administration, European institutions, and infrastructure investment. He has held positions in the Polish Ministries of Infrastructure, Finance and Foreign Affairs, as well as at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU in Brussels, where he was involved in EU budget and policy negotiations. He also worked at the European Commission (DG Budget) and in Poland’s Centre for EU Transport Projects, supporting the implementation of major infrastructure programmes financed by EU funds. Previously, he served as investment director at the national railway infrastructure manager, overseeing large-scale infrastructure projects and international relations. He later held a senior role in the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK – Port Polska) programme, contributing to the development of one of Europe’s most complex integrated transport infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail and multimodal connectivity, with a strong focus on stakeholder coordination and international partnerships. He has also been involved in strategic efforts related to the development of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, working at the interface of public administration and industry. His expertise includes strategic governance, international cooperation and delivery of large-scale infrastructure programmes in a complex and evolving geopolitical environment.

Anders Kottorp, PhD, OT reg, is Vice Chancellor/Rector at the University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden since October 1, 2025. Previous to this position/role, he was Dean for the Faculty of Health and society at Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden since 2017. He has also worked at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, United States. He has in addition to his experiences in academic leadership pursued academic activities both in education and research. He is since 2009 also an affiliated professor at Zurich University of Applied Sciences where he is teaching in an European Master program for occupational therapists. He has also been the chair for the National research school in Care sciences, hosted by Karolinska Institutet, in Sweden.

He has published more than 200 original research articles and has received more than 10 M Euros in research funding as PI or co-PI, many times for interdisciplinary research targeting complex health challenges in society, and supervised more than 20 PhD students and postdocs. He has been involved in community-based research for people with various disabilities and chronic health conditions for more than two decades. His research has focused on developing new and innovative evaluations and interventions supporting independence and efficiency in home and community living for various client groups. His research involves several international collaborations and all of his research projects were conducted in close collaboration with clinical partners and community service providers as well as citizens themselves, many times using a community-based participatory approach.

Andrius Sutnikas is a business development leader with a proven track record in engineering, maritime innovation, and international collaboration. He serves as Chief Business Development Officer at Western Baltic Engineering and is a member of the Council at Klaipėda University. Andrius has also played a key role as Coordinator of the Lithuanian Maritime Cluster, where he actively fosters cooperation between industry, academia, and innovation ecosystems.

Through his work within the Maritime Cluster, he has contributed to strengthening Lithuania’s position in the Baltic maritime sector, promoting cross-border partnerships and facilitating joint initiatives in shipbuilding, offshore energy, and marine technologies. He is a strong advocate for cluster-based development, leveraging collaboration to drive innovation, competitiveness, and access to global markets.

His expertise focuses on strategic partnerships, international market expansion, and sustainable solutions across the blue economy and advanced engineering sectors.

Eknes is the global segment director of offshore service vessels and special ships in DNV. The role includes responsibility for DNVs strategic directions and business development within the market segment, to help DNV and the industry to prepare future standards and services.

His background after graduating with MSc in Marine structures includes +33 years of experience in different technical and management positions. This includes heading a section responsible for plan approval of ships and class rule responsibility for specialized ships and ice classed vessels. When working as country manager for DNV in Finland and the Baltic states, a key focus was to address complex ship systems and how to accelerate the transformation of the industry to use cleaner energy sources. His background in communicology, a subject addressing communication and change processes, has been highly relevant when acting as strategic advisor to the industry.

Eknes has been involved in multiple projects addressing innovation, decarbonization, digitalization and new ways of assuring safe & responsible performance. Several of these projects have been with universities in collaboration with industry players. Examples include projects addressing marine and offshore safety aspects, emission reduction, development of the ocean space eco system (offshore wind), and introduction of new technologies.

Eknes is a board member of the Shipping & Offshore Network, the Maritime Battery Forum and the Norwegian Forum for Marine Minerals.

Charlotte Platzer Björkman, Vice President of Science and Technology at Uppsala University, is professor in solid state electronics. She studied engineering physics 1996-2001 and completed doctoral studies on thin film solar cells at Uppsala University 2006. After a post doc at the Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller, Norway, she returned to Uppsala University for an assistant professor position, and was promoted to full professor in 2016. Her research spans from fundamental to applied, including industry collaboration through commissioned research, joint projects and industry PhD students. She has held board positions for Mid University Sweden, Uppsala University Invest AB, Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability and is representing Uppsala University in collaboration program with universities in South Korea. She held the position as deputy Dean of the faculty of Science and Technology 2020-2023, and is since 2023 Dean and Vice President.

Daivis Virbickas is an Associate Professor-Practitioner at Kaunas University of Technology and an expert at the Lithuanian Energy Institute, with more than 25 years of C-suite and board-level experience in the international energy sector. As the long-serving CEO of Litgrid, Lithuania's electricity transmission system operator, he led the development of the LitPol Link and NordBalt cross-border interconnections and spearheaded the strategic synchronisation of the Baltic power systems with the continental European grid. He has served as a board member of ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, and as an expert adviser to the European Commission's Energy Expert Group, and has held chairman and board positions across multiple energy organisations. He also works as an independent energy business advisor to organisations navigating energy transition, grid modernisation, and regulatory strategy.

Professor of Economic and Social Geography at the University of Greifswald, Germany since 2016 and Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer since 2025. He investigates current dynamics in regional economic development across various scales and in different spatial contexts. He is particularly interested in processes of innovation-driven regional structural change and the conditions for the emergence of knowledge and innovation. His research contributes to the shaping of a sustainable transformation of regional economies against the backdrop of grand challenges. In addition to economic dynamics, he examines social perspectives and the impacts of transformations on spatial justice. His research group also works on futures of globalisation, with an emphasis on current trends in the rescaling of global networks and the interlinking of global value chains and production networks with regional development processes. The geographical focus of his work is on Germany, the Baltic Sea region and countries in East and South-East Asia. Building on contributions to basic research, his research interests explicitly encompass application-oriented and transdisciplinary aspects. He is programme director of the MSc Regional Development and the MSc Bioeconomy, spokesperson of a regional bioeconomy alliance, and member of the expert council on rural development at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional identity.

Dr. Ineta Dabašinskienė is the Rector of Vytautas Magnus University and a Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Lithuanian Studies, where she also leads the Research Centre for Multilingualism. She is a full member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, language policy and multilingualism, monolingual and multilingual language acquisition, and heritage language studies, as well as minority languages and languages in education.

An internationally recognized scholar, prof. Dabašinskienė has published extensively, serves on editorial boards, and participates actively in scientific associations. She has coordinated numerous national and international research and educational projects and worked as an expert for the European Commission and research councils.

Prof. Dabašinskienė has received prestigious Lithuanian, Italian, and Ukrainian honors, along with other academic distinctions for her scholarly and public contributions.

Began her diplomatic career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2007. Served at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Canberra, Australia, and later held the position of Adviser to the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, where she was entrusted with key political files and actively represented the Kingdom in numerous regional and international forums. Made history as the first woman from the Saudi diplomatic corps to be appointed Ambassador. Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Iceland 2021 2025 Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Poland 2025 present

Ambassador Fredrik Löjdquist is the founding Director of the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), an independent institute established and financed by the Swedish Government, based at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, since its launch in 2021.

Löjdquist is a former Swedish diplomat, with previous missions such as special envoy and ambassador for the Swedish Presidency of the EU in Georgia 2009, ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) 2012–2017, and most recently, Sweden's first ambassador and special envoy for countering hybrid threats based in Stockholm 2018–2021.

He has also been on diplomatic missions in Vilnius, Moscow, Tbilisi and Vienna, he represented Sweden in the OSCE Structured Dialogue on European security 2017–2021, and was a member of the steering board of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki 2018-21.

Löjdquist has a master's degree in political theory from London School of Economics. He has studied political science, Russian, Eastern European/Soviet studies, philosophy and rhetoric at Uppsala University and at the PhD program at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University.

Gunilla Widén, Rector, Professor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University. She has extensive experience in academic leadership. In addition to her current role as Rector, she has served as ViceRector for Education (2022-25), Vice Dean, and Head of Subject for many years. She has a solid research background with a PhD from Åbo Akademi University, Docent in Information Management at University of Tampere, and has over 120 scientific publications. Her research is strongly connected to societal information environments, information literacy, and knowledge management, and she has been active in international collaborations. Her interests include topics such as information culture within organizations, young people’s information behavior, and the information practices of refugees.

Hans Adolfsson, President of Stockholm University and professor in organometallic chemistry. He studied chemistry at Stockholm University from 1985–89, and completed his doctoral studies in organic chemistry at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm in 1995. Thereafter, he held the position of postdoc at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, USA, between 1996 and 1998. He was recruited as an assistant professor to Stockholm University, and in 2007, he was installed as full professor in organometallic chemistry at the same university. During 2010-2013 he acted as Dean of chemistry, and during 2013-2016 he was appointed as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Stockholm University. From 1 July 2016 to 31 January 2025, he held the position as Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University, and on the 1 February 2025, he took on the position as President of Stockholm University. Since 2023 Prof. Adolfsson holds the position as chair of the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions (SUHF), the Swedish rectors’ conference.

Izabela Bodus-Olkowska is Vice-Rector for Education and Development at the Maritime University of Szczecin, Poland. As vice-rector, she is responsible for the quality of education, the implementation of the university’s sustainable development policy, technology transfer, the management of international R&D projects, and international cooperation. Her academic and research activities focus mainly on hydrography, Geographic Information Systems, and marine geophysics. She has extensive experience participating in and coordinating both national and international research and educational projects related to maritime safety, cybersecurity and health promotion at sea, hydrographic surveying, and marine spatial data analysis. She also has professional maritime experience connected with merchant and offshore vessels.

Jacek Murawski is an experienced executive, venture capital investor, and corporate finance expert with over three decades of track record in driving business growth, corporate governance, and innovation. Currently, he serves as the CEO and Managing Partner of ORLEN VC, one of the leading corporate venture capital funds in the Central and Eastern European region. Prior to his current role, he spent over eight years shaping the regional startup ecosystem as General Partner, CEO at Invento VC, where he focused on early-stage investments, angel investing, and managerial finance. His extensive career spans top-tier executive roles across various sectors, including serving as CFO and Vice President of the Board at PGNiG SA, and Investment Partner at MCI Capital. He also held the position of CEO at Wirtualna Polska and spent six years as CFO and Board Member at PTK Centertel (Orange Polska). His foundational finance experience includes key leadership positions at Tchibo Warszawa, Polkomtel, and Polskie Książki Telefoniczne. With a unique blend of corporate financial expertise and venture capital agility, he is a recognized expert in strategic management, corporate governance, and scaling high-tech innovations.

Juhani Soini is a Finnish academic leader and Vice Rector at Turku University of Applied Sciences, with a strong background in engineering, applied research, and innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in Medical Physics and Engineering and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, combining deep technical expertise with a focus on practical applications.

Soini’s work spans advanced research areas including industrially applicable inventions, optical nonlinear high-resolution microscopy, and biomolecular recognition in in vitro diagnostics. He has contributed to the development and application of technologies that bridge fundamental research and industrial use, particularly in diagnostics and measurement technologies.

He has also held a leadership role at the Finnish National DNA Microarray Centre, supporting the advancement of genomic technologies and interdisciplinary research collaboration.

At Turku UAS, Soini has played a key role in strengthening research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities, promoting quality assurance, and fostering collaboration with industry and international partners. He is actively involved in European university alliances and contributes to strategic development and governance within international higher education networks.

His work reflects a strong commitment to impactful applied research, innovation ecosystems, and the integration of academic knowledge with real-world solutions.

Karl-Matthias Klause was appointed German General Consul in Gdańsk in September 2025. Klause is a German diplomat and historian and served in a variety of postings in Germany and abroad. Until 2025 he was Minister and Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in London, from 2021-2024 Director for Germany in the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, from 2017-2021 Head of the Economic Department of the German Embassy in Washington, prior to that as a spokesperson in Washington, cultural attaché in London and press attaché in Warsaw. In his diplomatic career he also served on leadership and advisory positions in the Foreign Ministry in Berlin as liaison to the German Parliament, Chef de Cabinet of the deputy foreign minister, director for Central Europe or as diplomatic advisor in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag. He studied Medieval and Modern history, German and English Literature and Philosophy in Münster and at the Free University in Berlin. He is a certified Peace Negotiator with Swiss, Norwegian and German training. He is a member of the German Shakespeare Society of 1864 in Weimar. Klause teaches and publishes on diplomacy and international relations.

Kazimierz Musial is Senior Adviser for Priority Area Regional Identity at the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat in Stockholm, Sweden. His portfolio includes culture, youth participation and higher education in the Baltic Sea region. At the CBSS he has also led research in the Horizon Europe project We-ID “Identities – Migration – Democracy” (2025-28) and supervised an Interreg-funded project “Cultural Pearls” (2023-2025). He is currently on leave from the University of Gdańsk where until 2023 he worked as associate professor at the Institute of Scandinavian and Finnish Studies. He holds degrees in Scandinavian Studies (MA), Political Science (PhD), and Sociology (habilitation), with his academic interest focusing on higher education, science policy and international relations in Northern Europe and the Baltics. Latest topical publications include a chapter on “Regional Identity at the Critical Juncture. How the Baltic Sea Region Manages the Punctuation of the Post-Cold War Equilibrium?”, coauthored with Damian Szacawa and published in The Baltics in a Changing Europe, ed. Bhaswati Sarkar (Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2024), 179–98, an article on “Internationalization as myth, ceremony and doxa in higher education. The case of the Nordic countries between centre and periphery”, in Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 9:1, 20-36, and an article coauthored in 2021 with Zane Šime, “How to build the legitimacy of regional integration on rational foundations: a case of epistemic communities in the Baltic Sea area” in Journal of Baltic Studies, vol. 52, nr 4, 483-501.

Lena Kitzing is Professor of Renewable Energy Economics and Policy, Head of the Wind Energy Systems division at the Technical University of Denmark, and part-time Professor at the Florence School of Regulation at the European University Institute. Lena is internationally recognised for her work on governance and market design, policy instruments, and investment risk, where she focuses on the deployment of renewables and their integration into energy system. Her work on offshore wind energy economics and contracts-for-differences has shaped renewable energy auction design and energy market reform worldwide.

Lena frequently advises major national and international bodies (including the International Energy Agency and the European Commission), and contributes as member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change to EU climate and energy legislation. As a frequent keynote speaker and media contributor, she combines academic leadership with policy relevance in accelerating the global clean energy transition.

In his work, he focuses on climate policy design and implementation, including its intersections with environmental, energy, financial market, and trade policy. For over two decades, he has advised decision makers in over a dozen countries, testified before or briefed legislators in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, and served as an expert in several climate litigation and arbitration cases. Previously, he was a Professor of Law at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and President of Ecologic Institute in Washington, DC. He has helped pioneer several initiatives in the areas of climate law and policy, and is a founding board member of, inter alia, the Blockchain & Climate Institute (BCI) in London, the European Association of Climate Law (EACL), and the European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST) in Brussels. He also founded and is Editor-in-Chief of the Carbon & Climate Law Review (CCLR), the first academic quarterly journal focused on climate law and regulation. Trained as a lawyer – with law degrees from the University of Constance and the Hanseatic High Court of Appeal, as well as postgraduate LL.M. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Helsinki – and admitted to the German bar, he is a German and American citizen, and has lived for extended periods in Europe, the United States, and Latin America.

Monika Włoszek – Chief Specialist in the International Cooperation Department at the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR). With over 10 years of professional experience, she combines a strong academic background in archaeology with extensive practice in research management and international programme coordination.

In her professional work, she focuses on fostering international cooperation, supporting transnational research initiatives, and building synergies between European partnerships. She has been actively involved in major initiatives related to the blue economy and the aquatic environment, including JPI Oceans, the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), and the emerging FOREST partnership focused on the sustainable forestry sector.

Currently, she serves as an institutional and national coordinator for SBEP and acts as a liaison officer for the Baltic node, working closely with the Brussels Cellule to support regional collaboration across European sea basins, including the organization of regional workshops and cross-basin activities.

Professional Experience Since 2012 Director of International Education, DTU Oversees all matters relating to incoming and outgoing mobility of students, including DTU's agreements with partner institutions. Responsible for the development and implementation of DTU´s strategy for attraction and retention of highly qualified international students. Responsible for DTU´s Career Centre

2007-12 Head of Division, Ministry of Science, HE and Innovation Manager of Study in Denmark. Responsible for national strategy for promotion of Denmark as a study destination

1994-2007 Head of Section, Special Advisor, Chief Advisor, Ministry of Education

Professional Training and Qualification

1993 Master of Law (LLM), University of Copenhagen

Full Professor, DSc, PhD, FRIN, FNI, Master Mariner, Rector (President) of Gdynia Maritime University, Poland (since 2020). Dean of the Faculty of Navigation (2008-2016), Head of Navigational Department (2003-2017 and 2019-2020), Head of Electronic Navigational Charts and ECDIS Simulator (1996-2010). He has over 40 years’ experience in teaching and research works in the field of marine navigation, sea transport, telematics, geomatics, GIS, hydrography, cartography, geodesy and safety at sea. He has published more than 400 reports and papers in journals and conference proceedings. Author of 18 books on navigation, including 5 handbooks on ECDIS and electronic navigational charts and co-editor of 20 monographs. He has many times been a member of the scientific, program and organizing committees of international and national conferences and symposiums. He is a member of many professional associations, societies, institutes and boards; Fellow of The Royal Institute of Navigation (London), Fellow of Nautical Institute (London). International expert in electronic navigational charts. Chair of the International Association of Maritime Universities and IAMU International Executive Committee (2023-2025). Member of Committee of Geodesy and Committee of Transport of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Co-founder and Chairman of the International Conference TransNav on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of TransNav, the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation. Associate Editor and Member of Editorial Advisory Board of The Journal of Navigation, The Royal Institute of Navigation, London, UK;

Prof. Artūras Razbadauskas is a Full Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences at Klaipėda University, Rector of Klaipėda University since 2018, and a practicing clinical surgeon at Klaipėda University Hospital. Since 2025, he has served as Chair of the Governing Board of EU-CONEXUS – the European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability, having previously held the position of Vice-Chair. Prof. Razbadauskas has extensive academic and leadership experience, including serving as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences (2009 – 2018), Head of the Department of Nursing (2001–2009), and Head of the Surgery Department at Klaipėda University Hospital (2003–2019). His leadership has significantly contributed to institutional development, internationalization, and the strengthening of research and innovation capacities. He is actively engaged in public governance and health policy as a member of the Klaipėda City Municipal Council since 2011, former Chairman of the Community Health Council, and former member of the National Health Council of Lithuania. Since 2020, he has also served on the WHO European Healthy Cities Network Political Committee. A senior researcher and editor, Prof. Razbadauskas has participated in numerous national and international research projects and supervised PhD students in Finland. He has authored 194 scientific publications and holds an h-index of 17 in Scopus.

Prof. Dariusz Mikielewicz, PhD, Eng., corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Gdańsk University of Technology. He obtained his PhD based on his thesis entitled "Comparative studies of turbulence models under conditions of mixed convection with variable properties in heated vertical tubes" under the supervision of Prof. J. Derek Jackson at the University of Manchester, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in 1994. From 1994 to 1996, he worked as software engineer at Nuclear Electric plc in the United Kingdom. In 2002, he obtained his postdoctoral degree – habilitation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Gdańsk University of Technology. In 2010, he received the academic title of professor of technical sciences. Since 1996, he has been associated with Gdańsk University of Technology, where he has held a number of managerial positions, including head of the Department of Power Engineering and Industrial Apparatus and Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is the Director of the Institute of Energy and Vice-Rector for Science. His research interests include heat transfer during boiling and condensation, intensification of heat transfer in convective and phase change processes, and the development of high-efficiency heat exchangers. Prof. Mikielewicz is the author of numerous publications and is active in international scientific committees. For his scientific achievements, he has received, among others, the Siemens Award, the Silver Cross of Merit and the National Education Medal. His work is of significant practical importance, including in the field of conventional and distributed energy and waste heat recovery. He is currently building the competence of Gdańsk University of Technology in the field of nuclear energy

Ralph Schneider is Vice President for Internationalisation and Early Career Support at Kiel University, Germany. He serves the European University Alliance SEA-EU rectors´ council. Trained as a marine geologist he worked for more than 30 years in ocean research, focused on past climate change and ocean-continent interactions. Amongst others, he explored Baltic environmental change, executing three seagoing expeditions dedicated to variability in winter sea-ice formation and ventilation. At Kiel University he founded and directed the priority research area Kiel Marine Science (KMS), adressing grand challenges on the ocean´s role in global climate change. With associated Center for Ocean and Society (CEOS) KMS is also forstering the science dialog with stakeholders from business, politics and civil society. Together, with his presidential colleagues, he recently served to submit a university proposal to the German Excellence Initiative called „Connected Horizons – From the Baltic Perspective to Global Impact“.

Professor Eugenijus Valatka is Rector of Kaunas University of Technology since 2018. He holds BSc in Engineering (1993), MSc in Environmental Engineering (1996) and PhD in Chemical Engineering (2000). He worked as Lecturer (2000–2002), Associate Professor (2002–2012), Professor (2012–up to now), Vice dean (2006–2011), Dean (2011–2018) in the Faculty of Chemical Technology, Kaunas University of Technology. He was a supervisor of 5 PhD students who have graduated. Professor is a Member of the International Society of Electrochemistry, Lithuanian Society of Chemistry, Lithuanian Industrialist Confederation. He serves as President of Association Santaka Valley (Integrated Science, Studies and Business center) which unites and integrates activities of the largest research, technology and education institutions of Kaunas. He is Board member of various national and international organizations (Lithuanian Industrialist Confederation, Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, Lithuanian National Radio and Television, ISM University of Management and Economics, ECIU University).

Professor Piotr Stepnowski is Rector of the University of Gdańsk, President of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities, Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Baltic Rectors’ Forum, and a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

He has been affiliated with the University of Gdańsk throughout his entire academic career, previously serving as Vice-Rector, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, and Head of the Department of Environmental Analysis. He was also the initiator and first Director of the Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, one of Poland’s most ambitious inter-university cooperation initiatives.

Alongside his research activities in environmental sciences he has become one of the leading voices promoting cooperation among universities in the Baltic Sea region and across Europe. He played a key role in establishing and developing the SEA-EU European University Alliance, bringing together maritime universities from across Europe to strengthen joint education, research, innovation, and societal engagement.

As Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Professor Stepnowski has actively supported initiatives addressing strategic challenges facing the Baltic region, including sustainable development, environmental protection, energy security, offshore economy, and innovation-driven growth.

Rauf Alp Denktaş joined the Turkish Foreign Service in 2001, beginning his career at the Department of NATO and Western European Union Affairs. He served at the Turkish Embassies in Bucharest (2003-2005, Third Secretary) and Tel Aviv (2005-2008, Second Secretary).

Returning to Ankara in 2008, he worked at the Middle East Desk as First Secretary, handling Türkiye-Israel and Türkiye-Palestine relations and Türkiye’s contributions to the Middle East Peace Process. In 2010, he was posted to Washington, D.C. as Counsellor and Embassy Spokesman, and in 2011 became Chief Congressional Liaison to the U.S. Congress.

Back at the Ministry in 2013, he headed the Department for NATO and Euro-Atlantic Security. In 2015, he joined Türkiye’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York as First Counsellor, representing Türkiye in the First Committee and following Security Council affairs, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Cyprus. He served as Vice Chair of the UN Disarmament Commission in 2017 and was promoted to Deputy Permanent Representative in 2018.

From October 2019 to September 2023, he served as Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In October 2023, he was appointed Ambassador of Türkiye to Poland.

Ambassador Denktaş holds a BA in Economics from Bilkent University and an MA in International Relations from SOAS, University of London. He is married and has a son and a daughter.

A lawyer by training, Rüdiger Strempel has been the Executive Secretary of the Baltic Marine Environment Commission (Helsinki Commission, HELCOM) since August 2019. He looks back on many years of experience in international environmental law, policy, and diplomacy, in particular with regard to international marine issues. Throughout his career, the Baltic Sea region has been one of his focus areas. He has previously held the posts of Executive Secretary of the UN Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North-East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (UNEP/ASCOBANS) and of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) and has also worked for a number of other United Nations agencies. Moreover, he has a background as a journalist and professional communicator working in English and German, and he is the author or co-author of numerous articles and several books.

Professional Experience:

• 1980: Ministry of Interior Affairs of the State of Qatar
• 1992-1995: Office of the Minister of Interior and Director General of Public Security.
• 2000: Delegated by the Ministry of the Interior to the International Police Organization Interpol in France.
• 2001-2006: Director of North Africa and the Middle East (Interpol) in Lyon, France
• 2006-2013: Director of International Cooperation, Ministry of Interior of the State of Qatar
• 2012-2015: Member of the Interpol Executive Committee
• 2014-2016: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the Russian Federation
• 2016-2018: Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar
• 2018-2021: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the Embassy of the State of Qatar to Canada
• 2021-2024: Director of the European Affairs Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar
• 2024: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Poland

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University, USA, 1985
• Master's degree in Management from Southwestern University, USA, 1988

Honors and Awards:

• Certificate of Honor from the Secretary General of INTERPOL in recognition of professional services to INTERPOL as Assistant Director for the Middle East and North Africa during his secondment to the General Secretariat from August 1999 to December 2006.

Mr. Slawomir (Slawek) Radon joined ORLEN S.A. as Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer effective 1 April 2026. Slawek Radon holds Master's degree in Automation and Robotics from the University of Science and Technology in Kraków (AGH) and an Executive MBA from Columbia University in New York, USA. He is an experienced leader with over 25 years of experience in the energy sector, including in the areas of fuels, decarbonization, and strategic partnerships in bp Group. Throughout his career, he held number of regional and global senior leadership roles in bp, in Central Europe, the UK, and the US. His last position, before joining Orlen, was as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Global Business Development, where he was responsible for building relationships with OEMs worldwide, developing commercial and marketing programs, and managing teams in Europe, China, Japan, and the USA.

Tom O. Kleppesto is a management consultant and senior industry leader with more than 20 years of experience from the ocean industries, including shipping and maritime sectors.

He is currently General Manager of the Maritime Oslofjord Alliance, an umbrella organization representing shipping, maritime and ocean-based businesses across the Oslofjord region. Through this role, he works closely with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and educational institutions to strengthen collaboration, innovation and long-term competitiveness. He is also a founding partner of Nordic Marine Advisory Group (NMAG) in Tallinn, Estonia. NMAG helps maritime clients turn challenges into opportunities—advancing sustainability, efficiency, and strategic growth.

His professional background includes general management, executive education, talent management, entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as extensive experience with venture capital processes, due diligence and strategic development.

In addition to his executive role, he is an experienced board member and chairman for start-ups, including companies he has co-founded. He brings a strong entrepreneurial mindset, an international perspective and a deep understanding of ecosystem-based value creation.

As a speaker and moderator, he is known for his ability to connect strategic perspectives with real-world industry experience, and for facilitating constructive dialogue across sectors and disciplines.