It is a pleasure to introduce to you our Keynote Speakers:
Mariana Bozesan (Germany), Gianluca Brunori (Italy), Juha Hiedanpää (Finland), Rafael Popper (UK, Poland), Katriina Soini (Finland) and Åsa Svenfelt (Sweden):
Mariana Bozesan
MSc (Dipl.-Inform.), PhD (Psychology)
Co-founder & General Manager, AQAL Capital GmbH
President AQAL Foundation, Germany
Dr. Bozesan will give her keynote speech live in Turku during the conference days.
Mariana Bozesan is an award-winning integral investor, an AI pioneer, and a successful serial tech-entrepreneur who is leveraging exponentially growing technologies to decarbonize the global economy and accelerate the implementation of the UN SDGs within Planetary Boundaries. She studied Computer Science and AI at Stanford University and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology of which she is a Prominent Alumna.
Dr. Bozesan is also the recipient of the Golden Angelina Award, as Europe’s Female Angel Investor of 2019 and became the Best European Early stage Investor of the Year 2016 awarded by EBAN, the European Business Angel Network. She is full member of the prominent international Club of Rome, Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, and authored several books including Integral Investing: From Profit to Prosperity, a report to the Club of Rome and WAAS.
Gianluca Brunori
Full Professor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Italy
Prof. Brunori will give his keynote speech online on 4 June.
Gianluca Brunori is Full Professor at the University of Pisa, where he teaches Food Policy and Bioeconomy. His research activity regards innovation in agriculture and rural areas, sustainability of food systems, role of small farming in rural development and in food security. He is coordinator of the project CODECS, on the costs and benefits of digitalisation in agriculture, and has been coordinator of the project DESIRA, on the socio-economic impact of digitalisation in agriculture and rural areas.
Dr. Brunori is editor in chief of the journal Agriculture and Food Economics. He has been chair of the expert panel of EU SCAR foresight exercises. He is also chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Joint Programming Initiative “Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change” (FACCE).
Juha Hiedanpää
PhD, Research Professor
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Research Professor Hiedanpää will give his keynote speech online on 4 June.
Juha Hiedanpää is Research Professor on natural resource and environmental policy and governance at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). Currently he leads the Strategic Research Council funded programme ’Environmental and Social Links to Biodiversity Loss’ (BIOD, 2021–2027) and projects such as ’Coevolutionary approach to unlock the transformative potential of nature-based solutions for more inclusive and resilient communities’ (COEVOLVERS, Horizon Europe, 2022–2026), ’Bringing institutional virtues into governance: Integrating the scientific, indigenous, and local knowing in Teno river salmon policy and administration’ (DEATNU, Research Council of Finland, 2022–2026), and ’A European forum for revitalisation of marginalised mountain areas’ (MARGISTAR, COST Action, 2022–2026).
Among other scientific writings, Dr. Hiedanpää co-authored ’Environmental Heresies: The Quest for Reasonable’ (Palgrave, 2016) with Daniel W. Bromley.
Rafael Popper
PhD in 21st Century Foresight, The University of Manchester
Adjunct Professor, Warsaw University of Technology (Poland)
Adjunct Professor, University of Turku (Finland)
Visiting Professor at Bialystok University of Technology (Poland)
Director of the Centre for Foresight and Internationalisation (CFI), Technology Partners Foundation (Poland)
Honorary Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester (UK)
Director of Futures Diamond Ltd (UK)
President of Green Iceberg (Poland)
Dr. Popper will give his keynote speech live in Turku during the conference days.
Rafael Popper brings over two decades of expertise in international business, foresight, entrepreneurship, and sustainable innovation management. His career spans roles as a principal scientist, entrepreneur, lecturer, researcher, and innovation policy consultant, collaborating with a wide range of organisations worldwide, including the European Commission, European Innovation Council, EU agencies (ENISA, ETF, EFSA, CEDEFOP), United Nations bodies (UNIDO, UNDP, ECLAC), and international organisations like the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Recognised with two Emerald Literati Awards and an Economics Award, Dr. Popper is also known for establishing breakthrough solutions, such as the Centre for Foresight and Internationalisation (CFI) in Poland. His influential publications and 200+ international speaking engagements, including at The Royal Society in the UK and the European Parliament, showcase his commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation.
Katriina Soini
Research Manager, Principal Research Scientist, Adjunct Professor
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Dr. Soini will give her keynote speech live in Turku during the conference days.
Katriina Soini works as a Principal Research Scientist and a Research Manager at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), and Adjunct Professor in Sustainability Science (University of Helsinki) and Environmental Policy and Rural Studies (University of Eastern Finland).
Dr. Soini has a background in Human Geography. For many years, her research has been centered on sustainability transition and transformation, employing inter- and transdisciplinary approaches and methodologies, particularly within the realm of natural resource management and governance. She has consistently advocated for the inclusion of cultural aspects in sustainability, including learning and education. Soini spearheaded and chaired the COST Action Investigating Cultural Sustainability. Presently, she leads the research project on Sense of water and co-leads COEVOLVERS -project. She also serves as a member Finnish Sustainable Development Expert panel.
Åsa Svenfelt
Dr., Associate Professor
Centre for Local Government Studies (CKS), Linköping University, Sweden
Dr. Svenfelt will give her keynote speech live in Turku during the conference days.
Åsa Svenfelt is Associate Professor in Urban and Regional planning at Linköping University, and Docent in Sustainability with specialisation in Futures studies at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Dr. Svenfelts research concerns long-term planning for sustainable consumption and just transitions to sustainable societies. She explores what strategies, solutions and changes may be needed to achieve sustainable societies. Presently, the research focuses on projects on sustainable consumption linked to the research program Mistra Sustainable Consumption.
Futures of Natural Resources 