Radu Claudiu Fierascu

Graduated from the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Radiochemistry section in 2005, Radu Claudiu Fierăscu has been active since 2006 within the National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry - ICECHIM Bucharest. He is currently senior researcher and Technical Director of ICECHIM. Since 2023 he serves as President of the Scientific Council of ICECHIM for a four years mandate. Since 2019 he is also PhD supervisor within the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Chemical Engineering field.

He led, as project manager/partner responsible several research-development-innovation projects, with a total value over 9 million euros. He is the main author/co-author of more than 170 ISI papers (Hirsch Index SCOPUS – 26), having more than 2000 citations, author/co-author of more than 20 books/book chapters and more than 30 granted patents/invention patent applications. He is special editor of several special issues, member of the Editorial Board of national journals, as well as reviewer for multiple prestigious journals, member of several professional associations (Society of Chemistry in Romania, Romanian Association of Pteridology, Associate Member of the Association of Conservators and Restorers in Romania, EuChemS – European Chemical Society, American Chemical Society), having over 100 awards at the Invention and Innovation Salons.

His scientific research activity was carried out in the field of development of new materials and technologies with applications in the field of increasing the quality of life (including environmental protection, preservation of cultural heritage and biomedical applications). At national level, he developed the field of phytosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles (the use of natural extracts for the synthesis of nanomaterials), establishing in 2018 in ICECHIM the research group Emerging Nanotechnologies.

Presentation title: Phytonanotechnology – a multidisciplinary research area

 Neven Voća

 University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture Svetošimunska 25, Zagreb, Croatia

Dr. Neven Voća is a full professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb. He has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, consulting and research in the broad field of biomass and biofuel production, energy production and waste management in agriculture. He has been involved in many national and international R&D projects as a responsible leading partner. Prof. Voća has published more than 200 scientific and technical articles in various national and international journals. He was a member of the organising committee for several a few international conferences and symposium. In addition, Prof. Voća was the Director of the Croatian Environmental Agency and Croatia's representative on the Management Board of the European Environmental Agency from 2012 to 2015.

Main research interests:

1. Biomass production
2. Energy crops utilization
3. Biofuels
4. Waste processing technologies

Presentation title: Environmental benefits: investigating the effects of sewage sludge on the productivity and energy quality of miscanthus

 Sven-Erik Jacobsen

Sven-Erik Jacobsen (SEJ) is managing director and founder of the company Quinoa Quality ApS for the promotion of quinoa and other high value, alternative crops for enhancing biodiversity, soil fertility and food security in Europe and globally.

SEJ has a MSc in Agronomy in 1982 from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, and a Phd in Crop Science, 1993, at University of Copenhagen. SEJ has 25 years of employment at the University of Copenhagen, where he was leading the Research group on Tropical Crops, covering subjects as stress physiology, agroecology and agrobiodiversity, focusing on developing countries, in teaching and research.

SEJ has participated with Quinoa Quality in several projects:

• Danish Protein, coordinator Quinoa Quality, Apr 2021-May 2022. EU-Innovation Zealand. Development of attractive plant based food
• Sort It, coordinator Økologisk Landsforening, Jan 2021-Dec 2022. GUDP. Develop secure production and market of pulses
• Nekstpro, coordinator University College Absalon, Sep 2020-Dec 2023. GUDP. New extruded plant protein for the future food
• Quisacu, coordinator Aarhus University, Jan 2020-Dec 2022. GUDP. Increased growth security of quinoa

SEJ position 2002-2018 was as Ass Prof. at University of Copenhagen, running a range of projects, such as Coordinator of “Development of high quality food protein through sustainable production and processing” (PROTEIN2FOOD). EU Horizon2020. (from 2015). The project had 19 partners - www.protein2food.eu

Selected publications:

• Jacobsen, S-E et al. 2023. Chapter I. Agronomical characterization of Latin American crops. In, Latin-America Seeds – Agronomic, Processing and Health Aspects (eds., CM Haros, M Reguera, N Sammán, O Paredes-López). doi: 10.1201/9781003088424-1, p. 1-51
• Razzaghi F, Md R Bahadori-Ghasroldashti, S Henriksen, A R Sepaskhah, S-E Jacobsen. 2020. Physiological characteristics and irrigation water productivity of quinoa in response to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages—A field study from Southern Iran. J Agro Crop Sci, doi 10.1111/jac.12392
• Alandia, G. J.P. Rodriguez, S.-E. Jacobsen, D. Bazile, B. Condori. 2020. Global expansion of quinoa and challenges for the Andean region. Global Food Security 26, 10pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100429
• Jacobsen, S.-E. (2017). Adaptation and scope for quinoa in Northern latitudes of Europe. J. Agro.Crop Sci. 203:603–613. DOI: 10.1111/jac.12228.
• Bazile D, Jacobsen S-E and Verniau A (2016) The Global Expansion of Quinoa: Trends and Limits. Front. Plant Sci. 7:622. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00622
• Jacobsen, S.-E. and J. L. Christiansen. 2016. Some Agronomic Strategies for Organic Quinoa. J Agro Crop Sci. Vol. 202, Nr. 6, 2016, s. 454-463. doi:10.1111/jac.12174
• Jacobsen, S-E, M. Sørensen, S.M. Pedersen, J. Weiner. 2015. Using our agrobiodiversity: plant-based solutions to feed the world. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, p. 1-19.
• Ruiz, K.B., S. Biondi, E.A. Martínez, F. Orsini, F. Antognoni & S.-E. Jacobsen (2015): Quinoa - a model crop for understanding salt tolerance mechanisms in halophytes, Plant Biosystems, DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2015.1027317

Presentation title: Introduction of new climate proof crops for Romania