Karl Eckert, Scientific Advisor at UBA
Karl Eckert has a M.Sc. in European Urban Studies and currently works as a Scientific Advisor at the German Environmental Agency. There he works for the “Advancing the New European Bauhaus” in-house research project, with a personal focus on city planning and urban greening. He additionally teaches a university seminar on the topic of European spatial planning and regional development. In previous roles he has been active as a private planning consultant and EU INTERREG project advisor.
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Katja Flügel, Educational Specialist at Dessau Zoo’s Teaching Park
Katja Flügel develops and leads interactive programs on biodiversity, animal welfare, and conservation for children, youth, and adults. Known for initiatives like “Save the Gecko,” she combines hands-on learning with environmental awareness, fostering a deeper understanding of animals, plants, and ecological relationships through engaging, innovative public education.
Zoo Dessau
Isabella Forchini, Project Manager, ECOLE - Enti COnfindustriali Lombardi per l'Education
Isabella Forchiniis specialised in EU-funded projects, with experience in transnational cooperation and social innovation. She coordinates the Interreg Central Europe project REUSE2030, supporting mechanical SMEs in adopting circular solutions and low-carbon tools. She focuses on strategic project management, stakeholder engagement and capacity building across Central Europe.
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Elena Galletti, Senior sustainability and innovation advisor
Elena Galletti has over 25 years of experience supporting SMEs, start-ups and research teams across Europe. As Business Coach at the European Innovation Council (EISMEA) and Green Assist Expert for CINEA/InvestEU, she works at the interface of EU-funded programmes, universities and industry. As Mentor at the University of Milan's Seed for Innovation, she bridges research and market impact.
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Dr. Holger Hoff, Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change at Graz University
Holger Hoff is Transdisciplinary Interface Manager at Graz University, where he is co-producing societally and scientifically robust knowledge, jointly with different stakeholders. His main research interests are sustainability transformations, climate adaptation, mitigation and justice and integrated natural resource management (“the nexus”). He held previous senior scientist positions at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
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Nele Kelchtermans, Researcher at VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research)
Nele Kelchtermans works on sustainability and circular economy policy, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) initiative by the European Commission, and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) – the programme that brings together cities working on their circular transition. Before joining VITO, she served as Deputy Mayor for Climate, Energy and Circular Economy for the City of Hasselt, where she gained first-hand experience in translating circular ambitions into organisational reality, with all the opportunities and limitations that entails. She also chaired the city's cultural centre, adding governance and community engagement to her profile. She holds an MSc in Management & Policy from the University of Antwerp and has coordinated numerous EU-funded projects. Her work sits at the interface of research and policy, translating scientific insights into actionable frameworks and supporting evidence-based decision-making across international consortia.
VITO
Maksymilian Kochański, PhD, Research and Innovation Centre Pro-Akademia, Vice President and Project Manager
Maksymilian Kochański has extensive experience in over 20 national and international R&I projects. His work focuses on sustainable energy systems, circular economy solutions, smart grids, and the behavioral aspects of energy efficiency. He combines research, project management, and practical implementation to develop innovative approaches that support the adoption of circular economy practices and energy sustainability in diverse environments.
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Katarzyna Korczak, Research and Innovation Centre Pro-Akademia, Researcher and Project Manager
Katarzyna Korczak has experience in over 20 European R&D&I sustainability projects. Her interests include innovative circular economy approaches, energy-efficient solutions, sustainable energy integration, and analyzing social and behavioral trends affecting energy use. In recent projects, she has contributed to co-creation processes with local stakeholders, the development of assessment frameworks, and the promotion of evidence-based policy uptake.
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Katrin Meyer, Managing Director of the association Runder Tisch Reparatur (RTR).
Katrin Meyer coordinates the activities of the multi-stakeholder network and leads the association’s office. RTR brings together craft businesses, environmental and consumer protection organizations, community repair initiatives, and academic institutions committed to promoting repair and fostering a new culture of repair. RTR is a founding member and member of the steering group of Right to Repair Europe, a European coalition consisting of more than 180 member organisations advocating for a strong right to repair.
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Runder Tisch Reperatur
Alena Romanova, Project Officer at Runder Tisch Reparatur (RTR).
Alena Romanova supports political advocacy and network activities related to the promotion of repair, the implementation of the Right to Repair, and securing skilled workers in the repair sector. She is also responsible for the website, administrative processes, and membership management.
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Runder Tisch Reparatur
Dipl. Ing. Franziska Schruth, Project Manager at StadtLABOR Graz
Franziska Schruth studied architecture and worked as lecturer, research fellow and university assistant at Graz University of Technology. In her work at StadtLABOR she focuses on projects related to sustainable and climate-friendly urban (district) development in the areas of climate change adaptation and blue-green infrastructure, resource conservation, circular economy, social sustainability and cooperative neighborhoods.
StadtLABOR Graz
Mariann Szabó, PhD, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Department of Environmental Economics and Sustainability), Dean’s Commissioner for Curriculum Development, Assistant Professor, and Deputy Head of Department
Mariann Szabó's research focuses on the intersections of regional development and sustainability. She has extensive experience in various national and international cooperation projects and currently serves as a work package leader for the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE project ‘From Niche to Centre – City Centres as Places of Circular Lifestyles’.
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Dr. Agnė Tonkūnaitė-Thiemann, Education Office of the Municipality of Dessau-Roßlau
Agnė Tonkūnaitė-Thiemann is a sociologist with a PhD on social inequality in Central and Eastern Europe (Free University Berlin & Vilnius University). She brings extensive experience in municipal administration and the public sector, including regional strategy development, marketing, and impact evaluation. Since 2017, she has led lifelong learning and educational initiatives in Dessau-Roßlau, and since 2021, she also coordinates sustainable education projects.
Bildungsbüro Dessau-Roßlau
Wim Van Opstal, Senior Researcher at VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research)
Wim Van Opstal holds degrees in economics and commercial sciences and brings over 20 years of experience in applied research at the intersection of entrepreneurship, social policy analysis, and sustainable development. As a senior researcher at VITO, he contributes to the advancement of circular business models and their enabling ecosystems. His work spans projects on circular social entrepreneurship, just circular transitions, cooperative models in housing and smart grids, and circular strategies for solar photovoltaics, textiles, and reversible bonding techniques. Wim also supports companies through coaching trajectories, involving business case analysis, backcasting, survey-based research, and value chain mapping. He is an experienced speaker and facilitator, regularly delivering keynote lectures, workshops, bootcamps, and company coaching. In addition to his role at VITO, Wim is affiliated with the Maastricht Sustainability Institute (Maastricht University). He also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Circular Economy and is a member of the international scientific commission on social and cooperative economics of CIRIEC.
VITO
