BIO of Florian Kongoli

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Dr. Florian Kongoli holds 3 degrees: a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science/University of Montreal, Canada and a Doctor of Science Degree/Tohoku University, Japan. Since 1996 he is CEO of FLOGEN Technologies Inc.,(www.flogen.com) a Sustainable High Tech applied research institute
incorporated in Canada and USA that today have offices and representations in more than 15 Countries around the the world while carrying out high tech projects in more than 40 countries.

Since 2007 he is Chairman of FLOGEN STAR OUTREACH (www.flogen.org), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to (1) achieving sustainability through science and technology, (2) raising the profile of science and engineering in the society and (3) properly honoring scientists and engineers.

Since 2003 Dr Kongoli has been President of the Organizing Committee of the Sustainable Industrial Processing Summits (SIPS) held every year in several countries around the world with an average participation of 500 authors from academia, industry, government and the entrepreneurship world representing an average of 80 countries.

Dr Kongoli has about 25 years of rich scientific and applied technology experience through direct involvement in numerous invited engagements in all continents. He has managed, involved, or actively participated in about 200 projects, 40 types of reactors, 10 industries, in 45 countries and in 6 continents. Dr. Kongoli has published 113 books and more than 200 scientific articles. He has delivered in numerous countries around the world about 220 plenary, keynote and invited presentations as well as articles, technical reports and research presentations. He has served in many leadership positions in national and international organizations and in many Professional Award Councils such as the Industrial Achievement Award Committee of International Federation of Automatic Control. He is Editorial Board member of several International Journals.

He is an elected Honorary Member of the Lorraine Academy of Sciences and Elected Member of Euro Mediterranean Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was awarded in 2017 the title "The Environmental Tech CEO of the year 2017" by CEO-Monthly UK magazine. He was awarded Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of his contribution toward sustainable development through FLOGEN Sustainability Framework by Tomas Bata University in Zlin (Czech Republic)/Faculty of Applied Informatics. He is honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro and Laureate of Gold Medal of the City of Nancy, France. In 2022 he was honored by the Congressman elect of Rio de Janeiro State, Alan Lopes, who will propose to the State Congress to adopt FLOGEN Sustainability Framework developed by Dr. Florian Kongoli in the state law for evaluating any proposed public or private project in the state. Also, in 2022 he was invited to give the Opening Sustainability Plenary Lecture at the United Nation Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 February 2022 about FLOGEN Sustainability Framework at the International Year of Glass 2022.

He has participated in business and government delegations in numerous countries accompanying Prime Ministers, Ministers and other government officials.
A more detailed biography can be found at: http://www.flogen.com/elt/pdf/Kongoli_Short-CV.pdf

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BIO of Konstantinos Aravossis

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Prof. Konstantinos Aravossis is Professor and UNESCO Chairholder on Green Innovation and Circular Economy at the NTUA (National Technical University of Athens) and Professor at the ATHENS MBA (NTUA - Athens University of Economics) since 1997. He is the Coordinator of the “Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development Research Group” of the Sector of Industrial Management and Operations Research of the Mechanical Engineering School.

Prior to that, he was Secretary General for Forestry at the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy and Secretary General of Natural Environment & Water.

He is a Mechanical Engineer (Technical University of Aachen, Germany) with an M.Sc. in Management Science from Imperial College - University of London. He has further been awarded a PhD by the National Technical University of Athens, focusing on Operations Research.

He has been the Environmental Advisor to the President of the New Democracy political party and current Greek Prime Minister.

He has also been President of the Greek Branch of the Waste to Energy Research and Technology Council (www.wtert.gr), coordinated by Columbia University, and Associate Researcher at the Earth Engineering Center - Columbia University, as well as visiting Professor at Imperial College - University of London.
Moreover, he has been President of the Board of the Institute of Production and Operations Management / Hellenic Management Association.

He has further been an Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Culture for the Olympic Games Constructions and their post-Olympic utilization, President of the Greek Association of Environmental Protection Companies, President of the Hellenic Solid Waste Management Association (HSWMA) (now Hon. President), President of the Ordinary Environmental Committee of the Technical Chamber of Greece and Member of Evaluation Committees for Investment and Energy Projects of the Ministry of Development. Furthermore, he has been Member of the Board of the Organisation of Labour Residencies (OEK) and General Manager of Environmental Companies.

He has organised 11 international conferences, has published over 100 international books and research papers and has coordinated a great number of national and international research projects.

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BIO of Valentin Chanturiya

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VALENTIN ALEKSEEVICH Chanturiya, (Moscow, Russia, 1938). Mineral processing engineer, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Full Professor, Full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), recognized leader in the field of mineral processing. He completed his education in the field of mineral processing in 1962 at the Faculty of Non-ferrous and Rare Metals of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys. Head of the Laboratory (1977-1993), Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources (IPCON RAS) (1993-2003), Director of IPCON RAS (2003-2011), Chief Researcher at IPCON RAS and Adviser to the Russian Academy of Sciences (2011 – present).

The main areas of scientific interests of Academician Chanturia are related to the creation of highly efficient, environmentally friendly technologies for the complex processing of ores of complex material composition and man-made raw materials. He explained the mechanism of interaction of reagents with minerals based on a modern understanding of solid-state physics and chemistry of surface compounds, developed a theory of directed changes in surface and technological properties of minerals based on energy influences and innovative processes of complex and deep processing of hard-to-enrich ores and raw waste. He heads a new scientific direction on the creation of scientific foundations for the disintegration of mineral complexes and the disclosure of micro- and nanoparticles of non-ferrous, rare and precious metals based on powerful energy influences. Based on theoretical knowledge, he was the first in the world to scientifically substantiate and practically develop equipment and the optimal mode of environmentally safe electrochemical technology for conditioning mineral suspensions and industrial waters in ore dressing schemes implemented at several mining and metallurgical enterprises. Chanturia V.A. Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the Problems of Mineral Enrichment (1991 – present), member of the Bureau of the Department of Earth Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (2009-2022), He is a member of the Scientific Council of the International Congress on Mineral Processing (IMPC), in 2018 he held the 29th International Congress on Mineral Processing in Moscow. He has published more than 600 scientific papers, 15 monographs and 70 inventions and patents. He is a member of the editorial boards of several Russian and foreign scientific journals. Chanturiya V. A. He is a laureate of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Government of the Russian Federation.

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BIO of Ioannis Chatjigeorgiou

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Ioannis Chatjigeorgiou is a Professor in the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (SNA&ME) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and since Nov 2023 he is the Rector of NTUA. He graduated from SNA&ME in 1990 and was awarded his PhD in 1997. He joined the faculty of SNA&ME in 2001. He was elected full Professor of NTUA in 2016. He teaches in both the Undergraduate and the Postgraduate programs of SNA&ME. His research interests include: linear and nonlinear hydrodynamics of floating structures, violent hydrodynamic slamming, hydroelasticity, wave-current interaction with structures, environmental loading on floating bodies, dynamics of slender structures, dynamics of pipes with internal flow, analysis and design of mooring systems, hydromechanic analysis of moored floaters and sustainable energy production systems from the sea environment. He worked as a Visiting Professor in NTNU (2016), Ecole Centrale Marseille (2008 & 2011), University of East Anglia (2014-2016). He was awarded the Marie Curie Research Fellowship for outstanding researchers (2014) and for 2020, 2021 and 2022, he was included in the list of the 2% of top researchers worldwide. He is a member of several national and international professional and scientific societies, member of editorial boards in international journals, reviewer in more than 70 journals and reviewer for book publishers. He has published more than 170 articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and collective volumes. He authored the books, "Analytical Methods in Marine Hydrodynamics" (Cambridge University Press, 2018) and "Dynamics of Pipelines for Marine Applications (Springer International Publishing, 2023). He participated in the execution of numerous funded research projects. He is currently the Director of the Laboratory of Floating Structures and Mooring Systems. During Oct 2019 - Nov 2023, he was the Vice Rector of NTUA responsible for Research and Lifelong Education.

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BIO of Douglas Fuerstenau

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Douglas W. Fuerstenau is P. Malozemoff Professor Emeritus of Mineral Engineering in the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. He graduated in 1949 from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering, followed by a M.S. degree in Mineral Dressing from the Montana School of Mines in 1950. He received his Sc.D. degree in Mineral Engineering in 1953, under Prof. A.M. Gaudin, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After teaching at MIT as an Assistant Professor and working in industry for Union Carbide as section leader in the Metals Research Laboratory and for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Company as manager of Mineral Engineering, he joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley in 1959 to teach courses and conduct research on Mineral Processing and surface properties of materials. Through his inspiration, numerous students have achieved notable distinction in careers in academia, industry and government worldwide. Over the course of his academic career, he guided the thesis research of more than 70 M.S. students and more than 60 Ph.D. students.

Prof. Fuerstenau has been actively involved with research over his entire career. His research contributions range widely over mineral processing, particle technology, and applied surface
chemistry. This includes extensive work on comminution, flotation, pelletizing, mixing of solids, surface chemistry of minerals, interfacial phenomena, environmental science and engineering, fine particle processing, applied surface and colloid chemistry and on the processing of a wide range of materials such as coal and various nonmetallic and sulfide minerals.

Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1976, Prof. Fuerstenau is recognized as a giant in mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, and his research results are widely used and referenced extensively. Some 440 publications have resulted from his work, mostly with his graduate students. He has held leadership roles in national and international technical societies and has served on numerous advisory boards to universities, international editorial boards, Government committees and panels regarding mineral resources, and has contributed widely at the international level to resource programs. For 22 years he was a Director of Homestake Mining Company.

He was the first recipient of the International Mineral Processing Congress Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011 the Bancroft Library of the University of California published his oral history, Mineral Processing Engineer and Scientist: in Education, Research, Industry and International Cooperation. In 2014, the International Mineral Processing Council (IMPC) and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) jointly honored him with an IMPC/SME Special Award for Outstanding Contributions to Global Mineral Processing through Teaching, Research and Professional Service.

Prof. Fuerstenau has received numerous awards from AIME and its constituent societies, starting with the Hardy Gold Medal. Among them the following are included: AIME (American Institute of Mining Engineers) Honorary Membership (1989), AIME Rossiter W. Raymond Award (1961), AIME Mineral Industry Education Award (1983), AIME Frank F. Aplan Award (1990), AIME Robert H. Richards Award (1975), Robert Lansing Hardy Gold Medal (1956), Antoine M. Gaudin Award (1977), Arthur Taggard Award, etc. His extensive international recognition includes such awards as the Senior American Scientist Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Society in Germany, honorary doctorates from Belgium and Sweden, and election to foreign engineering academies in Australia, India, and Russia.

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BIO of Christos Kavalopoulos

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Mr. Kavalopoulos is a graduate of the National Technical University of Athens - School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering.

From 1981 until 1997, he worked at the Mining Company of Delphi - Distomo (subsidiary of Aluminium of Greece), as engineer, responsible for the underground and surface work sites, responsible for the R&D office.

In 1998 he took over as General Manager of Operations of the Hellenic Post, a position he took after evaluation under law 2414/96.

Until September 2000 he was responsible for the operation of the entire postal network.

In 2001 he took over as General Manager of the SABO group having the responsibility of 4 separate companies that specializes in the design and construction of production lines.

In 2002 he deals with construction companies and from various positions of responsibility.

In 2003, until his assumption of duties in the Association of Mining Companies, he was the technical director of the marble quarries of Dionyssos Marble in the region of Pentelis mountain.

From 2003 until today, he has the duties of the General Manager of the Greek Mining Enterprises Association, with the responsibility of operating the working groups of the Association, the implementation of the decisions of the Board, the presentation of positions on issues concerning the industry, participation in various communication actions representing the Association, the organization of events promoting the Association and finally the representation of the Association in Public Administration and together with the presidency, in the political leadership.

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BIO of Cyril O'Connor

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Cyril O'Connor is a registered chemical engineer with a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town and a Senior Doctorate (D.Eng.) in Metallurgical Engineering from Stellenbosch University. He is the immediate past Director of the Centre for Minerals Research and was the founder Director of the Institute for Catalysis Research, both of which are located in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. He was President of the International Mineral Processing Council (2006-2020), held the Anglo-American Platinum Chair in Minerals Processing (2008-2012), was Vice-President of the International Zeolite Association (1998-2004), was a member of the Executive of the Academy of Engineering of South Africa (2012-2019) and is CEO of the South African Minerals to Metals Research Institute. He has chaired numerous scientific panels and boards and has served from time to time on various international scientific committees and review panels, has chaired the Organizing Committees of several major international conferences and is presently the Chair of the International Advisory Panel for a major Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence. He has published over 300 papers in international journals and international refereed conference proceedings, has supervised more than 80 PhD and MSc graduates and at his retirement was a National Research Foundation A rated researcher. Prior to his retirement at the end of 2009 he was Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town (8 years), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment (10 years) and served as an Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2008/9. He is a Hon. Fellow and Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of, respectively, the Royal Society of South Africa, the University of Cape Town, the South African Academy of Engineering, the South African Institution of Chemical Engineering, IUPAC and is a founder member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. In 2017 he was elected as an International Member of the US National Academy of Engineering, in 2018 was appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Central South University in Changsha, China, and in 2022 was awarded the Antoine M Gaudin Award by the US SME/AIME which is their highest annual award in the field of mineral and metallurgical processing.

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BIO of Vladko Panayotov

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Vladko Panayotov (born 7 May 1950, Pavlikeni) is a scholar and Bulgarian member of the European Parliament who sits on the committee for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. He is also a substitute for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He is a member of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party of Bulgaria and in the European Union he is part of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Prof. Vladko Panayotov was educated in Moscow and Sofia, and holds a Ph.D. His areas of study include mineral processing and chemical cybernetics. In 1975, he worked as an Engineer at the Central Institute on Complex Automatics in Sofia. Between 1975 and 1977 he carried out regular military service.

Panayotov created an environmentally friendly technology which extracts non-ferrous metals from industrial waste (including copper, nickel and aluminum). This technology avoids the use of cyanides, acids and over non-environmentally friendly materials and reduces the amount of industrial waste produced.

Panayotov has published over 160 works including 26 inventions, 5 monographs (in Bulgarian and in English) and 4 textbooks.

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