John Melo

PIPA (USA) Digestiva - Senior Advisor, PIPA - CEO of Digestiva

John Melo has been a leading innovator and Entrepreneur in the realm of Synthetic Biology. With over 30 years of leadership experience in sustainable innovations, his journey has been marked by numerous breakthroughs in Biotechnology, including high-throughput screening for bioengineering, robotics, the development of AI-driven automated scientists at industrial scale and Billions of dollars of commercializaion and partnership deals and product innovations. These advancements, coupled with an exceptional team of scientists, have led to an 500% boost in R&D productivity and a 90% reduction in time to market for sustainable ingredients over the past decade. Prior to this, Melo held the role of President of US products and Chief Information Officer of the BP downstream business, which is one of the largest global manufacturing, marketing, and supply chain networks.

Miguel Pombo

Ignae (Azores, Portugal) - Founder

Ignae was created in 2017 with the idea of bringing to beauty all the beneficial properties of the ingredients that can be found in the Azores Islands, with the help of biotechnology. So this is what we have been doing ever since, while respecting the balance of our ecosystem, which is fragile and needs to be nurtured and protected.

André Antunes

University of Saint Joseph (Macau, China) - Associate Professor

André Antunes is an Associate Professor at Institute of Science and Environment of the University of Saint Joseph. He is an expert in microbiology of marine and extreme environments, having specialized in deep-sea and high salinity locations. He has done his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), followed with a PhD in Biochemistry (Microbiology) at the same institution but with his PhD research work being conducted at the prestigious Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie und Archaeenzentrum of the University of Regensburg (Germany). His research career has included periods of work in several countries in Europe, as well as in Africa, and in the Middle East. Before his current appointment he had previous faculty positions in Cabo Verde, in the UK, and at the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), where he was the leader of the Astrobiology Research Group and the coordinator of the Astrobiology and Cosmochemistry Experimental Platforms. He has extensive experience with international collaborations, having participated as PI and team member of several research projects across the globe and having joined and lead several research expeditions and cruises. As part of these, he previously worked as project manager, being involved in the national and European coordination of the ESFRI EU-funded project MIRRI (Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure), as well as being involved with the ESFRI EU-funded project RItrain (Reseach Infrastructures Training Programme). He also acted as consultant and invited committee member for NASA, ESA, and the European Science Foundation. Furthermore, he is an elected member of the Communications Committee of the Microbiology Society, Chair of the Ocean Sustainability Advisory Group and Global Ambassador for Applied Microbiology International, and editorial member for a variety of leading journals in his field. Selected research highlights: i) New species and higher-ranked taxa: two new orders, one possible new phylum; ii) Novel characteristics relevant for biotechnology and cellular physiology: New cellular contractility cycle; first Halobacteria preferring anaerobiosis; first prokaryotes accumulating glycerol; iii) -Omics based analysis: first genomics and proteomics studies in deep-sea brines; iv) Bioprospection: New strains with cytotoxic and apoptotic activity; in silico-based exploration for biosynthetic gene clusters; studies in biogenic carbonate production. v) New computer-based and experimental tools: Portal for microbial knowledge exploration; data analysis tool for microbial genomes; database on halophilic archaea, as well as an innovative microbial isolation technique).

Yu Rencheng

IOCAS (Qingdao, China) - Professor

于仁成，中国科学院海洋研究所研究员，现任中国科学院核心岗位特聘研究员，中国科学院大学岗位教授，兼任EASTHAB 科学指导委员会委员、WESTPAC赤潮工作组成员、中国海洋湖沼学会水环境分会主任委员、中国海洋学会理事等职。主要从事近海生态系统演变过程与机理、有毒有害藻类与藻毒素分析检测方法、有害藻华形成和演变的生态学与海洋学机制、有害藻华的危害效应与生态安全研究。近五年承担国家级项目10余项，在国内外学术期刊发表论文200 余篇，参与编写专著多部。在国际合作方面，参与推动成立了中葡星海联合实验室和中葡海洋与环境科学实验室，与葡萄牙、法国、澳大利亚等国外知名科研机构建立了稳定合作关系。

James Chang

Geb Impact Technology (Hong Kong) - Managing Director

With the effort of our technical team and the excellent facilities support at HKSTP, Geb Impact has achieved high productivity microalgae biomass cultivation with excellent macronutrient composition. Currently we are a cohort of the Enterprise Support Scheme funding programme from the HKSAR government to further improve production and technology. Strive to become a global ingredient supplier for enterprises around the world to create the next generation superfood and bioactives: • promote application of high-value bioactive elements produced from microalgae. • serve as a novel ingredient producer and an enabler for F&B Enterprises. • food Sustainability: strive to reach Sustainable Development Goals. Our high-value bioactive elements from microalgae aim to serve various industries, including culinary, supplement and skin care.

Narcisa Bandarra

Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere - Head of Aquaculture, Valorization and Bioprospecting Division

Pedro Lima

Sea4US (Portugal) - CEO

CEO and co-founder of Sea4Us where he also lead the Research & Development area. During his +9 years in Sea4Us, he dedicated all hid drive to Tech transfer. His goal is to revolutionise Pain Management, aligned with a coherent creation of economic value. At Sea4Us, He placed his two main core expertise and areas of knowledge into a differentiating concept. Those areas are Neurosciences (biophysics and Pharmacology of Ion-channels) and Marine Biology. In Marine life lies an immense diversity of compounds that represent a true 'new chemistry' to be explored for differentiating medications. This is more than a strong belief; it is also an exciting business model.

Luís Rochartre Álvares

Planetiers New Generation (Lisboa, Portugal)

Luis Rochartre Álvares - Forestry engineer (UTAD), postgraduate in Sustainability at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Harvard Business School. He is currently Chairman of the Sustainability Committee at Mota-Engil, Senior Advisor at Planetiers New Generation, Novais Advogados, GlobeScan (Toronto) and CO2Offset, Senior Consultant at Von Rohr & Associates (Geneve), Sustainability Practice Advisor at Epic Talent Society, Sustainability Curator at Spinn, Partner & Head of Sustainability at Unobvious Solutions, Invited Professor at ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics & Management and Industry Fellow at Católica Porto Business School. He also participates in The Natural Step Portugal, Build Up Labs, Zero Emissions World, Help Images, AGAVI, CITAB/UTAD and Colab Forest Wise.

Wang Yong 王勇

Professor, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School; Shenzhen Blue Ocean Deep Sea Equipment Technology co.,ltd (Shenzhen, China)

I received my PhD from the University of Hong Kong and postdoc training in King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Before joining in Tsinghua University, I have been working in Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering of Chinese Academy of Sciences between 2013 and 2022. I am the leading scientist in invention of automatic deep-sea sampling and detection techniques for deep-sea microbial research in China. I have published over 120 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, which have been cited over 7500 times. Some of the articles were published in Nature Comm, ISME J., Nucleic Acids Res., The Innovation and Sci. Bull. I obtained National Natural Science Award, “Ten-Thousand Talents” programme, Young Talent Award of National Science and Technology Department, and Excellence Award of “One-Hundred Talents” programme of CAS. I am serving as associate editors of several journals, and leading an international twilight zone ecosystem research project (TOWER) under UN Decade 2021-2030 programme.

Débora Campos

AgroGrIN Tech (Portugal) - Founder & CEO

Doctor Debora holds her PhD in Biotechnology and Food Science, from Portuguese Catholic University (UCP), with over 12 years of experience in biotechnology R&D at green and sustainable technologies. She began her professional career as a fellow researcher at CBQF (Center of Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry), progressing to PhD and later post-doc. While working as a researcher, she started her entrepreneurial career, by launching the AgroGrIN Tech, a startup transferring novel technologies to the industry aiming the efficient upcycling fruit waste and by-products. She published 47 research/ review articles in refereed international journals and authored 9 chapters in handbooks on these topics, edited 1 book, and is the author 1 granted European patent, has an h-index of 23 and guest editor of several special issues from MDPI, Frontiers and Elsevier. She integrated several R&D projects nationally and internationally, which enable her to be involved in collaborations with multiple Universities and Research Centers, companies and associations/ technology clusters.

Pedro Rodrigues

Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal) - Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) - Assistant Professor

Pedro Miguel Rodrigues has a B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering. He is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology - Universidade Católica Portuguesa (ESB-UCP) and an integrated member of the Research Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF-UCP), Porto, Portugal. He is the Co-coordinator of the Bioengineering Degree and the Coordinator of the Data Science in Biotecnhonlogy Postgraduation Program. His research areas focus on digital signal processing and artificial intelligence applied to diagnose neurodegenerative, cardiac and speech diseases and on the development of biosensors, electronic instrumentation tools, microcontrollers and smart-tools for fast controlling and monitoring living cities & spaces and agri-food & biological/biomedical systems.

Benedita Chaves

LIPOR (Porto, Portugal)

Currently the Innovation, Research and Development Department director at LIPOR, a waste management company. This department is expected to change LIPOR’s business model in the future, focusing on new products based on municipal waste. She has several years of experience with the community, by implementing projects that changed behaviors and promoted environmental and social sustainability. She likes to get things done and to create added value including for the environment and the community, while making a better place out of the world.

Manuela Pintado

Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal) - Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) - Director of CBQF

Maria Manuela Estevez Pintado is a Professor of the College of Biotechnology of the Portuguese Catholic University (ESB-UCP) since 2005. In 2017, she became the director of CBQF (Chemistry and Biotechnology Center – State Associate Laboratory), a ESB UCP research unit as well as Associate Director of ESB UCP. She was a member of the Research and Internationalization Group of UCP (2014-2016). She has established strong interaction with industry and she has been Coordinator of Department of Scientific Services for Industry (SETIF) (2013-2016). Additionally, she has been an invited professor at Paraíba Federal University (2012 and from 2014 to 2016). She has a B.Sc. in Pharmacy from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto (1991) and finished her Ph.D. in Biotechnology (in the field of Food Science and Engineering) from the Portuguese Catholic University in 1999. In the same year (until 2002) she obtained a Post-doc research position. She coordinated the Task Force of Dairy Products of the College of Biotechnology Industry Association (AESBUC; 2000-2005). Her research interests include Biotechnology and Biochemistry - carry out research in a range of key technologies for the production, characterization, and preservation of industrially/traditionally processed products. The research can be summarized into: (i) development and compositional characterization and validation of bioactivity of functional ingredients (proteins and biopeptides, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics and antimicrobials) and study applications on the development of novel functional foods (ii) by-product upgrading through bioprocesses and extraction processes aiming to obtain high-added value products (iii) microbiology and biochemistry in food field, including key technologies for the production, characterization, and safety issues of products and (iv) application of the above research developments to other Biotechnological fields.

Meng Meng

Macau International Carbon Emission Exchange - General Manager

Chan Yi Ngok 陳一諤

Director, Pudong-Hong Kong Institute for Technology Transfer and Innovation; Vice Chairman, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Biotech Alliance (Hong Kong, China)

Mr. Chan Yi Ngok currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of a Hong Kong-based health technology company and holds leadership positions in several prominent biotechnology industry associations in Hong Kong. He has overseen the organization of major events including BIOHK2022-2025 and the Boao Forum for Asia Global Health Forum 2024 Conference. Additionally, he serves as a director of the Pudong-Hongkong Institute for Technology Transfer and Innovation, a joint initiative with the Pudong Development Group in Shanghai. Beyond his biotech engagements, Mr. Chan manages a hedge fund under a fully licensed financial group regulated by Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission. He collaborates with a renowned industrial park developer in Beijing on the management of life sciences and health projects in mainland China. Prior to his technology ventures, Mr. Chan was a founding partner of a 4As advertising firm in Singapore and previously worked at a British multinational bank, providing corporate financing solutions and banking services to ultra-high-net-worth individuals in real estate development and investment sectors. Mr. Chan holds a First Class Honours Bachelor's degree from the University of Hong Kong, along with advanced degrees from Peking University and the University of Oxford.

Bashir M Saidu

Sustaincia - Co-founder and Supervisory Executive

Recent host of Biotech and Sustainability Forum

Deepa Mora

BioMyne- Biotech innovation and Engineering Ltd - Founder and Director

Deepa Mora is the founder of BioMyne, a Macau-based biotechnology firm pioneering sustainable solutions through advanced resource valorization. With expertise in plant molecular biology and cross-border collaborations, BioMyne bridges scientific innovation and industrial applications—from bioactive compound discovery to eco-material development. Deepa partners with institutions like the University of Macau, MUST, MPU, USJ and Portuguese universities to drive scalable, circular bioeconomy models. Deepa actively promotes circular economy principles, co-organizing the 2024 Biotech Innovation & Sustainability Forum and sharing insights via columns in Macau Business and Hong Kong Examiner.

Isabel Braga da Cruz

UCP Porto (Porto, Portugal) - Pro-Rector for Sustainability

Helena Abreu

International Seaweed Association (Aveiro, Portugal) - President

Jorge Dias

CEO SPAROS LDA (Olhão, Portugal)

Jorge Dias is the Co-founder and CEO of SPAROS LDA (www.sparos.pt), a science and technology driven company dedicated to the development and testing of new products and tailored nutritional solutions for the aquaculture market. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences (specialty Nutrition) by the University of Bordeaux I (France) and University of Porto (Portugal), and an MSc in Food Technology by the University of Bordeaux I (France). Prior to founding SPAROS, he was a scientist at DSM Nutritional Products. He has authored 4 book chapters and more than 100 peer-review papers on the topic of fish nutrition. His expertise covers the areas of nutritional requirements of fish and shrimp; feed formulation; extrusion technology; and the practical development of additives and functional raw materials in aquaculture feeds.

Tiago Aires

Soja de Portugal (São João Ovar, Portugal)

Wei Yu 俞威

Xiaozao Tech/Lyxia 小藻科技(安吉)有限公司 (Shenzhen, China) - CEO and Founder

Wei Yu is the founder of Lyxia/Xiaozao Tech, a biotechnology company he established in 2012. For the past 12 years, Wei has dedicated his career to advancing microalgae-based technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from UCLA and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Zhejiang University.

Simon Ming Yuen Lee

Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Director of PolyU-BGI Joint Research Centre for Genomics and Synthetic Biology in Global Ocean Resources, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong, China)

Simon Ming Yuen LEE is currently Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences in Department of Food Science and Nutrition, and Director of PolyU-BGI Joint Research Centre for Genomics and Synthetic Biology in Global Ocean Resources, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Simon obtained PhD degree in biochemistry from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interest lies in the discovery of drug-like agents from natural products including small molecules and biologics for use in various therapeutic areas, including brain disorder and neurodegenerative diseases. His dedication to education and research in the fields of omics, pharmacology and toxicology has led to over 360 scholarly articles, including Nature, Nature Genetics, Nature Communications (4×) and Science Advances. Simon is in stanford university's list of top 2% of most-cited scientists in Pharmaceutical Science and Biology (with h-index: 65 from Scopus). Simon is a life member of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge. He has served as an editorial board member for numerous international journals including Chinese Medicine, Antioxidants, Journal of Ethopharmacology, and Water Biology and Security.