Speaker

Professor Dr. Frank Behrendt, born in 1959, studied chemistry at RWTH Aachen University and Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, where he worked on the simulation of laminar diffusion flames and earned his doctorate in 1989. After conducting research in Sweden and the United States, he completed his habilitation in 'Technical Combustion' at the University of Stuttgart in 1999. In 2001, he took up the position of Professor of Energy Process Engineering and Conversion Techniques of Renewable Energies at TU Berlin. His scientific work focused on investigating reactive two-phase flows, particularly the thermochemical conversion of biomass. This involved comprehensive experiments complemented by extensive modelling, numerical simulations and economic and ecological assessments. His research portfolio also included modelling energy systems, with a focus on integrating renewable energies into electrical and thermal networks. He retired from this position in March 2025. Since April 2022, he has served as TU Berlin’s President's Representative for International Affairs, Fundraising, and Alumni. Prof. Behrendt was elected a Fellow of the German Academy of Technical Sciences (acatech) in 2007 and of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) in 2016. In 2019, he was appointed Consulting Professor at the School of Management and Economics of the Beijing Institute of Technology. In 2024, he was honoured with the Chinese Government Friendship Award.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Eckert is President of acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering and executive director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC in Garching and professor at the Technical University of Munich, where she holds the Chair for IT Security at the Department of Computer Engineering (CE) of the School of Computation, Information and Technology (CIT). Her research interests include the development of technologies to enhance the system and application security, the security of embedded systems, and the investigation of new techniques to increase the resilience and robustness of systems against attacks. Since July 1st, 2025, Claudia Eckert has been appointed as Scientific President of acatech. In this role, together with Co-President Thomas Weber, she heads the academy, which advises policymakers and society on issues relating to technology-driven innovation. She has been a member of acatech since 2010 and a member of the Executive Board since 2014. She is also a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW). She plays an active role on numerous scientific boards of trustees and advisory boards, including the Volkswagen Foundation's Board of Trustees, the Bavarian AI Council, and the National Cybersecurity Council's scientific working group. In 2021, Claudia Eckert was honoured with the Bavarian Order of Merit in recognition of her outstanding achievements in cybersecurity, and in 2022 she was inducted into the German Research Hall of Fame. In 2023, the Technical University of Munich honoured her with the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal in recognition of her exceptional contributions to IT security. In 2014, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Informatics Society honoured her with Germany's Digital Minds award for her commitment to advancing digital development in Germany through ideas and projects. As a member of various national and international industrial advisory boards and scientific committees, she advises companies, trade associations and the public sector on all issues relating to IT security. In expert committees, she is involved in shaping the technical and scientific framework conditions in Germany and in the design of scientific funding programs at the EU level.

Marcus Pleyer studied Law in Heidelberg and Singapore as the recipient of a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. After graduating, he completed his practical legal training from 1995–1997 at Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court. From 1997–1998, he completed his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at the University of Edinburgh, UK, as the holder of a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. He then moved to the Law Faculty at TU Dresden, where he worked from 1998–2004 as an academic assistant at the Chair of Public Law. Whilst here, he completed his doctoral degree (Dr. jur.) on the subject of federal equality. In 2002, he completed his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at the University of Wales, in cooperation with the FernUniversität in Hagen. From 2004–2006, Dr Marcus Pleyer worked as an officer at the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority before moving to the Federal Ministry of Finance in 2006. Following this, he worked as senior adviser at the Federal Chancellery (small and medium-sized enterprises, competition policy, commercial law, stabilization of the financial market, G7, G20) until 2011. In 2011, he returned to the Federal Ministry of Finance, where he became Head of the Minister’s Office for former Federal Minister Wolfgang Schäuble until 2014. Subsequently, he headed the Division “International Financial Markets” until 2015. From 2015–2025, he was Head of Directorate VII A (combating terrorism and proliferation financing and money laundering, cybersecurity, sanctions, digital financial technologies, KfW and other promotional banks, consumer protection, supervision of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) at the Federal Ministry of Finance. Since 2015, Dr Pleyer has also performed a number of special roles. He was an advisor to the Ukrainian Finance Minister in Kyiv from 2015–2016 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Foreign Office. Between 2016 and 2025, Dr Pleyer was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank and, as a member of the Board of Trustees, he contributed to the setup and development of the Federal Nuclear Waste Management Fund (holding 24 billion EUR) from 2017 until 2025. From 2019–2020, he held the position of Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force – the international organisation for tackling terrorism financing and money laundering – in Paris before becoming President from 2020–2022, the first presidency under the extended two-year term of the FATF’s revised mandate. Furthermore, from 2022 until 2025, he led a project group on reforming the structures for fighting financial crime in Germany. In May 2025, Dr Marcus Pleyer became State Secretary (Deputy Minister) at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.

Speaker bio coming soon.

Max is a physicist with a diverse scientific and technological background, encompassing optics, nanotechnology, and planetary science. With over a decade of experience in academia, Max has had the privilege of contributing research to esteemed publications such as Science and Nature. Following his postdoctoral work, Max eventually ventured into the realm of satellite technology. Here, his work at the interface of spacecraft technology and Earth Observation has inspired him to co-found and lead constellr, combining his passion for entrepreneurship and science to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Eckert is President of acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering and executive director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC in Garching and professor at the Technical University of Munich, where she holds the Chair for IT Security at the Department of Computer Engineering (CE) of the School of Computation, Information and Technology (CIT). Her research interests include the development of technologies to enhance the system and application security, the security of embedded systems, and the investigation of new techniques to increase the resilience and robustness of systems against attacks. Since July 1st, 2025, Claudia Eckert has been appointed as Scientific President of acatech. In this role, together with Co-President Thomas Weber, she heads the academy, which advises policymakers and society on issues relating to technology-driven innovation. She has been a member of acatech since 2010 and a member of the Executive Board since 2014. She is also a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW). She plays an active role on numerous scientific boards of trustees and advisory boards, including the Volkswagen Foundation's Board of Trustees, the Bavarian AI Council, and the National Cybersecurity Council's scientific working group. In 2021, Claudia Eckert was honoured with the Bavarian Order of Merit in recognition of her outstanding achievements in cybersecurity, and in 2022 she was inducted into the German Research Hall of Fame. In 2023, the Technical University of Munich honoured her with the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal in recognition of her exceptional contributions to IT security. In 2014, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Informatics Society honoured her with Germany's Digital Minds award for her commitment to advancing digital development in Germany through ideas and projects. As a member of various national and international industrial advisory boards and scientific committees, she advises companies, trade associations and the public sector on all issues relating to IT security. In expert committees, she is involved in shaping the technical and scientific framework conditions in Germany and in the design of scientific funding programs at the EU level.

Paul Becker is the retired President and Professor of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy. He studied meteorology at the University of Hamburg, obtained his diploma in 1984 and his doctorate in 1987. He worked as a research assistant at the University of Hamburg and at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology. In 1989 Paul Becker moved to the German Weather Service. Initially, he devoted himself to operational forecasting service. In 2008, Paul Becker joined the executive board of the German Weather Service and took over the management of the business area Climate and Environment. Since 2010 he was also Vice President of the German Weather Service. In 2017, he accepted a teaching assignment at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, which appointed him honorary professor one year later. In 2019, Paul Becker moved to the Federal Agency of Cartography and Geodesy as President. He retired in February 2026. Paul Becker is a colonel in the reserve of the German Bundeswehr.

Minister of State Dr. Florian Herrmann has been a member of the Bavarian State Government since March 21, 2018. He was first appointed Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery and State Minister for Federal Affairs, and was reappointed on November 12, 2018, and again on November 8, 2023, to the cabinet of Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder. In his current role, he serves as Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery and State Minister for Federal Affairs and Media, with additional responsibility for film and film funding. During the Covid pandemic, he also served as Covid Coordinator of the Bavarian State Government. After graduating from Dom-Gymnasium in Freising, he studied law in Munich and completed his studies with honors. He then earned an LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (USA) and submitted his doctoral dissertation in Frankfurt am Main on a topic relating to the history of international law. He later worked as a lawyer in his own law firm, specializing in commercial law. Since 2008, Dr. Florian Herrmann has been a member of the Bavarian Landtag for the electoral district of Freising. Before joining the cabinet, he was chairman of the Committee for Municipal Affairs, Domestic Security and Sports, spokesperson for domestic affairs of the CSU parliamentary group, and chaired several Committees of Inquiry. He has been a member of the CSU District Executive for Upper Bavaria since 2009 and of the CSU Party Executive since 2013. In Freising, he has served as elected county councilor since 2002 and as county chairman of the CSU since 2007. From 2019 to 2023, he chaired the CSU Media Commission; since 2024, he has chaired the CSU Film Commission. Dr. Florian Herrmann is also active in a number of honorary functions, including the Bavarian Road Safety Organization, the Bavarian Firefighting Association, and the Catholic Men Association of Tuntenhausen. He is the holder of the Bavarian Order of Merit.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Reinhard F. Hüttl After studying in Germany and the USA and earning his doctorate, Reinhard Hüttl, a forestry and soil scientist, was head of the international research department of Kali und Salz (BASF-Group) Kassel, Germany from 1986 to 1992. After a professorship in Hawaii (1990/91) he held the Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany from 1993 to 2021. From 2007 to 2021 he was also Scientific Director and Chairman of the Board of the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam. Since 2021, he is Scientific Director and Managing Associate of the Eco-Environment Innovation eGbR in Berlin. From 1996 to 2000 he was member of the German Government's Expert Council on the Environment, from 2000 to 2006 member of the National Science Council. He was president and member of the German Bioeconomy Council from 2009 to 2019. From 2012 to 2021 he served on the jury of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, London, UK. From 2008 to 2017, he was president of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). Reinhard Hüttl is also member of further science academies (e.g. Swedish Royal Academy of Agriculture and Forestry). From 2013 to 2019, he was president of Euro-CASE, Paris, France. Since 2025 he is the representative of acatech in Euro-CASE where he leads a working group on soils. 2022 he initiated an interdisciplinary soil group for the Nantesbuch Foundation for Art and Nature (SKN).

Speaker bio coming soon.

Dr. Uwe Schneider has been managing director of the Eco-Environment Innovation eGbR (EEI) since the beginning of 2021. He is a proven expert in the field of soil and land use ecology in the frame of climate protection and adaptation and is concerned with development of related inter- and transdisciplinary networks at the interface between research and application. Another focus of his expertise is on the analysis and the assessment of the technical, economic, and ecological impacts of the German energy turnaround. After having studied forest sciences he received a doctorate at the University of Bayreuth in natural sciences in 1984. He then worked for 5 years as a forest advisor for the German Technical Mission in Guatemela and Honduras. He continued his research activities at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. In 2007 he became head of staff of the scientific executive board of the German Research Center for Geosciences, Potsdam, being in charge of EU affairs, technology transfer and geoenergy research. He is experienced in the management of transdisciplinary joint projects at the national, European and international level.

A. D. Romig, Jr (Al) serves as executive officer of the National Academy of Engineering, with responsibility for program, financial, and membership operations. He previously served as vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company’s Advanced Development Programs, better known as the Skunk Works®. He started his career at Sandia National Laboratories in 1979 and advanced through research and development leadership roles to become executive vice president and later deputy laboratories director and chief operating officer. Throughout his career, Romig has led complex national security, homeland security, and Earth observation programs. At Sandia, he was responsible for Department of Homeland Security activities and led defense-related Earth monitoring satellite programs supporting national security missions. He also directed national emergency response efforts, serving as the senior executive in charge during Hurricane Katrina. At the Skunk Works®, he oversaw deployment of unmanned aerial systems with thermal imaging to support tornado disaster response in Oklahoma. Romig has served on numerous boards and advisory committees and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2003. He holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University.