Speakers 2025

Philipp Wenz is Head of Key Account Management Battery Recycling at BASF Battery Materials. He holds a diploma in Chemical Engineering from technical university Dortmund (Germany), where he graduated in 2001. Philipp joined BASF in 2006 as Application Development Engineer and CAE Engineer. During his 18-year career with BASF, Philipp held various positions in Sales and Key Account Management. He has diverse experience and expertise in areas such as business development, negotiation, market intelligence, and sales leadership and has a strong focus on driving sustainability and innovation. The cornerstone of his expertise lies in steering key account relationships and guiding international [...]

Stefan Van der Wal has a degree in Industrial Management and Chemical Engineering. He has 30 years of experience in the field of process instrumentation and liquid and gas analytics in process industries. He joined METTLER TOLEDO Process Analytics in 2006. As Head of the Industry Marketing Department, he has consulted with the world’s largest chemical and refining companies regarding best practice industrial process control. He is strongly involved in application engineering and product development and is behind the design and commercialization of various revolutionary new process analytical products and technologies.

Tom Van Bellinghen founded Lithink in mid-2024 to provide strategic go-to-market advice in the battery industry, leveraging his 15 years of expertise. Lithink focuses on key areas such as supply chains, ESG matters, closed-loop flows, pCAM, CAM & battery quality, and complex negotiations involving metal hedging. Before founding Lithink, Tom played a crucial role at Umicore, where he led the expansion of its Rechargeable Battery Materials business into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise and introduced a direct engagement model between OEMs and cathode manufacturers, improving transparency and sustainability. From 2019 onward, Tom managed relationships with automotive OEMs, positioning Umicore as a leading cathode [...]

Peter Ursic holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in advanced torque sensing. With 30 years of experience in Automotive Engineering, Peter has held vital roles at Hidria, including Head of Electronics Development and Project Manager for innovative projects such as the Combustion Pressure Sensor. Peter has a proven track record of driving innovation, leading multidisciplinary international teams, and delivering innovative products for the Automotive market. As Innovation Manager at Hidria he cocreates the leading-edge solutions for sustainable mobility. He is occasional presenter at global conferences and actively engages with [...]

Laurent TORCHEUX obtained a PhD degree from the Paris University of in 1994.  He joined the European battery company (CEAC-Exide) in 1994 in charge of studies on lead-acid batteries for different applications. He coordinated several European research projects. In 2002 he joined the EDF group in the R&D dept. and took over the management of the battery group. At the same time, he was entrusted with the responsibility of building test facilities and laboratories to develop EDF's activity in the field of energy storage by batteries. Since then, he has been involved in many operational battery projects for various applications worldwide [...]

Onur Tokmak is the Product Manager of the Business Unit Battery Technology at Exentec Germany GmbH. Exentec is a leading manufacturing company for the the semiconductor, pharmaceutical and battery industry. He plays a key role in driving the innovation and product strategies for supplying the most advanced batter production facilities to keep up with increasing demands. With a background in mechanical engineering and the semiconductor industry he provides the passion and knowhow to shape the future of battery production.

Jesper Frost Thomsen is a Danish PhD student at the University of Münster in Germany, affiliated with the BACCARA graduate school for battery research. He works in the Department of Business Chemistry. Jesper holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Copenhagen University and a Master's degree in Engineering on Sustainable Energy from the Technical University of Denmark. His research focuses on the transport within the battery value chain, with an emphasis on data gathering and transport simulation.

As the Head of Sales Battery at Advanced Innergy Solutions Ltd., I lead our Business Line Battery Safety Products, focusing on developing and implementing innovative battery safety solutions. My role involves defining strategic directions, leading a team from R&D, technical support, and sales, and driving key-account development in the EMEA region, with oversight in NAFTA and Asia. Previously, I served as Global Technical Expert at VonRoll Holding AG, where I managed global key-account projects in e-mobility, focusing on batteries, charging systems, and power electronics. I worked closely with leading automotive and electronics companies, developing strategic materials and applications. My extensive experience [...]

Jean-Marie Tarascon is a solid-state chemistry expert whose first fifteen years of his career were spent in the United States. He was behind the creation of the European network of excellence ALISTORE-ERI in 2003 and then in 2011 of the French network on the electrochemical storage of energy (RS2E), which he still heads. His fields of research are varied and relate to the design, via eco-efficient synthesis processes, of new electrode materials with exacerbated capacity as well as to the study of new reaction mechanisms and the exploration of new battery technologies beyond Li-ion with in particular Na-ion, Zn-MnO2 or any [...]

Conrad Szczuka is a Battery Scientist at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. While working on battery performance and durability, he supports battery-related policymaking by providing technical advice, conducting tailored studies, communicating with stakeholders, following standardization activities on CEN/CENELEC/IEC level, and conducting laboratory research. Before joining the JRC, Conrad Szczuka was scientifically active in the field of lithium-based batteries for more than 6 years working at RWTH Aachen University, UC Berkeley, University of Cambridge, and Research Centre Juelich.