Speakers 2025

Jan Rocnik is a Team Leader for Strategy and Business Development at AVL, the leading mobility technology companies for development, simulation and testing in the automotive industry, and in other sectors. He brings more than six years of global experience in product management and business development for battery testing.

Daniel Fischer is an experienced professional in the field of functional specialty papers with a focus on battery technologies. While looking of a wide experience in both, Operations and Technology, in his career, he currently works at delfort, a leading company in the development and production of specialized paper solutions. In his role, he plays a key part in the development and marketing of IonPort®, a fiber-based separator solution for secondary batteries, aimed at enhancing both the performance and sustainability of battery systems. Mr. Fischer is actively engaged in the industry and regularly presents delfort’s latest innovations, contributing to the advancement [...]

Dr. Simon Engelke is the Founder & Chair of Battery Associates. Simon completed his Ph.D. on Lithium-ion batteries at the University of Cambridge. He is the recipient of multiple awards including the Trinity Bradfield Prize and Cambridge University Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Simon has been invited to speak at various events, including the European Battery Show, UN Climate Change Conference (COP25), IAA Mobility, FT Future of the Car Summit, and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. He served as Co-Curator of the WEF Strategic Intelligence for Future of Energy and Batteries and as Fellow of the WEF Global Future Council on [...]

Caroline was educated as a materials science engineer, and she holds a PhD in materials science. During her many years of experience at Saint-Gobain Ceramics R&D, she led several projects, some of which in the automotive sector. She is now involved in the development of innovations for the Li economy, such as solid electrolyte materials for SSB and materials for Li extraction.

Alessio Mariani has over 29 years of experience in the energy industry, holding various executive roles at Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc., Baker Hughes, and GE Oil & Gas. His experience includes running worldwide commercial operations,  global accounts, leading strategic partnerships, and global assignments in Japan and Russia & CIS as regional leadership. Alessio Mariani is a certified Mechanical Engineer from the University of Florence. Alessio loves sailing, flying and spending time with his family.  

Born 10.03.1982 in Moers, Germany. Diploma in chemistry at the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf in 2008. Afterwards start of the doctoral thesis “Tribological and surface analytical measurements on the reaction mechanism of forming additives” in the surface science lab of ThyssenKrupp Steel in Dortmund. Graduated with a Dr. rer. nat. from the University of Paderborn in 2018. Research in the field of zinc-air flow batteries and flow batteries in general at the University Duisburg-Essen from 2013 to 2022. Since April 2022 project manager rechargeable zinc batteries at GRILLO.

Dr. Srirama Hariharan serves as a Technology Solutions Consultant at Honeywell, where he is driving digital transformation in gigafactories throughout the EMEA region. He holds a Ph.D. in battery technology and an MBA in Strategy & Innovation, bringing over 15 years of expertise across research and development, as well as pilot and production phases. His current focus at Honeywell is on promoting advancements in digital manufacturing within gigafactories.

Didier Guillonnet is the CEO and Co-Founder of AZA Battery, a leader in the development of electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries. His diverse career, spanning software development, digital electronics, and biological research, laid the groundwork for his innovative contributions to technology. At AZA Battery, his leadership since 2008 has been pivotal in creating a safer, more cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional lead acid and lithium batteries. The zinc-air batteries developed under his guidance offer low energy storage costs and utilize materials that are abundant worldwide, making them ideal for stationary storage, load shifting, and backup power in the context of intermittent [...]

Nicolas Cottereau has more than two decades of experience supporting engineering customers in high-tech industries. At Maplesoft, an emerging leader in advanced engineering modeling and simulation, Nicolas focuses on building strategic partnerships and connecting new and existing industry voices around Maplesoft's portfolio of engineering solutions and services. Working with roll-to-roll suppliers and manufacturers of automotive, batteries and packaging products, Nicolas is a respected authority on engineering business development, presenting on digital twins, automation, and modeling and simulation in support of process and product development.

Jean-Luc Cialdini is the CEO of EasylZinc, a cleantech company developing next-generation zinc-based battery materials to enable safer and more sustainable energy storage. With an international career spanning Europe and the United States, he brings extensive experience in business leadership, commercialization, and industrial markets. Prior to joining EasylZinc, Jean-Luc held senior roles in global organizations, leading growth strategies across advanced materials and technology-driven sectors. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School. As CEO, he is focused on scaling innovative energy storage solutions from lab to industry, supporting the transition toward a more resilient and low-carbon energy [...]