BTechPro2026 will cover three days from May 6 to May 8, 2026. The organisers are currently working on the specific details of the program.

 

The full list of speakers will be updated soon.

Workshops

Beyond the slides: How to build presentations that spark discussion

Alīna Reķēna is a PhD student in bioengineering at Tallinn University of Technology, passionate about biosolutions and engineering biology. She has delivered 20+ scientific presentations and from time to time takes part in hackathons focused on biotech, food-tech, and sustainability to help turn scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. Giving a clear and confident scientific presentation can be challenging—especially when dealing with complex data, visuals, and terminology. How much should you plan ahead? What goes on the slides, and what stays in your memory? How do you avoid overwhelming your audience? During the workshop, Alina will share practical tips and simple storytelling techniques to help with structuring your talk, highlighting your key message, and building confidence on stage. Learn how to present your science in a way that’s clear, engaging, and sparks discussion!

Demistifying know-how: best practices in IP protection for scientists

Artis Kromanis is a Latvian and European patent attorney. Artis started his journey in the intellectual property as an assistant of the patent attorney in 2003 and then slowly but consistently obtained qualification of Latvian patent attorney and European patent attorney. In the middle of this journey, he also became a registered appraiser in the state company register of Latvia, as well as design agent before the Latvian patent office and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). During the workshop, Artis will give an introduction of the various forms of IP protection, and provide practical tips relevant to researchers and innovators.

LCA key terminology in different industries and academia frameworks & Treatment of biogenic carbon in Life Cycle Assessment

Fabian Diaz is a chemical engineer with over ten years of experience in the chemicals and oil & gas sectors. Fabian holds a Master’s degree in environmental science, and a PhD in environmental engineering from the Riga Technical University. His work experience over the last seven years includes working with different Life Cycle Assessment methodologies as a researcher in EU projects, as well as a Product Sustainability Manager for one of the largest chemical companies in the world, and now, as an Implementation Manager in the largest provider of EPDs for the cement and concrete industry in the world. Fabian’s background is a strong foundation for the workshop, which will include a short introduction to some standards for terminology clarification: EPD, PEF, PCF, DoPC, LCA, Organisational LCA, Social LCA. Furthermore, the workshop will address calculating and reporting biogenic emissions, uptake, and balancing biogenic carbon across the lifecycle of products, depending on the LCA framework under use.

Plenary Lectures

Investing in Research and Innovation in the BIOEAST macro-region

PhD Barna Kovacs, Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, Secretary General of the BIOEAST Initiative, is currently working as counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU. He has been appointed as the Secretary General of the BIOEAST Initiative, as vice-chair of the FACCE JPI, and as SCAR member on behalf of Hungary. His responsibilities cover the follow up of the European Council discussion with regard to the research and innovation in the field of bioeconomy. In his lecture, Barna will talk about the importance of investing in research and innovation in the BIOEAST region, which is crucial to unlock its untapped bioeconomy potential, improve the valorisation of biomass, and support the transition toward sustainable, circular, and climate-resilient systems. Despite its strong agricultural base and rich natural resources, the region lags behind in innovation capacity, infrastructure, and R&I investment compared to Western Europe. Targeted support is needed to bridge this gap, stimulate knowledge-based rural development, retain talent, and enable the region to actively contribute to EU green and digital transitions while ensuring cohesion and balanced development across Member States.

The dark side of academia: Navigating ethical dilemmas

PhD Laila Silamiķele is a researcher at the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre. Laila’s background is in biomedical studies using multiomics approaches, with a particular focus on the gut microbiome, as well as in preclinical in vivo research and the 3Rs principles. Alongside her scientific work, she is interested in improving research quality, reproducibility, and integrity. Laila is a board member of the Latvian Association of Young Researchers (LJZA), the only organization in Latvia that unites doctoral students and young researchers and advocates for their interests. Promoting a research culture grounded in academic and research integrity is essential not only to strengthen science itself but also to protect those who are most vulnerable in the academic hierarchy. Young researchers often depend heavily on a few individuals for their career progression. This dependence can create serious ethical dilemmas, especially when misconduct is discovered within established hierarchies. In her talk, Laila will explore how rethinking practices, evaluation systems, and research culture can create a more equitable, trustworthy, and sustainable scientific ecosystem – one where raising concerns is not a risk, but a responsibility.

Keynote Lectures

New catalytic biorefinery pathways and recycling technologies

Birgit Kamm is a Key researcher at Wood Kplus, Austría and an Honorary Professor of Biorefinery Technology and Biobased Products at the Brandenburg University of Technology, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany. Her research is focused on commercially viable biobased platform chemicals and materials. She is currently working on understanding the structure–property relationships between renewably sourced biobased polymers, biobased polymer additives, and biobased resins. Birgit’s presentation will focus on current research and development of new heterogeneous catalytic synthesis routes for the selective degradation of lignin for the subsequent production of bio-based resins and polymer additives. Furthermore, the recycling of bio-based products will be considered.

Scalable upgrading of lignin towards advanced materials

Mika Sipponen is Associate Professor and Docent in Materials Chemistry at Stockholm University, where he leads the Sustainable Materials Chemistry (SUSMATCHEM) group. He earned his Doctor of Science (Tech.) in Chemical Technology from Aalto University in 2015, focusing on lignocellulosic biorefineries and industrial biotechnology. Mika’s research centres on developing functional materials from lignin and industrial by-products, supported by major grants from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, European Research Council, and Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. He is a Wallenberg Academy Fellow and recipient of the Nouryon Nordic Prize. In his keynote, Mika will address scalability and circularity aspects of biomass side-stream valorization, with a focus on lignin-based materials chemistry.

Valorization of agro-industrial by-products into versatile functional ingredients by emerging extraction technologies

Vaida Kitrytė-Syrpa did her joint PhD studies at Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania) and Ghent University (Belgium). She is currently a professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, and since 2024, serves as the Dean of the Faculty. Her research focuses on the valorization of plant materials and their by-products through advanced extraction and fermentation techniques, phytochemical analysis, functional property evaluation, and process modeling and optimization. Vaida’s presentation will provide an overview of recent research on the valorization of plant-based agro-industrial by-products using high-pressure extraction methods, specifically supercritical CO₂ and pressurized liquid extraction, with a focus on optimizing extraction of target phytochemicals through response surface methodology.