Dr. Martin Vendel holds the position as Academy Director at EIT Urban Mobility. He has experience from academic research and teaching combined with industrial experience from large multinational corporations and startups. Dr. Vendel has experience from a number of executive and board positions, with a focus on corporate strategy, marketing, business development and industry transformation. The last years with a focus on technology driven transformation and change.

Dr. Maria Tsavachidis is the CEO of the EIT Urban Mobility, a European knowledge and innovation community to accelerate the transition towards sustainable urban mobility and livable urban spaces. Before joining the European Institute for Innovation and Technology, she was responsible for Innovation at Siemens for more than 20 year in different positions. She started her career as a researcher in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems and holds a PHD in traffic engineering from the Technical University of Munich.

Martin Kern is Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology since 2019 following his appointment by the EIT Governing Board, having previously been Interim Director and Chief Operating

Officer at the EIT. Prior to joining the EIT, he worked at the European Commission for 15 years where he held a variety of posts, mainly dealing with enlargement policy and with financial assistance to support economic and social development programmes. This included the role of Head of Operations at the EU Delegation to Serbia, where he coordinated the programming and implementation of EU funds to bring Serbia closer to EU accession. Previously, he worked as country coordinator for financial assistance for Türkiye, and was seconded to the Swedish Foreign Ministry during their EU Presidency in 2009 in the area of EU enlargement. Earlier on, he dealt among other things with the follow up of the use of EU funds in Bulgaria and Romania during the period of their accession to the EU in 2007. He started his career in the EU in Lithuania and Estonia, working in the EU Delegations and supporting the two countries to join the EU, ending his six years in the Baltic States as Acting Head of the EC Representation in Estonia. He started his career with a stint at the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Europe in Switzerland. He holds MA degrees in Economics and English from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and in European Studies from the University of Reading in the UK.

Biography available soon.

Biography available soon.

Biography available soon.

Professor Tuula Teeri (PhD) is currently leading a diverse spectrum of activities for science-based policy advice as the President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), Chair of Euro-CASE (European Network of Engineering Academies) and Board member of SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies). She has held research and leadership positions at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden where she was appointed Pro Vice Chancellor in 2008. During 2009 – 2017 Tuula Teeri was the founding President of Aalto University, leading the merger of three Finnish universities in technology, business, and design. The unique profile at the intersection of art, science, business, and technology, as well as student driven entrepreneurship has become an international benchmark of university reform.

Inge de Waard is the learning strategist at EIT InnoEnergy. She is a longtime researcher, activist, and award-winning learning innovator. She coordinated multiple online & hybrid initiatives, co-designed AI tools, and embedded learning innovations. Inge co-creates international, blended curricula with engineers and teachers, while exploring and embedding innovative learning formats. Her expertise is recognized by peers, resulting in additional co-authored papers, invited talks and keynotes in both academic as well as professional conferences, workshops and seminars. She recently co-created the ‘AI for Teachers’ LinkedIn group, that aims at sharing knowledge and experiences with educators around the world.

Originally a high school teacher from Australia, Beth Havinga has managed education publishing houses and education software companies in Europe, founded her own EdTech startups in Germany and the USA, and, for the last six years, has supported a wide variety of education organisations through her company, Connect EdTech. Beth works with large tech corporations, education publishers, governments, ministries of education and education startups globally, supporting them in education policy, digital implementation strategies, market analyses, and the internationalisation and expansion of digital products. She currently serves on the practical advisory board of Kids.digilab.Berlin.

As a specialist in the digitisation and interoperability of education systems, Beth currently serves on the Digitisation Council of the state of Berlin in Germany, is chair of the advisory board of Kids.Digilab.Berlin, and also represents Germany as head delegate to the European Committee for Standardization of Interoperability for Learning Technologies and EdTech. Additionally, Beth is part of the EdTech Roundtable of the European Commission, represents the EEA as part of UNESCO’s Broadband Commission, and is part of the COSN international advisory board.

Beth has previously served on the expert committee of the Austrian Ministry of Economy, Research and Science, and was an invited member of the expert Platform, “Digital Future: Learning. Researching. Knowledge” of the German Digital Summit under the Chairmanship of the German Education Minister.

As a cofounder of the European Edtech Alliance, Beth is excited about making the digital education landscape within Europe more accessible, interconnected and open for innovation.

Biography available soon.

Milena Stoycheva is a long-time CEO of Junior Achievement Bulgaria (JA Bulgaria), part of the global network of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA Worldwide). Throughout her career, she has worked systematically for digitalization, modernization and development of a high educational and startup culture in Bulgaria.

Milena Stoycheva taught innovation and entrepreneurship at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and was responsible for the innovation and transformation strategy at EIT Culture & Creativity.

She is the recipient of JA Worldwide’s highest global leadership award “Soraya Salti” for 2021, presented in recognition of making a social impact through economic empowerment.

Milena Stoycheva has more than 20 years of experience in leadership positions in international organizations and companies, having also served as the Chair of the Global Member Council of JA Worldwide and Senior Adviser on Higher Education for Europe.

Milena Stoycheva is the first Dean of Student Affairs at the American University in Bulgaria. She is a member of the board of the European Female Founders and works actively for affirming women in business, science and entrepreneurship.

Milena Stoycheva is a co-founder of the Bulgarian cluster for digital solutions and innovations in healthcare and is its first chairperson. She participated in several expert groups at the EC, OECD, HEinnovate, etc.

She has degrees and specializations from Bulgarian and international universities such as Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Penn State University, UC Berkeley and MIT.