As we approach the first-year anniversary of SEAFAIRER, we would like to thank the support of our current Advisory Board members, who are experts from different fields offering a strategic combination of technical, scientific, institutional and networking expertise at national and international level.
Remco de Witte – Alfa Laval (Tumba, Sweden)
Remco de Witte is a Global Application Manager at Alfa Laval and is on of the member of the SEAFAIRER Advisory Board.
A marine engineer with over 10 years of experience as a naval engineer in the sailing industry, Remco has been working at Alfa Laval for over 10 years and currently serves as a technical and application expert for the Marine Separation department, focusing on the evolution of fuel oils and biofuels in ship fuel treatment systems.
A graduate of the World Maritime University with a specialization in the Maritime Energy Management Program, Remco was also seconded to the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, where he developed energy efficiency guides for the decarbonization of the maritime sector.
With its technical background and extensive experience in maritime energy and fuel systems, Remco brings valuable expertise to the project, supporting its mission to advance decarbonization in the maritime sector.
Gernot Vogt and Susanne Hirschmann – BayFOR (Germany)
Gernot Vogt and Susanne Hirschmann, members of the Environment, Energy and Bioeconomy Unit at BayFOR – Bavarian Research Alliance, led by Thomas Ammerl, have been actively involved in SEAFAIRER since its initial conceptual phase, playing a decisive role in defining the project’s mission, structure, and long-term vision.
Both are strong advocates for climate action and the use of biogenic raw materials as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, especially in hard-to-reduce sectors such as maritime transport.
As members of the SEAFAIRER Advisory Board, Gernot and Susanne contribute not only their technical and political expertise but also as facilitators of high-level networking and stakeholder engagement. Their role is crucial to:
- Creating a strategic network of partners at the European level to support SEAFAIRER’s scientific and technological development;
- Fostering local and regional partnerships across different geographical areas, ensuring that innovative solutions are based on practical and context-specific applications;
- Identify and catalyse follow-up projects that can build on SEAFAIRER’s results and expand its impact;
- Define clear valorization pathways, helping transform research findings into exploitable innovations that have an impact beyond the project itself.
Their environmental knowledge and deep institutional experience in designing and managing European projects are instrumental in maximising SEAFAIRER’s reach, supporting the complexities of stakeholder engagement, regulatory alignment, and long-term exploitation planning.
Teresa Ponce de Leão – LNEG (Portugal)
Teresa Ponce de Leão is the president of the Board of Directors of LNEG, the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (Portugal).
In addition to her role at LNEG, she is:
- Member of the Board of the Portuguese Energy Agency (ADENE);
- Vice-President of the European Sustainable Energy Innovation Alliance;
- Long-standing member of the Committee of Energy Research and Technology of the International Energy Agency, representing the Portuguese Government.
- Vice-President of the European Sustainable Energy Innovation Alliance;
- Long-standing member of the Committee of Energy Research and Technology of the International Energy Agency, representing the Portuguese Government.
Her institutional experience and strategic vision for sustainable energy ensure that the project is aligned with scientific principles, policy frameworks, and national and international best practices. Therefore, her contribution represents significant added value for SEAFAIRER in terms of strategic direction, helping to position the project as a benchmark for sustainable maritime innovation.
Pepe Castro – La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera (Spain)
Innovation Officer at La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera, the Union of Farmers and Livestock Producers of the Valencian Community, Pepe Castro brings to the project a strong connection to the Comunidad Valenciana, a key region for the SEAFAIRER project, as the source of the rice husk feedstock and the central hub for an own Community of Practice. Pepe also brings in a world-class agricultural network extending far beyond Valencia and Spain.
As a senior expert with experience in maritime innovation and decarbonisation strategies, he plays a crucial role in linking research findings with real-world implementation. His support helps ensure that the solutions developed, particularly those involving biogenic raw materials, are not only scientifically sound but also aligned with the economic, regulatory, and infrastructural dynamics.
Furthermore, his contribution strengthens SEAFAIRER’s ability to engage with local stakeholders, validate case studies in realistic contexts, and promote replicability in other European ports. His expertise thus allows the project to assess the real-world impact and scalability of its technological innovations in complex operational contexts.
Blaž Likozar – Kemijski inštitut (Slovenia)
Head of the Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering at the Kemijski inštitut – National Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana, Blaž Likozar is one of Europe’s leading experts in chemical process engineering.
Within the SEAFAIRER project, Professor Likozar plays a key role in guiding the technical development and optimization of thermochemical conversion technologies, particularly those aimed at producing sustainable biofuels. His knowledge will be crucial to ensuring these technologies can be efficiently scaled from laboratory or pilot-scale systems to commercial production, without compromising energy efficiency, environmental performance, or economic viability.
Professor Likozar helps bridge the gap between innovation and market readiness, supporting SEAFAIRER in its market entry as a commercially competitive solution and helping the consortium address the challenges of scaling thermochemical conversion technology and the future commercial expansion of biofuel production.