On January 5th, 2015, the International OEKO-TEX® Association introduced Georg Dieners as the new General Secretary. The trained textile engineer will take over from Dr. Jean-Pierre Haug, who, after providing extensive training for the new OEKO-TEX® representative, will concentrate on professional cooperation in the technical committees within the OEKO-TEX® Association in the future and also on his function as the COO of the Swiss Textile Testing Institute, TESTEX AG.

"Researcher passionate about smart textiles and wearables; focusing on integrated product and process design for scalable process chains" Inga Gehrke graduated as a Master in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in 2015. She also spend periods of study at the Industrial and Systems Engineering departments of the Virginia Tech, USA, and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. While finishing her degree, Inga worked for the Fraunhofer Institut and several manufacturing companies. In November 2015, she joined McKinsey & Company as Junior Specialist at the manufacturing service line of the firm’s Operations practice. As such, she supported clients from different industries in improving their operations with digital manufacturing ("Industry 4.0"). Since 2018, Inga works as researcher at the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University and the Digital Capability Center Aachen. In addition to her research on smart textile manufacturing processes, she looks at the impact of Industry 4.0 on textile processes in general and how it transforms companies.

Global Executive, Marketer and Innovator with extensive experience in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (Beverages) after 15 years working at Carlsberg and Super Bock Group. Has accumulated further experience in Executive Education while executive board member of Porto Business School. More recently has moved to Tech, first working for RAISE 3D, a Shanghai based 3D Printer's manufacture and now for MTEX NS, a Digital Printer's manufacturer for the Labelling, Packaging and Textile Industries. Likes to position companies for next level of growth through in-depth partnership development and trust building approach. Leads units through motivational and collaborative management, building and retaining highly functional teams. Formulates a progressive and bold vision based on lessons learned and industry best-practices, with capability to see through the clutter and react appropriately. AREAS OF EXPERTISE • Brand Development and Building • Innovation • Business Development • Leadership

Olaf Schmidt holds a diploma in textile engineering as well as a MBA. Schmidt started his professional career at rohi stoffe GmbH, a textile company in Geretsried, Germany. Following activities in international sales, he became a member of the board of management and was responsible for sales and marketing. In 2003, Schmidt moved to Spinnerei Lampertsmühle AG in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he was named Head of Operations, Marketing and Sales and had a position on the board of management. In October 2006, Schmidt became the Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition. In this function, he is responsible for 57 events worldwide in the fields of technical textiles, home textiles, garment textiles, fashion and textile processing.

Eric Norling is head of Baldwin Technology's Precision Application Segment. He holds a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering & Management and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Linköping university in Sweden. Eric has extensive experience in brand building, business development, marketing and product management from various roles in Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Thule Group. He joined Baldwin Technology in March 2019.

Graduated in Textile Engineering by University of Minho, Master in lignocellulosic materials Engineering by Technical University of Lisbon, Specialization in colorimetric science by Lusíada University of Porto. Technology & Engineering Mananger at CITEVE; Invited Textile Chemical Lecturer at Porto Engineering University, responsible for the subjects of Textiles I and II of the MSc in Chemical Engineering. Teacher of TTS (Textile Technology School) and trainer in technologies textiles (Dyeing & Finishing) in training activities organized by CITEVE and industry oriented. National delegate of GRICES (Higher Education And Science Ministry International Relations Office), for the program Cost Action 847 “Biotechnology in the Textile Industry”; Technological and Innovation auditor in the area of dyeing, printing and finishing; Focus Group Member of Project Bioemprende to the area of biotextiles; Expert of European Textile Technology Platform - TEG 2 (Functionalisation of textile materials and related processes). Coordination and participation of several industrial projects (EU and national) – innovation, technological and production consultancy.

Chemical Engineer and master in Chemical Engineering by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). I work as Technical Manager at TNS Nanotechnology, being responsible for the management of innovation and engineering projects, as well as the management of the productive chain of the company. I have worked in projects in the biochemical engineering area (Brazil - Federal University of Santa Catarina), materials for use in supercritical reactors (Canada – University of New Brunswick ) and modelling and simulation of processes (Sweden – Uppsala University). I am passionate about transforming Science in Innovation – to bring products and services in the area of chemistry and engineering to the everyday life in a sustainable and scalable manner.

10 years Innovation manager for Têxteis Penedo S.A. Is a graduate and master in scientific chemistry in FCUP, and a Phd in Textile engineering in University of Minho.

Andrea Zille graduated in Environmental Science with Biochemistry specialization from the University of Venice (Italy) in 2000. Later, in 2005, He completed a PhD in Textile Chemistry Engineering at the University of Minho (Portugal). Nowadays, he leads the investigation line “Bio- and nanotechnology applied to materials” consolidating his research line on the antimicrobial and antifouling properties of enzyme- and nano-coated polymeric materials. From 2003 Andrea Zille has published 44 Peer-Reviewed Publications and 60 communications (>1500 citations, h-index of 23). The 75 % of his papers have been published within the Q1 and Q2 quartile. He is regularly invited to give talks in international conferences and as referee for many different journals. He has received funding as PI under FCT national and European M-ERA.NET program. From January 2018, he is Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas.

Simone Cipriani founded and manages the Ethical Fashion Initiative, a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and of the World Trade Organization. Simone Cipriani has made it his mission to build a more responsible and sustainable fashion industry, by transforming it into a vehicle of poverty reduction and of empowerment of women, throughout the developing world. The Ethical Fashion Initiative enables artisans who live in marginalised conditions, in Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda), the Caribbean (Haiti) and Asia (Afghanistan and Nepal, soon also in Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), to become regular suppliers of international fashion and lifestyle brands, thus reducing poverty and empowering large numbers of women artisans. Since its inception, the initiative has also evolved to work with emerging African designers to promote their talent at an international level and thus to support more forms of Made in Africa production. The Ethical Fashion Initiative has created a training centre for African migrants and for refugees in Italy and is now engaged in a large project aimed at addressing the root causes of migration to Europe from Africa. A multitude of international brands including Vivienne Westwood, Mimco, Osklen, Karen Walker, Brother Vellies, Camper, Chan Luu, Edun, Stella McCartney, United Arrows, Fendi, Elitis work with the Ethical Fashion Initiative and its partners.

Has a degree on textile engineering from Minho University and more than 20 years of experience in consultancy, training and R&D projects, as coordinator or scientist, in CITEVE, the textile technology Centre from Portugal. Since 2018, she is responsible for the development of the sustainability and circular economy agenda, for the textile and clothing sector. The previous experience included issues related with environmental aspects, namely resources consumption and pollution in the textile sector, implementation of sustainability strategies in textile and clothing industries and also the STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification, as lead auditor. She is a specialist in REACH Regulation. She also participate in several working groups dedicated to the sustainability and circular economy issues.

2006-presente Unidade Climate Change da APCER Membro: - Sub-Comissão Técnica para a ISO 20400 - Compras sustentáveis. - Comité Português para a Gestão Ambiental - CT150 - Comité AEC Industrias de la Moda - Asociación Española para la Calidad (AEC) Auditor coordenador e formador na APCER (ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS18001, ISO50001, EcoDesign, Análise de Ciclo de Vida, Sustentabilidade, auditorias a fornecedores) 2004 - 2006 - Por conta própria - Consultor, Auditor e Formador 2002 - 2004 - Coordenador do Departamento de Ambiente e Higiene e Segurança na Soluziona (Norcontrol y Novotec - grupo APPLUS) em Portugal. 2001 - 2002 - Engenheiro na ENHídrica - empresa de prestação de serviços de ambiente 1999 -2001 - Engenheiro Técnico na DHV Tecnopor - Unidade de Infraestruturas 1994-1999 - Formação Académica - Licenciado em Engenharia do Ambiente 2005 - Qualificação como Técnico Superior de Segurança e Higiene do Trabalho.

NTT is a private research organization involved in the technological development and competitivity of companies in Europe.

Nina Braga is the director of the Instituto-E since 2007. This brazilian NGO develops and implements environmental projects inspired by the concept of the 6 "e"_ earth, environment, energy, education, empowerment and economics - with the goal to help promote Brazil as a country of sustanaible human development. As principal partner in afashion context, Osklen acts as an experimental laboratory for Instituto-E. Trough the creation of pieces with pieces with a socio-environmental contents and materials identified by IE with theirs e-fabrics label, Osklen introduces innovations in the fashion industry as it's present in the ASAP movement and colection

João Gomes holds a Master’s degree in Materials Processing and Characterization from and a Degree in Physics from University of Minho. Previously worked as physical data and device analyst and as a junior meteorologist at the Portuguese National Meteorological Institute. From 2006 to 2007 worked as a researcher for the Electroactive Materials Group of the Department of Physics of the University of Minho. Since 2007 worked a researcher, and from 2013 to 2017 as R&D Manager of the Smart Materials & Embedded Systems Department at CeNTI, focusing on the areas of Printed and Integrated Electronics and Embedded Systems. Currently holds the position of Chief Operations Officer at CENTI with the responsibility of overseeing development of new technologies and products with printed and integrated electronics and smart functionalities for the automotive and aeronautic, home and wellness, and construction industrial sectors. He has many publications in this field in international journals including several patents.

José Carlos Caldeira is currently member of the Board at INESC TEC. He is member of the MANUFUTURE High Level Group and Chairman of its National and Regional Technology Platforms Group. He is also member of the Board at EFFRA – European Factories of the Future Research Association. Until recently, he was the President of ANI - Agência Nacional de Inovação (National Innovation Agency). He was also Director of INESC Porto, one of the main ICT research and technology transfer institutes in Portugal, executive director of PRODUTECH, a cluster of more than 90 organizations, targeting the development of production technologies for the manufacturing industry, and Board member of ISPIM – International Society for Professional Innovation Management In the last 30 years, he participated as responsible and/or a collaborator in the preparation, development and execution of several R&D and innovation projects, in the Industrial Management and Automation area, which received national and international funding, comprising different companies and sectors like: metalworking, textile, footwear, wood and cork, injected foundry, food and beverage, etc.

He was born on April 16, 1969, in Ruivães, Vila Nova de Famalicão. He has been Associate Professor with Habilitation of UMinho's School of Sciences since March 2012. He graduated in Physics and Chemistry at UMinho in July 1992, and joined UMinho as a trainee assistant in October of that same year. He completed his Pedagogical Aptitude and Scientific Capacity in 1996 and PhD in Sciences, specialization in Physics, in 2000, also in UMinho. He has authored 4 book chapters and authored/coauthored more than 180 scientific papers and 10 papers in Proceedings, both indexed in the SCOPUS and ISI web of knowledge databases. He currently has more than 3,100 citations (SCOPUS), and a h index of 31. He participated (as coordinator or research team member) in 10 European projects, 16 national projects (FCT / ANI), 11 bilateral projects and several projects with companies (including 4 innovation vouchers). He is co-author of 3 patents (1 international). He ensured the supervision of 10 doctoral dissertations, 32 master's degrees and 6 postdoctoral researchers. He has held various positions and functions, including: Pro-Rector for new Teaching Projects from November 2013 to November 2017; Vice President, President of the Pedagogical Council and member of the Management Council of UMinho's School of Sciences and member of the UMinho Academic Senate Pedagogical Commission from February 2010 to November 2013. He was also a member of the Coordinating Commission for School Assessment (ECERCF), the elected committee to elaborate the regulations of the Department of Physics (CEERDF), the elected committee to elaborate the regulation of the Center of Physics (CEERCF) and member of the group of elaboration of the RAD - Evaluation Regulation and Performance of ECUM - School of Sciences of UMinho. He was also a member of the electoral commission for the election of representatives of Professors and Researchers, Students and non-teaching staff and non-researcher at UMinho General Council in 2013. He is responsible for the edition of two books: "Tópicos de Física Moderna no Ensino Secundário", Gradiva, Lisbon, 2006 e "Metallic Oxynitride Thin Films by Reactive Sputtering and Related Deposition Methods: Process, Properties and Applications", Bentham Science Publishers, e-Books. eISBN: 978-1-60805-156-4, 2013; ISBN: 978-1-60805-157-1, published in July 2013. He was awarded the Engº António de Almeida prize, awarded to the student with the highest rank in the Degree in Teaching of Physics and Chemistry of the University of Minho, in the year 1992.​

Pedro Siza Vieira is a lawyer and Portuguese politician, who assumed the role of Minister of Economy of Portugal, on October 21, 2017, accumulating the functions of Deputy Minister and Economy on October 15, 2018.

Born in Portugal in 1952, António Amorim has a degree in Economics from University of Porto in 1975 and a Post-Graduation in Marketing from the same University in 1976. António Amorim has an extensive experience in senior management positions in various textile companies, namely TMG, Têxteis Casais and more recently at Arcotêxteis as Member of the Board. Since 1976, is Chairman of the Board of CITEVE – Portuguese Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industries, and since 2007 is also Chairman of the Board of CeNTI – Centre of Nanotechnology and Smart Materials. Since 2004, António Amorim is member of the Board of ADRAVE - Regional Development Agency Valley Ave At international level, António Amorim is a member of the Strategic Committee of Première Vision, on behalf of the Portuguese Industry.

Robin Caudwell is the Co-Founder / CEO at RIEN A SIGNALER. Since September 2017, he is the Innovation Project Assistant at Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.