Speakers March 15, 2025

MODERATOR Denise Johannsson

• Academic studies „Leisure and Tourism Management“ at University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, Germany .

• 13 years Head of Seaside Resort Lubmin, Germany

• Since 2021 head of seaside resort and health & Spa Rostock and Warnemünde, Germany

Gun-Marie Östedt-Axelsson

BASRAN Chair 2023 - 2025 and country representative of Sweden since 2021. 

PDG and Chair of "Save the Baltic Sea" Committee in Swedish Rotary District 2405. Member of Värmdö-Skärgård Rotary Club.

Suzan Stenberg

Rotary International Director 2024-26 in Zone 17 & 18.

https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/our-leaders/directors

Member of Rotary Club Östersund Åre, Sweden.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR!

Juha Kytölä

Juha Kytölä, PhD (Dr Eng), Director R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä.

Juha Kytölä has 35 years of experience in Maritime business within Wärtsilä, with roles in R&D, Manufacturing, Business responsibility in Environmental Solutions, Managing Director for Wärtsilä Finland. He is currently also Vice-chairman for BoD of Vaasa University. In free time keen on boating in Gulf of Bothnia, with both motor- and sailing boats

Shipping is an industry that has global impact and need to move away from loading the environment. A lot of research is ongoing for finding solutions for moving away from fossil fuels and for finding solutions for how shipping can become carbon neutral and even carbon free. The presentation will show an roadmap for various development paths for today and for the future

Wärtsilä Corporation, Finland

Torben Iversen (not confirmed)

HELCOM Response Working Group Chair, Royal Danish Navy Command

HELCOM Response Working Group

Timo Rittweg 

I´m a fish biologist with a focus on niche variation in wild populations. I investigate how individuals interact with their biotic and abiotic environment, and how such interactions shape individual life history and population dynamics.

I hold a masters degree in marine biology and have completed a PhD thesis on growth and ecology of northern pike around Rügen island in the Southern Baltic Sea in Germany.

I´m currently employed as a postdoctoral researcher
at the Thünen Institute for Fisheries Ecology in Bremerhaven to investiagte the distribution and ecology of diadromous migratory fish in Germany.

Baltic Sea Regional Action Network of Rotarians

Cross-border cooperation for the Baltic Sea!

http://basran.eu

Solvita Strāķe

Ms Solvita Strake is the Leading Senior Scientist at the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology. She started her career at the Institute of Biology (LV) with MSc in marine (plankton) biology, and holds a PhD in hydrobiology from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Latvia (LV) focusing on marine zooplankton biodiversity and ecology. 

At the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (+25 yrs expertise), she has gained profound expertise as a researcher and project leader in the fields of marine biological diversity, environmental monitoring, marine protected areas, non-indigenous species of the Baltic Sea, biodiversity indicators and maritime spatial planning. In this role, and in the role as the principal investigator of multiple international and Latvian research projects, and as Latvia’s main expert in marine biological diversity, she has coordinated/participated in several national and international projects on biodiversity indicator development to support the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC). In her position at the LIAE, Ms Strake is fully involved in the MSFD support activities, contributing to the assessment of good environmental status and is acting as an adviser to the Latvian Ministry of Environmental and Regional Development in different stakeholder consultations. 

Ms Strake has gained experience in the marine management as key expert in the marine field elaborating management plans for the Marine Protected Areas of Latvia. Since the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (2014/89/EU), Ms Strake as the key marine expert with her broad fields of expertise is involved in supporting the ecosystem approach to marine management

Tord Ringenhall

In this talk, I will present how Candela’s electric hydrofoiling vessels are transforming sustainable transport in the Baltic Sea region. Drawing from our experience operating Line 89 between Ekerö and Stockholm in 2024, I will share key insights into how these vessels can eliminate fossil fuel dependency, protect marine ecosystems, and provide a fast, energy-efficient alternative to traditional ferries. The session will highlight how leveraging waterways can reduce road traffic and emissions, contributing to a cleaner and healthier Baltic Sea environment.

Tord Ringenhall’s career spans research and development, automated waste collection systems, and start-up ventures, where he collaborated with Saab Aerospace and Volvo Cars. Currently at Candela, Tord leverages his multidisciplinary expertise to drive sustainable innovation in waterborne transport, heading Nordic Sales of the Candela P-12 electric hydrofoiling vessel. In addition, Tord serves as Secretary of the Ekerö Rotary Club, reflecting his commitment to fostering community and collaboration in the Baltic Sea region.

 Cecilia Wibjörn

Marine biologist working with water management at the Archipelago Foundation in Stockholm,  Sweden.

“My main task is to restore wetlands connected to the Baltic Sea. I also work with shallow bays and the question how we can combine nature reserves with boating without damage the soft bottoms.

www.skargardsstiftelsen.se

Eglė Baltranaitė, 

Eglė Baltranaitė is a senior researcher at the Environmental Management Laboratory of Mykolas Romeris University with expertise in stakeholder engagement and tourism management. She holds a PhD in Physical Geography and an MSc in Recreation and Tourism Management. Her field of expertise and study lies in the interdisciplinary field of coastal zone management, with a focus on sustainable planning as well as the influence of anthropogenic and physical geographical factors on coastal areas. She also is an academic adviser of a PhD candidate at Klaipėda University. Eglė presented at 10 international scientific conferences and published 16 scientific articles. The researcher has participated in more than 20 national and international projects, including 6 scientific (funded by BONUS, EU HORIZON, Baltic Research, and Interreg programmes). 

Environmental Management Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania