Confirmed invited speakers in alphabetical order:

Research Associate at Division for Marine and Environmental Research in the Laboratory for Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology. Her current research activities include: environmental microbiology research focused on microbial ecology, response of microbial communities to anthropogenic pollution as well as microbial communities involved in antibiotic resistance. Her previous experience includes working on topics of environmental exotoxicology and biological oceanography. In addition to scientific research, she is also engaged in the popularization of science.

Researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Pant Protection,he works in the field of plant pathology. His research activity is aimed at the study of plants’ innate defense mechanisms to pathogens, at the understanding of molecular plant-microbe interactions, and at the development of sustainable strategies of plant protection.

Senior reseach associate at Division of Materials Chemistry. The European Climate Pact Ambassadors  in Croatia .

Researcher who specializes in various areas of study, including food science, microbiology, packaging, waste processing, and non-traditional food products. His research focuses on exploring innovative approaches to enhance food safety, quality, and sustainability. Through his work, he aims to develop novel packaging solutions, investigate microbial processes in food systems, and address the challenges of waste management and utilization. He is particularly interested in finding alternative uses for unconventional food products and developing sustainable methods for their processing.   

Full Professor at School of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment , University of Thessaly 

Head of master studies, holds position of full professor in functional and molecular biology. Her research explores two main themes: plant stress physiology and plant memory with specific interest in seed priming and transgenerational memory investigating how seed priming affects plant fitness and vigour and how primed memory can be transferred to progeny. Secondly her research investigates plants secondary metabolite production using in vivo and in vitro techniques and different elicitors and how these can affect bioactive properties of plants. 

Associate Professor at the Department of Nursing, University North and a board-certified clinical microbiology specialist. His research interests include various aspects of human microbiology, infectious diseases and public health sciences, especially within the context of manifold social and environmental factors. Additionally, he serves as the current Country Ambassador to Croatia for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and currently acts as a Chair of the ASM/CHOMA Committee. 

Associate professor at the Department of Biology mainly engaged in the research of antioxidant response of various plant species exposed to the influence of abiotic stress with special emphasis on the photosynthesis. In addition to her scientific work, she also participates in projects of science popularization, while her biggest challenge is the attempt to highlight the importance of plants, and thus photosynthesis, for life on Earth.

Senior researcher at the Laboratory for aquaculture and pathology of aquatic organisms, Division for marine and environmental research. Experienced in evaluation of stress response of marine bivalves related to exposure to potentially harmfull polutants. Current research interests shaped by sensitivity of farmed bivalves from eastern Adriatic aquaculture to numerous natural and anthropogenic pressures, with the emphasis on physiological stress and susceptibility to bacterial pathogens. Also focused on the occurrence of exotic and potentially invasive species and how they might affect both wild and farmed bivalves within vulnerable protected marine environments in the eastern Adriatic.

Studied biotechnology at the Faculty of food technology and biotechnology, University of Zagreb. She is a Senior Adviser in the Department for Thematic Areas of Framework Programmes in Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, and nominated National Contact Point for Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility and for Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment in Horizon Europe programme. Her previous experience includes working on topics of sustainable development and adaptation to climate change. 

She is the head of the genetics laboratory. Her research interests include phytochemistry and plant genetics, and the application of molecular plants in the protection and conservation of genetic resources in horticulture. In addition to scientific research, he is also engaged in the popularization of science. 

She is a Pharmacist with a Ph.D. in Applied Biology and Environmental Safeguard. She conducts research focusing on the study of pharmacological activity and chemical structure of natural compounds from various sources. In particular, she investigated the health properties of bitter compounds from Humulus lupulus L., Gentiana lutea L., and Citrus bergamia Risso & Poit. to provide innovative food supplements for human uses.

Senior scientist at  Department of Molecular Biology. She has been a Head of Laboratory for Chemical biology since 2008. Salopek Sondi B. has long term experience in plant physiology and molecular biology, with special focus to the role of plant bioactive molecules in plant growth and stress response in Brassicaceae. 

She is a Head of the Laboratory for plant molecular biology.  Her previous and current research activities include:  plant acclimation response (antioxidative system, secondary metabolites, gene expression) to abiotic stress, such as high nutrient imbalances, metal excess, and drought, and bioactive potential of plant secondary metabolites. She coordinated and participated in numerous national and international projects, and also supervised several PhD and MSc students. 

Postdoctoral Researcher in the Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit . As a nutritionist, her work focuses on the evaluation of health benefits and potential risks from dietary metal exposure in humans, especially in the most sensitive population groups, such as pregnant women and young children. She is a collaborator in several research projects. In addition to her scientific work, she is active in promoting science through activities of the ˝IMImobil˝ project.

Senior Research Associate at Division for Marine and Environmental Research in the Laboratory for Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology. As a microbial ecologist, her work focuses on the characterization of microbial communities in their natural environments, including soil, marine and freshwater ecosystems, with emphasis on environments stressed by various types of anthropogenic stressors, mostly by pollutants and climate change. Her work emphasizes the importance of considering the "hidden majority" of microbes when it comes to the health of all of Earth's ecosystems, and the importance of considering them in the context of climate change scenarios. 

Associate Proffesor in the Laboratory for Phytochemistry. Her main scientific interest is plasticity of special plant metabolism under different environmental conditions. She currently leads one international and two national projects, and is a collaborator on two scientific and one national infrastructural project. Dr. Šola holds lectures and practicum in fundamentals of phytochemistry, plant bioactive compunds, plants in phytotherapy, plant anatomy, and molecular biology of plants.

Head of Packaging Development Dpt., at Podravka d.d. Accomplished and performance driven professional with extensive experience in food product packaging development. Manage various product packaging execution processes from the standpoint of design, including packaging materials technical documentation, food safety procedure, specifications, and packaging analysis of new and innovative products for quality assurance. Establish and implement sustainable packaging development strategies to enhance existing products efficiency from overall Podravka portfolio. Since 2019., she is Assistant Lecturer at University North, Koprivnica for courses related to the packaging design and food packaging material.

Associate Professor at Laboratory for Food Processes Engineering, where she teaches several courses related to food preservation and engineering. Her research interest includes developing new nonthermal food processing techniques, mostly electro-based like high voltage plasma discharge, pulsed electric field etc., and new food products based on new techniques like 3D food printing. Tomislava gained experience during her Fulbright scholarship in the USA and several other countries working with eminent Professors. She is an active collaborator and board member in several science projects.   

Professor of Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science. His research is focusing on nutrition and he has published more than 300 peer reviewed papers has hosted more than 13 research grants since 2009. Dr. Xiao has been selected as Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers for several years. 

Since 2012, he has been a full professor. His research interests are in the field of implementation of microreactor technology in biotechnology. More than 120 scientific and professional publications, 2 patents and more than 140 presentations (plenary lectures, key note, invited lectures, posters) at scientific and professional conferences testify to his work. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journals Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly, Engineering Power, and Godišnjak Akademije tehničkih znanosti Hrvatske, and Vice President of the Croatian Academy of Engineering.