Sarah is a particle physicist from the United Kingdom and currently leads the Methods and Processing group at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute for the Protection of Maritime Infrastructures. She earned her master’s degree in physics at the University of Sheffield before pursuing a PhD in Experimental Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, where she contributed to the ATLAS experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.
Over the past eight years, her research interests have expanded to include the collection, processing, and analysis of data from a variety of sensor systems for maritime applications. At the same time, she has continued to build on her expertise in particle physics, with a particular focus on Muon Tomography—an innovative technique that uses cosmic radiation from outer space to image and investigate enclosed structures on Earth.

Mr. Bhalara is a Master’s student of Process Engineering & Energy Technology at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and a research intern at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. Originally from India, he is working on next-generation MXene-based catalysts for green hydrogen production, combining advanced electrochemistry with synchrotron-based characterization. With a background in industrial process optimization and a passion for bridging engineering precision with scientific imagination, he strives to make energy cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable.

Prof. Dr. Birkner believes in the magic that happens when people dare to grow together beyond themselves. As Professor of Entrepreneurship Education at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and Associate Researcher at ZUKUNFT.unternehmen gGmbH – an affiliated institute of the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg – she combines cutting-edge research with innovative methods and tools for facilitating entrepreneurship. She is passionate about creating learning spaces where curiosity turns into courage and ideas into impact, and loves empowering people to unfold their unique potential – in all its diversity – to co-create a future that fosters regenerative human and planetary flourishing.

Dr. Simone Blaschka ist the director of the German Emigration Centre in Bremerhaven. The museum won the "European Museum of the Year Award" in 2007. Under her leadership, the German Emigration Centre was expanded with a new building dedicated to 300 years of immigration history to Germany. In 2021, she co-founded the Academy of Comparative Migration Studies (ACOMIS), a research and educational institute based at the centre. She is the editor of edition dah. Since 2006, the museum has presented over 30 special exhibitions on various migration topics. The latest exhibition: The Lure of Space. Migrating to the Moon, Mars and Venus?

Emil Drud is an interdisciplinary creative, designer, and entrepreneur exploring the intersections of art, technology, and business. Equipped with the sensitivity of an artist, the curiosity of a philosopher and the mindset of a creator, he works across audio engineering, music production, writing, agile methodologies and workshop facilitation, connecting ideas from different disciplines and bringing them to life with clarity and impact. A lifelong learner, Emil thrives in complexity. He is currently studying Business Creation, Innovation, and Leadership at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, exploring how creativity can flourish in uncertain and complex environments. As the host of the Creative Odyssey podcast and author of the forthcoming book Navigating the Creative Odyssey, Emil examines creativity as a way of seeing, thinking and being in the world, encouraging others to embrace curiosity, accept chaos and create with courage. 

Prof. Dr. Mar Fernández Méndez is a renowned biological oceanographer and algal ecology expert at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the University of Bremen. Her research focuses on phytoplankton and seaweed ecology and their potential applications in mitigating climate change. She has extensive experience of leading expeditions in both polar and subtropical regions. In 2023, she founded the startup MacroCarbon S.L. As CEO, she is pioneering innovative approaches to cultivating floating seaweed in the open ocean. MacroCarbon's mission is to convert this biomass into valuable products, thereby contributing to a sustainable bioeconomy and capturing significant amounts of CO2. This venture translates her fundamental research into a tangible solution for the climate crisis, positioning her at the forefront of science-based entrepreneurship.

Dr. Sven Gastauer is an expert in underwater acoustics with over 15 years of experience. His work has taken him across a wide range of marine environments and conditions, using scientific platforms ranging from some of the largest research or commercial vessels in to small boats, autonomous underwater robots, and moored instruments. He is currently a senior scientist at the Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries and a visiting scholar at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Gastauer also serves as chair of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea’s Working Group on Fisheries Acoustics, Science and Technology. 

Dr. Christian Hamm is the head of the Bionic Lightweight Construction division at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). He studied marine biology, botany, geology/palaeontology and ecology at universities in Tübingen, Miami and Bremen. He completed his doctoral studies at the AWI, the University of Tromsø and the Technical University of Munich. As a postdoctoral researcher, he studied the biomechanics of diatoms and established the Virtual Helmholtz Institute PlanktonTech, as well as the Department of Marine Structures and Nanotechnology at the Institute of Marine Resources GmbH. He is also a co-founder of the software company Synera GmbH. Alongside his team at AWI, he is working on technology transfer for the aerospace, shipbuilding, automotive, mechanical engineering and medical technology industries. Architecture, design, aesthetics, and culture are playing an increasingly important role in his current projects. He cooperates with universities in Germany, France, and Finland as a lecturer, supervisor, or adjunct professor. 

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Alexis Papathanassis, born and raised on the island Rhodes, Greece, has been teaching and researching on tourism for over two decades and currently serves as Rector of the Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. He holds a BSc. from Bath University, an MSc. from the London School of Economics and a PhD from the Leibniz Universität Hannover. His affinity and passion for tourism stems from his childhood experiences, growing up in a family of tourism professionals and entrepreneurs. Alexis’ areas of expertise include Cruise Tourism, Crime and Corruption in Tourism, as well as e-Tourism. His extensive professional background includes various managerial positions within TUI, one of the world’s largest tourism corporations. Alexis is a prolific and highly-cited author, who has published several books, book chapters and articles in scientific journals. His work is featured in several scientific rankings and he is also the Chair of the Cruise Research Society.

Daniel Siegel is Co-Founder of synera GmbH, a company that offers a platform for the automation of engineering processes and the integration of engineering tools.

Prof. Dr. Wenk is an internationally trained educator and researcher with a background in food chemistry and analytical chemistry, currently teaching at the Hochschule Bremerhaven. While obtaining her degree in food chemistry at the Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen, she specialized in the analysis of proteins via mass spectrometry. This technique can be used to investigate proteins from a variety of sources, including food, cultured cells and biofluids such as blood. This has enabled her to work in various research fields, ranging from food chemistry to pharmacology and oncology. Following three years of cancer research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, she returned to her food chemistry roots at the Hochschule Bremerhaven, where her research focuses on food quality and authenticity.