Meet our Team

Staff

The BIC office at 38/40 Square de Meeûs, B-1000, is located across the road from a city park, while being strategically close to both the European Parliament and Commission.

Staff

Philippe Mengal

BIC Executive Director

Philippe has several years of experience in chemical engineering, consulting and senior management roles — including CEO positions — within bio-based industries in France and Belgium. He also has extensive experience at the intersection of innovation, sustainability and European industrial policy, managing complex European programmes, fostering cross-sector partnerships, and accelerating market deployment of innovative technologies. He was previously Executive Director of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) for seven years.

I am proud to lead an organisation that endorses the vision laid out in the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, that by 2040, Europe will have a competitive and sustainable bioeconomy where bio-based materials and products are widely deployed as fossil free alternatives.

Marco Rupp

BIC Deputy Executive Director

Marco is the BIC Deputy Director. In addition, he manages public affairs and sustainability activities at BIC, including coordination of the Public Affairs Working Group. He graduated as an economist. Marco has over 20 years of private and public sector expertise in various management functions. He is a member of several expert groups and advisory boards in the field of the bioeconomy. He has coordinated several studies and publications on the bio-based industries

Sophia De Smet

Communications Manager

Sophia De Smet is a British communications specialist and has has 15 years of experience as a journalist, editor and communications manager in the UK, France, Latvia and Belgium. She has worked directly and indirectly for the European Commission (DG MARE) and NATO in communications-related roles. She has a broad range of experience in story-telling, social media and internal/external communications. Her most recent role supported a European Commission fund that helps small-scale fishers, aquaculture producers and coastal communities, with work encompassing sustainability, biodiversity and the circular economy.

Patricia Vanderplasschen

Finance & Administration Manager

Patricia has a background in linguistics & literature, marketing, public relations & accounting and graduated with a Master’s degree from the KU Leuven (Belgium) and a post-graduate degree in Marketing, Public Relations and Publicity. She is responsible for BIC’s general administration, accounting & finances, conference co-ordination & contacts with the membership and maintenance of the members’ database.

Patricia can be contacted in English, Dutch, French and German.

Samuele Ambrosetti

Programming & Innovation Manager

Samuele is an expert in EU R&I programmes and a contributor to the ISO 56000 family of standards. In his former role as a consultant, he supported several national and EU-wide industrial clusters and associations to develop and implement SRIAs, roadmaps and R&I programmes. Within BIC, he is responsible for programming, including in relation to the CBE JU AWPS, and for innovation brokerage

Estela López-Hermoso

EU Affairs Lead

Estela López-Hermoso is a Public Affairs Lead with over 15 years of experience shaping EU policy, leading stakeholder engagement, and aligning industry priorities with European regulatory and innovation frameworks. She holds a Masters in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe, as well as degrees in History and Contemporary History. Estela is fluent in Spanish, English, German and French.

Elena Antonakopoulou

Administrative & Operations Officer

Elena has a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and a master’s degree from ULB in International Development and Cooperation. She has been working in project management and administrative support in International organisations and environments for more than eight years. Elena is supporting BIC’s general administration and is responsible for project membership administrative procedures.

Consultants

Nelo Emerencia

Coordinator of BISC-E

Nelo Emerencia has achieved degrees in Ir Chemical Technology from TU Delft and ‘Kandidaat’ (comparable with BSc) law from University Neth. Antilles. He has experience in engineering & operations, economics & planning, marketing, communication & public affairs, and Education & Innovation.

Fabio Sagnelli

Programming & Innovation

Fabio is a chemical engineer with over 18 years of experience dedicated to the circular bioeconomy as an innovation and funding expert. He began his career in 2007 as researcher on innovative biomass valorisation and then moved into strategic consulting and industry. He supports BIC in programming and innovation activities as a sectorial innovation expert.