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.
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Dirk Carrez
BIC Executive Director -
Nelo Emerencia
Human Capital & Stakeholder Relations -
Marco Rupp
Public Affairs & Sustainability -
Sophia De Smet
Communications Manager -
Patricia Vanderplasschen
Finance & Administration Manager -
Samuele Ambrosetti
Innovation & Programming -
Elena Antonakopoulou
Administrative & Operations Assistant
Dirk Carrez
BIC Executive Director
Dirk Carrez is the Executive Director of BIC. He is Bioengineer and holds a PhD in Agricultural Sciences. He has worked at SOLVAY in the research department, at the Belgian Federation for the Life Sciences and Chemical Industry as Director Innovation & Product Policy and as Secretary-general of the Belgian Biotechnology Industry Association, and has been Director Industrial Biotechnology at EuropaBio.
Dirk Carrez is also Vice-Chair of BIAC’s (Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD) Biotechnology Committee, a member of several European and national advisory bodies in the area of the biobased economy, and Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne.
During my career, first as a scientist and later in a different association, we tried to make the world more sustainable: by developing new enzymes that could replace the use of certain chemicals, by promoting industrial biotechnology as a more sustainable technology, by creating a better political framework in Europe for the bio-economy. Finally, we see the change… BIC was created to represent the private sector in the EU's Joint Undertaking supporting innovation in Europe's bio-based industries. We were there at the inception: the sowing of the seed. After you plant the seed, then you need to nurture it while it grows. BIC's role is one of nurturing Europe's bio-based industries.
Nelo Emerencia
Human Capital & Stakeholder Relations
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.
His tasks at BIC include Programming and the Human Capital Agenda. He coordinates the Programming Working Group (all industry members), Programming Core Team (selected industry members), Associated Members Working Group (all associate members) and Education Team (selected industry and associated members).
Marco Rupp
Public Affairs & Sustainability
Marco manages public affairs and sustainability activities at BIC. He graduated as 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. Marco coordinates the Public Affairs Working Group.
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
Innovation & Programming
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
Elena Antonakopoulou
Administrative & Operations Assistant
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.
Dirk Carrez
BIC Executive Director
Dirk Carrez is the Executive Director of BIC. He is Bioengineer and holds a PhD in Agricultural Sciences. He has worked at SOLVAY in the research department, at the Belgian Federation for the Life Sciences and Chemical Industry as Director Innovation & Product Policy and as Secretary-general of the Belgian Biotechnology Industry Association, and has been Director Industrial Biotechnology at EuropaBio.
Dirk Carrez is also Vice-Chair of BIAC’s (Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD) Biotechnology Committee, a member of several European and national advisory bodies in the area of the biobased economy, and Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne.
During my career, first as a scientist and later in a different association, we tried to make the world more sustainable: by developing new enzymes that could replace the use of certain chemicals, by promoting industrial biotechnology as a more sustainable technology, by creating a better political framework in Europe for the bio-economy. Finally, we see the change… BIC was created to represent the private sector in the EU's Joint Undertaking supporting innovation in Europe's bio-based industries. We were there at the inception: the sowing of the seed. After you plant the seed, then you need to nurture it while it grows. BIC's role is one of nurturing Europe's bio-based industries.
Nelo Emerencia
Human Capital & Stakeholder Relations
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.
His tasks at BIC include Programming and the Human Capital Agenda. He coordinates the Programming Working Group (all industry members), Programming Core Team (selected industry members), Associated Members Working Group (all associate members) and Education Team (selected industry and associated members).
Marco Rupp
Public Affairs & Sustainability
Marco manages public affairs and sustainability activities at BIC. He graduated as 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. Marco coordinates the Public Affairs Working Group.
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
Innovation & Programming
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
Elena Antonakopoulou
Administrative & Operations Assistant
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.
