Speakers ABIM 2025 at a glance

Alberto Acedo - Cofounder & CSO, Biome Makers

Martin Andermatt - Chairman of the Board, Andermatt Group AG

From 1980 to 1985, Martin studied Agronomy at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, where he went on to earn a PhD in Entomology in 1989. Over a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, he co-founded and led numerous companies in the fields of biocontrol, animal health, and entomology, serving as CEO, board member, or chairman from 1988 to 2022.
In 2004, he initiated the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM), playing a central role in its development as a key industry event. From 2004 to 2024, he was a member of the management team and served as Chairman of the Board of ABIM AG. Since 2022, he has held the position of Chairman of the Board at Andermatt Group AG, continuing to influence the field of sustainable agriculture and biocontrol at a strategic level.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Anniversary Celebration

Dorian Aznar - PhD Student, ANTOFENOL

Student from University of Montpellier since 2015, after a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in (nano) - Biotechnology, biochemistry and microbiology I started a PhD (CIFRE) in 2022 between academia and industry supported by UMR QualiSud, which specializes in understanding the dynamic mechanisms involved in constructing food safety and, Antofénol's multidisciplinary expertise focuses on the development of biocontrol solutions. My PhD aims to study, understand, and demonstrate the mode of action of Antoferine® by identifying key molecules from the plant extract and their impact on specific structures or functions essential to fungal physiology.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Antoferine® an eco-friendly plant extract, inhibits fungal growth and mycotoxin production

Jeremy Belzunces - Technical Project Manager, IBMA Global

Jeremy demonstrates nine years’ experience in the diplomatic and agro-food consultancy areas. Jeremy worked for six years as a Policy Advisor in EU Agricultural Affairs for the Agricultural Department of the diplomatic Mission of Israel to the EU. He advised the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and a range of governmental and industry bodies on the development of EU agro-policies and the EU sanitary and phytosanitary framework.
Jeremy acted for six years as national Delegate to the OECD Committee for Agriculture and two associated OECD working parties: the joint working party on agriculture and trade (JWPAT), and the working party on agricultural policies and markets (APM). This experience gave him a good understanding of international and national agricultural policy matters.
Before joining IBMA, he ran an independent consultancy for three years advising companies and consultancies on EU agro-food policies and EU import requirements.
​Prior to his assignments in the diplomatic and business area, Jeremy participated to an EU research program on plant protection products operated by the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE).
He holds a master degree in International Business, a master degree in Business management and The Prince2 project management certification. ​Jeremy speaks French, English and has notions of Italian.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Chair)
 

Klaus Berend - Director for Food Safety, Sustainability and Innovation, European Commission

Dr. Klaus Berend joined the European Commission in 1994 and is currently Director for the Directorate Food Safety, Sustainability and Innovation in the European Commission's Directorate-General Health and Food Safety.
Before, he was Head of Unit responsible for the implementation of the Pesticides and Biocides legislation in the same Directorate-General.
Earlier, he was Head of Unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs, in charge of the implementation of the EU Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
Previously, he was Head of Unit in DG Enterprise & Industry, responsible for EU legislation on the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), detergents, fertilisers, drug precursors, explosives and pyrotechnic articles. The Unit also dealt with the sustainability and competitiveness of the chemicals industry in the European Union.
He was Deputy Head of Unit in the Commission’s Directorate General for Environment, Unit Biotechnology & Pesticides, where he co-ordinated the work concerning biocides, plant protection products and the Community’s participation in the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC).
He studied chemistry at the universities of Heidelberg, Freiburg, and Stanford, and obtained a PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of Freiburg (Germany).

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel Discussion

Karel Bolckmans - BioFirst Group

Karel holds a Master in Agricultural Sciences from the KU Leuven in Belgium. Karel started his career in the biological control industry in 1992 at the then still very young Biobest company in Belgium, were he had different roles in market development and business development.
After a 4 months stint with the biocontrol company Bugs for Bugs in Australia in 1998, he joined Koppert Biological Systems in the Netherlands where he was responsible for its worldwide R&D and Production activities and developed several new biological control products and patented production technologies for beneficial insects and mites. Between 2011 and 2014 he additionally led the Microbials Business Unit.
Between 2014 and 2016 he worked as a Business Development Director for the Belgian company Special Fruit, a leading importer of exotic fruits and vegetables. 
Karel joined Biobest again in 2016, where he was the Chief Operations Officer from 2016 to 2022 and Chief Technology Officer in 2023. During this period he lead the transformation of Biobest’s production technologies and production organization and turned Biobest into an innovation leader. 
After the acquisition of Biotrop by Biobest and the subsequent renaming of the group as BioFirst Group and the restructuring of the group into divisions, Karel was appointed as the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of BioFirst Group. 
Karel has a passion for innovation, business development and strategy.
Karel has been recognized for his contributions to the advancement of biological control by the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC), from which he is an Honorary Member, and by the Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers (ANBP) in North America, from which he received an Award of Excellence.
As a representative of Biobest Karel was one of the founding members of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) back in 1995 where he held different positions until 2014 and represented the industry towards the EPPO, OECD, FAO and GlobalGap. Since January 1^st of this year he serves as the President of IBMA, which comprises 140 manufacturers of biological control solutions and an additional 60 associate members.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Panellist)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM (Chair)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Anniversary Celebration

Emmanuelle Bonneris - Regulatory Manager Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Biosolutions Bayer SAS

Emmanuelle Bonneris is an experienced regulatory scientist in plant protection products and biopesticides. She is graduated in chemistry, biological sciences with a specialty in environmental toxicology (PhD). She has been working for Bayer for more than 20 years in the R&D and regulatory arenas with experience at country and global level of the Bayer Crop Protection Organization as ecotoxicologist dealing ecotoxicological risk assessments and risk management activities as well biodiversity topics. Emmanuelle is currently regional regulatory manager on biopesticides for Europe, Middle East, and Africa with a portfolio of biocontrol products (plant extracts, semiochemicals, microbials). After 3 years as an active member of the regulatory subgroup of the IBMA NSPG, member of the NSPG Steering Committee, and member of the IBMA Advisory Regulatory Working Group (ARWG), Emmanuelle is Chair of the IBMA NSPG since last ABIM 2023 to succeed Lara Ramaekers in this role.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Professional Group Meeting: IBMA Natural Substances

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Co-chair)

Natalie Breakfield - VP of Research and Discovery, NewLeaf Symbiotics

Natalie Breakfield is Vice President of Research and Discovery at NewLeaf Symbiotics. In this position, she directs research programs for testing and validating products for sustainable agriculture made with pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) technology. She obtained an M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from University of Missouri - Kansas City, a Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics from Duke University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. She has been a member of the board of directors of the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research (Phytobiomes Alliance) since 2020.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
TS201 uses multiple modes of action to mitigate corn rootworm as part of IPM strategy

Poliana Cardoso-Gustavson - Global Marketing Manager - Insights and Innovation, Croda

Johannes Jehle - Director, Institute for Biological Control of the Federal Research Center for Cultivates Plants (Julius Kühn-Institut)

José Carvalho - EMEA Regulatory Lead, Certis Biologicals

José Carvalho holds a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the Humboldt University in Berlin and a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Porto University, with a focus on microbiology, antibiotics resistance and immunology. Previous to joining the industry, José worked for the Portuguese Water Institute, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the German Federal Institute for Material Science and Testing (BAM) in analytical methods, publishing 11 peer-reviewed articles and 2 book chapters. Since 2020, José is working as European Regulatory Lead for Certis Biologicals and prior to that in several regulatory and business positions within the crop protection industry. He is currently the Chair of the Microbial Professional Group at IBMA, an expert group dealing with microorganism registrability issues and market access for microorganism-based technologies in agriculture.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Professional Group Meeting: IBMA Microbials

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to Accelerate Biocontrol (Chair)

David Cary - Honorary Member IBMA and ABIM Fellow

David Cary was a pivotal figure in the biocontrol industry and ABIM. He was appointed as the 1st Executive Director of IBMA and served in that role from 2009 to 2019 and is now an Honorary Member. He was a member of the organising team at ABIM from 2009 to 2022 and is an Honorary Member of ABIM. He is an entomologist by training and has represented the industry at FAO, OECD and EU level. He has served under 4 IBMA Presidents and worked closely with Bernard Blum who was often referred to as the founding father of IBMA. He has been involved in the Bernard Blum Award since its creation and now is Chair of the judging panel. He is a Member of the Board of PAN Europe and it’s Vice Chairman and Treasurer. He was a Member of the Board of PA Europe until December 2024. He is Chairman of his local Parish Council, Braunston Parish Council and Treasurer of the Braunston Climate Action Network.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Bernard Blum Award (Host)

Camille Delpoux - COO, AGRIODOR

Agricultural engineer, Camille has spent the past ten years building her experience through various roles at every link in the value chain of crop production (R&D, production management, training, marketing). Through the development of multi-partner projects within the agricultural ecosystem, she has specialized in the commercial development of innovations, notably within the Roullier Group.
In 2020, her encounter with Ené Leppik and Alain Thibault presented an opportunity to dive into an entrepreneurial project and develop a cutting-edge biocontrol technology with the creation of Agriodor. Convinced that the agroecological transition will be driven by making biosolutions available to farmers, she joined the company's management team, taking responsibility for coordinating operations from the development of solutions to ensuring their market readiness.
AGRIODOR draws inspiration from nature, creating scent blends from molecules naturally emitted by plants to modify pest insect behavior and protect crops.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM (Panellist)

Domenico Deserio - Policy Officer, European Commission - DG SANTE

Domenico Deserio is a Policy Officer at the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission. He is responsible for policies on biological pesticides, micro-organisms in particular. He co-chairs the EU Biopesticides Working Group, and he is an EU delegate of the OECD Expert Group on Biopesticides. He was responsible for amending EU Regulations concerning data requirements, principles for evaluation, authorisation, and approval of micro-organisms and products containing them, and for other related activities (e.g., Guidance Documents and Communications from the Commission). Before that, he was a scientific officer at EFSA, in the area of biological hazards. He holds a Master of Biotechnology from the University of Bari (Italy) completing a thesis on food microbiology. Moreover, he achieved an advanced postgraduate Master by Research of Agricultural Science at the University of Adelaide (Australia), carrying out his research on plant genomics and plant pathology.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Panellist)

Júlia Emanuela de Souza - Regulatory Affairs|Governmental Affairs & Advocacy, ANPII Bio

Julia Emanuela is a professional who combines technical knowledge with a global vision of agribusiness. With a double degree in Agronomy from the University of Brasília (UnB) and Missouri State University (USA), she is specialized in Plant Protection and holds an MBA in Government Relations. Currently, as Director of Institutional Relations at ANPII Bio, Julia coordinates strategic forums and regulatory committees and leads an active movement to modernize and streamline regulatory frameworks for bioinputs. Her work is guided by an uncompromising commitment to science, innovation, and intellectual property, striving for Brazil to advance safely and competitively in the global agricultural landscape. In addition to her institutional work, Julia is a vocal voice in key sector debates, serving as a national and international speaker. Her career reflects a mission: to transform regulatory challenges into opportunities, always with technical dialogue, strategic vision, and a passion for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 3: The latest on policies to accelerate biocontrol (Panellist)

Yonatan Eran - Chief Scientific Officer, BioBee Sde Eliyahu Ltd.

Livia Esterhazy - Programme Director, A Lighter Touch Programme

Livia joined the A Lighter Touch Programme in October 2022 as Programme Director. A Lighter Touch is an industry and government partnership on a mission to support New Zealand growers moving from agrichemical reliance to an agroecological approach to crop protection, working with nature to build productive, sustainable and resilient farming systems.
Given Livia’s huge passion for the health of people and planet through food, driving this kind of real system change to ensure the agri-food sector is future-proofed, is a perfect fit. As the former CEO of WWF New Zealand, Livia knows the benefits and power of working with nature for nature, and is using this to help ensure New Zealand produce is grown using more sustainable farming systems and lighter touch food production.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (panellist)

Pierre Ferrand - Founder and Consultant, CPAG Consulting SRL

Annabelle Gilgen - Technical Development Manager Biocontrol, Amoéba

Annabelle Gilgen is a Biocontrol Technical Development Manager at Amoéba, a French biotechnology company specializing in natural plant protection solutions. After 10 years of experience, She has been conducting field trials across various crops, including grapevine, tomato and banana, to assess the efficacy of Axpera against fungal diseases such as downy mildew, late blight, and powdery mildew. Annabelle Gilgen is an agricultural engineer graduated from the institut Agrosup Dijon in France.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
AXPERA: a new biofungicide based on a lysate of the non-pathogenic amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky

Asefeh Golreihan - Regulatory Manager, LKC Switzerland Ltd.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop 1: Formulation and Application
Nanotechnology‑Enabled Biocontrol: Formulation Breakthroughs and Regulatory Complexities 

Lorena Halty - Study Director, i2L Research

Lorena Halty is a multidisciplinary researcher with a strong background in biology, specializing in ecology and insect biology. She holds a PhD in insect neurophysiology from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena (Germany) and a Master's degree in Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics from Friedrich Schiller University in the same city. Before joining i2L as a Study Director, Lorena was actively involved in a rooftop garden project dedicated to promoting sustainability, biocontrol, and social well-being through urban agriculture. Currently at i2L Research, she focuses on developing efficacy testing protocols for semiochemicals, particularly pheromones, to enhance integrated pest management (IPM) and biocontrol strategies. Her work aims to improve pest control solutions through innovative research and application.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Overcoming challenges of pheromone testing under simulated use conditions

Jean-Claude Haw-King-Chon - Chief Data Science and Information Officer, Micropep

Jean-Claude Haw-King-Chon serves as Chief Data Science and Information Officer at Micropep Technologies, where he leads the strategic application of data science and computational biology to advance biological crop protection. With a multidisciplinary background in biotechnology, software engineering, and product innovation, he plays a pivotal role in accelerating the AI-driven development of micropeptide-based solutions for sustainable agriculture,
He holds advanced degrees in bioinformatics and business management, and has held leadership positions across healthcare, aerospace, and health research institutions. His expertise bridges scientific rigor with digital innovation, contributing to the evolution of data-driven approaches in the biocontrol industry.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 5: How AI is Shaping the Future of Biocontrol (Panellist)

Juliana Jaramillo - Lead for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture at the Rainforest Alliance

Juliana Jaramillo is the Lead for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture at the Rainforest Alliance, where she drives global efforts to scale nature-based solutions and agroecological practices across tropical farming systems. With over 20 years of experience in sustainable agriculture—including cutting-edge research on coffee pests, biological control, and climate change adaptation—Juliana bridges science and practice to help farmers and companies achieve greater resilience and environmental impact. She holds a PhD in entomology and biological control and has published extensively on integrated pest management and climate-smart agriculture. She also brings experience from the plant protection private sector, where she worked on sustainable pest management solutions. Juliana is committed to advancing regenerative food systems that support farmer livelihoods and protect ecosystems.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Panellist)

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to accelerate biocontrol

Mara Kraft - Expert Engineer, Evologic Technologies GmbH

Mara Kraft is an expert engineer specializing in fungal cultivation and formulation. Graduating from BOKU Vienna in biotechnology, she brings a strong foundation in applied microbiology and engineering to the table. Her work at Evologic focuses on the development of manufacturing technologies for microbials – from lab to industrial scale. She has dedicated her career to harnessing the potential of fungi to develop sustainable solutions for agriculture. Mara believes that unlocking the full potential of fungal-based products through innovations and robust manufacturing platforms will be key to transitioning global agriculture toward more sustainable and resilient systems.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Debottlenecking Conidial Biopesticides: How scalable production can close the Gap from Lab to Field

Anne Kortstee - Scientific assessor for authorisation of plant protection products and biocides, CTGB Board

Anne is an efficacy expert at Ctgb (The Netherlands) with > 9 years  of experience with assessment of both active substance, and plant protection product dossiers., She is member of the ‘ the Green Team’ that is specialized in evaluation of dossier based on botanical active substance and micro-organisms, peptides and other novelties. As efficacy expert, in addition to evaluation of efficacy, Anne also has an important role in the evaluation of the biological properties and the mode of action of active substances. Besides evaluation of active substances, Anne has broad experience in the efficacy evaluation of plant protection product dossiers covering  fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and plant growth regulators.
Anne regularly participates in the EU efficacy evaluators meetings and is a member of FRAG-NL (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee-NL). Before joining the Ctgb, Anne has nearly 20 years of experience in working on multidisciplinary research projects in agro-food crops mainly within the Department of PlantBreeding at WUR, where she also obtained her PhD.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Panellist)

Sylvia Kuria - Organic Farmer

Sylvia Kuria is a Kenyan organic farmer and entrepreneur on a mission to make organic produce accessible. She connects 30+ small-scale farmers to markets, aggregating and selling over 5 tonnes of organic produce monthly to bulk buyers. Passionate about training and empowering farmers, she champions safe, sustainable farming. When she’s not in the fields, she’s documenting her journey through writing.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action

Kevin Leiner - Chief Project Officer & VP of Regulatory, Micropep Technologies

Dr. Kevin Leiner is a seasoned expert in regulatory science and product development, with over 25 years of diverse experience across pharmaceutical biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology, agricultural chemical, and contract research organizations. He holds a Ph.D. in Zoology (Comparative Animal Physiology) from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Marine Science from Long Island University. Dr. Leiner has extensive experience managing complex regulatory programs and leading teams in the regulatory sciences to secure registrations of conventional and biological pesticide active ingredients and products, including genetically modified crops, biochemicals, and microbials. Before joining Micropep, Kevin held leadership roles at Syngenta, including Global Project Lead in Product Safety and Head of Human Safety, North America. At Micropep Technologies, Kevin leads global regulatory strategy, focusing on securing registrations in key markets including the U.S., E.U., and Brazil, and he oversees the R&D project portfolio. 

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Panellist)

Jennifer Lewis - Executive Director, IBMA Global

Jennifer Lewis was appointed as IBMA Executive Director in 2019. Jennifer is passionate about IPM, reducing the reliance on traditional pesticides through the uptake of these integrated programmes of pest and disease control in crop production throughout Europe.
Prior to IBMA, for 10 years Jennifer Lewis was a member of the Certis Europe Management Board as Head of Innovation and Development and during this period was Vice Chair of IBMA UK.
Earlier Jennifer was General Manager of BCP, a beneficial insect production company selling beneficial insects for pest control, which was purchased by Certis Europe.
Jennifer has worked in crop protection for 35 years in various marketing, regulatory and stewardship roles in the US, Brazil and Europe. Jennifer is an agronomy graduate with a Masters in Business Administration and a Diploma in Sustainable Business Development.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action (Chair)

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Closing

Eric Liégeois - Senior Policy Officer, European Commission - DG SANTE

Eric Liégeois was graduated Chemical Engineer for Agricultural Industries, from the University of Gembloux (Belgium) in 1990.
After first experiences as researcher, civil servant and manager in various positions in the Belgian Federal Administration, he joined the European Commission in 2002, first as seconded national expert at DG Environment where he was in charge of the Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides and then, as from 2007 as official in the Chemicals Unit at DG GROW.
At DG GROW Eric was revising the Fertilising Products Regulation proposal and also worked on the Plastics Strategy. He was leading a team in charge of Fertilisers, Detergents, Plant Protection Products, Biocides, Waste recycling and Plastics.
Since April 2018 he joined DG SANTE in the team in charge of the authorisation of plant protection products where he is among in charge of the biopesticides, low-risk products and risk reduction activities.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel Discussion

Anna Madden - Farmer and Agronomist, Crop Capsules Company

Anna Madden’s childhood on her family farm in Australia fostered a passion for agriculture and biodiversity, leading her to complete a BSc in Rural Science (Hon) at university. Anna is now a farmer and agronomist with over 30 years of commercial field experience. In 2020, she and her husband founded The Crop Capsules Company after applying Eretmocerus hayati to their own crops and their cotton clients crops for many years. Their flagship product, CottonCap, is a groundbreaking solution for mass releasing beneficial wasps for the treatment of silverleaf whitefly in Australian cotton crops, scaling biological control into thousands of hectares. 

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action

Tomasz Magacz - Head of Physical Chemistry and Analytical Methods, SynTech Regulatory

Monday, 20 October 2025, Professional Group Meeting: IBMA Semiochemicals

Laura Mahecha - Director, Agrochemicals, Kline & Company

Laura is a Director of Kline Agrochemicals practice, with global business responsibilities over Kline’s syndicated titles. With 29 years of extensive market research experience mainly on B2B markets such as agrochemicals, specialty pesticides, and biologicals she is responsible for managing Kline's flagship studies in these areas, as well as developing new products. Laura has authored and managed multiple studies including market research, analysis, survey and sample design, and forecasting. Laura’s expertise includes design of large-scale end-user structured surveys, market assessments, forecasts, competitive analyses, innovation analyses, and regulatory assessments. In her current role, Laura is responsible for client relationships and service and manages a global team of consultants who conduct primary and secondary research on the agrochemicals.
In addition to her responsibilities with Kline’s syndicated services, Laura has been involved as a market expert in numerous proprietary assignments pertaining to her areas of expertise including new product concepts, forecasting, competitive assessments, and customer perceptions. Laura holds a M.S. degree in marketing from Rutgers University, and a masters of business administration in pharmaceutical studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
The Business of Biologicals: Key Market Trends

Robert Malek - Pesticide Risk Reduction Expert, CABI

At CABI, I work at the intersection of science, sustainability, and agricultural innovation, advancing pesticide risk reduction strategies that enhance food security and biodiversity. Our team collaborates across industry, government, and academia to develop and promote lower-risk alternatives, ensuring effective pest management while minimizing environmental and human health impacts. With a focus on sustainable development and regulatory engagement, I help bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring that effective, lower-risk pest control methods reach those who need them most. By fostering cross-sector partnerships, we’re shaping the future of pest management—one that safeguards productivity, human and environmental health.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 3: The latest on policies to accelerate biocontrol (Panellist)

Pam Marrone - Co-founder and Executive Chair, Invasive Species Corporation

Dr. Marrone spent her 30+ year career focused on biological products for pest management and plant health, having started and led three previous bioag companies (Entotech, AgraQuest and Marrone Bio Innovations (now called Profarm Group), all of which were sold to larger companies.  She is one of only 32 women to have founded a company and taken it public (MBII:NASDAQ). With co-founder Jim Boyd, the former CFO of Marrone Bio, Pam has launched a fourth company, the Invasive Species Corporation, to bring effective, environmentally friendly biological solutions to control destructive invasive species, in water, forestry and agriculture. She is on the board of the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, is a Senior Fellow of the Arizona State University Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems and is a past alumni-Trustee of Cornell University.  She is Chair of the Board of Elicit Plant and serves on the boards of Stem Express and Pheronym and advises several agtech/agbio startups, many founded or led by women. Among her many awards, in 2023 she received the Rosalind Franklin Award from the Biotechnology Industry Organization and in 2022 she was the first woman to receive the American Chemical Society “Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success.” She has a B.S. in entomology with Honors and Distinction from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in entomology from North Carolina State University. She is a Fellow of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), and in 2024 she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. She holds over 400 patents (>40 US).

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Workshop: Biocontrol Meets Finance (Panellist)

Ketan Mehta - Founder-Director, ECOSENSE LABS. INDIA

Member – FARM - Global Project Co-ordination Committee – World Bank and UNEP
Convenor – UN-FAO – Food Systems Summit Dialogue
AgroCare Member - JMPS/JMPM – FAO/ WHO BioPesticide Guidelines
Member – Advisory Committee - WTO’s STDF Project on Asia Pesticide Residue Mitigation through Promotion of Biopesticides & Enhancement of Trade Opportunities
President - Bio-Protection Global, Federation of Ag-BioControl Industry Associations from USA, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Kenya, Japan and India (1,000 + Companies 60 Countries).
Co-Author – Policy White Paper on “Unlocking the Potential of Biocontrol Agricultural Inputs As Catalysers of Net Positive Agriculture
Member – National Biotechnology Committee, Confederation of Indian Industry {CII}
Treasurer -  Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India (PMFAI)
Founder Director– Ecosense Labs.(I) Pvt. Ltd.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Workshop: Biocontrol Meets Finance (Panellist)

Coralie Misson - R&D Manager, Minagro

Alessandra Moccia - Vice President, IBMA Global

Alessandra Moccia is Senior Director of Global Regulatory Affairs at Suterra, where she leads international registrations for semiochemical products and has worked across R&D, registration, and commercialization since 2012. She serves as Vice President of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) and, since early 2025, as a member of the Board of Directors of ABIM. Previously, she chaired the IBMA Semiochemical Professional Group, building strong credibility with regulators worldwide. With a background in ecological risk assessment, consultancy, and regulatory training in Europe and Latin America, Alessandra brings more than a decade of experience at the intersection of science, regulation, and strategy to advancing biocontrol as a key tool for sustainable agriculture.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Chair)

Juan Moreno Cid - Project Development Director, Probelte

Geoffrey Ongoya - Executive Director, IBMA Kenya

Renaud Perrin - Formulation Chemist, Stepan

Matthew Pickard - Head of Biologicals and Seedcare Europe, Syngenta

Mathew Pickard is the Head of Biologicals and Seedcare Europe at Syngenta. He is responsible for accelerating market growth through the introduction of innovative products and services for European growers and supporting their move to more sustainable crop production. A business leader with a track record of successful delivery in competitive environments, his previous roles include Managing Director for Hungary, where he managed a multi-million-dollar agribusiness, generated growth, and maintained a market leadership position.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM - Reflecting on the Past and Shaping the Future (Panellist)

Paula Pinto - Senior Executive, SOLASTA Bio

Paula Pinto is passionate about advancing sustainability in agriculture. She currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer at SOLASTA Bio, a UK-based agritech innovator developing next-generation green insecticides, where she leads global strategy, third-party partnerships, and U.S. operations. A chemical engineer by training (São Paulo University), Paula is a recognized Global Leader and Non-Executive Director with over 25 years of international experience across P&L, marketing, and operations in the specialty chemicals and agricultural solutions sectors. She has over 8 years of board experience and a proven track record in delivering sustainable shareholder value, building powerful brands, and leading transformative initiatives.  Known for empowering international, multi-disciplinary teams, Paula excels at building capabilities, fostering cultures of accountability and collaboration, and driving continuous improvement. Prior to SOLASTA Bio, she spent 13 years at Arysta LifeScience and UPL, where she co-led the integration that formed the world’s fifth-largest crop protection company and served on UPL’s Crop Protection Executive Team. At Arysta LifeScience, she held senior leadership roles in global marketing, portfolio management, and strategic alliances. Paula’s formative career was with GE Silicones and predecessor companies.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Panellist)

Sylvia Plak - RRA Director, Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe

Sylvia is Registration and Regulatory Affairs Director at Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe  SAS, a position she has held since 2009. As she leads activities for both conventional and biocontrol plant protection products, Sylvia has gained a great deal of experience developing and registering all types of technologies. She is also member of the company Management Committee and is therefore deeply involved in other facets of company strategy and operations.
Sylvia obtained a Degree as an agricultural engineer at the University of Agricultural Science in Gembloux (Belgium) and is fluent in French, Dutch and English.
She was IBMA President in 2019 and 2020.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 3: The latest on policies to accelerate biocontrol (Chair)

Alain Querrioux - CEO, Andermatt France, Treasurer IBMA Global

Alain Querrioux is a French-born agronomist, who has been active in the agricultural sector for the past 35 years. He assumed several technical, commercial and management positions covering a wide spectrum of agricultural and regulatory environments around the globe. In the late 90’s, his deeply rooted commitment to alternative solutions triggered his decision to fully dedicate his energy to the development of Biocontrol. He joined pure-players and witnessed the early development of the industry in pioneering times, and now enjoys the excitement of its booming development. Innovation has always been a key driver in Alain’s professional live, together with the aim to let farmers benefit performing, healthy and cost-effective alternative solutions to protect their crops. Over the years, Alain has developed an excellent knowledge of our industry, of its history, markets and main stakeholders. In 2014, Alain co-founded the French branch of the Andermatt group, which he has successfully been running and developing sofar. In the meantime, he has been active in IBMA governance, as a Council and Board member of the French association. In January 2023, he joined IBMA Global Board as Treasurer.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Panellist)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Anniversary Celebration

Willem Ravensberg - Former IBMA President and Advisor HeyFever Consulting

Dr. Willem Ravensberg holds a Master’s in Biology from Leiden University (1981) and a PhD from Wageningen University (2010), where his thesis on microbial pest control was later published as a book by Springer.
He began his career in 1981 at Koppert BV, where he established the R&D Department and led the development of natural enemies, microbial insecticides, and quality control systems. In 1999, he became head of the R&D Microbials Department, leading innovations like the fungicide Enzicur, and securing the company’s first patent.
Willem has over 30 years of experience in regulatory affairs, particularly in the registration of biopesticides (macros, micros, natural products, semiochemicals). He served on the board of Artemis (2011–2023) and held multiple leadership roles in IBMA, including President (2013–2018), where he spearheaded efforts for better EU bioprotectant regulation and co-authored the IBMA White Paper. He also represented Koppert in BPIA and co-founded BioProtection Global.
From 2019 to 2023, Willem served as Senior Corporate Governmental and Regulatory Manager at Koppert before retiring. He has published over 80 scientific works, including key books on microbial bioprotectants. Notable honors include the World Bioprotection Forum’s Outstanding Achievement Award (2022), the Artemis “Willem Ravensberg Award” (2023), and the New IPM Award for Sustainable Agriculture (2024).
After 42 years at Koppert, Willem joined HeyFever Consulting as Senior Bioprotectant Development Advisor.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM (Panellist)

Caroline Reid - Technical Support Lead, Bioline Agrosciences

Caroline is one of two Senior Technical Specialists at Bioline Agrosciences where she has worked for 25 years in many different departments and roles and is now responsible for giving near market technical advice and managing commercial trials across Northern Europe and North America.  Bioline Agrosciences is part of InVivo by Bioline and is a producer and supplier of beneficial insects, IPM and advice.   She is currently Co-Chair of the IBMA Macrobial PG and president of the IBMA UK NG

Monday, 20 October 2025, Professional Group Meeting: IBMA Macrobials - Invertebrate Biocontrol Agents

Helena Rey de Assis - Programme Manager UNEP - GEF - FARM, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Helena Rey has been working at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)  since 2005. She works at the Green Growth Knowledge Partnership, and is responsible for managing The Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management (FARM) Programme. In her previous role within the Consumption and Production Unit, Helena played a key role in championing the principles of circularity and promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns, particularly within food value chains and co-led the development of the UNEP’s Sustainable Food Systems Strategy. With over 20 years of experience, Helena has successfully spearheaded the development of global multi-stakeholder initiatives, collaborating closely with both governments and the private sector to foster sustainable practices worldwide. Her extensive expertise spans more than two decades, during which she has managed diverse large projects across South America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Central America.
Helena holds a Master of Science in Environmental Management in England, complemented by a degree in Food Engineering from Brazil.

Jane Richardson - Principal Administrator Food Safety, Biosafety, Pesticides, OECD

Jane is currently the principal administrator responsible for the OECD working parties on pesticides, biotechnology, and food and feed safety. She studied molecular biology at Edinburgh University and holds a PhD in Microbiology from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. Prior to her current role, Jane worked at the European Food Safety Authority as a specialist in evidence management supporting scientific risk assessment.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop: Peptide Regulation (Panellist)
 

Gabriele Schachermayr  - Assistant Director, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Dr. Gabriele Schachermayr has served as Deputy Director of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) since July 2018, where she leads the Production Bases, Natural Resources and Research Directorate. Her career spans over two decades in agricultural science, policy, and international research management.
Prior to her current role, she was Head of the Plant Health and Varieties Division at FOAG from 2009 to 2018. Between 2003 and 2009, she oversaw an international research programme in agricultural and environmental biotechnology at EPFL Lausanne. Earlier, she led research projects at Agroscope, Switzerland’s federal center of excellence for agricultural research, contributing to advances in plant science and sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Schachermayr holds a doctorate in plant breeding from ETH Zurich and a postgraduate degree in public management and policy from the University of Bern. Her academic journey began in agronomy with a specialization in plant production at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote Speaker

Max Schulman - Farmer, Senior Advisor, cereals oilseeds, Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) Finland

Max is a farmer, grain trader, and agricultural advisor. He owns Stor-Tötar Gård, a farm in Southwestern Finland. He previously worked for the Finnish Grain Board and in the agricultural machinery sector. Since 2008, he has served as Senior Advisor at the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK). Max is also Chairman of the Copa-Cogeca Phytosanitary Working Group, Vice Chairman of the Seeds Working Group, and a member of several EU-level agricultural observatories.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action

Varvara Shershneva - Responsible Investments Analyst, Erste Asset Management GmbH

Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro - Head of the Microbiology Department, Mafa Bioscience S.A.

PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Granada, Spain. Specialist in the use of microorganisms and their derivatives for the bioremediation of both contaminated environments and agro-industrial waste from a multidisciplinary perspective. Research has focused on two lines ‘Bioremediation of soils and waters by means of bioaugmentation, biostimulation and phytostabilisation techniques’, as well as ‘Optimisation and scaling of bioremediation of agro-industrial waste in agricultural bioproducts’. She has participated in more than 14 research projects and is the author of 32 scientific and technical communications.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Innovation in Nematode Management: Development of a Biological Product with Aspergillus niger

Kuldeep Singh - Chairman and Managing Director, HIL (INDIA) LIMITED

Kuldeep Singh is the Chairman and Managing Director of HIL (India) Limited. He is a Graduate in Commerce and holds a Post Graduate Degree in Marketing Management. He has over 30 years of rich experience in Agriculture sector, while handling different agri-input portfolios.

Milena Stephan - Group Leader - Regulatory Affairs, Crop Protection, knoell Germany GmbH

Susanne Sütterlin - MT Member for Crop Protection and Phytosanitary Affairs; Directorate of Plant-Based Agro Chains and Food Quality, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

Susanne Sutterlin is Head of Unit, directorate Plant Supply Chains and Food Quality at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, The Netherlands. She is responsible for two units: plant protection and phytosanitary issues, including propagation material, breeding, biotechnology and market access. Working 14 years at the ministry, Susanne previously also worked for the directorates of Animal Supply Chains and Animal Welfare and that of Nature.
Susanne is a biologist by training. Her PhD concerned first steps into biological control in ornamentals. The next steps in her career included working for the area of plant resistance to pests, leading an R&D group and working with the Inspectorate for Plant Health. 
In her work at the Ministry Susanne represented the Netherlands internationally, for example in European context and OECD. She now is responsible for the broad field of plant health and acts internationally as Director Plant Health. 

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 3: The latest on policies to accelerate biocontrol (Panellist)

Kaspar Sutter -  State Councillor, Canton Basel-Stadt 

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Isabella Takahashi Kitano - R&D Scientist - Crop Solutions, Indorama Ventures

Lucius Tamm - CEO, ABIM AG

Dr. Lucius Tamm holds a degree in agricultural engineering from ETH Zurich and has more than 25 years plant pathology R&D experience working on cereals, potatoes, grapevine and horticultural crops. Lucius has published > 100 papers and book chapters and been a partner or coordinated in EU projects since 2001. He is also guest lecturer at several universities. Until May 2023, he was Head of Department of Crop Sciences at the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). He led FiBL’s R&D activities for the development of crop protection solutions and has also been involved in the development of improved registration procedures for novel plant protection products. Since 2023, he has joined Agroscope, the leading agricultural research organization in Switzerland and coordinates its research programmes & international collaborations. Lucius was co-founder of ABIM in 2006 and is CEO of ABIM AG.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations (Chair)

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Closing

Rajendra Thapar - Additional General Manager, HIL (India) Limited

Rajendra Thapar is the Additional General Manager at HIL (India) Limited, a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. He holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Entomology, with over 20 years of experience in plant protection and public health vector control. He currently leads the GEF/UNIDO India FARM Project and the Project on non-POP Alternatives to DDT, focusing on promoting sustainable pest management and advancing biocontrol-based interventions in agriculture and public health.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to Accelerate Biocontrol

Steve Trim - Chief Scientific Officer, Ventera Bio Ltd

Steve is a co-founder and the chief scientific officer at Ventera Bio Ltd in the UK. As a venom peptide expert of 14 years as founder and CSO at Venomtech Ltd, he leads the science at Ventera to develop novel venom derived biopesticides. Prior to starting Venomtech, Steve was a drug discovery biologist at Pfizer for 10 years where he learnt is research and development skills that he now applies to biopesticides.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
A new class of natural peptide biopesticides

Mark Trimmer - President & Founding Partner, DunhamTrimmer

Mark Trimmer, Ph.D., has more than 35 years of experience in research, product development, registration, technical service, and technology licensing in the crop protection industry. Early in his career, Mark led international product development at American Cyanamid. Following the acquisition of Cyanamid by BASF, Mark continued as leader of new technology acquisitions for the agriculture division. In 2006, Mark established Trimmer Consulting providing new technology assessment, R&D strategy, regulatory, and product development services to companies in the global agricultural chemical and biological markets. Mark co-founded DunhamTrimmer in 2011 with William Dunham to provide independent market research and strategic consulting for the global biopesticide, biostimulant, and biofertilizer markets. Mark’s training is in agronomy, plant physiology, and plant pathology and he provides the primary technical inputs on all DunhamTrimmer projects. Mark currently leads the Membership Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the Biological Products Industry Alliance (BPIA).

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Workshop: Biocontrol Meets Finance (Panellist)

Jean-Marc Vandoorne - CEO of BioFirst Group

Jean-Marc Vandoorne is the CEO of BioFirst Group (formerly Biobest Group), a global leader in biological crop protection and pollination. Since stepping into the CEO role in 2009, Jean-Marc has overseen the company’s remarkable growth, driven by both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. What began as a niche player with a €25 million turnover is now projected to exceed €500 million in 2025. BioFirst Group continues to pioneer sustainable alternatives to chemical crop protection, addressing critical issues such as residues, resistance, and regulatory challenges. Before leading BioFirst group, Jean-Marc served as Senior Vice-President at Alliance Laundry Systems, overseeing business operations in several regions. He was also President of IPSO, where he displayed a strong capacity for company growth. Jean-Marc’s expertise was further developed at ExxonMobil as a Supply Chain Manager and at Arthur Andersen. He holds a Master’s in Business Engineering from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, equipping him with a comprehensive understanding of business and management that he has applied effectively across diverse industries.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM (Panellist)

Herman Van Mellaert  - Managing Director at Crescendo BV

Consultancy to the international life sciences industry, with particular emphasis on assignments with entrepreneurial companies. Areas of expertise include biotechnology (mainly green and white), food, biocontrol and plant protection, plant breeding and seeds. Services provided cover research and development, international business development, business plan development and venture financing.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Workshop: Biocontrol Meets Finance (Chair)
 

Helma Verberkt - Managing Director, Artemis

Helma Verberkt has been the managing director of Artemis (IBMA-Nederland) since April 2022, leading the association of producers and distributors of biological controllers, natural plant protection products, and biostimulants in the Netherlands. With almost 40 years of experience in plant health and agricultural research, she has held leadership roles at Glastuinbouw Nederland, Delphy and Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Helma has a proven track record in program management, innovation, and strategic research, making significant contributions to sustainable agriculture and biocontrol in both national and European contexts.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Bernard Blum Award (Co-Host)
 

Vittorio Veronelli - Executive Adviser, CBC (Europe) S.r.l. and CEO of BIOPLANET

Former CEO of CBC Group in Europe and member of the Group board of the Japanese multinational CBC Group, active in the Bioprotection market through its BIOGARD® Division and other companies worldwide. BIOGARD® is serving the agriculture industry with the widest range of unique biocontrol products and has been created in 2012 by joining Intrachem Bio Italia with CBC Italian operation. CBC Group works since the ‘80s in developing and marketing the pheromone based biocontrol products manufactured by ShinEtsu Chemicals Co. Ltd., the Japanese world leader in this segment. To complete its concept of Biological control based IPM, in 2023 also the long standing Beneficials producer BIOPLANET has joined the CBC Group expanding the BIOGARD® product portfolio to its uniqueness.
Vittorio Veronelli (69) is born in Milan, joined the CBC Group in 1988 as GM of the Italian operation and started to work in biocontrol industry from 1989, when some of the first commercial formulations for pheromones Mating Disruption appeared in the Italian market. He entered IBMA in 1998, actively participating in the organization by joining the Executive Committee, acted as Vice President of IBMA Global for twelve years and President of Italian National Group for four years. He’s currently covering the position of Executive Adviser for CBC Europe and CEO of BIOPLANET.

Tuesday, 21 October, Anniversary Celebration

Luca Volontè - Senior Research Analyst, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Benjamin Warr - UNEP FI Private Sector Lead in the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management (FARM) Programme

Alison Watson - Director, Agrifood Systems CoLab/ASEAN FAW Action Plan Secretariat

Alison Watson is the Director of Agrifood Systems CoLab and Head of the ASEAN FAW Action Plan Secretariat. For the past five years, Alison has led the Secretariat of the ASEAN FAW Action Plan, a multi-stakeholder collaboration platform dedicated to fostering transboundary cooperation on Fall Armyworm and other invasive pests and diseases. A significant focus of this program has been biocontrol and developing capacity in digital Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Current development is centered on a new Phase 2 of the Action Plan, where AI will be integrated into one of the eight major work program themes of this regional initiative. Alison brings over 20 years of experience from her work in government, international organizations, and companies, driving sustainable approaches across various supply chains and sectors.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 5: How AI is Shaping the Future of Biocontrol

Mikael Wraae Valsted - Head of DI Biosolutions, Danish Industry

Experienced political advisor, communicator, and now heading Danish Industry’s industry community on biosolutions (that is, industrial biotech) – DI Biosolutions. We work to improve time-to-market for European biosolutions and decrease barriers for doing business. Since our establishment in 2022, we have grown our community to now 119 members, positioning DI Biosolutions as the leading biosolutions community in Europe. 

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 3: The latest on policies to accelerate biocontrol (Panellist)

Peter Wren-Hilton - Founder & CEO, Wharf42

Peter established Agritech New Zealand in 2018 and co-founded the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council in 2019.
In 2023, Peter co-established Platform10 with US-based partner, Western Growers. For context, Western Growers members produce over 50% of all vegetables, fruit, nuts and organics in North America.
Growers globally are up against mounting pest and disease challenges due to climate change, reduced efficacy, and diminishing availability of traditional pest control tools. 
Platform10 is an international, multi-year collaboration that will accelerate promising biopesticide companies, rigorously assess products, enhance grower confidence, and facilitate market development and adoption. With a diminishing toolset available to manage pest and disease because of regulation and consumer pressure, growers need to identify new biological and softer chemistry solutions to replace traditional chemical pesticide inputs. It’s a global challenge looking for global solutions.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to Accelerate Biocontrol

David Wright - Science Team Leader, AgResearch

David Wright leads the Microbial Solutions team at AgResearch, a New Zealand crown research institute. David has been developing microbial based products for over 20 years and has expertise in microbial fermentation, formulation, and the New Zealand regulatory environment. He holds an MSc in biocontrol from Lincoln University and has been involved in the development of commercial microbial based biopesticide products.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Serratia proteamaculans as a targeted biocontrol agent against New Zealand grass grub

Dmytro Yakovenko - Head of international development, BTU. Biotech company

Since 2017, I’ve led the international development at BTU – one of the top 25 biologicals manufacturers globally. We’ve built a presence in 20+ countries and are scaling toward 40+ by 2030. My background in Economics, Biotechnology, and Agroecology enables a strategic approach to market entry, partnerships, and regulatory strategy.

At BTU, we believe “Nature works.” My mission is to help translate this into practice – region by region, field by field.

• Opened BTU’s EU office in Germany and led projects across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas
• Oversaw 2300+ field trials; published data on soil health, productivity, and chemical reduction
• Built and lead a 20-person team across exports, registration, marketing, and technical support
• Speaker at ABIM, BioAgTech, World Biostimulants Congress, Farm2Fork, and NewAg International
• Led BTU nominations to the Visionary Award (top-20 globally) and BioAgTech Innovation Award (Liposam)
• Initiated key partnerships, including BTU–ICL collaboration and Kernel’s award-winning sustainability project
• Open to collaboration and dialogue to advance the global biologicals industry.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Metawhite Beauveria for Biological Control of Soil-Dwelling Larvae: Melolontha, Gryllotalpa, Tenebri

Tzvi Zvirin - Co-founder and CEO, BioArmix

Dr. Tzvi Zvirin is Co-Founder and CEO of BioArmix, an ag-biotech company pioneering the use of shelf-stable, non-GMO predatory bacteria to prevent crop losses caused by bacterial diseases. With over 15 years of experience in biotechnology, genetic engineering, and microbiology, Tzvi has a proven track record of turning science into scalable solutions. He previously co-founded BioBetter, where he led the transformation of tobacco plants into bioreactors, driving the company from inception to early commercialization. He is also a co-founder of RubisPro, which upcycles agricultural residues into plant-based proteins for human food.
At BioArmix, Tzvi leads the development of a breakthrough, dry-powder formulation of predatory bacteria that replaces antibiotics and copper pesticides. The product is room-temperature stable, field-proven, and applicable across agriculture, aquaculture, and biofilm control.
Tzvi is passionate about solving real-world challenges through science and scaling sustainable technologies that empower growers and improve global food systems. He frequently speaks at international industry events and is currently advancing BioArmix’s global partnerships and investment round.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Turning Nature’s Predators Into Crop Protectors