Coordination Team:
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hirn
Part of the coordination team and expert in paper technology
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology, Graz Austria
E-Mail: ulrich.hirn@tugraz.at
Expertise: Paper technology
Role in project: Administrative project management and development of paper based membranes.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Spirk
Part of the coordination team and expert in bioproduct development with focus on energy storage
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: stefan.spirk@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Stef has been working on battery technology from biobased materials since 2014 at TU Graz
Role in project: Operative project management, technical guidance, WP6 leader, responsible for demonstrator.
Mag. Michaela Reininghaus
Part of the coordination team and research manager and financial project manager
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: reininghaus@tugraz.at
Expertise: Project management
Role in project: Michi is part of the coordination team and supports Stef and Ulrich in the management of the project.
Heidi Tomi
Part of the coordination team and project manager and researcher
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: Heidi.tomi@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Project management, hardware installation
Role in project: Heidi supports the coordination team and is also involved in technical tasks in WP6.
Portfolio and innovation manager:
Dr. Wolfgang Zitz
Project portfolio manager, strategy developer and technology expert
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: wolfgang.zitz@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Experience in market introduction, high level management
Role in project: Project portfolio manager, work package leader WP9, input in WP6 for full stack design.
DI Stefan Pachmajer
Innovation manager and expertise in renewable energy
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: stefan.pachmajer@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Experience in renewable energy, both installation and energy trading
Role in project: Stefan is the innovation manager and supports the team with his expertise in WP6 and WP9 for installation of the full stack.
Prof. Dr. Harald Pichler
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: harald.pichler@tugraz.at
Expertise: Biotechnology
Role in project: Work package leader WP2, biotechnology for vanillin and quinone production.
Prof. Dr. Robert Peharz
Expert in artificial intelligence
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Theoretical Computer Science, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: robert.peharz@tugraz.at
Expertise: Artificial intelligence
Role in project: Work package leader WP3, AI guided development of novel vanillin based molecules for flow batteries.
Prof. Dr. Roman Kern
Expert in machine learning
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Interactive Systems and data Science, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: rkern@tugraz.at
Expertise: Machine learning and AI
Role in project: WP3, development of machine learning
Giacomo de Gobbi
PhD candidate
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Theoretical Computer Science, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: giacomo.degobbi@tugraz.at
Expertise: Artificial intelligence
Role in project: WP3, AI guided development of novel vanillin based molecules for flow batteries.
DI Janine Maier, BSc.
Process development, chemistry
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: janine.maier@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Synthetic chemistry
Role in project: Synthesis and characterization of molecules suggested by AI in WP3, scale up of synthesis (WP6), and providing samples for toxicity testing (WP7).
Reyhan Yagmur
Process development, chemistry
Affiliation:Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: reyhan.yagmur@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Chemistry and modelling
Role in project: DFT calculations and synthesis in WP3.
Prof. Dr. Markus Biesalski
Expert in polymer and paper technology
Affiliation: TU Darmstadt, Macromolecular Chemistry and Paper Chemistry, Darmstadt, Germany
E-Mail: biesalski@tu-darmstadt.de
Expertise: Tuning interfacial properties of paper-polymer composites
Role in project: WP4, design of paper-polymer composite membranes.
Apl. Prof. Dr. Torsten Gutmann
Solid state NMR expert on paper
Affiliation: TU Darmstadt, Physical Chemistry of Condensed Matter, Darmstadt, Germany
E-Mail: torsten.gutmann@tu-darmstadt.de
Expertise: Analysis of paper by solid state NMR spectroscopy
Role in project: Work package leader WP4, elucidation of transport mechanisms in paper based membranes.
DI Janis Zoder, BSc. MSc.
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: zoder@tugraz.at
Expertise: Membrane technology
Role in project: Membrane testing in WP4 as well as scale up of production.
DI Lukas Pachernegg, BSc.
Junior researcher and PhD student
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: lukas.pachernegg@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Membrane technology
Role in project: Membrane testing in WP4 and WP6 as well as scale up of production.
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kern
Polymer and surface chemistry
Affiliation: Montanuniversität Leoben, Chair of Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Leoben, Austria
E-Mail: wolfgang.kern@unileoben.ac.at
Expertise: Polymer and surface chemistry
Role in project: Work package leader WP5, design of high-performance carbon felts.
Dr. Christine Bandl
Polymer and surface chemistry
Affiliation: Montanuniversität Leoben, Chair of Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Leoben, Austria
E-Mail: christine.bandl@unileoben.ac.at
Expertise: Polymer and surface chemistry
Role in project: Christine is involved in WP5, the carbon felt modification and analysis.
Sayed Alem, MSc.
Polymer and surface chemistry, PhD student
Affiliation: Montanuniversität Leoben, Chair of Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Leoben, Austria
E-Mail: sayedali.alem@mail.polimi.it
Expertise: Sayed is like Christine involved in the carbon felt modification and analysis.
Role in project: WP5, carbon felt modification and analysis.
DI Dr. Georg Rudelstorfer, BSc.
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: georg.rudelstorfer@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Battery technology
Role in project: Battery testing and supporting WP6.
DI Bernhard Marius, BSc.
Process development electrodes
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: bernhard.marius@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Electrode shaping and testing
Role in project: Testing and production of samples in WP5 and WP6.
DI Dominik Wickenhauser, BSc.
Head battery testing
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: dominik.wickenhauser@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Battery technology
Role in project: Battery testing in WP3, 4, 5 and WP6.
Dr. Michael Kriechbaum
Expert in innovation system analysis
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: michael.kriechbaum@tugraz.at
Expertise: Data analysis and interpretation, innovation systems
Role in project: Workpackage leader WP7, tecnoeconomic assessment and institutional analysis.
Dr. Julia Wenger
Expert in LCA
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: julia.wenger@tugraz.at
Expertise: Data analysis and interpretation, innovation systems
Role in project: Julia supports Michi in WP7 in the technoeconomic analysis.
Anna Semenko, BA
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: –
Expertise: Data analysis and interpretation, innovation systems
Role in project: Anna supports WP7 in the technoeconomic analysis.
Andoni Cruz, MSc.
Expert in toxicity testing
Affiliation: BBD Biophenix, San Sebastian Spain
E-Mail: cruz@biobide.es
Expertise: Toxicity evaluation
Role in project: WP7, evaluation of toxicity data.
Dr. Arantza Muriana
Expert in toxicity testing
Affiliation: BBD Biophenix, San Sebastian Spain
E-Mail: muriana@biobide.es
Expertise: Toxicity evaluation
Role in project: WP7, evaluation of toxicity data.
Dr. Andrea Weiner, MSc.
Process development, chemistry
Affiliation: BBD Biophenix, San Sebastian Spain
E-Mail: weiner@biobide.es
Expertise: Toxicity evaluation
Role in project: WP7, evaluation of toxicity data.
Dieter Wurm
Expert in biomass valorization
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: dieter.wurm@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Market expert
Role in project: Supports the WP7 and WP9 team in assessing the cost aspects of the technology.
Georg Niess, BSc.
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science
E-Mail: georg.niess@student.tugraz.at
Expertise: Machine learning and AI
Role in project: Involved in WP3.
Jonas Lins, MSc.
Affiliation: TU Darmstadt, Physical Chemistry of Condensed Matter
E-Mail: jonas.lins@tu-darmstadt.de
Expertise: Paper analysis, Solid state NMR spectroscopy
Role in project: WP4 paper analysis using solid state NMR spectroscopy.
Tristan Wagener, MSc.
Affiliation: TU Darmstadt, Macromolecular Chemistry and Paper Chemistry
E-Mail: tristan.wagener@tu-darmstadt.de
Expertise: Paper analysis
Role in project: WP4, paper modification and analysis.
DI Stefanie Schmid
Affiliation: TU Graz, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
E-Mail: stefanie.schmid@student.tugraz.at
Role in project: WP2, yeast design and optimization.
Irisa Llanaj
Affiliation: Ecolyte GmbH, Graz, Austria
E-Mail: irisa.llanaj@ecolyte.at
Expertise: Synthetic chemistry
Role in project: Synthesis and characterization of molecules in WP3.