Cracow University of Technology, Kraków, Poland;Izabela Czekaj received her Ph.D. in chemical sciences from the Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland in 2004. She is Professor at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology. Her research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis, hydrogen and ammonia technologies, carbon dioxide utilization, sustainable energy systems, and computational chemistry. She combines experimental studies with advanced molecular modelling methods, particularly density functional theory (DFT), to investigate catalytic reaction mechanisms and structure–activity relationships in catalytic materials. She serves as the coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus Master's Programme BIOREF (Master in Biorefinery) at Cracow University of Technology and teaches courses in Biorefinery, Biofuels and Bioresources. Her academic and research activities are strongly connected with circular economy strategies, biomass valorisation, renewable resources, and sustainable energy technologies. She is author and co-author of numerous scientific publications and actively collaborates with national and international research institutions.

University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy;Giovanni De Feo is Associate Professor of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Italy, where he teaches Industrial Ecology. His research focuses on waste management, the circular economy, life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental sustainability, wastewater treatment, and environmental communication and education. He is the author or co-author of more than 250 scientific publications and serves as an editor and editorial board member for several international journals in the fields of sustainability and environmental engineering. Since 2017, he has represented the University of Salerno within the Resources and Waste Working Group of the Italian Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS). He is also the founder of Greenopoli, an environmental education project that promotes sustainability awareness through innovative communication methods involving schools and younger generations.

Aalborg University, Aalborg, Demark;Professor Brian Vejrum Wæhrens is Professor at Aalborg University and a leading researcher in circular economy, sustainable manufacturing, and systems transformation. He has extensive experience leading interdisciplinary research and innovation initiatives that bring together engineering, business, design, and sustainability disciplines to accelerate the transition towards circular value chains. His work includes major collaborative projects such as CFIT, REVMAT, BACK2BACK, and SWARM2SCALE under Denmark's national research platform for circular economy for plastics and textiles, TRACE. He currently leads AAU Plastics at Aalborg University, an interdisciplinary platform dedicated to advancing sustainable plastics solutions through cross-disciplinary research, innovation, and industry collaboration. His research focuses on developing scalable circular systems and enabling the next generation of circular economy practices through interdisciplinary approaches.