The General Approach on Energy System Flexibility

Dr.  Andreas Hauer studied Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany. He made his PhD at the Technical University in Berlin. Now he is the Chair of the Board at the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, ZAE Bayern, an independent research institute with about 60 scientists. Dr. Hauer is an international known expert on sector coupling, energy storage in general and specialized on thermal energy storage. Today he is active within Energy Storage Programme of the Technology Network of the International Energy Agency, IEA, where he is member of the Executive Committee. He is Co-Chairing the IEA Coordination Group on Energy System Flexibility. He is also Vice-President of the International Solar Energy Society, ISES, member of the Board of trustees of the Bundesverband Energiespeichersysteme (BVES), German Energy Storage Systems Association, and member of the board of directors of the Forschungsverbund Erneuerbare Energien, FVEE, the renewable energy research association in Germany.

Dinner Speech: A Just and Resilient Energy Transition in a Fragmented World

Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella is Energy Sector Lead and Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on
Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security and Energy Governance Coordination Group
(EGCG) in Sierra Leone. As a distinguished development economist and an expert in agricultural economics with over 30 years of experience, he is a former Member of Parliament (MP) in Sierra Leone and the Pan African Parliament. He is also founder and CEO (on leave) of The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), a regional ecosystem hub for sustainable energy solutions.

Previously he served for two decades in United Nations System including as Under-Secretary-
General and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and
founding Chief Executive Officer for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative (2013 – 2015).
He also served two four-year terms as Director-General of the UN Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO, 2005-2013). 

Physics-Based Intelligence for Decarbonization of the Built Environment - Reinventing System Integration in the Age of Data

Prof. Dr. Lieve Helsen is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at KU Leuven (University of Leuven), leading the Thermal Systems Simulation Team on modelling, control and design of thermal systems in the built and industrial environment. In her view, system integration across multiple building types, energy services, energy vectors and sectors is key to unlock system flexibility and to provide low-carbon services. Lieve is Building & Districts Research Line Coordinator of EnergyVille and co-founder of the company Builtwins. In 2021 she was Chair of the International Building Simulation Conference of IBPSA in Bruges. Furthermore Lieve is member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, Board member of the Flemish Organization Sustainable Energy and the KU Leuven Institute for Energy and Society, member of IBPSA, ATIC, EHPA and multiple international Scientific Advisory Boards.  

Unspeakable people: Truth and humanity in the energy transition

Prof. Dr. Michelle Shipworth specialises in the human dimensions of energy use and the social forces that shape energy transitions. Before joining academia, she worked in Australia’s overseas aid programme. She founded and taught the innovative and acclaimed “Data Detectives” module for a decade. When a student challenged a long-standing critical-thinking exercise, the module was removed, prompting Michelle to whistleblow the curtailment of her academic freedom. She is a founding member of the London Universities Council for Academic Freedom and advocates for robust free-speech and academic-freedom legislation and policies.

The Belém Declaration on Global Green Industrialization - From Commitment to Global Action

Rana Ghoneim is the Director of the Division of Energy and Climate Action at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) where she oversees the organization's strategy and programmes in promoting a low carbon infrastructure powering industrialization and supporting the decarbonisation of industry in developing and emerging economies. 

She has a long standing experience of 21 years in designing and implementing programmes in the energy sector in Africa and the MENA region.  She also coordinates the organization’s engagement and partnerships in global energy fora.   She also leads on behalf of UNIDO global initiatives such as the Clean Energy Ministerial’s industrial deep Decarbonisation initiative (IDDI).  

Driving the Energy Transition: Strategy and Flagship Projects from Energie Steiermark

Werner Ressi has been a member of the Management Board of Energie Steiermark AG since April 2025. He is responsible, among other areas, for Energy Sales & Trading, Generation, District Heating, Energy Services, Materials and Real Estate Management, as well as IT & Digitalization.

Werner Ressi looks back on a long-standing career in the energy sector. From 2013 until March 2025, he served as Managing Director of Energie Graz, where he was responsible, among other areas, for Energy Sales, Networks, Regulatory Management, Controlling, Finance and Accounting, as well as Legal Affairs. In addition, he was Managing Director of Solar Graz and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Stromnetz Graz. He led key projects such as the Energiewerk Graz and the large-scale geothermal project aimed at securing the future of district heating in Graz.

His academic background includes studies in Business Administration and Law at Karl Franzens University of Graz. He has further complemented his education with executive programs such as the International Directors Programme at INSEAD in Paris and a research stay at the University of California, Berkeley.