As part of the Global Excellence Team for Digital Manufacturing, Matthijs works with production sites around the world to optimize their operations using digital solutions. By collaborating closely with local engineers, he creates data driven insights and set standards to improve efficiency and reliability. In his role he contributes to Huntsman's digital transformation by engaging both business and operations in new, digital ways of working.

Atul Govil is the Chief Transformation Officer and Head of SAP & IT at India Glycols Limited, where he has been driving strategic digital transformation for nearly three decades. A seasoned technology and business leader, he specializes in enterprise IT strategy, SAP implementation, and innovation management. Atul is also the Chairman of INDUS (India’s SAP user group) and serves as a mentor to the CIOs of India Association. Under his leadership, India Glycols has migrated from legacy systems to SAP S/4HANA and successfully deployed cutting-edge solutions like AI-enabled workflows, Salesforce CRM, BI tools, Track & Trace, and a modern HRMS. His deep expertise in process automation, advanced control systems, and cyber security has positioned him as a visionary in the intersection of manufacturing and digitalization.

Gonzalo Alvarez is a seasoned Global IT Leader at DuPont, with over 20 years of international experience in the Information Technology sector. A certified PMP and Chemical Engineer by training, he also holds an executive degree (PDD) from IESE Business School. Gonzalo has led global teams, strategic programs, operations, and digital business units across diverse geographies. With a strong focus on customer value and data-driven decision-making, Gonzalo is passionate about driving digital transformation, breaking down silos, and enabling continuous improvement. His expertise lies in leveraging innovation and Industry 4.0 technologies to create new business opportunities. Known for combining strategic vision with agile execution, he believes that effective planning is essential—but successful execution is imperative.

Aisha Naddaf received her bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering in Jordan. She continued her master's thesis on "Hydrogen-Selective Microfabricated Metallic Membrane" at the Institute of Microtechnology Mainz – Germany (Fraunhofer IMM). She later earned her Ph.D. at the Chair for Thermal Process Engineering at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern with the topic "Transient Processes with Hydrogels." Currently, she is a Research Engineer in the Research Group at BASF SE in Ludwigshafen, Germany, specializing in thermodynamics simulation, column design, process optimization, and process development.

As industry advocate and expert for AI & Manufacturing, supporting business development and value delivery for Microsoft's Cloud for Manufacturing & related digital and analytics manufacturing use cases in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, including partnerships with digital & operations consultants, independent software vendors, system integrators and overall ecosystem.

The Pop in Your Job:
Passionate driver of Industry 4.0 and creating impact from Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing - for productivity, profitability and sustainability in operations use cases.

Sébastien Lalaurette is the Head of Digital and Data Officer at Air Liquide Global Markets & Technologies. He has extensive experience leading digital transformation initiatives and developing data-driven strategies to optimize business processes and industrial IT systems. With a strong technical background in IoT, embedded systems, and software development, he combines technological innovation with strategic leadership. Previously, he founded and led the “Creative Foundry” at Air Liquide, an interdisciplinary team dedicated to digital services and electronics development. Sébastien Lalaurette is a graduate of EPF – École d’ingénieurs in France and is passionate about open-source technologies, Industry 4.0, and data-centric architecture approaches.

Dr. Bruno Betoni Parodi got his Doctoral title from the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg – Germany in the area of Electrical Engineering. He has specializations in the areas of Robotics and Machine Learning and has worked many years in industrial research at both research laboratories as well as in production sites. Since 2018 with BASF, Dr Betoni Parodi is the scientific director for the BASLEARN coll joint lab in collaboration with Technical University of Berlin in the area of Machine Learning and AI

The Pop in Your Job:
Being an engineer I really love to solve problems. Not as a quick fix but understanding the underlying questions behind it and understanding how to better generate value. Working at same time with industry but also academic partners enables me to see and get best of both worlds.

Frederik Jelden is a Technology Strategist at Microsoft, where he supports global strategic accounts in harnessing Microsoft’s data and AI capabilities to drive digital transformation. In this role, he partners with enterprise customers to understand their strategic needs, provide technical guidance, and enable the effective adoption of cloud, data, and AI solutions. He brings over nine years of experience in sales, customer success, and management consulting, with previous positions at CDQ, KPMG, and CGI, where he worked on data strategy, governance, digital transformation, and cloud initiatives across industries such as financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail. Frederik holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Technology Management from the University of Cologne and the University of Economics in Prague.

Huntsman embraces the entrepreneurial spirit of our founder, Jon Huntsman, and his core values of honesty, integrity, respect and responsibility. For 50 years, our employees have been using science and ingenuity to create innovations that play a critical role in the everyday lives of many millions of people. As a global chemicals company, Huntsman’s work forms the building blocks for countless consumer and industrial products that are part of your everyday life. Our employees are united around a common goal: enriching lives through innovation.

India Glycols Limited (IGL) a company which was established as a single mono-ethylene glycol plant in 1983 is a Rs. 5700+ crore globally renowned company that manufactures green technology based fuels, fertilizers, consumer goods, specialty and performance chemicals and natural gums, spirits, industrial gases, sugar, and nutraceuticals; in bulk quantity, today. India Glycols Limited holds the distinction of being the only green petrochemical company of its kind and is the first and only in the world to have commercialized the production of ethylene oxide, its derivatives and glycols from renewable agricultural resources, namely molasses or sugar cane. A socially and environmentally responsible company, IGL makes each and every product by keeping the planet’s health in mind. The company is committed to be one of the most respected and innovative manufacturers of internationally sustainable products derived from natural, green or renewable resources, which add value and continuous growth to all stakeholders, to the society, and to the planet at large.

DuPont is a global innovation leader with a rich history of scientific discovery and technological advancement. The company delivers essential innovations in key industries such as electronics, transportation, construction, healthcare, and advanced materials. By combining deep materials science expertise with a customer-centric approach, DuPont creates sustainable solutions that help solve some of the world’s most complex challenges. With a commitment to safety, sustainability, and operational excellence, DuPont collaborates with partners across the globe to drive innovation, improve lives, and shape a better future.

BASF stands for chemistry for a sustainable future. Our claim: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers' green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all industries and in almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises the core businesses Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions and Nutrition & Care; the standalone businesses are grouped in the Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions segments. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion worldwide in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States.

Microsoft helps organizations to reach their full potential by relying on an integrated and open cloud platform that spans six critical areas—security, infrastructure, digital and app innovation, data and AI, business applications and modern work. With the Microsoft Azure platform and services Microsoft offers cloud based solutions designed to give process industry manufacturers the flexibility to adopt the capabilities they need to address their most pressing business needs - be it building more agile factories, creating more resilient supply chains, empowering the hybrid workforce to engage customers in new ways, unlocking innovation or delivering new services. Addressing the industries’ need for a platform that enables co-innovation and collaboration, Microsoft’s incredible ecosystem of industry partners expands the value of Microsoft Azure and services with additional solutions.

Air Liquide is a world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and healthcare. Present in 72 countries with 67,800 employees, the Group serves more than 4 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the Group’s activities since its creation in 1902. Taking action today while preparing the future is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. With ADVANCE, its strategic plan for 2025, Air Liquide is targeting a global performance, combining financial and extra-financial dimensions. Positioned on new markets, the Group benefits from major assets such as its business model combining resilience and strength, its ability to innovate and its technological expertise. The Group develops solutions contributing to climate and the energy transition—particularly with hydrogen—and takes action to progress in areas of healthcare, digital and high technologies.

Microsoft helps organizations to reach their full potential by relying on an integrated and open cloud platform that spans six critical areas—security, infrastructure, digital and app innovation, data and AI, business applications and modern work. With the Microsoft Azure platform and services Microsoft offers cloud based solutions designed to give process industry manufacturers the flexibility to adopt the capabilities they need to address their most pressing business needs - be it building more agile factories, creating more resilient supply chains, empowering the hybrid workforce to engage customers in new ways, unlocking innovation or delivering new services. Addressing the industries’ need for a platform that enables co-innovation and collaboration, Microsoft’s incredible ecosystem of industry partners expands the value of Microsoft Azure and services with additional solutions.