Speaker of CO₂Refinery

Michael Harasek holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering TU Wien, and a habilitation for Separations Engineering. Since 2000, he leads a research group in “Separations Engineering and CFD” at the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering of TU Wien. As an associate university professor, he is currently responsible for the research unit “Thermal Process Engineering and Simulation, opens an external URL in a new window” with two research groups and approx. 35 PhD and PostDoc researchers. Previous and current research is mainly focused on the development and scale-up of sustainable technologies utilising renewable resources by process intensification and process integration of novel and innovative separation techniques.

He supervises Diana Dimande (PhD #9).

Deputy Speaker of CO₂Refinery

Karin Föttinger is Associate Professor for Spectroscopy of Catalysts at the Institute of Materials Chemistry at TU Wien. She obtained her PhD in Technical Chemistry in 2005. After performing several research stays abroad, e.g. at ETH Zurich, FHI Berlin, University Tarragona, University Glasgow, she became research group leader of the Technical Catalysis group. Her main research interests are centered around environmental catalysis and catalysis for sustainable production of chemicals and energy. Her research focuses on studies of reaction mechanisms, surface chemistry and structure-performance-relations by combining catalyst development, reaction kinetics and in situ/operando spectroscopy.

She is supervisor of PhD #5, Gustavo Alves.

Amela Ajanovic is Assistant Professor at Energy Economics Group, opens an external URL in a new window at TU Wien. She holds a master degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in energy economics at TU Wien. Her main research interests are alternative fuels and alternative automotive technologies, energy and transport policies, as well as transition to a sustainable energy system and long-term energy scenarios. She has been involved in several national and international research projects related to these topics. In 2006 she worked for International Energy Agency in Paris on World Energy Outlook, chapter on biofuels. In 2009 she was guest lecturer and researcher at the Technical University of Prague, and in 2010 guest researcher at Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands. She has authored more than 50 papers and journal articles.

She supervises PhD #10, Frank Radosits.

Thomas Konegger is Associate Professor for Structural Ceramics at the Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics at TU Wien. He received his PhD in Technical Chemistry at TU Wien in 2010. From 2013 to 2014, he was a Research Fellow at Clemson University, USA, in the framework of an Erwin-Schrödinger-Fellowship (FWF).
His primary research interests include the production of porous ceramics for energy and high-temperature applications employing novel processing approaches, the development and application of polymer-derived ceramics with tailored structures and functionalities, and the mechanical, structural, and chemical characterization of high-performance materials.

He supervises PhD #8, Katharina Rauchenwald.

Stefan Müller is expert in the field of fuel and energy system engineering focused on industrial plant design by application of advanced digital methods. He is head of the ICBlab, integrated within the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering at the TU Wien. His background is based on a strongly integrated perspective including important aspects of industrial as well as chemical engineering combined with 10 years’ experience in the field of process development for the application in demanding industrial environments.

He supervises Alexander Bartik (PhD #7).

Stefan Pflügl holds a University assistant position in bioprocess engineering at TU Wien and is affiliated with the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering. He obtained his PhD from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences working on developing bioprocesses for microbial chemical production based on renewable resources. He completed stays abroad at the University of Kent and Technische Universität München. At TU Wien, his research focuses on the development of processes and microbial hosts for converting complex raw materials into value-added products. One focus is the use of gaseous substrates from industrial sites to produce fuels and chemicals.

He has experience in engineering of bacteria using state-of-the-art tools and the use of advanced, continuous cultivation techniques to develop efficient microbial bioprocesses but also to gain basic knowledge on the performance of microbes and identify targets for strain improvement.

The overall vision of his research is to contribute “sustainable bioprocess solutions” that could help the transition towards a circular bioeconomy.

He supervises PhD #4, Ivo van den Hurk.

Katharina Schröder has more than 15 years of experience in synthesis, characterisation, and application of ionic liquids (ILs). In the past years, she did not only publish several papers on the synthesis of novel ILs and their application in catalysis or as catalysts, but also regarding their physico-chemical properties or their application in separations. After receiving her PhD degree in Technical Chemistry from TU Wien, Dr. Schröder accepted a position as research fellow at QUILL in Belfast, UK working with leading experts in the field. During her two-year stay at the Queen’s University, she was working in close contact with QUILL’s industrial advisory board and gained experience in industrial requirements and practice-oriented synthetic chemistry. After returning to TU Wien in October 2009 for a tenured position, she established a new research group focused on sustainable chemistry, opens an external URL in a new window through innovation with alternative solvents. She was promoted to Assistant professor in 2016 and to Associate Professor in 2018. At the moment, she is leading or is involved in several other national and EU-funded projects, dealing with the application of ILs for synthesis, catalysis and separations. Most importantly, she was the recipient of an ERC Consolidator Grant 2019. Her research was awarded with a number of prizes, including the industrially oriented INITS Award in 2013.

She is supervising PhD #3, Julia Kalarus.

Matthias Steiger is Associate Professor for Biochemistry at TU Wien and is affiliated with the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering. His research focuses on gaining further insights into cellular metabolism with the aim to improve the production of useful bio-chemicals. He has experience with different industrial relevant microorganism including filamentous fungi, yeast and bacteria. The engineering of these microorganisms is achieved by developing and applying advanced genetic engineering tools followed by tailor-made analysis techniques of cellular metabolism including flux analysis, mass spectrometry and various omics tools. The overall vision is to develop new efficient microbial systems for the sustainable production of green chemicals.

He supervises PhD #6, Roghayeh Shirvani.

Andreas Werner is ao. Univ. Prof. at TU Wien, Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics. His last research work focused on thermochemical energy storage and sCO₂-cyles. Former investigations concentrated on the modeling of fluid based, industrial energy distribution systems and modeling of circulating fluidized beds combustors. Some work years ago he even worked on the caracterisation of  thermal storage concepts.

He supervises PhD #2, Leisan Muhametshina.

Franz Winter is Univ. Professor at TU Wien at the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE). Franz Winter is Head of the Research Division Chemical Process Engineering and Energy Technology at ICEBE. His research focus is on chemical conversion processes and reaction kinetics up to high temperatures and pressures in the area of energy conversion, fuel technology, CO2 storage and the circular economy.

He supervises PhD #1, Florian Müller.