Batteries Challenges & Solutions: Technologies and Applications

Markus Vlasits started as a consultant at McKinsey & Company in Germany and has been active in the solar PV industry for 17 years in several executive positions. In 2007-2009, he was Production Manager of crystallization and wafering at Q.Cells SE, Thalheim, Germany, where he reached a vice-presidential role in Sales Operations. Moving to Brazil in 2013, he started as CEO of Yingli Green Energy do Brasil. He teamed up with fellow executives to open Faro Energy, an investment company focusing on PV generation projects for commercial concerns, and was its Sales Director until 2018. In 2019, he was an independent consultant and helped start ABSOLAR's Energy Storage Workgroup. In 2020, founded NewCharge, an engineering company focused on energy storage projects for commercial clients in Brazil. He is also active as acts as a technical consultant and advisor for projects related to energy storage. In August 2023, he was elected president of board of directors of the Brazilian Association for Energy Storage Solutions (ABSAE). Markus also organizes energy storage events and conferences, and recently co-organized an energy storage conference panel for Intersolar South America 2021 in partnership with Solar Promotion.

Professor Gustavo Doubek holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Campinas - UNICAMP and a PhD in Nuclear Technology - Materials from the Institute of Nuclear and Energy Research - IPEN/USP, having worked as a visiting researcher at YALE University - USA and as a product developer at 3M in the R&D&I area. He is currently an Associated Professor at the University of Campinas and researcher at the Center for Innovation in New Energies - CINE in the Advanced Energy Storage division. He has experience in the design and synthesis of nanomaterials applied to energy conversion and storage devices and product innovation processes. He works mainly on the following topics: Development of batteries and Fuel Cells for energy storage and conversion, Biofuel reformers and synthesis of catalysts and functional materials with several projects both with public and private funding.

With a bachelor's degree in Chemistry (UFSCar), a master's degree in Chemistry (USP - São Carlos) and an MBA in Business Management, she has worked at CPQD as a researcher since 1989 in the Energy Systems Area (ASE), developing studies and applications on batteries. Her current research focus is advanced technologies for application in stationary energy storage systems and advanced batteries for electric vehicles. He serves on several technical committees in the area, such as ABNT CB 003:021.002 (Stationary Batteries Study Committee), ABNT CE 003:069.001 (Road and Industrial Electric Vehicles Study Committee) and CT-VE&H of SAE-BRASIL (Technical Committee on Electric and Hybrid Vehicles of the Society of Mobility Engineers). He has published dozens of articles and given presentations at the main national and international events on stationary batteries. He has been involved in organizing various events in Brazil, such as CININTEL, SeSIE, Salão Internacional de Veículos Elétricos e Híbridos and SAE Brasil's Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Symposium, and also outside Brazil, at the MaBIC - Metal Advanced Batteries International Congress (Spain).

Mr. Luke Hu co-founded Electroder, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer focuses on battery cell design and development. He is currently focusing on building the company's global business and advising Electroder's clients in planning and executing electrode and cell assembly development projects. Mr. Hu has been leading his team completing various cell R&D projects, developing advanced design tools, and building new cell development process. Under his leadership, Electroder joined the Global Battery Alliance as its first member focusing on battery design and development in 2022. Before co-founding Electroder, Mr. Hu had a decade of experience in manufacturing and technology and held a variety of management roles globally. Mr. Hu graduated with an MBA degree from Cornell University and a bachelor's degree of engineering from Beijing University of Technology.

My name is Luiz Henrique Rafael. I'm 39 years old. Electrical engineer. Specialist in electric and hybrid vehicles and electric mobility. I am the founder and CEO of the Brazilian startup Mobiworks E-Drive Solutions. We provide innovative technologies and solutions that complement the development of the Brazilian electric mobility market, in terms of the after-sales of hybrid and electric vehicles, helping this market to become safe, accessible and beneficial to people and contributing to its sustainability and circular economy.