Dr. Inés Dawson
Science communicator and Oxford graduate (DPhil Biomechanics of Insect Flight)
Inés is a science communicator and Oxford graduate (DPhil Biomechanics of Insect Flight). She runs the award-winning bilingual YouTube channel Draw Curiosity, and makes science stories interesting and accessible for a wide range of audiences. An enthusiastic and entertaining educational speaker, Inés uses creativity to make complex subjects simple and fun.
Laura Matz
Profile Byline
To emphasize the central importance of science and technology as key drivers of the company’s growth ambition, Laura Matz was appointed Chief Science and Technology Officer in 2021. Her areas of responsibility include the identification and incubation of transformational technologies as well as the creation of novel digital business models and the acceleration of data and digital capabilities to create pioneering solutions and personalized offerings for patients and customers. Laura joined Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in 2019 through the acquisition of Versum Materials. Since then she has served as Head of Planarization in the semiconductor materials business while also heading a sector-wide digital program for quality innovation with the company’s electronics customers. Laura started at Versum Materials in 2016, having previously worked at Air Products and Texas Instruments. She has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Washington State University.
Dietmar Harhoff
Profile Byline
Dietmar is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, where he heads the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Department. He is also Honorary Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. His research focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, IP, and industrial economics. His findings have been published in numerous books and journals. Dietmar serves as a scientific advisor to a number of public and private organizations. From 2007 to 2019, he was chairman of the Expert Commission on Research and Innovation (EFI) established by the German government. In 2019, he was appointed Chairman of the founding commission of the new Agency for Leap Innovations (SprinD).