Speaker
Christian Rakos
Dipl.Ing. Dr.
Studies of Physics, Philosophy and History. Employments: Institute of Technology Assessment at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austrian Energy Agency, Irish Renewable Energy Information Office. Since 2005 managing director of the Austrian Pellet Industry Association “proPellets Austria”.
Pascal Tshibanda
Coordinator, Energy & Environment, The Association of Local Authorities in Skaraborg
Pascal Tshibanda has a degree in journalism and he’s also been studying project management. He has a background at the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation as a news narrator, program host and reporter for several different editorial staffs. He’s currently holding the position as Coordinator, Energy & Environment at the Association of Local Authorities in Skaraborg. He’s responsible for implementing political decisions, project supervision and communications in the environment field.
Johan Trouvé
CEO of the West Sweden Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Bioenergy – a Strength for Sweden. Johan Trouvé is CEO of the West Sweden Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Johan graduated as a Civil Engineer from The Institute of Technology at Linköping University. He has previously worked as Head of Environmental Affairs within the Schenker Group and as Director of Operations for Schenker in West Sweden.
Dale Wahlstrom
CEO of The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota
Dale received his M.S. in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of St. Thomas in 1994, and his B.S. in Engineering and Technology from St. Cloud State University in 1978. He is currently a member of several industrial advisory and governors boards for different universities and companies. In 1988 he was a recipient of the Medtronic Star of Excellence Award, and in 1997 received the Wallin Leadership Award. In 2002 Dale was recognized as the outstanding graduate of the year by the engineering department of St. Cloud State University. In 2007 he was honored by Twin Cites Business Magazine and was the recipient of the Bioscience Success Story Award. He currently has ten patents in medical device technology with several more pending.
Pelle Thörnberg
Journalist and moderator
Pelle Thörnberg is an experienced moderator and has hosted conferences for AstraZeneca, the Swedish Government, the bank SEB, Telia, IBM Sweden, BMW, International Lawyers Network, Holmen Paper. He works in both Swedish and English ad he is engaged by Talarforum (Speakers Forum) the largest speaker agency in Scandinavia. Pelle Thörnberg carries out a thorough research before entering the podium. He is said to be a listening and curious moderator with a firm grip of time and topic. Pelle Thörnberg also works regularly with Swedish Television as a sports reporter and host.
Lena Ek
Europaparlamentariker
Lena Ek , Member of the European Parliament, Swedish Centerparty, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
Tarmo Pohjonen
Managing Director
Managing Director for Processkontroll AB, manufacturing and maintenance of biogas refueling stations and biogas transport equipment.
Tore Helmersson
President, Innovatum AB
Tore Helmersson is president of Innovatum Teknikpark, a development centre with a focus on Energy and Environmental Engineering, Production and Audio-Visual Technology. He has over twenty years experience within senior positions, primarily in the automotive industry and a strong commitment to entrepreneurship linked to the development of technology.
Lars Bäckström
Governor Västra Götaland
Lars Backstrom has nearly 20 years of experience in parliamentary work, including working as a leader of a Leftwing party within parliament. He has served as a member of the Finance and Tax Committee and also held various other positions of trust in parliament and in government agencies. As Governor, he is working to strengthen western Swedens’ spirit of cooperation and see’s both the climate and the environment as key challenges to address.
Annika Börjeson
Energy & Environmental Engineer
Works within Real Estate in Lidköping Municipality, which manages the municipal buildings such as schools, kindergartens and elderly homes.

Duties:
- Analyses energy statistics from different properties and then from these results derives energy saving measures and implements necessary actions. - Combines energy work with the municipality's environmental goals.
Lyle Laverty
Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Gateway Communities
Lyle Laverty is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Gateway Communities. He has more than four decades of natural resource management experience in state and federal executive leadership assignments. Lyle recently served as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, confirmed by the Senate in 2007. In this capacity, he had responsibility for programs associated with the development and conservation of natural resources in America’s system of fish and wildlife refuges and national parks.
Jonas Wedebrand
Energy and climate advisor / building inspector
Building engineer. Run a building company 1975-1980.
Building inspector in Lidköping municipality from 1980.
Also energy adviser from 1986
Will Steger
Meet Will Steger at Int Bioenergy Days
Will Steger has spent most of his life traveling to the type of fascinating places that the rest of us can only dream about – the North Pole, Greenland and Ellesmere Island, the northernmost island in the Canadian Arctic. For the past 45 years, the Arctic region has served as both classroom and cause for the popular Minnesota explorer, who has frequently ventured through the vast area via dogsled, braving subzero temperatures and extreme conditions.

Along the way, Steger has observed significant changes in this climate and learned first hand the impact global warming is having on the northern environment. For example, the summer ice in the Arctic Region has diminished markedly over the past quarter of a century and temperatures have started to rise. Both of these factors have the potential to greatly impact the wildlife in the region, which could eventually drive species such as polar bears, caribou, seals and walruses to extinction.Steger is also encouraged by the new administration in Washington and the interest expressed in addressing the global warming crisis.

Read more here »»
Kjell Hedvall
Mayor Chairman of the Executive Committee
I am mayor in the city of Lidköping for the Social Democrats, who are in the majority together with the Left Party and the Green Party. I have worked with politics all my life and I’m doing it because I want to sway the development of society. While I have been mayor in Lidköping the local authority has started the strategic, long-term environmental work. Of course I’m driving my Volvo on biogas.
Göran Lundgren
Head of Business Development Vattenfall
Mr. Göran Lundgren, head of Business Development Vattenfall Pan Europe. During his 15 years at Vattenfall he has worked in various fields: International consultancy and engineering services, Nuclear management services in the US, Power Generation in Sweden and Germany, Heat Sweden and Finland, CEO for Vattenfall Eldistribution AB and Head of Vattenfall Generation Nordic. Fr om 1st January 2009 Göran is head of Business Development within BG Pan Europe. Before joining Vattenfall, Göran was Manager of Arlanda Express in Stockholm, a major high-speed rail infrastructure project. Göran Lundgren earned his MSc in mathematics at the (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden.
Bernt Svensén
Project manager for Biogas West
I’m working at Business Region Göteborg as project manager for Biogas West since the start 2001. I and my staff have together with the industry and communities in West Sweden built a unique cluster in the biogas business area. The project has been a forerunner in how to organize and manage the biogas development not only in Sweden but also abroad. In May 2008 Business Region Göteborg won the American prize “The Blue Sky Award”.

I have a background as an owner of companies working with environmental technique export to China and energy consultant issues. My education background is mathematics and electronics at Chalmers University of Technology and in later year also environmentally studies at Göteborg University.
Kennert Jonsson
Manager after sale market supplying
After studies in Industrial Engineering and Economy at Linköpings University Kennert Jonsson has worked within in the It-Telecom industry and the Real estate business. Kennert has been at Ageratec since 2005, almost since the start of the company and has a wide experience of the development of the biodiesel industry worldwide. At his actual position he manages the after sales market supplying Ageratec customers with spare parts, process chemicals and other consumables for the their biodiesel production.

Ageratec is a world leading company in the production of modular small and medium sized biodiesel processors with a capacity of from 2000 L up to 340 000 L / day. The company has sold more than 70 plants in 20 countries. The plants are flexible in feedstock and can handle a wide range of oils and fats, like virgin and crude vegetable oils including palm and jatropha oil, used cocking oil, animal fat and fish oil with a FFA content of up to 10%.
Yvonne Träff
Environmental strategist
Yvonne Träff is an Environmental Strategist in Lidköping municipality. She works with global issues on a local level in sustainable development, such as climate, energy, environment and communications. She is a trained teacher and biologist.
Bengt-Olof Andersson
Headengineer
I have since 1989 run the incineratorplant for production of power and heat for the district heatingsystem in Lidköping.
Richard Sånnek
Land and development engineer
As responsible for the municipalities “un built” real estates Richard is working with ways to stimulate a more sustainable development. Richard participates in the process from the early stages of planning to the point where the contracts are signed and the municipality handles over the real estates to the developer.
Ulf Castenfors
Managing Director, GIA Global Incentives Advisor Sweden AB
Ulf Castenfors is Managing Director of GIA Sweden AB. Ulf has more than 15 years of experience in European Institution matters and grants and incentives advisory and is a respected authority in the field. Prior to starting GIA Sweden AB, Ulf was the Swedish and Nordic leader of the Ernst & Young GIA Network for eight years. Previous employments include the European Commission in Brussels, the Swedish Employer’s Federation SAF and the Swedish Competition Authority. MSc in Business Administration and Economics from Lund University, Sweden.
Lisbeth Nyström
International coordinator
Lisbeth Nyström is an International coordinator at Lidköping municipality. She works with international issues, especially with projects and exchanges within the European Union
Jan-Eric Isaksson
President, Lidköpings värmeverk AB
I have worked with erecting and running district heating sysems most of my working life. From 1968 in Uddevalla, a city on the west cost of Sweden, and from the start 1977 in Lidkoping. Since 1987 president of the local district heating company in Lidköping witch also runs an incineratorplant for production of heat and power.