Keynote Speakers

Karen Scrivener

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Professor Karen Scrivener, a Professor at EPFL, has dedicated four decades to studying cement and concrete. Her professional journey, transitioning seamlessly between academia and industry, provides her with a distinctive perspective encompassing this captivating material’s scientific underpinnings and practical intricacies.

Central to her research is the imperative to reduce CO2 emissions associated with this vital substance. This commitment has resulted in the development of LC3 cement, a groundbreaking innovation capable of slashing CO2 emissions by up to 40%. Beyond her research contributions, Professor Scrivener holds influential roles in journal editing and spearheads think groups focused on sustainability, further solidifying her stature as one of the most influential figures in the field.

Daniel Kjørberg Siraj

CEO of OBOS

Daniel Kjørberg Siraj is a prominent business figure who has held leadership roles in nine different companies. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of Nidaros Nye Hjem AS and the Chief Executive Officer at OBOS BBL. Additionally, he holds the position of Chairman at OBOS Eiendom AS, Obos Fornebulandet AS, Block Watne AS, OBOS Eiendomsmeglere AS, and OBOS Prosjekt AS, all of which are subsidiaries of OBOS BBL. Daniel Kjørberg Siraj is also a board member of OBOS-banken AS, OBOS Sverige AB, Solon Eiendom Holding AS, and Odense Projektudviklingsselskab Holding A.

In his previous roles, he served as the Secretary-Industry & Urban Development at the City of Oslo, Chairman of Ulven AS, and Chief Executive Officer at OBOS Nye Hjem AS.

Given OBOS’s substantial influence in urban development across multiple cities and its industry leadership, there is a distinct obligation for the organization to take a proactive stance in leading sustainability initiatives.

Mette Geiker

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Professor Mette Geiker is trained as a chemical engineer with an MSc and a PhD from DTU. She has 15 years of experience working in the industry and more than 20 years of experience in academia (DTU and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim). A main interest is the coupling of mechanism-based service life prediction and life cycle analysis for the sustainability assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures. She has a tradition for collaborating with persons supplementing her competencies and thus increasing productivity and dissemination.

Ueli Angst

Swiss Federal Institute of Techonology in Zürich (ETH Zürich)

Professor Ueli Angst obtained his degrees in civil engineering from ETH Zurich in Switzerland (MSc, 2000) and from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, in Trondheim, Norway (PhD, 2011). Since January 2017, Ueli Angst chairs the Durability of Engineering Materials research group at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Before this, Ueli Angst spent several years as a consulting engineer in the industry. The combined professional experience as a scientist and consultant gave him many opportunities to see the relevant engineering problems and identify the related scientific questions that need to be addressed. His research mission is to develop new and fundamental understanding of corrosion mechanisms in order to enable better assessments and predictions of the performance of engineered materials and structures across disciplines. A particular aim is to improve the safety, sustainability, and durability of civil infrastructures. Professor Angst’s research group uses experimental and computational methods covering corrosion science, electrochemistry, materials science, porous media and reactive mass transport, and civil engineering. His team is committed to provide mechanistic insight into corrosion mechanisms and its effects on structural behavior, develop methods and sensors for monitoring purposes, robot-assisted inspection methods, and corrosion mitigation strategies. Since 2017 Ueli Angst is the president of the Swiss Society for Corrosion Protection (SGK). In 2019, Ueli Angst co-founded the ETH Spinoff DuraMon, a company offering sensor solutions for monitoring concrete structures.

Sriram Narasimhan

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Dr. Sriram Narasimhan is a Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering & Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research areas include autonomous sensing systems and condition assessment of civil and mechanical systems. After receiving his Ph.D. in 2005 from Rice University, he joined the University of Waterloo in Canada. In 2021, he joined the Samueli School of Engineering at UCLA where he leads the Sensors and Robotics for Infrastructure Lab. Dr. Narasimhan is active in various international technical committees and is currently the Chief Editor for the ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering. He has served as a reviewer and panelist for various granting agencies, including the US National Science Foundation and Canada’s Natural Sciences Engineering Research Council. He is a recipient of multiple awards, including the 2018 ASCE Associate Editor Award and the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada, and a Fellow of ASCE.

Behrokh Khoshnevis

University of Southern California
(USC)

Professor Berok Khoshnevis is the CEO of Contour Crafting Corporation and is the Louise L. Dunn Distinguished Professor of engineering at University of Southern California. He has made many useful inventions and innovations in different domains including robotics, biomedical, oil and gas, renewable energy, automated fabrication and automated construction by 3D printing, and space systems for which he has received Grand Prizes at two international competition sponsored by NASA. He is recognized as the founding father of large-scale 3D printing. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Helle Redder Momsen

Head of Secretariat – Nordic Sustainable Construction
Sustainability

Helle Redder Momsen is the Head of the Secretariat for Nordic Sustainable Construction, specializing in sustainability initiatives within the construction industry. For the past 13 years, Helle Redder Momsen has been working to accelerate the sustainable transition of our energy systems and buildings. Through Nordic Sustainable Construction, she is leading the Nordics towards sustainable and competitive construction, focusing on lowering the carbon footprint and enhancing the circularity of the built environment. Helle has a wide knowledge of the regulations, initiatives, research, and tools regarding sustainable construction that are currently being developed and implemented across Nordic countries.

Tor Gautestad

Senior Manager Project and Process,
Operational Manager Brevik CCS

Tor Gautestad graduated with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from NTH in 1992. He started at Norcem, Brevik in 1993 and has held various positions at three factories. In 2018, he became the Project Manager for Brevik Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) at the start of the FEED study. He served in this role until March 2023, when he transitioned to a newly established position as Operational Manager for Brevik CCS.

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