Jimena Alarcón Castro has a PhD in Design Management (2012), a Master's in Wood Construction (2003), and a Bachelor’s degree in Design with a Product Design specialization from the University of Valparaíso (1994). She has been a Full Professor (1995–present) and the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Design at the University of Bío-Bío, Chile (2013–present). She has also served as Senior Program Manager at the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO). She is a scientist, and she is conducting postdoctoral research at the Instituto Europeo di Design and Di Bartolo Design Research in Milan, Italy. With over 25 years of experience, she has led strategic projects in material design, sustainability, material bioeconomy, and business development, collaborating with international institutions and advising more than 100 companies.

Riccardo Balbo is an architect, with a PhD in Theory and Construction of Architecture. He is the Academic Director of the European Institute of Design (IED, Global) and Chairman at the Francesco Morelli Foundation, the beneficial owner of IED.Previously, he had been working as researcher and adjunct professor at the Polytechnic of Turin (Italy) and the University of Salford (UK). His research and teaching topics explore design-driven innovation paradigms, digital architectural design, urban regeneration, vernacular architecture, slum upgrading, transdisciplinary design, smart cities, and the integration of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and design education. He publishes and gives keynotes, lectures, and workshops extensively about these topics with a key focus on the Future of Design Education. Since 2017, he has been the appointed Foreign Expert for the Chinese Government, a member of the Centre for Creativity and Sustainable Development (ICCSD), and has acted as ambassador for the Italian Design System. His presentation will focus on a new role for design as a common language between different knowledge domains and mind-sets, and its translation into a new academic curricula to address global challenges and trigger systemic change.

Carla J. Silva completed her M.S. in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (1999) and her PhD in Textile Chemistry at the University of Minho, Portugal (2005). She is currently leading the Chemical and Biotechnological Department at CITEVE and worked previously as Chief Technology Officer at CeNTI (Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials) and researcher at UM. Her research interests cover various topics, ranging from surface engineering, advanced polymers and fibers, biotechnology, nanocoatings, processes optimization, processes sustainability, and the development of innovative nanomaterials, fibers, and polymers.

Catalina Fuenzalida Fernández is an Industrial Designer from the Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile. She is a Junior Researcher at the Design Research Laboratory of the Department of Art and Design Technologies at the Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile. She has completed a research internship at CITEVE, the Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing of Portugal. She collaborated on Fondecyt Regular research projects from the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile.

Florencia Alarcón Carrasco is an Industrial Designer from the Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile. She has been a Master's student in Architectural and Urban Heritage at the Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile. She is a Junior Researcher at the Design Research Laboratory of the Department of Art and Design Technologies at the Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile. She collaborated on Fondecyt Regular research projects from the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile.