The second panel discussion at the 5th annual IPBN Sustainability conference on March 19th at the CCIP in Lisbon is on solutions to drive sustainable economic value for healthy oceans. The conversation will be moderated by Susan Cabeceiras, IPBN Board Member and Founder & CEO of KONCEPTNESS Gestão de Projetos, Imobiliária, Arquitetura, Engenharia & Design, and will welcome two distinguished guests to the stage: Paulo Vasconcelos Figueiredo and Gavin Mc Bride.

Paulo Vasconcelos Figueiredo is the Business Development Manager and Technical Project Manager at CEiiA and Blueinsight, a Marine autonomous robotics start-up developing a portfolio of solutions to drive sustainable economic value from healthy oceans. The IPBN delved deeper into these companies with a visit by IPBN General Manager Arnold Delville as a lead into our Porto Ocean Conference in 2023. The company is a single point of access to data, information, and services over the ocean. Paulo is highly experienced with expertise spanning over 10 years in the aerospace and ocean engineering industries. In addition to his role at CEiiA, he is a lecturer at the University Lusofona and serves as an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission.

He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in subsea engineering. He also has a post-graduate degree in Remote Sensing and is pursuing an MBA at Porto Business School. With a strong academic background and a deep understanding of industry practices, Paulo brings a wealth of knowledge to his team and promises to bring immense value to the discussion.

Gavin Mc Bride is the Managing Director of Enerview Solutions, which was one of the three IPBN Business Success Award winners in 2023 and was also a speaker at the IPBN Porto Ocean Conference in 2023. This leading renewable energy company specializes in the areas of onshore and offshore wind, solar, and Electric Vehicle sectors. Gavin's specialties include people and organizational development, new market setup, local compliance, and recruitment. He is responsible for the development of large-scale onshore projects throughout Europe and Africa which involve the ability to work in both formal and informal settings with all stakeholders.

His management of multi-million euro projects and his erection experience of over 600 turbines are a tribute to his effective strategic planning and implementation capabilities. Gavin's major clients include SSE, RES, Gamesa, Repower, Enercon, Siemens, Nordex and Vestas. We are delighted to hear what he has to add to the conversation.

We look forward to welcoming these thought leaders to the stage! Registration for the event is still open here where you can also see what other speakers and panelists you can expect.