Nikolas Flourentzou is currently a Senior Associate Scientist at the Marine Observation Centre of the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. He received a BEng degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the University of Birmingham, UK, a joint MSc degree in Power Electronics and Drives from the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham, UK, and a PhD degree in Power Systems from the University of Sydney, Australia. He received the First Prize in the ElectricaAwards2010 International Innovation contest for the future of electricity networks by AREVA T&D (former ALSTOM Grid and now known as General Electric Grid Solutions) and the Best Paper Award at the 8th international conference on Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IEEE PEDS'09). His fields of interest are Marine Technologies, Oceanography, Maritime Digital Transformation, Ocean Decarbonisation, and Offshore Renewable Energy.

Céline Frank works as policy officer at the European Commission, DG MARE, in the team in charge of Maritime Spatial Planning and the Blue Economy Sectors. 

She has a scientific background in Marine Biology and in Ecology. Her research focus has ranged from the deep sea ecosystems to the mangrove forests. She joined DG MARE in 2016 and has been involved in the development of the aquaculture sector, fisheries data collection and management, and the co-management of the European Maritime, Aquaculture and Fisheries Fund. She now oversees the European Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and the offshore renewable energy policy developments since 2020. 

When not in her working habitat, you can observe her diving in the Mediterranean Sea or climbing some big rocks around Europe. 

Mr. Bogdan GHINEA is Head of unit within the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration of Romania and was directly involved in the transposition of the 2014/89/EU Directive establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning. At the same time, he was involved in the process of the elaboration and approving of the Maritime Spatial Plan of Romania and he was the Romanian coordinator within the two MARSPLAN-BS projects implemented in collaboration with the competent authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria, projects that contributed both to the development of cooperation between the two states in the process of maritime spatial planning and to the development of the first draft of the Maritime spatial plan for Romania. 

Another major area under the coordination of Mr. Bogdan GHINEA is the area of housing policies as part of the wider development policies for territorial planning.