Technology Forum Newsletter​

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2026

Technology Forum Newsletter​

JANUARY 2026

Paul Jansen​

 Associate Director Organised Innovation Spaces

Paul Jansen has a background in urban economics and has contributed to the development of numerous campuses, science parks and innovation districts in various countries around the world for the past 25 years, commissioned by both public and private clients. Paul has a broad and deep knowledge of developing and managing campuses, innovation districts and science parks.

He is co-founder of the Dutch Innovation Area Development Partnership (IADP) and is a counselor for the global IASP. In the Netherlands he has been involved in the development of Pivot Life Science Park in Oss, the Zernike Campus in Groningen, the Talentencampus in Oss, the Novio Tech Campus in Nijmegen, Utrecht Science Park, the Energy Health Campus in Petten, the realization of eight innovation districts in Amsterdam, Mercator Science Park in Nijmegen, Dome-X Incubator building, Plus Ultra on Wageningen Campus, Heijendaal campus, Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven, the Life Science Park Brabant, Campus Nijmegen, RvN@ and the knowledge quarter in Den Bosch, the RDM Campus in Rotterdam, the Leiden Bio Science Park and E Sports Tech campus in Purmerend.

Globally he worked on the industrial campus of Solvay in Brussels, the Arden Innovation District in Melbourne, the Amman Science Park, Vnukovo science and business park in Moscow. Trinity college campus in Dublin, Lauzits Science Park in Cottbus, and the Scunthorpe Advanced manufacturing park in the UK.

From a spatial economic background, he is often involved in drawing up integral development strategies, area and real estate development, socioeconomic programming, setting up the governance and financing of this type of area development.

Aliki Foinikopoulou​

Head of the Global Public Policy team at Salesforce

Aliki Foinikopoulou heads the Global Public Policy team at Salesforce. In her role, she works with her team to define Salesforce’s public policy positions on technology policy, spanning AI, cloud, privacy, and cybersecurity topics. She previously led Salesforce’s EU Government Affairs team for 8 years.

Aliki has more than 15 years of professional experience in government affairs and public policy, having previously worked as a consultant for leading technology companies and in the European Commission.

She has served as a Vice-Chair of AmCham EU’s Digital Economy Committee, where she also led the work on cloud policy. She was also a Vice-Chair of AmCham EU’s Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce for two terms.

She holds a LLB from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and a LLM in Intellectual Property Law from University College London. She speaks Greek, English, and French. She lives in Brussels with her family.

Dr. Dimitrios Tsitsamis

Head of the Innovation Department at ThPA S.A. Port of Thessaloniki

Dr. Dimitrios Tsitsamis is an accomplished professional highly experienced in the maritime industry. Currently, he holds the position of Head of the Innovation Department at ThPA S.A. Port of Thessaloniki, where his role is pivotal in driving innovation and transformative achievements within the organization.

Throughout his career, he has actively participated in national and European research projects and evaluation programs, contributing to the advancement of the industry. He has also delivered lectures and published research papers on various topics related to container terminal operations and management.

A recognized leader in the field, elected as President of the Greek Association of Supply Chain Management (EEL.BE) for 2024-2025. He is passionate about innovation, education and fostering collaboration. He holds a Ph.D. with a focus on port Logistics in container terminal operations. His educational background includes a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Manhattan College of New York and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from City College of New York.

He has fortified his knowledge and skills through certifications in change management and a multitude of advanced training programs.

Selma Prodanovic

Founder of 1MillionStartups
and Invest Austria

Named “Startup-Grande-Dame” by the media, Selma is a globally celebrated keynote speaker, advisor, and thought leader. In 2022 and 2023, she was recognized “Europe’s Most Influential Women in the Startup & VC Space.”

As the Vice President of EBAN and the founder of the SDG platform 1MillionStartups, Selma has been a pivotal figure in shaping the startup and angel investing ecosystem across Europe over the last two decades.

Selma initiated the EBAN “Manifesto for a Gender Balanced Angel Investing Ecosystem,” hosted the insightful “Masters of Angel Investing” interview series, and teaches entrepreneurship at various universities.

Her passion for creating a better future is evident in her constant efforts to present new ways to empower entrepreneurs and angel investors, leaving a significant imprint on the industry.

Sevdalina Voynova

Director of Programmes
at Sofia Development Association

Sevdalina currently serves as the Director of Programmes at the Sofia Development Association (SDA). Established in 2010 by the Sofia Municipality, SDA has been at the forefront of urban innovations, pioneering various initiatives in Sofia. These include the inaugural innovation call for proposals, the establishment of the first public-private fund for innovation, the initiation of municipal hackathons, and the creation of the first innovation campus.
Under Sevdalina’s leadership, SDA has played a pivotal role in driving the innovation performance of Sofia and the surrounding region, contributing to an impressive 8.5% increase in recent years. Notably, SDA has earned its place among the top-tier Emerging Innovators + in the European Regional Innovation Scoreboard.
Sevdalina is a co-author of the Sofia Smart Specialization Strategy and other key strategic documents, and has successfully managed numerous innovation projects. Her notable achievements include overseeing the first Bulgarian project funded by the Urban Innovative Action initiative, which introduced on-demand public transport. Additionally, she played a key role in establishing the Sofia matching public-private fund for innovations.
Prior to her role at SDA, Sevdalina held positions at the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria and served as the country director of the National Democratic Institute for Bulgaria.
Educationally, Sevdalina holds an MA from Sofia University and Oxford University, along with a BA in communications. On a personal note, she is married and has two daughters.