The transition to electrification, particularly powered by green electricity, stands as a crucial step in mitigating temperature increases and combatting climate change. However, the substantial existing global vehicle fleet poses a significant challenge. To address this, synthetic fuels and hydrogen-based systems emerge as promising solutions that can substantially contribute to minimizing the environmental impact of mobility. Furthermore, although the move to electrified vehicles is clear, OEMs are placing increased emphasis on the development of hybrid vehicles.
ITB's conference serves as an invaluable platform for participants to navigate this dynamic landscape, delving into the latest trends and technologies in fuel-based powertrains, storage, and delivery systems. Join us in exploring innovative approaches towards a more sustainable future for mobility. Sessions include:
- Developments in Fuel Systems and the Hybrid Vehicle Market
- Fuels for Meeting Mobility's Future Needs
- Controlling Liquid and Vapor Fuels On-Board
- Hydrogen's Role in Mobility
REGISTER NOW to secure your seat and immerse yourself in a full day of expert discussions, connect with customers, learn from your peers, and share insights shaping the future of mobility.
Interested to be seen and heard? Participate as a SPONSOR, and/or EXHIBITOR. Use our long-established global platform to discuss your developments with attendees, showcase your technologies, drive business discussions, create valuable touch points with your customers, and collaborate with industry leaders.
Click the links on the right for complete details and please contact Bryan Eldredge, Program Director with any questions or to secure your 2025 participation.
Email: beldredge@itbgroup.com or Phone: +1 (248) 380-6310.
CONFERENCE AGENDA - March 20, 2025
7:30 a.m. |
Registration, Networking, and Continental Breakfast
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8:45 a.m. |
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dr. Joel Kopinsky, Managing Director and Co-founder - The ITB Group
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DEVELOPMENTS IN FUEL SYSTEMS AND THE HYBRID VEHICLE MARKET
9:00 a.m. |
Innovative Fuel Systems for Hybrid Vehicles: Meeting Stringent Purity Requirements
Dr. Thomas Prenveille, Technical Service & Development Manager - Arkema
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9:30 a.m. |
The Role of HEV, PHEV, and EREV Powertrains in North America’s Electrification
Darren Nowak, Director, Research and Analysis - The ITB Group
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10:00 a.m. |
Innovative Fuel Line Solutions using Evonik's VESTAMID® Specialty Polyamides
Dr. Christian Kochanek, Business Development Manager - Evonik
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10:30 a.m. |
Networking Break
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FUELS FOR MEETING MOBILITY'S FUTURE NEEDS
11:00 a.m. |
Startup Showcase: Fuel Innovations
Sente Ventures
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11:30 a.m. |
Novel Powertrain Design Featuring On-Board Dehydrogenation of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers To Decarbonize Long-Haul Trucking
Sayandeep Biswas, Ph.D. Candidate - MIT
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12:00 p.m. |
Pathways for Carbon Footprint Reduction in the Heavy-Duty Transportation Sector
Dr. Rafael Lago Sari, Researcher - Aramco Americas Research Center-Detroit
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12:30 p.m. |
Lunch
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CONTROLLING LIQUID AND VAPOR FUELS ON-BOARD
1:30 p.m. |
What are Vehicle Evaporative Emissions - What are the Technologies to Mitigate?
Johan Bruyninx, Senior Technical Manager Fuel Systems - Idiada
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1:50 p.m. |
Fuel Valve Development & Innovations for the Future
Greg Trulear, Senior Design and Development Engineer - Schrader Pacific
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2:10 p.m. |
EPA/CARB Vehicle Evaporative PHEV Non-integrated Procedure Variations
Johan Bruyninx, Senior Technical Manager Fuel Systems - Idiada
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2:30 p.m. |
Networking Break
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HYDROGEN'S ROLE IN MOBILITY
3:00 p.m. |
Role of Advanced BEVs and FCHEVs in Commercial Truck Segment
Ram Vijayagopal, Research Engineer - Argonne National Laboratory
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3:30 p.m. |
Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) overview
Neil Banwart, Chief Integration Officer - MachH2
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4:00 p.m. |
Update on Development of Conformable Hydrogen Storage Vessel
Charles Shappell, Director of Engineering - Noble Gas Systems
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4:30 p.m. |
Ion Exchanger Cartridge with Improved Performance
Steve Wille, Product Portfolio Manager - Roechling
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5:00 p.m. |
Closing Remarks
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Dr. Joel Kopinsky
Managing Director - The ITB Group
Dr. Kopinsky (Ph.D. Chemical Engineering and MBA) is responsible for The ITB Group’s consulting assignments in energy storage, vehicle emissions, plastic engine parts and glazing systems. Over the past 25 years he has completed a variety of strategic and technical feasibility consulting projects for leading suppliers, OEMs and investment banks in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, he has completed numerous multiclient reports concerned with energy storage, glazing and powertrain technologies. In the 1980’s, Dr. Kopinsky worked at the General Motors Research Labs followed by the completion of his MBA at Columbia University. On the side, Dr. Kopinsky is an avid clarinetist and long-haul hiker.
Dr. Thomas Prenveille
Technical Service & Development Manager - Arkema
Dr. Prenveille is the Technical Support and Development Manager for high-performance polymers in North America at Arkema. With a Ph.D. in polymer science, he previously held multiple R&D roles focused on developing innovative polyamides for automotive applications including fuel and cooling lines.
Darren Nowak
Director Research and Analysis - The ITB Group
Mr. Nowak joined the ITB Group in 2007 and currently operates as Director - Research and Analysis. He is primarily
responsible for direct interface with industry participants and building complex business models to facilitate ITB’s mission to assess automotive business and technology change. He has supported and been the lead investigator in many projects involved in interiors, exterior, under the hood, and most recently has concentrated on plastic/electronic integration. Mr. Nowak has over 25 years of experience in automotive, off road and heavy truck applications, including
application and standards engineering roles at Eaton Corporation. He is a graduate of the University of Detroit with a
Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.
Dr. Christian Kochanek
Business Development Manager - Evonik
Dr. Kochanek joined Evonik in 2016 as project manager focusing on polyamide based composite materials and worked recently as Manager Extrusion Technologies within the application technology division. Currently he operates as Business Development Manager for Automotive and Mobility. In this role he is working on innovative applications of long chain polyamides. Dr. Kochanek holds a diploma in mechanical engineering from Technical University Dresden and finished his doctorate in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University in 2016.
Gerod Carfantan
Managing Partner - Sente
Mr. Carfantan joined Sente Ventures in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer and co-leads its investment activities. He also holds board director positions at several startup companies and has co-invested as an angel investor with Sente’s program startups. Prior to these roles Mr. Carfantan was a management consultant and business development manager at Cisco Systems, and led partnerships, solution development and IT services engagements at technology companies such as VMware, Siemens and EMC. Mr. Carfantan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alberta.
Jochem Kamstra
CEO - Secant Fuel
Mr. Kamstra is a seasoned leader with a proven track record in scaling innovative energy technologies and driving business growth. As the CEO of Secant Fuel, Jochem leads efforts to convert captured CO2 into syngas, offering a practical path to decarbonization by leveraging existing infrastructure. Since taking charge in May 2024, he has achieved key milestones, including securing pre-seed investment, signing the first offtake agreement, and purchasing the equipment for their first pilot. Mr. Kamstra holds an MBA in Executive Management from Royal Roads University, Canada, and dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from institutions in Germany and the Netherlands, with specializations in Thermo Fluid Dynamics and Renewable Energies.
Yvonne Liu
Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer - Serenity Power
Ms. Liu is dedicated to fuel cells and sustainable energy, focusing on clean power solutions for a low-carbon future. As Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Serenity Power, she is committed to scale up and develop proprietary fuel/flexible fuel cells to decarbonize heavy duty transportation and drive energy resilience. Ms. Liu’s research focuses on enhancing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) performance and extending cell life for transportation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a Master of Engineering in sustainable energy from the University of Toronto.
Paul Petersen
Senior Vice President of Operations - Visolis
Mr. Petersen is an accomplished sales and operations executive with extensive experience in the chemical industry, and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations at Visolis, Inc. Here he leads investor engagement, business development, and strategic partnerships for the company’s portfolio of chemicals and fuels. Prior to this, Mr. Petersen was a Vice President at BioAmber Inc., where he played a pivotal role in driving market development and securing key partnerships in coatings, resins, and polyurethanes. Mr. Petersen holds a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry Synthesis from the University of Tennessee where he conducted research on advanced chemical synthesis.
Sayandeep Biswas
Ph.D. Candidate - MIT
Mr. Biswas is a Ph.D. candidate under the supervision of Prof. William H. Green and is focused on developing hydrogen carriers and researching their utilization to drive decarbonization efforts in the energy and transportation sectors. His work spans the development of experimental powertrain designs, simulation of energy systems, and techno-economic assessment of novel low-carbon processes. Mr. Biswas holds a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT and a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Rafael Lago Sari
Researcher - Aramco Americas
Dr. Lago Sari joined Aramco in 2021 as a laboratory scientist in the propulsion technology development team. His focus is on developing technologies that improve internal combustion engines for efficiency and emissions. Additionally, he supports the development of the next-generation hydrogen internal combustion engine as a decarbonization pathway for long haul transportation. Dr. Lago Sari holds a Ph.D. degree in transport propulsion systems from the Technical University of Valencia in Spain.
Johan Bruynix
Senior Technical Manager, Fuel Systems - Idiada
Mr. Bruyninx joined IDIADA in 2015 and works in the powertrain department as a Senior Technical Manager, Fuel Systems. Here his responsibilities include technology awareness, team support, consultancy services and project management. Since 2020 he also examines the hydrogen market, scouting new opportunities within H2 fuel system technology. Prior to these roles Mr. Bruyninx worked at Delphi Automotive Systems and was responsible for the test and validation of the fuel handling and evaporative products. Mr. Bruyninx holds an Associate Degree in Automotive Engineering.
Greg Trulear
Senior Design and Development Engineer - Schrader Pacific
Mr. Trulear has been with Shrader Pacific for seven years and currently operates as senior design and development engineer for fuel valves. Prior to this he worked in aerospace fuel and helium valves manufacturing, development, and design including seven years at SpaceX and two years at Parker Hannifin. Mr. Trulear holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Ram Vijayagopal
Research Engineer- Argonne National Laboratory
Mr. Vijayagopal is the technical lead in the Vehicle Technology Evaluation Group of the Vehicle & Mobility Systems Department at Argonne, where he is responsible for quantifying the energy-saving potential of technologies for passenger cars, trucks and several non-road applications. During his decades of experience in modeling and simulating advanced vehicles, Mr. Vijayagopal has co-authored numerous papers, contributed to various DOE efforts, and been involved in several industry partnerships that have bolstered the topics of vehicle modeling and simulation. Mr. Vijayagopal holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Neil Banwart
Chief Integration Officer - MachH2
Mr. Banwart is Chief Integration Officer at MachH2 where he works to maximize funding opportunities and expand the organization’s reach and impact. Additionally, he is Managing Director-Hydrogen at Energy Systems Network (ESN). Previously, he spent nearly a decade at Cummins and during his career has held various finance, M&A, and treasury roles, including CFO of a private equity fund. Mr. Banwart holds a Finance degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Bradley University.
Charles Shappell
Director of Engineering - Noble Gas Systems
Mr. Shappell is a seasoned expert in the design and development of hydrogen storage vessels and currently works as Engineering Director at Noble Gas Systems. Previously he operated as Engineering Director at Forvia where he led the scale up of Type IV activities. His work has included the development of composite pressure vessels for automotive and industrial applications. Mr. Shappell has a deep knowledge in regulatory compliance, manufacturing processes, and hydrogen vessel testing, making him a valuable contributor to projects advancing the hydrogen economy.
Steve Wille
Product Portfolio Manager - Roechling
Mr. Wille has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry and has worked in various roles, including product management, sales, and project management. Currently, he is a Product Portfolio Manager at Roechling Automotive, where he oversees product development, leads cross-functional teams, and ensures alignment with market needs and company strategy. Mr. Wille is an active member of various automotive industry associations and is a recognized innovator, holding two patents related to component design. He holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Central Michigan.
