Speakers

Patrik Kolar studied chemistry and obtained his PhD in chemistry at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia in 1995. From 1997 to 1998 he worked as Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany. From 2004 to 2007 he was a "Science attaché" at the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU in Brussels.

He joined the European Commission in 2007 and worked as Head of Unit in several Directorates (Health, Bioeconomy and Industrial Technologies). During his work for the Commission he contributed to designing and implementing EU Research and Innovation (R&I) policies – in particular the Framework Programmes for R&I (the 7th Framework Programme and Horizon 2020).

In October 2017 he was appointed Head of Department B (LIFE and Horizon 2020 Energy, Environment, Resources) in the Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (EASME). His Department is responsible for implementation of the LIFE programme as well as the Energy efficiency part of the "Energy Challenge" and the "Environment/Climate Challenge" of the Horizon 2020.

During his scientific career he co-authored over 20 original scientific and review papers and he also wrote several papers on EU R&I policy.