Mr Johannes Thordarson, LAVA09 conference facilitator

Dean of the Department of Design and Architecture, Iceland Academy of the Arts
Johannes Thordarson studied architecture at the University of Dundee in Scotland and received his Master´s degree in architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA in 1983. He has practiced architecture in the US and with his partners of Gláma – Kím architects in Iceland for over 20 years. He has with his architectural practice participated in a large number of architectural competitions and reiceved numerous awards for architecture and design.
He was appointed dean in 2005.



Mr Áron Losonczi

Architect, Ambassador for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009, Hungary

In his own words: “I got my degree from architecture in Budapest, in 2001. Currently I am not working in that profession, but instead I am managing my own enterprise in Hungary, which is engaged with the development of my invention named Litracon – the Light Transmitting Concrete. This is a new construction material, which, thanks to the built in optical fibres transmits light, while preserves the constructional characteristics of concrete. The novelty in this invention is that we could concentrate two opposite things in one material: weight/massiveness and light. This enables us to combine the archaic tectonic character of architecture with the contemporary intention of transparency.”

Litracon has won several international design awards. Áron Losonczi was named Ernst & Young ”Innovator” 2008 in Hungary.

http://create2009.europa.eu/press/video_gallery/interview_with_aron_losonczi.html



Mrs Katrín Júlíusdóttir

Minister of Industry Energy and Tourism

H.E. Mrs Katrín Júlíusdóttir was appointed Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism on 10 May 2009. She has been a member of Iceland’s parliament, the Althingi, for the Social Democratic Alliance (SDA), representing the Southwestern Constituency since 2003.

Katrín was a project manager and consultant at the software house and consultancy Innn Ltd from 2000 to 2003. She was Manager of the Student Council of the University of Iceland’s Student Council (1998-99) and Purchasing Manager, and later Manager, of the company G. Einarsson & Co ehf. from 1994 to 2000.

She studied Anthropology at the University of Iceland from 1995 to 1999 and attended a course in project management in software production at the University of Iceland’s Institute of Continuing Education in 2001.

Ms Steinunn Sigurðardóttir

Fashion Designer, Reykjavík’s Artist of the Year 2009, Iceland
After studying in Paris, Steinunn graduated from the New York Parsons School of Design in 1986. She has had a long and successful career in fashion design, was head designer at Gucci, Calvin Klein and La Perla and has worked with numerous other well known designers. In the year 2000, Steinunn started her own company, STEINUNN, and last year she opened a store in Reykjavík city centre.

She has stated in media interviews that her main source of inspiration is the unique mix of the art and design scenes in Iceland, that being the reason why she prefers to live and work in Iceland rather than abroad.

In 2008, Steinunn won the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize, one of the largest prizes in the world for design and decorative art awarded by the Röhsska Museum of Fashion, Design and Decorative Arts in Sweden. In 2009, Steinunn was awarded the honorary title of Reykjavík’s Artist of the Year.

You can read more about Steinunn on  www.steinunn.com

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2009/06/08/small.global.nordic.cool.cnn

Source:  www.visitreykjavik.is



Mr Ian Brannigan
Regional Development Manager, Western Development Commission,
Ireland and RASLRES project.
Ian Brannigan's professional qualifications include a Physics degree from Dublin City University and an MBA as well as numerous professional short courses primarily in the management realm.
After spending almost 15 years working internationally in the ICT sector, where he worked in a variety of technical and management positions, Ian  began using his business experience in the area of developing and implementing programs of strategic growth in regional economies. As such he has held a variety of positions in this area in the UK and Ireland. In 2005, Ian led the clusters theme of the innovative pan regional Northern Way program which attempted to close the national north/south productivity gap. In this several million pounds was diverted into novel growth initiatives in Lifesciences, The Food industry and Creative industries. He also held the position of regional cluster manager for the North East of England.

More recently, Ian has with his team developed further the unique regional promotional platform www.LookWest.ie, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of people to its website, which seeks to locate people and businesses into the predominantly rural western region of Ireland. Similarly a focus on renewable energy development and Creative economy and innovation development has led to the design and comissioning of several novel programmes which seek to significantly grow these sectors going forward.

A member of several steering groups and boards, Ian is seeking to use the current climate as a chance to reset the regional economy and focus investment on sustainable indigenous sector growth.

Earlier this year, the Western Development Commission published a report called Creative West, which examines the size and importance of the creative sector in the Western Region of Ireland, the main issues for enterprises in the sector and it makes recommendations on how the sector can grow in the future.

http://www.wdc.ie/wp-content/uploads/reports_CreativeWest.pdf



Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson

Lead Economist, CCP Games, Iceland
Dr. Eyjolfur Gudmundsson (Dr. EyjóG) was hired in the spring of 2007 to meet the ever increasing demand for economic information from the EVE Online community. His responsibilities are to provide community members with accurate information on economic indicators as well as in-depth analysis of interesting events in the EVE Online economy. He is also responsible for cooperation with academic and research institutes and in assisting future development of the economic/business environment within EVE Online. Prior to joining CCP, Dr. EyjóG was Dean of the Faculty of Business and Science at the University of Akureyri in Iceland, which he joined in 2000 after his studies in the United States. Dr. EyjóG has a PhD. in Environmental and Resource Economics from the University of Rhode Island and a B.Sc. in Economics from University of Iceland.



Mr Hilmar Veigar Pétursson

Chief Executive Officer, CCP Games, Iceland
As Chief Executive Officer of CCP since 2004, Hilmar Petursson has led company’s continuing success and explosive growth. Overseeing the expansion of CCP operations to Shanghai, China in 2004 as well as a strategic merger with Atlanta-based White Wolf Publishing in 2006, Mr. Petursson has brought CCP to the forefront of the video game industry as a widely-recognized innovator in the areas of virtual world development, publishing and technology. Named as one of the 20 Most Influential People in the MMO Industry in 2007 and 2008 by Beckett Massive Online Gamer Magazine, Hilmar is frequently sought after as an engaging public speaker, delivering thought-provoking presentations and keynote addresses for many prestigious industry-, technology- and business-related events including the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, Nordic Game Conference and the Austin Game Developer’s Conference. 

Originally joining CCP in 2000 as CTO, Hilmar spearheaded the engineering efforts necessary to bring CCP’s critically-acclaimed EVE Online to life in 2003. Previously, Hilmar was CTO of SmartVR, an OZ.com spin-off based on that company’s multi-user virtual reality technology, and following his tenure as VP of software development for the OZ Studios division of OZ.com. He is active on a number of boards and committees relating to Icelandic information technology and innovation. Hilmar has a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Iceland.



Ms Sigridur Sigurjonsdottir

Professor of Product Design, Iceland Academy of the ArtsFarmers and Designers United is a pioneer project where two professions are led together to create a unique product.
The food industry offers many growth  opportunities and by strategically developing products their value will increase. The project’s main objective is to develop regional foods based on the highest quality, traceability and with direct cultural relevance. The novelty of the project comes from the collaboration of designers and farmers. Such a collaboration has not been attempted before in Iceland or in other countries to the best of the project leaders’ knowledge. This makes this project a pioneering one that can set a great precedence in the future. The project draws upon Iceland’s long history of farming and combines it with one of its newest industries – design The aim is to bring financial gain to the farmers involved as well as to create a model for others to follow in order to increase the value of creativity in their production by collaborating with designers. In such a small country as Iceland, models like this one are very likely to have a multiplying effect and thus strengthening the competitive edge of Icelandic farmers.