Andrea Cipollina is currently a Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Palermo. He brings experience from previous roles at the University of Palermo and DICGIM. He holds a 2002-2005 PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Università degli Studi di Palermo. His research activities focus on water desalination and renewable energy technologies, Salinity Gradient Power processes, and processes for valorisation of industrial effluents and brines. His research activities have largely benefited from a number of international research projects and collaborations: among others, the EU-FP7 funded projects MEDIRAS, PRODES, STAGE-STE and REAPower, and the EU-H2020 funded projects RED-Heat-to-Power, REvivED, ReWaCEM, BAoBaB and ZERO BRINE. He has been the co-founder and past CEO of the spin-off company ResourSEAs, working in the field of "Blue Circular Economy" for the development of innovative technologies for the integrated production and mining of goods from the sea. With ResourSEAs, he was awarded first prize in the industrial category of the Italian PNI 2016 Start-up competition and received the National Prize for Innovation 2017 as best technological start-up originating from university research activities.