Gabriele Centi is full professor of industrial chemistry at the University of Messina and a Past President of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies and Coordinator of the Network of Excellence IDECAT. He co-directs the European Laboratory for Catalysis and Surface Science. His research activities are centered in the area of development of industrial heterogeneous catalysts for applications in the field of sustainable chemical processes, and environmental protection and clean energy. He is author of over 230 scientific papers in international journals, editor and/or author of 6 books, editors of 6 special issues of international journals, chairman of several International congresses, and editor of the Elsevier book series "Studies in Catalysis and Surface Science". He also serves as member of panel committees of evaluation of various international institutes, and was visiting professor at various European Universities. He is a member of the Core Team which elaborates the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry.

Rutger Anthony van Santen gained his doctorate in theoretical chemistry in 1971, from the University of Leiden, joining Shell, Amsterdam as a research chemist the following year. In 1988 he became Professor of Catalysis at the Eindhoven University of Technology where he was promoted to scientific director in 1989. In 1991 he became director of the Netherlands Institute of Research in Catalysis, and in 2005 he was made Royal Netherlands Academy of Science and Arts Professor. He is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dutch Academy of Engineering and is a Knight in the order of the Dutch Lion. Professor van Santen has been active in many national and international catalysis research programs and organizations. He is the author or editor of 11 books, over 600 research papers and 16 patents, and has been awarded several national and international awards and visiting professorships. His main research interest is the molecular mechanistic understanding of catalytic reactions.