VDI Magdeburger BV

The VDI is an association for technically and scientifically active people (VDI:
Association of German Engineers) and is one of the largest technically oriented clubs
and associations in the world. The VDI Magdeburger Bezirksverein supports the
INSECTA conference since 2015 and grants the “VDI Best Young Scientists
Presentation Award” every year. It is divided into 6 district groups and many
thematically different working groups and has offers for all ages. One group related to
INSECTA conference is the Arbeitskreis Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (circle of experts
for renewable resources). VDI Magdeburger
Bezirksverein is organised by voluntary works. The VDI Magdeburger Bezirksverein is
supported in its work by numerous companies in the region and forms an important
network and the VDI is also international networked. Also, VDI Magdeburger
Bezirksverein has a sponsorship award for students at the universities in Magdeburg
every year and the Gruson plaque of honor for members who deserved in the technical
development and the work of VDI Magdeburger Bezirksverein Magdeburg.

IHK Bildungsakademie Magdeburg GmbH

The Magdeburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce: Your partner for the regional economy
The Magdeburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) is a strong partner and indispensable voice for the regional economy. It represents around 53,000 tradespeople across the entire IHK district from the Altmark to the Harz mountains. The vast majority of these members are small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the backbone of the regional economy. Membership of the IHK is a direct result of the law and includes all natural persons as well as partnerships and corporations that have registered a business - with the exception of craft businesses.
The legal mandate of the IHK Magdeburg rests on three main pillars: the representation of economic policy interests, the performance of sovereign tasks and service for the regional economy. The IHK is actively committed to promoting the commercial economy by bundling its interests and representing them in politics and administration. At the same time, it efficiently fulfills tasks assigned by the state and offers a wide range of services that benefit the entire economic area as well as directly supporting individual companies.

Christine J. Picard, Ph.D. is the Site Director of the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF) and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education at Indiana University Indianapolis. She is a molecular geneticist whose research focuses on the genetics and genomics of insects with industrial and environmental applications. Dr. Picard leads efforts to improve the scalability and sustainability of insect agriculture through genetic studies of key farmed species, including black soldier flies, crickets, and mealworms. Her work explores how natural genetic variation and targeted genetic engineering can optimize traits such as development rate, waste conversion efficiency, and resilience to environmental stressors.
Originally trained as a forensic entomologist, Dr. Picard made foundational contributions to postmortem interval estimation using DNA sequencing methods and population genetics. She continues to integrate genomics and molecular tools to solve applied biological problems across agriculture, environmental sustainability, and forensic science. As a scientific leader and educator, she is committed to advancing insect-based solutions for global challenges and translating genetic research into practical innovations.

web: https://science.indianapolis.iu.edu/people-directory/people/picard-christine.html

Dr. Picard will provide an overview of genetic control and natural variation in insect phenotypes, highlighting their relevance for both insect biotechnology and sustainability.

Dr. Chrysantus Mbi Tanga is a Senior Scientist and Head of the Insects for Food, Feed and Others Uses Programme (INSEFF) at icipe. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Entomology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He has over 15 years of wide-ranging experience in co-developing climate resilient and circular insect-based technologies for improved food security and livelihoods. His work has actively been translated into multidisciplinary cross-cutting edge research with over 200 published articles and several book chapters. He has mentored several Postdocs and postgraduate students. He spearheads the development and harmonization of continental policies and standards on edible insects and derived products in partnership with African Union. He also has over 300 partnerships for scaling insect-based technologies globally. He was ranked among the top 2% scientists with impactful research outputs globally in 2023 and 2024. Insect-based technology under his leadership won the 2020 Curt Bergfors Foundation Food Planet Prize and 2024 Norman Borlaug award for field research and application.

web: https://www.icipe.org/about/staff/dr-chrysantus-m-tanga

We are looking foreward to the lecture of Dr. Chrysantus Mbi Tanga for "Edible insect farming as a circular solution to agrifood system challenges: Lessons from Africa"!

Dr. Nils Th. Grabowski is a research associate and head of the "Hygiene and Technology of Productive Invertebrates" department at the Institute for Food Quality and Food Safety at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo). As a veterinarian and following the “farm to fork” approach, he has done research along the insect production chain from 2006 on, from primary production over processing to legal framework and consumer acceptance, moreover from the microbiological and compositional point of view. He acted as hearing expert for the EFSA in terms of edible insects and was the project leader for “IFNext” (funded by the German Ministry of Agriculture), in which mothers in rural areas in Thailand and Cambodia were instructed how to rear insects improving their nutrition and creating extra income. He currently has teamed up along with colleagues of TiHo and DIL for the “Lignoinsect” project (funded by Volkswagen) that seeks to use dried plant matter from re-wetted peatlands as feed for insects. For some years, he has been part of the TiHo research group for productive invertebrates. He is actively involved in the research community, also sharing his knowledge by teaching students of veterinary medicine, biology, and food technology. Dr. Nils Grabowski has already participated in the very first INSECTA conference in 2015 and was one of the speakers. We are very much looking forward to his keynote speech on the topic of sensorial properties of edible insects.

willtalk abaout: Not all insects taste like nuts – sensorial properties of edible insects and products made thereof

web: https://www.tiho-hannover.de/en/kliniken-institute/institute/institut-fuer-lebensmittelqualitaet-und-sicherheit/arbeitsgruppen/translate-to-english-nutzinsekten/info