Ferre Windey (28) is a freelance journalist mainly working for VRT NWS as a reporter for Het Journaal, the most-watched daily news program on Flemish television.

Beyond traditional reporting, Ferre hosts VRT NWS’s social media channels, creating short news videos for a diverse audience. His experience in broadcast and digital journalism has shaped him into a versatile communicator with a keen eye for what resonates with the audience.

ESG-driven Innovation: shaping the future of sustainable mobility

Patricia Ceysens (b. June 5, 1965, Maaseik) is a Belgian politician and entrepreneur. With a background in law from the Catholic University of Leuven, she entered politics in 1995, serving as municipal councilor in Leuven, provincial councilor in Flemish Brabant, and member of the Flemish & Belgian Parliament.

As Flemish Minister for Economy, Enterprise, Science, Innovation, and Foreign Trade, Ceysens played a pioneering role in advancing entrepreneurship, technology, and economic policy, helping to position Flanders as a leader in innovation.

Beyond politics, she is the founder and CEO of WeWatt, a company specializing in human-powered furniture, such as desks and bike stations that generate electricity, merging sustainability with design and active living. Through board memberships and advisory roles, she remains a driving force in all things ESG and digital transformation. Her contributions have earned her recognition as a respected voice in innovation and economic development.

Innovation goes beyond technology and business. In her keynote at Mobility Matters, Patricia Ceysens will explore how the Quintuple Helix—a model where government, business, academia, civil society, and the natural environment collaborate—drives true, sustainable progress.

Drawing from her experience at WeWatt, she will demonstrate how smart innovation can generate economic growth, social impact, and a regenerative future. At the heart of her vision is the HumanWattHour—harnessing human energy to power sustainability and innovation.

Sustainable Human-centered Mobility: Challenges and Opportunities from Autonomy, Connectivity, and Electrification

Mauro Salazar (b. March 23, 1990, Zürich, CH) is an Assistant Professor in the Control Systems Technology section at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), NL, where he leads the MOVEMENT Research Group and is co-affiliated with Eindhoven AI Systems Institute (EAISI). He earned his PhD in mechanical engineering from ETH Zürich in collaboration with Ferrari Formula 1 team in 2019, before moving to Stanford University for a Postdoc on future mobility systems.

His research focuses on optimization for cyber-socio-technical systems and control, with applications on sustainable energy and mobility systems that foster wellbeing. He was awarded the ETH Medal for his MSc and PhD theses, and his papers earned several awards, including the Best Student Paper award at the 2018 IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference and at the 2022 European Control Conference, as well as the Best Paper Award at the 2024 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference. In 2021, he received the Best Teacher Award in the Mechanical Engineering MSc program. He was nominated for TU/e’s Young Researcher Award in 2022, and, in 2024, for membership in The Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science (KNAW).

In his keynote, Mauro explores how recent technological advancements can be leveraged to enhance mobility systems with a focus on sustainability and human wellbeing. Mobility is inherently multi-dimensional and multi-level, requiring careful consideration of individual user experiences, vehicle operations, and system-wide coordination.

He will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by electric vehicles, including deployment strategies, scheduling, and charging infrastructure. Next, he will examine the potential of intermodal transportation—integrating diverse travel modes such as autonomous robotaxis and traditional bicycles—to create human-centered mobility solutions with fair budget allocations. By addressing these critical aspects, we can better understand how autonomy, connectivity, and electrification can shape mobility eco-systems that are not only sustainable but also centered around people and their needs.

Xavier Taveirne is a journalist with 20 years of experience under his belt. He was a news anchor for public broadcaster VRT, both on radio and television. Now he’s the face of the leading Belgian consumer platform WinWin, with outlets on radio, tv and online.

Peter Van de Velde is the Fleet, Facility & Hospitality Lead at Moore Belgium, with over 20 years of experience in fleet management and alternative mobility solutions. In 2024, he was named Fleet & Mobility Manager of the Year, recognizing his leadership in developing sustainable mobility strategies.

Moore Belgium has grown into the largest independent accounting and consulting service provider in Belgium, achieving consistent annual growth of over 10% between 2008 and 2025 through both organic and non-organic expansion. Today, the company employs more than 1,800 passionate and entrepreneurial professionals.

With over 55 local offices across the country and four key hubs in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, and Kortrijk, Moore Belgium maintains a strong regional presence, ensuring close proximity to clients and acting as a true business partner in their journey.

Vicky De Bollen is “Director Shared Services” at Sweco bv/srl.

Sweco is Europe’s leading engineering and architecture consultancy and co-creates solutions to address urbanisation, captures the power of digitalisation, and makes our societies more sustainable.

Vicky started at Sweco as “Chief Financial Officer” in 2012, she has grown in different roles during several years and has now recently taken on a broader role as “Director Shared Services” (Shared Services is organized as a separate division including Support Services such as Finance, Facility, Legal…). She obtained her Master degree in Controllership from Vlerick Business School and has since worked as “Finance Manager” within several industries.

As an experienced finance professional, Vicky has a broad experience in all aspects of strategy, control, auditing, financial and risk management and accounting.
In her current role, she focuses on bringing leadership skills, solid strategic and analytical capabilities and capacity to quickly enhance transparency, confidence and stability in complex situations.

She is passionate about working in and for organizations that are committed to the well-being of people and employees, that prioritize a sustainable society, and that uphold socially responsible policies.

Outside of work, Vicky enjoys jogging and long walks in nature with her husband and dog.

Thierry Devresse is the founder and CEO of My Mobility Budget Butler (MMBB), established in early 2020. MMBB is assisting over 300 companies and 5,000 employees in the implementation and the management of the federal mobility Budget as well as the daily operations through premium services.

Previously, as Strategic Alliances and Projects Director at Athlon Belgium, he led the development and digitization of new mobility services. His extensive experience in services, IT projects, and executive roles is instrumental in advancing modern corporate mobility solutions.

Kevin Buis serves as the Head of B2B BeNeLux at XPENG Motors, operating from the company’s European headquarters in Amsterdam. In his role, Kevin leads the business-to-business strategy across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, focusing on expanding XPENG’s presence in the European electric vehicle market. His leadership is instrumental in forging strategic partnerships and driving sustainable mobility solutions in the region.

Sébastien Laebens is Corporate Business & Mobility Sales Manager at Mobility Solutions by D’Ieteren. With a strong focus on business mobility, he guides companies in the transition towards flexible and sustainable solutions. Thanks to his expertise in fleet management and multimodal mobility, he helps companies work more efficiently, cost-consciously and future-oriented.

Dirk Lauwers is an expert in urban mobility and transport planning with more than 35 years of experience. He is visiting professor at Ghent University and University of Antwerp, where he teaches and acts as research promoter in the fields of Mobility Planning and Traffic Engineering Design. Apart from his academic activities he has been a consultant in traffic planning and engineering and regional and urban planning. He was Manager for Traffic and Mobility Planning at ARCADIS Belgium (2005-2008).

He was project manager of one of the first strategic environmental assessments (for the European HST network, commissioned by DG Transport, 1993). He has been responsible for several regional and urban transport planning processes in Central and Eastern Europe (the Baltics, Bulgaria, Romania, the Ukraine and Kosovo) for twenty years. He has a specific track record in traffic safety: e.g. as co-editor of recommendations for road design in Belgium and coordinator of a certified RSA course at UGent.

He worked for more than 25 years in national and EU-funded projects in management and expert positions. He participated in several EU Civitas urban mobility projects, e.g. on sustainable mobility indicators, parking, urban vehicle access regulations. He was a lead consultant for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

In Belgium, he was involved in studies on national airport accessibility, modal shift from air transport to rail transport, urban mobility, sustainable and robust road categorisation and road safety. As a visiting professor at the University of Antwerp and the University of Ghent, he published on these topics and participated in conferences on transport innovations.

He is involved in different boards in the mobility field: the Flemish Traffic Engineering Foundation (VSV), the Flemish Forum for Traffic Safety, Task Forces Road Safety and the introduction of Autonomous Vehicles for the Flemish Ministery of Mobility and Public Works.
He is active as an expert for citizens’ movements in Antwerp on the ‘steering’ design of the completion and capping of the Antwerp ring road (aiming at a more robust road network, modal shift with 20% away from car use and quality of life in the area) and several grassroot movements in the city.