Marco Beckmann is a leading international expert in the field of nanotechnology and investment. He has so far published three books on this subject. Beckmann began his professional career as a sub-adviser at the Hauck & Aufhäuser DAC Nanotech Fund, an internationally invested equity fund specializing in nanotechnology In late 2003, Beckmann founded Nanostart AG; a venture firm specialized in nanotechnology investments. Nanostart invests directly in young and promising nanotechnology companies around the world. These companies are market leaders and innovators with excellent growth prospects who have the potential to use their patented technologies to fundamentally transform existing markets.

The company has its head office in Frankfurt, Germany, as well as a branch office in Berlin. A subsidiary in Singapore has also been established, Nanostart Asia Pte. Ltd. Nanostart AG has itself been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since June 2005. Aside from his principal role as CEO of Nanostart AG, Beckmann holds the position of managing director of VentureTech Equity-Partners GmbH, an investment company which was 100% acquired by Nanostart in October 2005 and has led the development of its investment portfolio as well as a number of successful exits, including five IPOs and the trade sale of a holding to a major medical technology company. Additionally, Beckmann serves as vice chairman of the supervisory board of ItN Nanovation AG (Saarbruecken, Germany), as well as member of the board of directors of the Silicon Valley nanotechnology company Lumiphore, Inc. (Redwood City, California).

Hock Chuan is the head of Exploit Incubation & Spin-off Management Division.   ISM helps grooms innovative researchers into budding technoprenuers to build successful technology companies. Taking a proactive role in the incubatee companies from strategic planning to building business network, Exploit Technologies guides and develops them to attract interest from professional fund managers such as  local and foreign-based venture capitalists.  Hock Chuan has more than 15 years of investment experience in private equity with the Temasek Holding Group of companies as well as venture capital with Vertex Management in the Silicon Valley.  He has sat on the board of companies listed on Nasdaq and currently is on the board of several of Exploit spinoff companies including D-SIMLAB, Muvee, Hotcard and BLC.

Jane Niall was appointed as the Deputy Secretary for Beyond 2020 in January 2008.  She has had extensive experience working at senior levels in Government, holding positions in the former Department of Management and Budget, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Conservation and Natural Resources, and Natural Resources and Environment.  Prior to the appointment to her current position Jane was Deputy Secretary Business Development, and previously Executive Director, Science and Technology in DIIRD, leading the team responsible for the government’s initiatives in science, technology and innovation from 1998, Jane is a member of the Executive Board and Vice-President Asia Pacific, of the Micro and Nano Technology Commercialisation Education Foundation, MANCEF.  Jane has also worked in academia, and spent two years in the private sector as an investment manager with a venture capital firm.  Jane holds a Master of Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Christian Goebbert, born 1970, started his career in the field of nanotechnology 1994 in the Institute for New Materials in Saarbruecken, Germany. There he finished his Masters of Chemistry in the department of coating technology and later changed to the ceramic department. Since 2001 he works for ItN Nanovation AG, first responsible for the production of nanoscaled particles. Later, 2004, he was appointed to the production plant of ItN Nanovation AG in Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, as a scientific plant manager, responsible for process optimisation and up-scaling. Currently, Mr. Goebbert is the Head of the business unit Ceramic Coatings and responsible for the business development of the different product lines in this business unit as well as the scientific co-ordination between the sales and R&D department.

Dr. Andreas Jordan, born 1959, founded MagForce Nanotechnologies AG and serves on its management board as chief scientific officer, with responsibility for all research and development activities. He began his career with studies in biology at the Free University of Berlin, followed by further studies in biochemistry at the Technical University of Berlin. His highly praised doctoral dissertation in 1993 addressed the production of nanoparticles and their application for cancer therapy. This pioneering work was based on research which began in 1987, long before the subject of nanotechnology had achieved any international significance. He subsequently managed scientific projects for the Berlin’s Virchow Clinic (now Charité) as well as for the Institute for Diagnostic Research, a subsidiary of Schering. Dr. Jordan has already delivered more than 500 scientific lectures about nano cancer therapy. He has authored more than 45 articles for peer-reviewed scientific journals and has cleared the way for twelve families of international patents, some of which have been licensed.

Dr Lerwen Liu is an Asia-based nanotechnology expert specializing in government and corporate strategic services to policy makers and corporate executives. She also specializes in business development and project management for leading nanotechnology companies in their global expansion of R & D, commercialization and market. She has been actively building nanotechnology networks with government agencies, R & D institutions and industries across the world since 1999, especially promoting nanotechnology policy and cooperation in the Asia region. She co-founded the Asia Nano Forum (Singapore based network organization linking 14 Asia Pacific economies) and founded the NanoSingapore network, with the support of A*STAR, EDB and SPRING, providing a platform for nanotech government, R & D and industry leaders to collaborate and accelerate commericialization of R & D. She liaisons closely with government agencies, R & D organizations and industries Asia, North America and Europe and promotes nanotechnology policy, research activities, products and partnerships to the micro/nanotechnology R & D and business community in Asia. Dr Liu is a director of Zyvex Asia managing its operation in Singapore and its Atomic Precise Manufacturing Program (APM). She recently joined the board of director of Nanostart Asia facilitating Nanostart`s Asia investment business.

Dr Liu has PhD in physics specializing in many-body effects and transports in semiconductor nanostructures, and has conducted research work in Australia, Japan, USA and Italy. Dr Liu is an Australian citizen and currently based in Singapore.

- Holds a Master in Business Administration and engineering of University of Karlsruhe
- 7 years as management consultant with Price Waterhouse in London and Frankfurt
- 1998 co-founder of a telecom business, which was sold the same year
- Head of business development and customer care at Primus Online, a joint venture of Metro AG and Daimler Chrysler, Cologne
- 9 years of venture capital experience as investment manager with Technologieholding/3i, Centennium and Nanostart AG
- Specific know-how: strategy development, hands-on portfolio management, TIME- and Life Science industry sector

James Von Ehr is the Founder of Zyvex Labs, LLC. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Zyvex Instruments, Managing Director Zyvex Asia, and managing member and Chairman of the Board of Zyvex Performanc Materials. Jim is recognized as a respected leader within the nanotechnology industry. His commitment to nanotechnology is evidenced by his personal contribution of $3.5 million to establish the University of Texas at Dallas NanoTech Institute. He also endowed the James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair of Science and Technology at the University of Texas at Dallas, held by the late Dr. Alan G. MacDiarmid (2000 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry). Jim has a M.S. in Mathematical Sciences (Computer Science) from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a B.S. in Computer Science from Michigan State University. He was awarded Distinguished Alumni awards from both Michigan State University and the University of Texas at Dallas in October 2004. In May 2006, he was awarded the “Computer Science and Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award” and the “Claud Erickson Award” (Michigan State University’s highest Engineering Alumni award).