SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
SPRING 2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Biography:
Dr. Li Luan is redefining how industrial research and development is conducted in the age of AI. As Global Technical Director at PPG Industries, she is leading the shift from intuition-driven experimentation to intelligence-driven discovery—transforming R&D from trial and error into a designed, scalable, closed-loop learning system.
Her work advances the concept of scientific data moats, where structured, high-quality data becomes a compounding competitive advantage. She believes the true frontier of scientific AI lies not just in better models or more data, but in embedding formulators’ explicit and tacit knowledge into data systems, scientific methodologies, and business workflows. By bridging fundamental research and industrial application, she is building intelligence-driven R&D systems that fundamentally reshape how companies innovate.
Li Luan
Global Technology Director
Digital R&D and Corporate Color, PPG
Abstract:
Scientific innovation in the AI era is shifting from intuition-driven experimentation to data-driven intelligence systems. This talk introduces the concept of scientific data moats and a three-layer architecture—strategic experimentation, materials informatics, and materials ontology—that transforms R&D into a compounding advantage. Using coatings as a case study, we demonstrate how data supercharge talent and innovation.
FALL 2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
As Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse, Lou Martinez Sancho leads the company’s global research and development portfolio and advances the company’s innovative product and services technology strategy.
Ms. Martinez Sancho brings more than 20 years of experience to this role – having worked in senior leadership positions in the energy, biotech, automotive and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries. Most recently, Ms. Martinez Sancho was Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Kairos Power, with additional oversight of the Supply & Procurement and Marketing & Communications teams. Previously, she served as the Chief Innovation Officer of Spie Batignolles and Vice President of Global Innovation at Framatome.
Lou Martinez Sancho
Westinghouse, Chief Technology Officer
Executive Vice President R&D and Innovation
Ms. Martinez Sancho holds a Ph.D. in Public Heath, Environment and Sustainability from Côte d’Azur University, a Master of Science in Physiology and Biomechanics from Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris VI University, and Master of Science in Human Factors from René Descartes-Paris V University. Ms. Martinez’s holds an undergraduate degree from Ramon Llull University and earned a Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma certification from Ohio State University.
FIRESIDE CHAT SPEAKERS
Thomas Day is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Frontier Mission Network, a Chicago-based business consortium supporting national security innovation through collaborations with research labs, startups, and capital investors. He is also a lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Thomas holds a BA from Penn State, MSJ from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, and an MPP from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He also serves on the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Great Lakes region board of directors.
Petra Mitchell is the President and CEO of Catalyst Connection, helping manufacturers in southwestern Pennsylvania grow through consulting, technical assistance, and workforce development. She serves on several boards including the ARM Institute and and the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, and has a background in manufacturing and economic development. Petra holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an MS from the University of Cincinnati.
