Opening Session Overview of the Brazilian E-Mobility Market

Dr. Florian Wessendorf is Managing Director of Solar Promotion GmbH and Solar Promotion International GmbH. He is responsible for the global conference program and exhibitions in North America, South America and India. He has deep expertise in the solar industry, and formerly served as Managing Director of Photovoltaic Equipment at VDMA, where he was responsible for strategic development, market research and technology scouting, advocacy and policy advice, events, PR and marketing.

Dr. Rafael Augusto Seixas Reis de Paula is responsible for searching new R&D project opportunities for Fundep (Fundação de Apoio da FUNDEP). His job encompasses the interaction among government, universities, and private firms (startups and/or established firms). He has deep expertise in energy transition, mainly managing R&D programs for the Oil & Gas and Automotive sectors in Brazil. He is also responsible for the Low Carbon Hydrogen workforce in the Brazilian Unitiy of the WEC (World Energy Council).

Rafael Cunha is an Electrical Engineer from the Federal University of Santa Catarina and writes the 'Electric Vehicles' column for FotoVolt magazine. He has several years' experience in projects for industrial installations, as well as in projects to implement an electrical work safety regulatory standard (NR-10) and is also a member of the study commission currently developing the NBR 17019 standard. Rafael is a co-founder of and the director of operations at movE Eletromobilidade, which provides technological solutions for managing the charging controls of electric vehicles.

Alexandre Mohr is an experienced electrical engineer with a degree from Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) and a post-graduate degree in Business Strategy from FAE Business School. With over a decade of hands-on experience in the heavy-duty transport industry, has contributed significantly as a development engineer for both hardware and software projects, helping to shape robust solutions that meet the sector's demanding requirements. Currently working as a Business Development Analyst in Volvo Trucks Latin America, he is focused on the implementation of business models for heavy-duty electric vehicles in the Latin American market, combining technical expertise with strategic insights to spearhead the transition to sustainable transportation.

Robson Ferreira da Cruz is a Mechanical Engineer, with a postgraduate degree in Automotive Engineering and currently pursuing a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has extensive experience in the automotive sector, having worked in multinational companies such as DANA, BOSCH, VW, DAIMLER, and THYSSENKRUPP, focusing on engine management system calibration, internal combustion and electric engine development, and numerical simulation. He has led engineering teams in R&D projects for clients like VOLVO, AUDI, PORSCHE, and TOYOTA. Robson has also been a university professor in the fields of Quality, Statistics, and Industrial Technology. He is a member of LEVE at UNICAMP, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and coordinates the Infrastructure Working Group of the Electromobility Committee at AEA. Robson is also co-founder of Barassa & Cruz Consulting and Otsmah - Sustainable Energy Resources, which focuses on advanced telemetry and second-life battery use. He has developed algorithms for estimating the state of Li-ion batteries using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence techniques.