AcumenIST (AIST)

AcumenIST (AIST) is a research and innovation management initiative dedicated to advancing the global bioeconomy through the development of standards, metrics, and guidance on sampling protocols for complex matrices in the field of engineering biology. Established in June 2018 as a société à responsabilité limitée (SRL) under Belgian law, AcumenIST is headquartered in Brussels, with a registered branch in Heidelberg, Germany, since January 2025. The organization combines strong professional skills in the stewardship of emerging technologies along their value chains with established track records in entrepreneurship, business development, and policy making. AcumenIST supports both the private and public sectors through technology-specific expertise, including, but not limited to, the following activities: Technology and market analysis across all areas of science and technology. Statistical and economic analyses and impact assessments. Conceptualization and conduct of innovative technology assessments. Technology foresight and policy assessment exercises, including participatory stakeholder engagement exercises. Due diligence and research and innovation (R&I) planning and project management, with a focus on interdisciplinary, international consortia. Dedicated to fostering cutting-edge research and driving impactful collaborations, AcumenIST's unique approach blends deep technical knowledge, strategic insight, and a steadfast commitment to creating partnerships that deliver transformative outcomes. The foundation of AcumenIST rests on the pioneering work of highly experienced professionals whose extensive track records include leadership roles in academia, industry, policy advising, and business development. By combining classic science disciplines and industrial process engineering with new innovation concepts, technology scouting, incubation, and strategic business development, the AcumenIST team demonstrates a remarkable ability to bridge the gap between research and application. They align innovation strategies with market and policy trends, ensuring that every development meets both commercial and societal needs. AcumenIST offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to empower research and innovation initiatives, policy frameworks, and technological advancements. By connecting the right collaborators and providing strategic support, the organization helps turn ambitious ideas into impactful realities. Their services include: Tailoring innovation strategies to navigate complex R&I ecosystems. Identifying and addressing gaps in value chains to drive seamless integration. Conducting policy assessments, including ex-ante and ex-post evaluations. Providing technology and impact assessments to inform policy and innovation strategies. Advocating for science-based policies that prioritize evidence-based decision-making. Proactively initiating new analyses and studies to address emerging risks. Supporting the harmonization and standardization of methods, and initiating information and workflow between R&I operators and harmonization and standardization committees. Assessing and advising on R&I funding policies to optimize impact. Scouting and securing funding opportunities to maximize project potential. Designing robust funding plans that align with both short- and long-term goals. Bringing together ideal collaborators to form partnerships greater than the sum of their parts. Ensuring project compliance with funding and innovation policies. Proactively identifying risks and implementing effective mitigation strategies. Ensuring project resilience in the face of unexpected challenges. Strengthening corporate identity and communication strategies. Enhancing science and technology dissemination to reach diverse audiences. Delivering efficient project execution through meticulous planning and administration. Managing budgets, timelines, and workflows with precision. Dr. Steffi Friedrichs, the founder of AcumenIST, has been a leading expert, policy advisor, and business representative for emerging technological innovation for over 20 years. She made a name for herself as the founder and Director-General of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) group, where she established novel, collaborative approaches to the political representation of technology-based companies. Having initiated numerous large-scale public-private collaborations and created channels for industries' contributions to both international and national regulatory processes, Steffi subsequently worked for the OECD, where she developed its definition, indicators, and impact assessment of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and other converging technologies, and led two international technology policy workshops on genome editing. Wishing to support the advancement of transparent, science-based policy-making, Steffi gathered a strong track record in the establishment, development, and representation of technology-based companies, and created and ran participatory technology assessment workshops. She initiated several outreach and communication initiatives to foster the public understanding of novel technologies. She was a Co-Founder and Member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Micro- & Nanotechnology Community (CMNC), Director of the Master's Programme in Micro- and Nanotechnology at the University of Cambridge, and Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry and Solid State Chemistry at the University of Oxford. Steffi holds a Ph.D. (DPhil) from the University of Oxford (UK), specializing in nanotechnology, and a DiplChem-Title from the Technische Universität Braunschweig (Germany), as well as a diploma in higher education (DipHE). Christian Seitz, with over 25 years of professional experience in the chemical and materials industry, has managed several turnaround processes for capacity debottlenecking and sustainability implementation. He later focused on the development and implementation of novel businesses and group strategies, and the market launch of innovative products for the plastics and chemical industry and their downstream applications. In recent years, Christian was responsible for scouting new material and system technologies, as well as their incubation in collaborative spin-out projects. He has been part of the core team responsible for the development of the new Horizon Europe partnership “Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU (IM4EU)”; in this course, he was responsible for alignment with European and national innovation policies and continues to oversee the relevant developments under the newly formed IAM-I Association. Christian is a pro-bono coach and mentor for the WECONOMY start-up incubation network. He studied chemistry in Leipzig and Mainz, where he also worked at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. He received his doctorate on a topic in physical chemistry and holds an MBA from the Mannheim Business School and ESSEC Business School, Paris. Dr. Anna Pohl joined AcumenIST SRL in January 2026 as Head of Operations. Anna has a background in nanotechnology and bioinspired material design. She holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics obtained at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, and worked as a post-doc at the University of California Riverside, USA. Her scientific work is dedicated to the development of bioinspired as well as safe and sustainable advanced materials, which are a major driving force for innovations and solutions towards challenges facing humanity. Anna developed magnetic nanomaterials functionalized with proteins inspired by biomineralization pathways in magnetotactic bacteria and sea snails. Before joining AcumenIST, Anna worked at the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Berlin. Her work focused on OECD Test Guideline development, the establishment of policy information, and supporting agenda-setting towards appropriate test methods. She developed the scientific basis for a new OECD Test Guideline for dustiness testing of nanomaterials. In addition, she coordinated an international project towards a Guidance on Release Tests for Nanomaterials at the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN). Anna was a Member of the German Delegation for the OECD WPMN and supported the Malta Initiative. To encourage other OECD Test Guideline developers, she contributed to the development of training materials and interactive tools. Anna contributed to several EU-funded research projects that support risk assessment of nanomaterials and advanced materials (Gov4Nano, NanoHarmony, MACRAMÉ), where she gained experience in work package leading and supported the coordination of scientific projects. She was involved in the writing of proposals for scientific projects, led the organization of international events, and ste