Speaker bios

Caroline de Gruyter is a Europe correspondent and columnist for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. Currently based in Brussels, she is also a columnist for Foreign Policy and EUobserver, and a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Caroline has covered European politics for over twenty years, both from the ‘bubble’ in Brussels and elsewhere in Europe. Her voice and expertise about Europe are well-known. She was previously based in the Gaza strip, Jerusalem, Brussels, Geneva, Vienna and Oslo. Her latest book, published in March 2021, is a best-selling comparison between the Habsburg Empire and the European Union. It has been translated into German, Swedish, French and Hungarian.

Dr Irene McMaster is a Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow in the European Policies Research Centre (EPRC). She specialises in cross-national research on INTERREG and transnational cooperation. She has led evaluations of the Interact, NPA, and North Sea Region programmes. She has conducted research and provided expert advice on territorial cooperation across Europe, particularly in relation to cooperation in the high North, around the North Sea Region, and post Brexit. She also works on regional development policy in Norway and Ireland.

Based at EPRC for 23 years, Irene has worked extensively on Cohesion Policy planning, management, implementation and reform.  

Councillor Elisabet Babic, the newly appointed President of the North Sea Commission, comes from the Swedish coastal region of Halland. With a background of working both on the municipal level and as part of the county council, Elisabet is passionate about harnessing cross-border collaboration in order to strengthen the capabilities and the voice of North Sea Regions through cooperation on every level. 

Having been a part of the North Sea Commission for just over five years, Elisabet has held multiple roles: Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Working Group, Vice-President and, now, President. 

Poul Erik Mortensen is a Business Development Manager at Center for Industry, Business Viborg in Denmark. He is a visionary entrepreneur with five decades of global leadership in high-end water industry, renewable energy such as wind and solar, and cutting-edge 3D technology. Through global network and collaborations, he has helped trailblaze sustainable practices, contributing to advancements in water solutions, renewable energy, and digital innovation including 3D technology.

Poul Erik leads the North Sea project SUSTAIN-3D that equips SMEs for innovation using 3D technology.  

Sarah Holsen is the Programme & Project Coordinator for the Interreg VIB North Sea Programme. Sarah has worked in public administration for most of her professional life, both from a research angle and in practice. Prior to moving to Denmark, she worked on the topic of government transparency in the UK and Switzerland, completing a PhD on the subject in 2012.

After a short stint as a consultant with Aalborg Municipality, she shifted focus in 2016 to transnational cooperation when she began working for the Interreg North Sea Programme. She believes this is where she belongs - contributing to strengthening cooperation efforts in the North Sea Region.