ECORYS BRUSSELS NV (ECORYS)

Olivier is a director at Ecorys Brussels. He has more than 20 years of professional experience in conducting projects related to the analysis and evaluation of EU policy. He is the Ecorys project director for several Framework Contract and studies conducted for DG AGRI, DG RTD, DG ENV and DG SANTE. Olivier has coordinated many support actions for DG Research and Innovation during FP5 (2 projects), FP6 (4 projects), FP7 (5 projects) and Horizon 2020 (2 projects). Before joining Ecorys, Olivier was leading the agri-food unit of Euroquality, a French company providing consulting service in the area of research and innovation for a wide range of clients, including private companies, research organisations, EU institutions and other international organisations. As a result of his professional involvement, Olivier has acquired an extensive knowledge of research and innovation and has created a large network in international institutions as well as in research organisations, private companies and professional bodies.

Bérénice Dupeux, a Principal Consultant at Ecorys Brussels, specialises in food, agriculture, and rural development policy. Her role encompasses developing research methodologies, designing projects, and overseeing their implementation. With extensive experience in project management across various funding streams, she has spearheaded numerous agriculture and environmental nexus projects funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the European Climate Foundation. Additionally, she has played pivotal roles, either as a work package leader or partner, in several European research initiatives (such as FP7 projects like INEMAD and H2020), and she is the co-coordinator of the TOOLS4CAP HE project, often bridging the agricultural and environmental sectors.
During her tenure as a Senior Policy Officer at the European Environmental Bureau, Bérénice led the agricultural policy team and contributed to the establishment and growth of the EU Food Policy Coalition. This coalition brought together diverse stakeholders, including farmers, NGOs, trade unions, consumers, and scientific communities.
Bérénice holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Ghent University in Belgium, complemented by a master’s degree in International Development and Rural Policy from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and a master's in agricultural engineering from Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, France. Prior to joining Ecorys, she served at the European Environmental Bureau and conducted research at Ghent University and UC Berkeley as a Fulbright-Schuman scholar. Notably, her research during this time earned her the Best Paper award from the Program Committee of the European Association of Agricultural Economists.

Laura is a junior consultant at Ecorys, working on projects in the field of food, agriculture, and rural development policy. She supports the practical management and stakeholder engagement activities of Horizon projects, including TOOLS4CAP and ACT4CAP27, and has also contributed to studies for DG AGRI, DG ENV, and JRC. Before joining Ecorys, Laura completed a Blue Book Traineeship at the European Commission’s DG AGRI, within the Directorate of Agricultural Markets. Prior to that, she gained experience in the Belgian NGO sector, at two youth NGOs and at the Belgian government’s Development Cooperation Department. Laura holds a Bachelor’s degree in Bioscience Engineering from the University of Ghent, a first Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Ca’ Foscari in Venice and a second Master’s degree in Rural Development from the University of Ghent.