Meet the Jury of the Open Innovation Competition 2027

Cláudia Silva has a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a PhD in Pharmaceutics, both from the University of Coimbra.

She is the R&D Director at Colep Consumer Products, with over 16 years of experience in the research and development of pharmaceutical products and 5 years in the beauty industry, focusing on cosmetic product innovation.

She is the co-inventor of two patents and the author of 20 peer-reviewed papers.

Cláudia leads Colep's R&D efforts, driving the development of sustainable, high-quality products that meet the evolving needs of consumers.

Her deep expertise in pharmaceutical development has shaped her strategic approach to product innovation, ensuring compliance, safety, and efficacy across all product categories, including cosmetics and personal care.

Cláudia is committed to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting sustainable practices in R&D as well as fostering innovation while ensuring that product development aligns with both industry regulations and consumer demands

Paulo is co-founder and CFO of Phyzat Biopharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative RNA-based therapeutics, that leverages its proprietary technologies to develop targeted drugs based on the RNA interference mechanism to silence disease-causing genes.

Paulo has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the School of Engineering of the University of Porto and an MBA from Porto Business School.

His professional background includes evaluation, financing and management of early-stage technology start-ups. He is an invited professor in Entrepreneurship at the Católica University in Porto.

Raúl serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and a Venture Partner at 3xP Global, where he oversees the firm's health and life sciences vertical.

With a background in life sciences venture capital, including positions at Apple Tree Partners (London, United Kingdom) and Portugal Ventures (Porto, Portugal), he has participated in numerous investment deals both within Portugal and overseas, such as CellmAbs and Aethon Therapeutics. He has also served on the boards of biotechnology companies across diverse geographies and development stages and has taken on operational roles in emerging startups as part of venture-building initiatives.

Raúl holds a PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from Johns Hopkins University, and also trained in biochemistry for his BSc and MSc at Universidade do Porto.

Richard Hampson is the Co-founder and CEO of Epinutra, an OTC healthcare discovery and development company whose mission is to improve upper digestive tract health with clinically effective supplements. Under his leadership, Epinutra has developed innovative, natural health solutions, including their flagship lozenge, that offers significant long term symptom relief to 80% of the target population.

Richard has a degree in Biology from the University of Wales at Bangor and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Cancer Research UK (London).

He has led scientific teams in biotech scale-ups and conducted Ph.D. and postdoctoral research at prestigious institutions, including the University of London, Harvard University, and King's College London. As a co-inventor on two granted patents and several published applications, Dr. Hampson has over 10 years of experience in translational research and commercialization. He has also authored 20 peer-reviewed articles.