Demetris-Francis Lekkas is Professor in the School of Environment of the University of the Aegean and Director of the Waste Management Laboratory. His research interests include analysis and simulation of environmental systems, development of tools for water quantity and quality management, time series analysis and extreme values estimation, solid waste management and circular economy. He is the Scientific Coordinator and President (since 2013) of the International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology (CEST), the executive director of the Global NEST Journal and the vice president of the Board of Research and Innovation of the North Aegean Region. Dr Lekkas has participated as a coordinator or researcher in 20 research projects funded by EU and National funds. His current research activity includes among other projects the coordination of “Aegean AgroWaste Lab – Research Infrastructure for treatment and valorization of by-products and residues of agrowaste sector to produce alternative products and energy and “Centre of Sustainable and Circular Bioeconomy” (both Financed by the Operational Program “North Aegean 2014-2020”, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).