Antonio Pizzi the director of the Physical Chemistry and Polymer team and the University of Lorraine in France. He is a recognized specialist of wood adhesives, wood preservation, polymer chemistry and formulation of polycondensation resins, composites, panel products and timber chemistry. He has more than 500 publications in international refereed journal of good standing, 25 international patents and authored and edited 7 books on different aspects of wood adhesives. He is the holder of more than 20 international science prizes, among others the Rene Descartes finalist prize the highest science prize of the European Commission, both in 2000 and in 2005, still the only person to gain it twice, and more recently the prize of the Fraunhofer Geselleschaft "2012 German High Tech Champion-Green Building", and the Schweighofer Wood Innovation Prize under the patronage of the President of the Austrian Federal Republic.

Professor Belgacem currently directs a research laboratory at the Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble to develop ecological materials and processes in the field of papermaking, converting and printing sciences. He has published widely in several areas, namely: polymerisation of second-generation "green" monomers arising from vegetal biomass (furfural and hydroxymethyl furfural), valorisation of lignins and other residues (cork), vegetable oils-based UV-curing coatings, and surface treatment of cellulose fibres.
Professor Belgacem has supervised about 25 PhD Theses, published about 200 works, including 1 book and ~20 book chapters. His publications were cited more than 3000 times. He gave about 200 communications at scientific symposia, including, ca. 25 invited lectures. He was invited in Universities and Research Centres in about 10 countries. Professor Belgacem is a fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science (elected in 2007).