Dr Pia Winberg is CEO & Chief Scientist – Venus Shell Systems Pty Ltd, CEO – PhycoHealth Pty Ltd, and Honorary Fellow – School of Medicine, University of Wollongong

Pia has worked across sustainable marine industry development and academia for the past 20 years. Her focus has gone from research to applied technology development in integrating marine food production systems with the environment, to deliver potent nutritional benefits to society, as well as to introduce exciting new marine molecules to research and industry. Pia believes that nutrition and human health are key opportunities for a transition to a more sustainable future for all people and our planet. The oceans and especially seaweeds are a platform that can deliver on that if approached wisely

In this way, Pia has undertaken over a decade of research of seaweed species in Australia and explored diverse production methods, as well as undertaken human clinical trials on seaweed for metabolic health. Pia has embarked on the development of a seaweed industry for Australia, and founded Venus Shell Systems for the production of seaweed, and Phyco Health for the development and delivery of seaweed products to the market. Both companies are developing on the south coast of NSW. Pia has been working for over a decade to engage the local saltwater communities of the South Coast in this industry opportunity, from the Wodi Wodi people in the north of the Shoalhaven, and across the Yuin nation southwards.