Secil Afsar

Secil Afsar graduated from Koc University’s Chemical and Biological Engineering department in 2016. She worked as a process development engineer at an H2020-funded biotechnology company, focusing on generating enzyme mixes from microorganisms for hydrolysis experiments on paper sludge waste. Her work contributed to biogas production and green technology, including using hydrolyzed paper sludge as a cement substitute in mortar. Secil also participated in H2020 SME applications and was a Cleantech Open Global finalist.

Driven by her interest in sustainable environments, Secil earned a Master’s in Biodigital Architecture from the International University of Catalonia. During her studies, she interned at Fab Lab Barcelona, worked on European projects like Foodshift and Siscode, and was part of the Remix el Barrio team, which won the Grand Prize for Innovative Collaboration at Ars Electronica.

Secil now teaches as an Associate Professor at UIC Barcelona, focusing on 3D printing with biocomposites, while pursuing her doctoral degree. She also works as a fabrication laboratory assistant at IAAC, specialising in robotic fabrication and biomaterials for design. She has co-authored several book chapters and academic articles throughout her career.