Prof. Michael Felderer is the Director of the Institute for Software Technology at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and a full professor at the University of Cologne. His expertise spans software testing, security, architectures, empirical software engineering, and emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing. Previously, he held roles as associate professor at the University of Innsbruck, guest professor at Blekinge Institute of Technology, and CEO of QE LaB Business Services. His research focuses on developing methods to enhance software quality and trustworthiness through collaborations with academia and industry. Education details are not explicitly provided, but his career trajectory indicates advanced academic training in software engineering. Research interests include AI-driven software systems, data trustworthiness in IoT, and agile methodologies. He has co-authored over 200 publications and received 14 best paper awards, with notable recognition from the Journal of Systems and Software. Labs/Teams: Leads the DLR Institute for Software Technology, focusing on open-source software solutions for aerospace, energy, and security domains. Collaborates with global researchers and companies on advanced engineering applications like quantum computing and digital twins.
Dr Alex Zarifis is a Lecturer in Information Systems at the Southampton Business School , University of Southampton. His work focuses on the intersection of technology and business, with particular emphasis on financial technology applications. BSc from University of Leeds MSc and PhD from University of Manchester Research areas include: Trust in digital systems Blockchain and cryptocurrency Artificial Intelligence applications Financial technology (Fintech) Business model innovation Electronic business His recent publications explore: Trust mechanisms in Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) AI governance in Fintech boards Decentralized exchange adoption factors Agile responses in e-governance Mental health implications of research collaboration Professional affiliations: Member of CORMSIS (Centre for Operational Research, Management Science and Information Systems) Research affiliate at Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF)
Robin Kleer is an Associate Professor of Innovation Management at Vlerick Business School in Leuven, Belgium. He serves as Programme Director for the Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Masters in General Management. Previously, he held positions at RWTH Aachen University (Habilitation), Technical University of Berlin (Professor of Technology and Innovation Management), and visiting roles at MIT, Michigan State University, and others. His research focuses on technology transfer, sustainable business models, digitalisation, additive manufacturing, and blockchain applications. He teaches innovation management, technology foresight, and executive education programmes like 'Growth through Innovation.' Education: Doctor in Economics (University of Würzburg, Germany) Habilitation (Post-Doc Degree) at RWTH Aachen University Degree in Business Engineering (University of Karlsruhe) Research Interests: Dr. Kleer explores the interplay between innovation, market structures, and business models. His work emphasizes sustainable practices in digitalisation, additive manufacturing (3D printing), and blockchain. He investigates how these technologies enable more sustainable business models and collaboratively oriented value creation. Key themes include degrowth theory, mass customization, and the societal implications of Industry 4.0. Grants & Labs: His research has addressed topics like modular smartphone design, recycling consortia dynamics (e.g., German Recyclate Forum), and computational reviews of customization literature. While specific grants aren’t detailed, his work frequently engages with interdisciplinary frameworks for sustainable degrowth and post-growth economics.
Rui Silva is an Associate Professor with Tenure at the Nova School of Business and Economics (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), holding the Haddad Chair in Entrepreneurship. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Finance at the London Business School. His academic affiliations include a Research Affiliate role at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). **Education:** PhD in Economics, University of Chicago (2012) MA in Economics, University of Chicago (2008) Bachelor's in Economics, Nova University of Lisbon (2004) **Research Focus:** Rui’s work bridges corporate finance, labor economics, and organizational economics. Key themes include corporate governance, innovation dynamics, and the interplay between financial distress and labor markets. His recent studies explore mergers’ mental health impacts on employees, bankruptcy’s legal-economic implications, and institutional drivers of innovation. **Awards & Grants:** No explicit awards are mentioned, though his Haddad Chair indicates recognition in entrepreneurship. His research has been supported by institutions like CEPR and through collaborative projects. **Advising & Teams:** While no advisees are listed, his work involves interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars like Ramin Baghai (University of Chicago) and Viktor Thell (Lund University). **Labs & Platforms:** He contributes to the Finance Knowledge Center at Nova School, focusing on entrepreneurial finance and policy-relevant research. His work integrates methodologies from decision science and simulation modeling to address industrial and organizational challenges.
Norbert Linke is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland , affiliated with the Joint Quantum Institute . His research focuses on experimental quantum computing with trapped atomic ions, emphasizing quantum information processing, quantum algorithms enhanced by machine learning, quantum simulation, and quantum networking using entangled photons. He holds a Dipl. Phys. from the University of Ulm (2007) and a D.Phil. in Atomic & Laser Physics from the University of Oxford (2013), where he worked under David Lucas. Before joining UMD, he conducted postdoctoral research at Oxford. Education: Bachelor's (Dipl. Phys.): University of Ulm, Germany (2007) Doctorate (D.Phil.): University of Oxford, U.K. (2013) Research Interests: Quantum algorithms with machine learning integration Quantum simulation of complex systems (e.g., quantum chromodynamics) Quantum networking via Sr+ ion-photon entanglement Development of robust quantum hardware (e.g., 3D monolithic traps) His recent work explores quantum advantage in finance, blind calibration of quantum computers, and optical control of qubits. The lab emphasizes scalable architectures and hybrid analog-digital simulations. While no scientific awards are explicitly listed, his contributions to trapped-ion systems and quantum networking are widely recognized in the field. Norbert advises researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute and collaborates on grants related to quantum computing hardware and algorithms. His team’s lab focuses on advancing ion-trap technology and explores future applications in quantum communication and computation.
Craig Milner is a full-time Lecturer in the Department of Human Resource Management and Labour Relations at the Dhillon School of Business, University of Lethbridge. With over 20 years of corporate management experience at industry giants including General Motors, Procter & Gamble, and PepsiCo (where he served as Frito Lay's Taber plant manager), he integrates real-world expertise into business education. His academic credentials include: Bachelor of Science from GMI Engineering & Management Institute (now Kettering University) MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University Milner specializes in high-performance team dynamics and collaborative organizational structures, focusing on practical applications in leadership development. His research examines how team-based frameworks drive organizational transformation, bridging theoretical models with operational execution in corporate environments. Scholarly output centers on his 2007 conference paper analyzing business model evolution toward collaborative structures, reflecting his decade-long work redesigning leadership programs at The Banff Centre. This research trajectory emphasizes actionable frameworks for team optimization rather than purely theoretical exploration. He actively translates research into pedagogy through courses like Designing High Performance Teams and Managerial Skill Development, while maintaining industry engagement via his circlesNdots.com platform exploring collaborative business models. Milner's teaching methodology directly leverages his corporate leadership background to contextualize academic concepts.
Dr. Mingfeng Wang is a Senior Lecturer in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at Brunel University London, affiliated with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering within the College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. His research focuses on specialized robotic systems including continuum, legged, soft, precision farming, and miniaturized robots. Chartered Engineer (CEng) with Engineering Council UK Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Member of IEEE, IEEE-RAS, IMechE, and IFToMM Editorial roles: Associate Editor of International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems (JCR-Q3); Associate Editor of Frontiers in Robotics and AI (JCR-Q2); Editor of Information Processing in Agriculture (JCR-Q1), Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics (JCR-Q1), and STEM Education Research expertise includes: Continuum Robotics : Design of extra-slender continuum robots (diameter-to-length ratio Legged Robotics : Parallel mechanism-based biped and hexapod robots for extreme environments Miniaturized Robotics : Active locomotion and drug delivery in capsule endoscopes Soft Robotics : Compliant end-effectors and bio-inspired designs Precision Farming : Laser weeding systems and agricultural automation Key scientific awards: BRIEF award (2022) TAROS Best Paper Post Nomination (2022) IFToMM Asian-MMS Best Paper Award (2014) Recent publications focus on: Cochlear implant surgery robotics Passive compliance in train fluid servicing Snake-biomimetic sealing surfaces Parallel kinematic manipulators Capsule endoscope image enhancement Professional services include conference organization (TAROS 2023/2024 Steering Committee; TAROS 2024 Programme Chair) and journal refereeing for IEEE-ASME Transactions on Mechatronics and Scientific Reports.
Filippo Ubertini is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Perugia, Italy, where he coordinates the International Doctoral Programme in Civil & Environmental Engineering and represents the University inside the FABRE national bridge-research consortium. He leads the Structural Health Monitoring Laboratory ( SHM-Lab ) and is the primary contact for assignments linked to smart-infrastructure research. Education: While explicit degrees are not listed in the supplied text, his role as programme coordinator and full professor implies completion of a PhD and habilitation in Civil Engineering. Research focus: Ubertini’s work sits at the intersection of smart materials and data-driven infrastructure management . He develops self-sensing cementitious composites doped with carbon micro-fibers or graphene nano-platelets that can measure strain, cracking and moisture in real time, turning whole bridges and buildings into distributed sensors. Complementary research threads include low-cost acquisition electronics, UAV & InSAR remote sensing, Bayesian & adversarial machine-learning algorithms for damage detection, digital twins and life-cycle cost analysis of bridge networks. Publication trends (2024-2025): Roughly 30 peer-reviewed items per year concentrate on (i) AI-enhanced operational modal analysis and transfer-learning damage classification across bridge populations, (ii) experimental characterisation of 3D-printed and cast self-sensing concrete, (iii) full-scale validation on curved box-girder, masonry and railway bridges, and (iv) integration of satellite radar data with numerical collapse simulations to predict residual service life of landslide-affected viaducts. Scientific awards & recognition: No specific prizes or fellowships are mentioned in the provided text. Doctoral supervision & grants: The text does not enumerate individual students or funded projects; however, his coordination of an international PhD programme and numerous experimental campaigns imply sizeable supervisory and funding responsibilities. Laboratory & team: Ubertini heads the SHM-Lab at UniPg, maintaining facilities for material mixing, 3D concrete printing, electrical impedance tomography, UAV photogrammetry, and large-scale structural testing, while collaborating with the European FABRE consortium and multiple EU projects.
Klemens Fellner is a Professor of Mathematics/Computational Sciences and Group Leader of the Applied Analysis Group at the Institute of Mathematics and Scientific Computing, University of Graz. His research focuses on the analysis of partial differential equations and mathematical modeling across physics, chemistry, and biology. Research Interests: Prof. Fellner's work spans theoretical analysis of nonlinear PDEs (reaction-diffusion, kinetic, and non-local equations) using entropy/duality methods, with applications to: Biological systems (lipolysis, protein localization, stem-cell division) Physical processes (organic photovoltaics, semiconductor modeling) Collective behavior (swarming micro-organisms, aggregation dynamics) Interdisciplinary Mathematics-Arts collaborations Publication Trends: His recent articles (2018-2021) demonstrate strong focus on: Global existence and regularity for reaction-diffusion systems Convergence to equilibrium via entropy methods Drift-diffusion models in semiconductor physics Mathematical biology applications (prion dynamics, lipolysis) Novel approaches for non-local aggregation and hysteresis phenomena Research Leadership: Currently leads the Applied Analysis Group with members including postdocs and PhD students. Key projects: Doctoral School IGDK (International Graduate School) SFB Lipid Hydrolysis (Special Research Program) Mathematics and Arts collaborations Colibri research platform Supervises PhD candidate Reymart Lagunero studying generalized reaction-diffusion systems.
Tanvir Arafin serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering at George Mason University, where his research focuses on hardware security and trust mechanisms for emerging computing platforms. With publications in premier venues including IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration Systems, IEEE Transactions on Computers, and ACM International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, he addresses critical security challenges in next-generation systems through rigorous hardware-software co-design approaches. His research portfolio spans Hardware Security, Trusted Computing, and IoT Security, with specialized expertise in Side-Channel Attacks and Secure Hardware Design. Dr. Arafin investigates electromagnetic side-channel vulnerabilities in O-RAN networks, develops countermeasures for autonomous vehicle cybersecurity, and pioneers RRAM-based security solutions for memory-constrained devices. His work bridges theoretical security models with practical implementations, emphasizing real-world applicability in edge computing environments and autonomous navigation systems. Current projects explore machine learning integration for anomaly detection in connected vehicles and secure acceleration of cryptographic operations. Analysis of Dr. Arafin's 2022-2025 publications reveals strategic focus areas: electromagnetic fingerprinting for radio units in O-RAN (2025), spatial acceleration of Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks (2025), and NTT-based cryptography accelerators (2024). His research demonstrates consistent innovation in securing autonomous navigation systems and edge devices, with emerging work on in-memory computing architectures using resistive memory technologies. Key trends include hardware-centric defense against model inversion attacks, voltage overscaling for lightweight authentication, and robust multi-robot coordination in dynamic environments. Scientific Awards: No scientific awards, fellowships, or medals were documented in the source materials. Dr. Arafin leads significant collaborative research, including the NSF CISE-MSI grant (DP: CNS) for edge-based robust multi-robot systems. His educational initiatives feature Capture-the-Flag competitions targeting underrepresented students in cybersecurity. Current grant activities emphasize practical security solutions for autonomous navigation, multi-robot coordination, and IoT edge devices, with demonstrated focus on translating research into deployable countermeasures for real-world threats in dynamic operational environments.
Abhishek 'Abbey' Dwivedi is an Associate Professor in Marketing at the School of Business, Charles Sturt University (CSU). He holds a PhD in Marketing from Griffith University, a Master's in Marketing Management (First Class Honours), and a PGDM in Marketing. His teaching experience spans over seven years across Griffith University, University of Queensland, and Central Queensland University, covering courses like Marketing Strategy, Global Marketing, and Services Marketing. PhD in Marketing, Griffith University (2006-2010) Masters in Marketing Management (First Class Honours), Griffith University (2004-2005) PGDM (Marketing), Central Queensland University (Brisbane) Abbey's research focuses on brand extensions , customer equity , celebrity endorsements , and marketing capabilities , with publications in journals like the Journal of Brand Management and European Journal of Marketing . His recent work explores social entrepreneurship and mental health impacts on frontline workers , aligning with his involvement in the Aspro Workforce Wellness Research Unit and Marketing Research Group . His 15 most recent publications (2005-2025) span brand management , social media engagement , cybersecurity in agriculture , and mental health during crises . Key trends include interdisciplinary work on industrial buyers , consumer-brand relationships , and marketing innovation in SMEs . Scientific Awards & Grants: Best Paper Award (2015) Best Reviewer in Track Award (2015) Better Mental Health Program Evaluation Project (2020) Certificate of Appreciation, Society for Marketing Advances (USA) (2014) Abbey supervises higher-degree research students and serves as a peer reviewer for journals like the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services . He is also part of the Regional Entrepreneurship Research Group and Regional Work and Organisational Resilience Sturt Group .
Jan Kemper serves as an Honorary Professor of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship at RWTH Aachen University, appointed in July 2022 after a decade of continuous academic engagement. His primary academic affiliation is with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group (WIN), where he integrates scholarly research with extensive industry experience. Concurrently, Kemper maintains an active business career spanning investment banking at Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley across Germany, the UK, and Saudi Arabia, followed by executive roles at Groupon, Zalando, ProsiebenSat.1, Omio, and N26. He is a serial entrepreneur with ventures including the triathlon brand Ryzon, the event venue "Der Kemper Hof", and Green-Tech firm Greenair, while also serving as a business angel and non-executive director for companies like Flink and Hedosophia. His academic credentials include: Business Administration studies at WHU Vallendar, ICADE (Madrid), and Bordeaux Business School Doctoral degree (Dr. rer. pol.) from RWTH Aachen University Kemper's research critically examines entrepreneurship through multiple interconnected lenses. His core focus areas encompass general entrepreneurship dynamics, corporate entrepreneurship strategies, and innovation processes. He further investigates entrepreneurial finance mechanisms, venture capital ecosystems, marketing approaches specific to new ventures, and operational challenges in startup environments. This research program is uniquely informed by his dual expertise in academic theory and real-world business execution, creating practical frameworks for entrepreneurial success. Analysis of his 12 publications (2010-2022) reveals a dominant focus on consumer behavior within digital marketplaces, particularly e-commerce contexts. Recurring themes address sustainable consumption practices (e.g., eco-label effectiveness), retail strategy (private label dynamics and fast fashion), payment system innovations, customer review impacts on loyalty, and product return logistics. His methodological approach consistently employs empirical field experiments and cross-cultural comparisons, reflecting both academic rigor and practical relevance derived from his global business exposure across multiple continents. While specific student supervision details are absent from source materials, Kemper's decade-long teaching role suggests mentorship of entrepreneurship students through RWTH Aachen's programs. His extensive industry network—including corporate board memberships and startup investments—implies strong potential for industry-academia research partnerships and applied grant funding, though explicit grant details remain undocumented in available texts. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group (WIN) serves as Kemper's primary research hub at RWTH Aachen, functioning as the operational nexus where his academic investigations into venture creation and innovation processes directly intersect with his practical business experience across finance, digital platforms, and sustainable enterprises.
Tiago Manuel Ribeiro Gomes is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Industrial Electronics within the School of Engineering at the University of Minho, Portugal. He is also a Senior Researcher at Centro ALGORITMI and a member of both the IE R&D Group and the ESRG R&D Lab. Holding a Ph.D. in Electronics and Computers Engineering, his research focuses on embedded real-time systems, computer architectures, and hardware/software co-design for IoT devices. Academic Degree: Ph.D. in Electronics and Computers Engineering Current Position: Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, University of Minho Gomes has led extensive research in IoT systems over 15 years, particularly in hardware acceleration for automotive LiDAR sensors, secure embedded systems, and efficient OS frameworks for low-end devices. His work includes the EU-funded CROSSCON project and spans hardware-assisted security, dynamic binary translation, and wireless sensor networks. Recent publications highlight his expertise in automotive sensor technology, with articles like FOG-Zip for LiDAR compression, SecureQNN for TinyML security, and Hardware-Assisted Range Image Generation for LiDAR processing. His work bridges IoT, embedded systems, and cybersecurity, focusing on real-time performance and hardware-software co-design. Projects include the development of reliable/secure automotive sensor solutions and EU project CROSSCON. He contributes to open-source frameworks like UTango for IoT security and investigates heterogeneous fault tolerance architectures using Arm/RISC-V processors. Labs: IE R&D Group, ESRG R&D Lab Education: Ph.D. in Electronics and Computers Engineering, Master’s in Telecommunications Engineering (both from University of Minho)
Dr. Mathis Richter is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI), part of the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. He has been affiliated with the INI since 2008, progressing from Research Assistant to Research Associate, and currently serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher since July 2018. At the INI, he contributes to both the Embodied Cognition group and the Autonomous Robotics group, led by Prof. Dr. Gregor Schöner. Dr. Richter earned his Dr.-Ing. (Ph.D. equivalent) in Engineering from Ruhr-Universität Bochum between 2011 and 2018, following an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Applied Computer Science from the same institution. His academic journey includes an exchange year at the University of Birmingham, UK. His research centers on higher cognition, specifically concept representation, how concepts combine to form complex mental scenes, and the neural mechanisms organizing cognitive operations in time. Using Dynamic Field Theory as his primary framework, he develops mathematical models explaining how neural populations represent objects and concepts. His work demonstrates how these cognitive models connect to sensory-motor systems, often implemented on robotic platforms to validate their autonomy and functionality. Analysis of Dr. Richter's publications reveals a consistent focus on neural dynamic modeling of cognitive processes, with particular emphasis on spatial relations, language grounding, and embodied cognition. His research trajectory shows increasing sophistication in modeling complex cognitive phenomena while maintaining strong connections to robotic implementations. As an educator, Dr. Richter has taught Lab courses in Autonomous Robotics across multiple terms since Winter 2015/2016 and has delivered Lectures in Computational Neuroscience: Neural Dynamics since Winter 2018/2019. His teaching directly reflects his research expertise in neural dynamics and cognitive systems. Dr. Richter actively participates in interdisciplinary research that bridges cognitive science, neuroscience, computer science, and robotics, contributing to the INI's mission of understanding how organisms generate behavior and cognition through interaction with their environments.
Immo Trinks is Associate Professor (Privatdozent) at the University of Vienna and Head of the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science . He coordinates a comprehensive teaching programme in archaeological prospection, archaeometry and scientific documentation, and leads large-scale geophysical projects across Europe. Education & qualifications: Dipl.-Geophys. (Diploma in Geophysics) PhD (awarded) Habilitation (Privatdozent, Austrian post-doctoral lecturing qualification) Research interests revolve around non-destructive mapping of buried archaeological landscapes . He specialises in ground-penetrating radar , magnetometry and multi-sensor robotic platforms , developing workflows that fuse high-resolution geophysical data with 3D archaeological interpretation. Coastal wetlands, Roman towns, Viking harbours and prehistoric pile dwellings serve as key study areas. Recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward automated, large-coverage surveys and multi-method data fusion . Papers in 2022-2025 report motorised GPR arrays on snow-covered fields, semi-autonomous driverless systems, and integrated interpretation frameworks that combine magnetics, GPR and remote sensing to reveal Roman military compounds, Etruscan cities, Swedish war camps and Neolithic monumental landscapes. Scientific awards & honours: No specific awards are listed in the supplied text; however, his continuous funding and invited keynote contributions (e.g., ArchaeoProspection conference series) indicate international recognition. Teaching & student supervision: Regular courses: Introduction to Archaeological Prospection, Archaeometry, Magnetic Prospection, GPR Practical, Underwater Prospection, Human Evolution & Archaeological Science, LaTeX for Archaeologists Excursions: 2-day field schools at Alpine pile-dwelling sites and around Vienna Thesis seminars: continuous Master Thesis Topic Search & Exposé and final thesis colloquia every semester Labs & facilities: Trinks heads the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS), operating several motorized multi-channel GPR systems, high-resolution magnetometer arrays, electromagnetic induction sensors, underwater sonar and multi-spectral cameras. The institute maintains dedicated GIS/visualisation labs and field vehicles for pan-European surveys within the international ArchPro and Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes initiatives.
