Ian Horrocks is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Oriel College. His research focuses on knowledge representation, description logics, automated reasoning, and semantic web technologies. He has held academic positions at the University of Manchester (2003–2007) and served as Chief Scientist at Cerebra Inc. (2001–2006). Horrocks earned his BSc (1st class), MSc, and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester (1981–1997). His work includes foundational contributions to ontology languages (e.g., OWL) and reasoning systems such as HermiT and ELK. He has supervised over twenty doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. His honors include Fellowships from the Royal Society (2011), ECCAI (2009), and the British Computer Society (2005). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Transactions on Graph Data and Knowledge and leads initiatives in semantic web standards and knowledge graph applications. Key Roles: Editor-in-Chief (Journal of Web Semantics), Co-Chair (W3C OWL Working Group) Grants: EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship (2005), numerous international collaborations Labs: Oxford Semantic Technologies, involvement in projects like RDFox and PAGOdA
Wolfgang Kunz is a Full Professor (C4, W3) and Chair of Electronic Design Automation at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern since 2001. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions, including Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has held leadership roles such as Dean (2005-2007) and Vice-Dean (2007-2009) at TU Kaiserslautern. Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.), Computer Science, University of Potsdam (1996) Doctoral degree (Dr.-Ing.), Electrical Engineering, University of Hannover (1992) Dipl.-Ing. degree, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (1989) His research focuses on hardware verification, security, and optimization, particularly in embedded systems and processors. His work on formal verification methods has been commercialized by companies like Synopsys, Mentor Graphics, and Siemens EDA. His 2016-2021 publications address critical security issues such as Spectre/Meltdown and introduce innovative verification frameworks adopted by industry leaders like Infineon and OneSpin Solutions. Scientific awards include the IEEE Fellow (2006), German IT Society Award (2005), and TU Kaiserslautern Distinguished Teaching Award (2016). He has served on editorial boards of major journals and coordinated the Erasmus Mundus European Master Program in Embedded Computing Systems since 2010. Key students: Jörg Bormann, Raik Brinkmann, Tobias Ludwig Collaborations: Siemens EDA, Infineon, AbsInt, Intel SCAP Spin-offs: LUBIS EDA, OneSpin Solutions
Joseph Sifakis is a CNRS Research Director and founder of Verimag Laboratory in Grenoble, France. He holds the INRIA-Schneider endowed industrial chair since 2008 and has been instrumental in advancing concurrent systems specification and verification. Education: Electrical Engineering (Technical University of Athens), Computer Science (University of Grenoble) Research interests focus on component-based design , real-time systems , and correct-by-construction techniques . He pioneered the development of the BIP framework and contributed to model checking, a cornerstone of industrial system verification. Recent publications emphasize component-based modeling, formal verification, and distributed system design, reflecting his work's impact on embedded systems and critical applications like aerospace and telecommunications. Scientific awards include: Turing Award (2007) CNRS Silver Medal (2001) Test-of-Time Award (2012) Multiple honorary doctorates (2008-2011) Member of prestigious academies Industry collaborations span Airbus, ST Microelectronics, and the European Space Agency, with applications in aeronautics, telecommunications, and industrial software standards. He leads the ARTIST2 Network of Excellence and directs the CARNOT Institute 'Intelligent Software and Systems'.
Professor Thomas Lukasiewicz is a Full Professor and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Techniques research group at the Faculty of Informatics, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien). His research focuses on enabling machines to mimic human-like intelligence through techniques spanning deep learning, symbolic reasoning, and predictive coding. Key areas include explainable AI, hybrid neurosymbolic systems, and applications in healthcare and law. He teaches courses such as Deep Learning for Natural Language Processing, Scientific Research and Writing, and multiple seminars in artificial intelligence and knowledge representation. His research projects include Explainable AI in Healthcare (2023–2027) and foundational work on predictive coding networks. His publications (15+ recent articles) address medical image segmentation, neurosymbolic frameworks, and language model evaluation in mathematics. Notable work includes neurosymbolic hybrid models (CCN⁺), reinforcement learning for medical report generation, and theoretical foundations of predictive coding networks.
Vienna University of Economics and BusinessAustria
Ulrich Berger is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics of WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Games and is actively involved in promoting science through the Vienna Skeptics Society. His research focuses on game theory, including non-cooperative, evolutionary, behavioral, and experimental variants. He has been recognized with multiple awards, including the WU Best Paper Award and an Outstanding Reviewer Award. His work explores dynamics of cooperation, reputation systems, and strategic behavior in economic contexts. Key research areas include evolutionary stability in reputation games, indirect reciprocity, and cognitive hierarchies in strategic interactions. His publications span peer-reviewed journals like PLoS ONE and Scientific Reports , as well as popular science articles in outlets like derStandard.at . Berger has led research projects on topics such as cognitive hierarchies in minimizer games and has contributed to policy discussions on access pricing in telecommunications. His academic contributions reflect a blend of theoretical rigor and practical engagement, with recent work emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms of deterrence and experimental validation of equilibrium concepts.
Emanuel Sallinger is a Full Professor at TU Wien's Databases and Artificial Intelligence Group and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for Business Informatics and Data Science. He leads the Knowledge Graph Lab, focusing on scalable knowledge-based systems, reasoning in knowledge graphs, and AI integration. His research spans computational logic, database theory, and blockchain applications. Education: PhD in Computer Science (awarded 'sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae'), Master's degrees in Computational Intelligence and Informatics Management, and a Bachelor's in Software and Information Engineering. Research Interests: Knowledge graphs (construction, reasoning, scalability), logic-based systems, AI/ML integration with databases, enterprise architecture modeling, and financial knowledge systems. His work emphasizes practical applications like enterprise modeling, sustainable waste management, and regulatory compliance. Grants & Projects: Lead Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF)-funded Knowledge Graph Lab. Involved in projects like 'Knowledge Graph-driven Tour Management' (sustainability), 'SustainGraph' (waste processing), and 'Enterprise Architecture Knowledge Graphs'. Teaching: Offers courses on Knowledge Graphs, Generative AI, Database Systems, and research methodology. Supervises doctoral and master's students in AI, databases, and knowledge representation. Labs/Teams: Knowledge Graph Lab at TU Wien, collaborating with industry on blockchain-based systems, financial AI, and enterprise architecture frameworks.
Stefan Woltran is a Full Professor in the Databases and Artificial Intelligence department at TU Wien. He serves as Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for the Informatics Master program and leads the Research Unit for Databases and Artificial Intelligence. His research focuses on logic-based AI, including Propositional Logic, Nonmonotonic Reasoning, Argumentation frameworks, Knowledge Representation, and Logic Programming. He coordinates the Double-Degree Program Logic and Computation. His research projects include analyzing formal properties of logic-based AI approaches, complexity analysis, and developing algorithms via logic and dynamic programming. Notable projects include the HYPAR and REVEAL-AI initiatives exploring abstract argumentation and AI problem-solving. He has contributed to over 150 publications since 2001, focusing on argumentation frameworks, computational complexity, and formal methods. Woltran teaches courses such as Abstract Argumentation, Formal Methods in Computer Science, and Theoretical Computer Science. His work integrates theoretical advancements with practical solver development, such as the ASPARTIX system for argumentation tasks. He actively participates in international conferences and competitions in computational argumentation, emphasizing the application of formal methods to real-world problems.
Erich Schweighofer serves as Associate Professor at the University of Vienna within the Institute for European, International and Comparative Law, specifically affiliated with the Department of International Law and International Relations. His research activities are centered at the Juridicum building (Schottenbastei 10-16, 1010 Vienna), where he maintains an active office presence with scheduled consultation hours. His scholarly focus spans Legal Informatics , Artificial Intelligence and Law , Data Protection , and Legal Knowledge Representation , with particular emphasis on explainable AI systems for legal contexts and formal methodologies for translating legal norms into computational frameworks. This interdisciplinary work bridges jurisprudence and computer science through projects examining biometric regulation, autonomous vehicle governance, and natural language processing applications in legal domains. Analysis of his 2021-2024 publications reveals consistent thematic progression toward operationalizing legal principles in AI systems, with increasing focus on transparency mechanisms, temporal logic for dynamic regulations, and cross-jurisdictional compliance challenges. His work predominantly appears in the International Legal Informatics Symposium (IRIS) proceedings and JURIX conferences, reflecting deep engagement with the legal informatics community. Professor Schweighofer leads a dedicated research team including project assistants Mag. Jessica Fleisch, Mag. Jonas Pfister, Felix Schmautzer, and Mag. Jakob Zanol, while actively participating in the University of Vienna's Working Group on Legal Informatics (Arbeitsgruppe Rechtsinformatik). His collaborative approach extends to organizing the biennial IRIS symposium, which has established itself as a cornerstone event for European legal informatics scholarship since 1998.
Christian Fermüller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theory and Logic at the Faculty of Informatics, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien). His research focuses on theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, automated deduction, and formal logic systems. He specializes in fuzzy logic, proof theory, and non-classical logics, with contributions to semantic games, dialogue systems, and computational models of reasoning under vagueness. **Research Interests:** Foundations of fuzzy logic and many-valued logics Proof theory and analytic calculi Game-based semantics for non-classical logics Formal models of judgment aggregation and argumentation theory Applications in automated reasoning and computational intelligence **Grants & Projects:** Austrian Science Fund (FWF) projects on graded deontic reasoning (2025–2027), semantic games and analytic calculi (2019–2023), and fuzzy logic foundations (2008–2013) Co-PI of the LogICCC initiative exploring contextualism and fuzzy logic **Teaching:** Courses include logical methods in computer science, quantum computing, and theoretical computer science. Supervised over 15 PhD and master’s theses on topics ranging from semantic games to argumentation frameworks. **Affiliations:** Active in the LogiCS research group and regularly organizes seminars on logic and computation.
Nelson Nicolas Higuera Ruiz is a PreDoc Researcher at the Vienna University of Technology, affiliated with the Faculty of Informatics' Knowledge-Based Systems research group. His work bridges logic programming and deep learning for explainable AI. Research Focus: Neurosymbolic AI, Visual Question Answering (VQA), Answer Set Programming (ASP), and hybrid reasoning systems Projects: Leads optimization research in the LCS (2017–2025) project, developing neurosymbolic approaches for intelligent systems Key Contributions: Pioneering adaptive large-neighbourhood search algorithms for ASP optimization, modular neurosymbolic architectures, and contrastive explainability frameworks for VQA Collaborations: Active in international workshops and conferences including IJCAI, AAAI, and CLeaR, frequently collaborating with researchers like Thomas Eiter and Johannes Oetsch Publications: Focus on neurosymbolic integration, optimization algorithms, and explainability across AI, logic programming, and computer vision domains
Vienna University of Economics and BusinessAustria
Axel Polleres is a full professor at the Institute for Data, Process and Knowledge Management in Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien). He leads the department of Information Systems and Operations Management while maintaining active research in knowledge graphs, semantic web technologies, and ontology engineering. PhD and Habilitation from Vienna University of Technology Former positions at University of Innsbruck, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, DERI Ireland, and Siemens AG Co-chair of W3C SPARQL working group Editorial board member for Semantic Web Journal and IJSWIS His research focuses on: Querying and reasoning over ontologies Graph schema languages (SHACL, SPARQL) Wikidata constraint formalization Ontology reuse in collaborative platforms Crisis management knowledge graphs FAIR data principles implementation Recent publications analyze knowledge graph evolution, constraint validation methodologies, and semantic web standardization efforts. Key topics include: OWL/RDF interoperability solutions Unit conversion systems for Wikidata Partition-based query processing frameworks Network resilience analysis for urban planning Open data platform discovery tools Temporal analysis of collaborative knowledge graphs He has co-organized major conferences like ISWC2023 and ESWC workshops while maintaining active roles in European research projects. Current work involves spatiotemporal knowledge graphs for city resilience and semantic web infrastructure development.
Robert Peharz is an Assistant Professor at Graz University of Technology, where he leads research at the Institute of Machine Learning and Neural Computation. His work focuses on probabilistic machine learning, with particular emphasis on tractable probabilistic models, causality, and neurosymbolic AI. Education and Career PhD from TU Graz (Austria) in 2015 Postdoc at Medical University of Graz Postdoc and Marie-Curie Individual Fellow at University of Cambridge (2017-2019) Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (2019-2021) Current: Assistant Professor at Graz University of Technology Research Interests Peharz's research spans multiple areas of artificial intelligence with a focus on making probabilistic reasoning both theoretically sound and practically efficient. His work addresses fundamental challenges in tractable probabilistic inference and learning, probabilistic circuits as a unified framework for deep generative models, Bayesian causal inference, and neurosymbolic AI combining sub-symbolic and symbolic approaches. His research has applications in cybersecurity, healthcare, and energy systems. Research Projects VENTUS (2024-present): Physics-informed, probabilistic and causal machine learning for wind energy systems NEO DNA (2023-present): DNA-based data storage systems using computer vision and probabilistic ML VanillaFlow (2023-present): AI-guided development of novel vanillin-based molecules for redox flow batteries Bilateral AI : Cluster of Excellence focused on Broad AI combining sub-symbolic and symbolic AI approaches Awards and Recognition Finalist for TUG's Excellent Teaching Award (2023) for all 3 of his courses Marie-Curie Individual Fellow at University of Cambridge Academic Service Peharz is actively involved in the academic community through conference organization and reviewing: Area Chair: UAI (2022), ECML/PKDD (2022) Senior Committee Member: UAI (2021), IJCAI (2019, 2020) Reviewer for major conferences including ICML, NeurIPS, AAAI, IJCAI-ECAI Teaching and Mentorship Peharz supervises multiple PhD students working on diverse projects at the intersection of machine learning, causality, and neurosymbolic AI. His current advisees include Sepideh Adamiat, Irina Dobrianski, Johannes Exenberger, Giacomo Di Gobbi, Tim d'Hondt, Christian Toth, and Thomas Wedenig. Previous students include Alvaro Correia, Martin Trapp, and David Montalvan.
Hans Tompits is an Associate Professor in the Department of Knowledge-Based Systems at Technische Universität Wien (Vienna University of Technology). His research focuses on computational logic, declarative logic programming, and formal methods, with a particular emphasis on Answer-Set Programming (ASP). He coordinates the Master's program in Logic and Computation and leads projects in areas such as formal methods for optimization, fault-tolerant autonomous systems, and algorithmic composition. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, including tools like SeaLion (an ASP IDE with debugging support) and dlvhex (an ASP-based semantic web reasoner). He has contributed to foundational topics like program equivalence, debugging techniques, and integration of ASP with external systems. His recent projects address challenges in autonomous vehicle architectures, music composition algorithms, and safety-critical system design. Tompits has published extensively on topics ranging from nonmonotonic reasoning and modal logics to the development of declarative programming tools. His interdisciplinary approach spans computer science, mathematics, and AI, with applications in both academic and industrial contexts.
Fajar Juang Ekaputra is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Institute of Data, Process, and Knowledge Management (DPKM), WU Vienna and a part-time Postdoctoral Researcher at the Data Science research unit, TU Wien . With a focus on Semantic Web , Knowledge Graphs , and their integration with Machine Learning in Neurosymbolic AI systems, his work spans domains like Cyber-Physical Systems and Materials Engineering . Education: Dr.techn. (2018), TU Wien M.T. (2010) and S.T. (2008), Institute Teknologi Bandung (ITB) Research Interests center on hybrid AI systems combining Semantic Web and Machine Learning , with applications in Cyber-Physical Systems (e.g., smart grids, smart buildings), data privacy in smart cities, and materials engineering . His 102+ publications include frameworks like SWeMLS-KG and SHACL4Protege . Recent Articles (2024) address explainable AI in cyber-physical systems, privacy trust in data infrastructures, and neurosymbolic frameworks . Earlier works (2023–2022) explore ontology-based data management , auditable AI , and hybrid system architectures . Scientific Awards: Best Paper Awards (ICoDSE 2023, ICoDSE 2016) Best Poster Nomination (SEMANTiCS 2019) PhD Scholarship (Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation, 2012) Advising includes supervising PhD students (e.g., Majlinda Llugiqi, Katrin Schreiberhuber) and master’s theses on topics like knowledge graph characteristics and data quality assessment . He leads projects such as FAIR-AI (FFG-funded, 2024–2026) and SENSE (Horizon Europe, 2023–2025).
Prof. Dongheui Lee is a Full Professor at TU Wien's Institute of Computer Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and leads the Human-centered Assistive Robotics Group at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). She holds a PhD from the University of Tokyo (2007) and has held academic roles at Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Tokyo, and KIST. Her research focuses on human-robot interaction, assistive robotics, and machine learning applications in robotics. Education: PhD, Information Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 2007 MS, Kyung Hee University, 2003 Research Interests: Her work spans human motion understanding, assistive robotics, human-robot collaboration, and control systems. Key areas include robotic balance assistance, motion imitation, and safety-aware robotics. She has pioneered methods for light touch support in human-robot interaction and developed frameworks for dynamic task execution. Recent Trends in Publications: Recent work emphasizes variable stiffness control, motion retargeting, and multimodal anomaly detection. Publications highlight advancements in assistive robotics, human motion prediction, and reinforcement learning for locomotion. Articles often integrate robotics with machine learning to improve safety and adaptability in human-robot systems. Awards: Carl von Linde Fellowship (TUM Institute for Advanced Study, 2011) Helmholtz professorship prize (2015) Best Intelligence Paper Award (2024) Projects & Grants: Leads projects like LunarAssembly (robotic assembly on the Moon) and INVERSE (interactive robots through reasoning). Funded initiatives include EU Horizon, BMBF, and industry collaborations. Coordinates teams for projects like PERSEO (service-oriented robotics) and SOLAR (body representation studies). Labs/Teams: Directs the Human-centered Assistive Robotics Group at DLR and collaborates with TU Wien's Autonomous Systems unit. Her teams focus on real-world applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and human-centered robotics.
