Dr. Alessia Focareta received her degree in
Nanotechnologies from the Politecnico di Torino and Aalto University.

Alessia’s background in nanoelectronic engineering has inspired her to embrace the application of emerging technologies in the field of automation.

Currently, Alessia is Head of Research and Innovation at FIDIA, a private international group delivering innovative machining and industrial automation.

Alessia also supports the European Commission as an independent expert evaluator and reviewer of EU-funded research projects.
In this role she provides advice on the technical viability of new technologies, evaluates the ROI of new products on the market, assesses the capability of organizations in carrying out the proposed R&D activities and advises on how to maximize the impact of research.

Alessia keeps her Innovation Manager hat on even when engaging in her passions: traveling (through which she also builds her international network) and music and video making (using tools able to add new perspectives to her expertise).

Emil Levi received his Dipl. Ing. degree from the University of Novi Sad, Yugoslavia in 1982 and his MSc and the PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1986 and 1990, respectively. From 1982 to 1992 he was with the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, University of Novi Sad.

He joined Liverpool John Moores University, UK in May 1992, where he was promoted to a Reader in 1995 and appointed to a Full Professorship in September 2000 as Professor of Electric Machines and Drives. He served as a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Trans. on Industrial Electronics in the 2009-2013 period and as Editor-in-Chief of the IET Electric Power Applications from 2010 until 2022.

Emil is currently serving as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Trans. on Industrial Electronics (2019-2024). He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the recipient of the Cyril Veinott award of the IEEE Power and Energy Society for 2009 and the recipient of the Best Paper Award of the IEEE Trans. on Industrial Electronics for 2008.

Emil is also a recipient of the European Power Electronics (EPE) Association “Outstanding Achievement Award” for 2014, “Professor Istvan Nagy Award” of the Power Electronics and Motion Control (PEMC) Council for 2018 and is a Foreign Member of the Serbian Academy of Engineering.

Luca Morfino obtained a Master’s degree in Economics from ESSEC Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales in Paris, France, a License Degree in International Affaires from the Université Jean Moulin Lyon III in Lyon (France) and spent two years at the Università di Economia e Commercio in Turin (Italy).

He started his career at Lehman Brothers in the M&N department in London (UK) and then moved on to a consultancy position in the strategic advisory division at Roland Berger Paris (France).

Since 2000 Luca works for the FIDIA group, world leader in developing, manufacturing and commercializing numerical controls, inverters and machine tools. This has brought him to gain experience in mechanics and in the field of drives and electronics for machine tool axis application. In 2012 he founded the Paris-based Efesto Sarl (where he is also Managing Director), a green tech company developing pure electric, series and parallel hybrid powertrains for the marine, aerospace and automotive industry. Efesto produces internal combustion engines, vehicle control units, software, auxiliary generators, electric motors and high voltage battery packs.

Prof Pat Wheeler received his BEng [Hons] degree in 1990 from the University of Bristol, UK.  He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering for his work on Matrix Converters from the University of Bristol, UK in 1994.

In 1993 he moved to the University of Nottingham and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

In 1996 he became a Lecturer in the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Group at the University of Nottingham, UK.  Since January 2008 he has been a Full Professor in the same research group.

Pat is currently the Global Engagement Director For the Faculty of Engineering, the Head of the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Research Group and the Director of the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Aerosapce Technology He was Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham from 2015 to 2018.  He is a member of the IEEE PELs AdCom and is currently IEEE PELS Vice-President for Technical Operations.  He has published over 850 academic publications in leading international conferences and journals.