Designing Collaborative Autonomy: Challenges and Opportunities Across Agricultural and Forestry Systems

Karl Kruusamäe is an Associate Professor of Robotics Engineering at the University of Tartu, Estonia. He earned his PhD in 2012 from the University of Tartu and has enhanced his expertise through international research positions at AIST (Japan) and the University of Texas at Austin (USA).

Dr. Kruusamäe specializes in human-centered robotics, with particular focus on human-robot collaboration, multi-robot coordination, and open-source hardware development. His research bridges the gap between autonomous systems and human operators, exploring how these technologies can complement rather than replace human capabilities.

With more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications, he has made significant contributions to the field of collaborative robotics. Dr. Kruusamäe has led and contributed to dozens of international and national robotics projects, translating cutting-edge research into practical applications across multiple domains.

Beyond his research, he is passionately dedicated to popularizing robotics and advancing engineering education, working to inspire the next generation of robotics engineers and researchers.

Digital Twin Technology for Electric Propulsion in Software-Defined Electric Vehicles

Anton Rassõlkin, born in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1985, has an academic background in electric drives. He earned his BSc, MSc, and PhD in Electrical Drives and Power Electronics from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) in 2008, 2010, and 2014, respectively. Additionally, he obtained a Dipl.-Ing. degree in automation from the University of Applied Science Giessen-Friedberg, Germany, in 2010.

He has extensive practical experience as an electrical engineer and visiting professor at various Estonia, Germany, and Poland institutions. He currently holds a tenure track professor position in mechatronics at TalTech’s Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics.

His research focuses on mechatronics and electrical drives, particularly in electric transportation and autonomous vehicles, including the development of Digital Twins.

He is a Senior Member of IEEE and an active member of the Estonian Society of Moritz Hermann Jacobi.

ETIS: https://www.etis.ee/cv/Anton_Rassolkin

Enhanced production and consumption of plant-based protein in Finland

Dr Anne Pihlanto  holds a Principal scientist position at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)  in the area of Food and Bioproduct. Her research focuses on the studies of various protein source with main topics on processing and chemistry. She has coordinated national and international projects to diversify protein sources in Nordic and Baltic countries as well as using microbiome application in food system.  At present her main activity is to increase production and consumption of plant based protein in Finland to decrease the climate impact. She is member at SCAR FOOD SYSTEMS, Nutrition negotiate municipality working under Food Advisory Council for Food Policy  and external expertise in several projects. She has supervised  master and PhD students as well as member in dissertation committees.  Throughout her career she has published more than 200 scientific papers, authored several book chapters and presented at numerous international Conferences/Workshops.

Innovative Liquid Tree Design for Carbon Capture and High-Value Carotenoid Production: A Sustainable Solution to Climate Change Mitigation

Dr. Anil Kumar Patel, Associate Professor at NKUST, Taiwan, leads pioneering research in carbon capture and microalgal bioprocessing, focusing on the production of carotenoids (astaxanthin, lutein) and omega fatty acids (PUFAs) under biorefinery models. His work emphasizes innovative treatment strategies to remediate industrial wastes, including flue gas and wastewater, converting these into high-value bioproducts. With over 14 years of experience, he has contributed extensively to biofuel production, anaerobic digestion, and sustainable microbial processes.

Dr. Patel’s academic journey spans overseas institutions like University of Hawaii (USA), University of Blaise Pascal (France), University of Korea (South Korea), etc., where he led advancements in biohydrogen, bioethanol, and biogas technologies. A highly cited researcher (H-index 62; 14,875 citations), he has published over 200 papers, holds four patents, and has authored three books. Recognized by awards such as the DBT-Overseas Fellow-2013 and IBA Pandey Research Excellence Award 2022, he serves as a guest editor for prestigious journals like Bioresource Technology, Science of the Total Environment, Journal of Food Science and Technology, Energy and Environment, editor role in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, and editorial board member of Heliyon, and Bioresource Technology reports, further contributing to his field’s scholarly community.