Professor Valckenaers has a Master's degree in engineering, specializing in computer science, and a PhD in mechanical engineering from KU Leuven. He has over 25 years of research experience, including participation in numerous international cooperative research projects. He has translated and applied the concept of a holonic execution system to multiple domains: manufacturing, logistics, networked production, fleet robotics, traffic and transportation, smart grids, integrated healthcare.Professor Van Brussel is world-renowned for his research on robotics, mechatronics and holonic manufacturing systems. During his career of 40+ years, he has been active in the intersection zone between several disciplines: mechanical engineering, electronics and control engineering, information technology; a domain which is now called "mechatronics". He has held numerous positions and won many notable awards and honors during his career.