Andrea Paoli is a scholar with a background in automation, robotics and control engineering and extensive experience in teaching and researching automated manufacturing systems. He has considerable experience in undertaking research activities that combine practice and academic research and ensure that practical outputs are well grounded in theory and that, on the other hand, academic outputs are industrially relevant. He has a proven track record of designing, managing and delivering Higher Education engineering programmes and industry-led knowledge transfer programmes. His career encompasses roles in universities and institutions based in the UK, Italy and Belgium.  Being passionate about digital tech startups, he acts as startups mentor and technical advisor.