Marco Kalz is full professor of digital education at the Heidelberg University of Education. His research interest lies on the use of open education, pervasive technologies and formative assessment to support (lifelong) learning and knowledge construction. He has published more than 140 peer-reviewed publications.

Marco is associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, and editorial board member of Educational Technology Research and Development and the Journal of Computing in Higher Education. He is a fellow of the Interuniversity Center for Educational Sciences (ICO) and the Dutch research school on information and knowledge systems (SIKS). He is director of the study program E-Learning and Media Education and co-director of the Heidelberg Education for Sustainable Development Center.

Prof. Dr. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h. c. Jivka Ovtcharova stands out for her expertise in research and development of cutting-edge technologies such as AI and VR for industrial practice. She is head of the Institute for Information Management in Engineering (IMI), director at the Karlsruhe Research Center for Informatics (FZI), and founder of several centers, such as the Lifecycle Engineering Solutions Center (LESC) and the Center for Artificial Intelligence Talents (CAIT). Her current research focus is AI application in the areas of Virtual Engineering and Digital Twins.