Jim Kosem is an interaction designer, researcher and sometimes consultant. He grew up in a family of engineers but somehow ended up in art school. Since then he has worked on everything from collaborative group-ware user interfaces and mobile applications to snowboards and cartoons.
Dr. Juan Ignacio (a.k.a. Iñaki) Vazquez is the head of R&D on Intelligent Environments at DeustoTech, a research institute associated to the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. He received his PhD (Doctor Europeus mention) with a dissertation titled “A Reactive Behavioural Model for Context-Aware Semantic Devices”, having spent three months in the Embedded Interactive Systems research group in Lancaster University, UK. His main research focus is currently on smart objects connected to the Internet (Internet of Things), especially when involving interactions with Web 2.0 sites ("using real world objects as a means for people to socialize with other people through the Internet"), and their integration with smart environments, TUI (Tangible User Interfaces) and wireless sensor networks. His current efforts are also oriented to help companies to create new product concepts based on this approach.
Currently he is also starting up a company called Symplio to create Internet-based products for personal lifestyle, well-being and entertainment.
Mario Di Floriano is managing director of Eximia, a leading supplier of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) business solutions that enables companies to improve their operating efficiency throughout their supply chains. Eximia is a Solution Provider with the competences to providing turn-keys, tailored solutions. Their approach covers all necessary steps to ensure a seamless deployment of RFID solutions: from architectural design and development of prototypes to vendor selection (hardware, software and middleware), and full deployment as well as maintenance and ongoing support.
Erik Geelhoed - with a background in psychology - worked at Hewlett-Packard Research Laboratories, Bristol from 1991 until November 2009. He is an internationally recognised expert in design research with outstanding track record of global collaborations and a wide network of industrial and academic partners. Multi-lingual; an accomplished communicator across cultures with extensive user knowledge of a range of business and IT systems. Highly adaptable; able to quickly comprehend and formulate approaches to find solutions to new and diverse problems and situations.
His main area of interest is Pervasive Media & Mobile Computing .g. Media-Scapes, Eyeglass Displays, Fashion & Wearables (with Central St Martins College of Art and Design), Net-Books in Education, Context Sensors and Actuators, Digital Storytelling, HP's Halo Telepresence system, he initiated and set up Digital City Bristol.