Oliver Fels
Technology Marketing
EtherCAT Technology Group

Oliver graduated from Furtwangen University at Schwenningen as a Medical Engineer (Dipl.-Ing. FH) and employed by Beckhoff Automation since 2007.
He is working full-time for the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) at the ETG Headquarters in Germany and as a member of the global ETG Marketing Committee.
One of his main tasks is serving as a speaker for the ETG at the EtherCAT seminar series worldwide, helping people to empower their applications and projects with EtherCAT.

Anna Bird
CEO of Sweden's epicenter for innovation and technology, MITC

As the CEO of MITC - Mälardalen Industrial Technology Center, Anna has led the organization from its inception to what it is today—a dynamic tech center driving the future of manufacturing. Together with a colleague, she built MITC from the ground up, growing it into a thriving hub with around 25 colleagues, a broad network of stakeholders, and significant funding. At MITC, she spearhead industry-academia collaboration projects with partners such as Volvo CE, Alfa Laval, ASSA, and Seco Tools, as well as EU and nationally funded initiatives supporting industrial SMEs. Her focus is on enhancing collaboration with Mälardalen University, advancing AI, Industry 4.0 technologies, and strengthening Sweden’s manufacturing sector through innovation.
Anna holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and Management from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Additionally, she is a certified project manager (IPMA Level) and a certified board member (Styrelseakademin).

Joakim Örneskans
Research Engineer in AI and Control Systems, MITC

Researcher at Mälardalen University, main research areas: Embedded systems, IoT, advanced control methods and AI.
Former CTO at First Control Systems AB, a high-tech company that designs fast,effective easy-to-use solutions and adaptive control systems mainly for the process industry.
Joakim has worked in the company since 1990 and became a permanent staff member in 1995. Responsible for all software developments in First Control's product and systems since 1997. System expert of the company with a profound knowledge of several system disciplines, ranging from PLC systems to operator platforms and communication software. Hes is the main inventor of the new FirstOpNet SCADA system with its unique features developed together witch customers and the new FirstGraph technique for programming automation systems.
Joakim has also been responsible for the MicroController XC software and the embedded version developed for specific OEM customers.
In addition to his work as system manager, he has acted as project manager in a large number of deliveries to end customers.

Tanner Blair
Director of R&D, ALIARO AB

Tanner Blair is the Director of Research and Development at ALIARO, where he leads the global execution of both hardware and software development for the company’s platform. Since joining ALIARO in 2021, Tanner has played a pivotal role in transforming the organization from a systems and services company into a product-driven business. He has built a worldwide development team and spearheaded the adoption of EtherCAT-based architectures, delivering solutions that significantly reduced costs and improved performance for large-scale deployments.
With 12 years of experience in Test and Measurement and 8 years specializing in Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) systems, Tanner is recognized as a subject matter expert in HIL system architectures. Before ALIARO, he spent several years at National Instruments in a variety of technical roles, including serving as the HIL expert for the Aerospace and Defense Business Unit, where he drove requirements and specifications for key features and products.
Tanner holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. Known for his ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders, he brings a unique approach to product development by focusing on understanding the real need behind every request to deliver solutions that create lasting value.

Petter Hagqvist
CTO, Procada AB

Holistic problem solver with very broad scientific competence. Generalist who excels at grasping the overall picture and identifying opportunities as well as solutions on every level. Excellent academic record and multidisciplinary technical skills that strengthen well developed cross-functional communication abilities. Documented ability to quickly learn new things and analyze problems ranging from organization level down to technical specifics.
Award winning speaker with leadership experience and pedagogical merits.

Tommy Christensen
Production Technology Center – Innovatum Science Park

Tommy Christensen has a background in electrical engineering with a focus on automation. He began his career in the automotive industry as a planner for body assembly production equipment, later advancing to research engineer at General Motors within Advanced Engineering. Today, he leads the Production Technology Center at Innovatum Science Park, where he fosters collaboration between industry and academia. With deep experience in cross-sector innovation and a broad industrial network, Tommy plays a central role in advancing sustainable manufacturing.

Richard Prestedge
Specialist System Test Rig Developer, Volvo Technology

Automotive HIL Test System Developer with a track record of designing and optimizing cutting-edge Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test systems. His expertise lies in developing advanced HIL solutions based on EtherCAT distributed I/O, Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC, and Vector CANoe for vehicle network simulation. With a creative approach, he has successfully created custom HIL platforms integrating specialised EtherCAT SubDevices like Microchip LAN92XX ESC and DSPs. Richards proficiency extends to developing transmission simulation kits to validate system performance under diverse scenarios.