Anibal T. De Almeida (PhD) is a Full Professor in the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and Director of the Institute for Systems and Robotics (UC), an interdisciplinary research institute with over 150 researchers, being involved in research activities in the areas of automation, robotics and energy-efficient technologies in industry . He has been responsible for over 50 funded national and international projects in the areas industrial automation technologies, energy efficient technologies with particular emphasis in advanced electric motors and drives. He was General Chair of major IEEE conferences: IEEE EPQU 2011 and IEEE IROS 2012 (IROS is the largest automation robotics conference in the World). He is a Member of the IROS Advisory Committee (2015-to present).