Ass. Prof. Dr Igor Kovač studied at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In 1992, he received his Dr. tech. degree from the Graz University of Technology, Austria. Kovač's personal research focus is on coordinate measuring arms, robot-aided reconfiguration, sustainable machine integration, factories of the future (FoF) and automation in construction. His career started at the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), Slovenia, and continued at the University of Maribor, Slovenia, Graz University of Technology, Austria and Vienna University of Technology, Austria. He was also a lecturer at the FH Joanneum, the University of Applied Sciences in Kapfenberg and in Graz, and at Campus 02 University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria. He is now Head of the Center for Research Innovation Partnership at JSI and Director of the Slovenian cluster SRIP Factories of the Future as well as coordinator for EIT Manufacturing at JSI. As head of the Center, he is responsible for strategic development partnerships, connecting and building business and research synergies between industry, research organisations and others as well as the government in the field of smart factory production. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the EIT Manufacturing East.
