Radu Dobrescu earned a diploma in engineering in automatic control from the Faculty of Control and Computers at the Polytehnical Institute of Bucharest, Romania, in 1968. He then earned his PhD in automatic control of electrical processes from the Polytehnical Institute of Bucharest, Romania, in 1976. He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Automation and Industrial Informatics of the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computers, Politehnica University of Bucharest. From 1992, he has advised more than 50 students in their doctoral research in the field of systems engineering. His scientific works span three main domains: data acquisition, processing, and transmission; networked control systems; and modeling of complex systems. He has published more than 30 books and university courses, about 80 scientific papers in journals and more than 120 papers in volumes of international conferences. He has served as a project manager for around 30 research projects. He was the general chairman of seven biennial International Symposiums on Interdisciplinary Approaches in Fractal Applications (IAFA 2003–2015). He has been an IEEE member since 1991 and an IEEE senior member since 2005. He was the past chair of the IEEE Romania Section (2010–2014). The monograph Complexity and Information published by the Romanian Academy Publishing House in 2010 was awarded the Grigore Moisil Academy Prize.
Florin Ionescu was born in Romania and earned a Diploma in Engineering in 1968 and a PhD (thesis on “Machine-Tools and Hydraulic Drives”) in 1981, both at the University Politehnica Bucharest, where he worked between 1969 and 1987 as an assistant professor and as senior assistant professor, respectively. In 1987, he left Romania and joined the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) as a research fellow and worked on “Modelling and Simulation of Hydraulic Drive Systems” at the IHP, Rheinisch Westfalische Hochschule für Technik (RWTH) Aachen, Germany (Professor Backé). Between 1989 and 1991, he was a researcher and a visiting professor at the Institute of Fluid Systems, Hydraulic Engines and Plants, TU Darmstadt, Germany (Professor Stoffel), where he also realized a postdoctoral scientific achievement equivalent to a “habilitation.” From 1991 to 2010, he was a full professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz, Germany Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestalltung-Konstanz (HTWG-KN), and a visiting professor in other universities. In 1992, he was appointed by Steinbeis Foundation (STW), Stuttgart, to lead—besides his teaching and research activity—the Steinbeis Transfer Centre in the specialization “Dynamics of Machines, Hydraulics and Pneumatics” and in 2005, he worked at the Steinbeis Transfer Centre’s Project Consulting for Eastern Europe-Konstanz in order to promote research, technology development, and innovation and consultancy for the industry. In 1994, Professor Ionescu was appointed by (HTWG) as the director of Mechatronics Research Department.
He retired in 2010 and was appointed by Steinbeis University Berlin as a full professor in 2011, along with a position as senate member and director of Steinbeis Transfer Institute Dynamic Systems. His activities were teaching, research, and, in the framework of STW, development and technology transfer for the Industry. He delivered lectures in mechanics, applied mathematics, hydraulics, and pneumatics (he is the author of Hydraulics Pneumatics Analysis and Synthesis (HYPAS), an object-oriented multitasking interactive software for hybrid drive systems and control), vibrations of machines, robotics and comparison of mathematical models and solid bodies, and modeling and simulation of systems. The topics of research were centered around the major fields of object-oriented modeling and simulation of large-scale (virtual manufacturing) systems, and was focused on machine tools, hybrid drives and control, robotics, fault detection and prediction, robotics, which involved micro–nano robotics and neuro-fuzzy in acupuncture and man–machine systems. Professor Ionescu led over 150 research, development, and innovation projects. He has organized and directed research stages in Konstanz of PhD and postdoctoral scientists from many countries, with the support of federal and land ministries of research and education, of the German industry, as well as of national research organizations such as AvH, Conference of German Academies of Sciences (KDAW), German Research Association (DFG), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Industrial Associations “Otto von Guericke” (AiF), the European Union, and NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Professor Ionescu is (co)author of several patents and prototypes of micro–nano robots, cutting tools, electrohydraulic devices and automatic systems, and automatic control of sewerage installations. He is (co)author of over 400 papers, prints in proceedings of international conferences, organized by IFAC, IEEE, IMEKO, WCNA, IASTED, ISMA, KES, ASME, AMSE, JAMS, ICMAs, conferences held in more than 20 countries from Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Professor Ionescu is (co)author, and/or editor of 45 books or multiauthor-chapters, published by Springer, Elsevier, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, de Gruyter, Pergamon Press, Artech House, Indersciences, Eds. of RO and BG Academies. Professor Ionescu was vice-president of the American Romanian Academy (ARA) and editor of ARA Journal. He also was a member of the national (scientific) councils of RO, of professional (inter)national associations, technical committees, editorial boards, reviewer for conferences, journals and publishing houses, auditor, evaluator of scientific and education activities and R & D projects or programs. Professor Ionescu was awarded several diplomas, honorary doctorates, and honorary professorships.