Board

”I have had the honor of serving as President of the EMVA for last board term and have represented EMVA members on the Board of Directors since 2018. From my perspective, the EMVA occupies a special role as the only pan-national, member owned industrial vision association, open to all — representing Europe and our common aim to increase the visibility and competitiveness of the machine vision industry on the global stage.
Over the past term, we have achieved much as an association: our hosted standards have been placed on a cohesive legal foundation, protecting their global integrity and the individual contributions of companies, we have invested in expanding the executive team and reached a record membership level, and we have created new opportunities for our members, for example through the EMVA member booth at Logimat, LinkedIn peer group forums, and through cooperation with the inVision Days events.”

Short CV

Chris Yates is a Partner at Vision Ventures, a mergers & acquisitions advisory firm specializing in transactions in the vision technology sector.

Previously Director of Advanced Technology at the Safety, Sensing, and Connectivity Business Unit of Rockwell Automation, Chris was also the founder and CEO of Odos Imaging, a member of the EMVA since 2012, prior to the acquisition by Rockwell Automation in November 2017.

Chris has varied background in technology companies having previously been Chief Scientist at AIM listed startup Microemissive Displays developing OLED on CMOS devices for AR/VR applications, as well as tenures with Forth Dimension Displays designing ferroelectric liquid-crystal-on-silicon micro-displays, and involved with multiple spin-out projects including with the University of St Andrews, Strathclyde University, and the Technische Universität Berlin. Chris has a first class degree and Ph.D from Imperial College, London and has focused his career on working with early stage technology and strategic corporate development.

He was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2018 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and in January 2020 he took over the post of EMVA President.
In 2024 Chris has been reelected as EMVA President for a second term.

”In the EMVA Board I would like to focus on topics which are related to industrial applications and their resulting demands for future machine vision systems. With this focus I want to motivate more system integrators to be part of our community. I also will try to link discussions from end users into our community. Beside this it is important for me to align activities of the different associations on an European Level.”

Short CV

Dr. Kai-Udo Modrich is Head of ZEISS Inline Inspection & Metrology and Managing Director of Carl Zeiss Automated Inspection GmbH. The company is solution provider for inline measuring technology, robot vision and vision-based quality inspection systems in the automotive and manufacturing industries.
Kai-Udo Modrich was born on 9 November 1969 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Stuttgart. In 2002 he received his PhD at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the same university. From 1997 until 2007 he worked at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA) in different positions at last as Head of the Department Information Processing. Since 2008 he has been working at Carl Zeiss AG. At the start of his career, he led in the ZEISS Business Group Industrial Metrology (IMT) the department of Product Management and afterwards he headed the software development. Parallel to his position as Senior Director for software development, he was the Managing Director at the Carl Zeiss Innovation Center in Dresden as well as at the subsidiary Holometric Technologies GmbH in Essingen.

Since December 2012 he is the Managing Director of Carl Zeiss Automated Inspection GmbH in Neuenstein, Germany. From October 2016 he was heading in parallel the Field of Business Car Body Solutions. Since January 2021 he is heading the new Field of Business Inline Inspection & Metrology within Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions.

Kai-Udo Modrich has been working in different voluntary committees in the area of machine vision and metrology e.g. for the Vision Show, Messe Stuttgart, AMA scientific committee and others. From 2002 until 2013 he has been working as chairman for x-ray based computed tomography for metrology applications in the VDI/VDE GMA 3.33. Since 2008 he has been working in the industrial advisory board of Fraunhofer Alliance Vision. He serves the board of trustees at Fraunhofer IPA and is member of VDMA Robotik & Automation and A3.

Kai-Udo was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2015 in Athens, Greece.
In 2024 he has been reelected into the EMVA Board and takes responsibility as its Vice President.

”If you ask me: “Where do you come from?” my answer will be: “I am a European, living in Schleswig-Holstein, which is in the far up North of Germany.”

Personally, I am a strong believer in Europe, because only if Europe joins its forces we will be able to shape a successful future for our continent. From a business perspective, I love to work at the interface between people and technology. I enjoy identifying technical and market changes in order to help organizations in the change process to adapt to new market structures. For more than 20 years I am thrilled about the possibilities of Machine Vision and Computer Vision and I would love to continue my work at the Board of Directors of the EMVA.”

Short CV

Arndt Bake holds a degree in Digital Electronics Engineering (University of Applied Science Hamburg) and a degree in Business Engineering (University of Applied Science Wedel).

In his first position (1995) he worked at Lansing Linde, Basingstoke UK, as a Project Engineer. In 1997 he joined NEC Electronics in its European HQ in Düsseldorf to focus on Product Management for Semiconductors. He lead a group of Product Managers for Embedded Processors covering the hole European Market. In a similar role he joined Basler in 2001 to focus on Product Management for Industrial Cameras. In 2003 he moved to head the Business Unit Basler Components and in 2011 he joined the Board of Directors at Basler with a focus on Marketing, Innovation and Digitization. In 2024 he took over the European Business of Basler as a General Manager.

Arndt is married and has two adult kids. Living in Neustadt in Holstein at the Baltic coast he loves to sail at the Baltic in his free time.

He was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2021, at that time held in online format.
Reelected in 2024 he continues to serve the EMVA as its Treasurer.

”As a member of the EMVA Board of Directors, I would like to focus on topics related to research and development in the field of machine vision, image processing and other methods of optical inspection. I see it as our common goal to network and bring together European research institutes and facilities with companies in the machine vision industry at a European level. The innovative capacity of our European machine vision industry is crucial for its sustainable competitiveness. As a representative of applied research and development, I would therefore like to work on improving cooperation between research institutes and companies in the machine vision industry.
Machine vision technologies are the engine of our modern industrial landscape. They enable robotic solutions to react more flexibly and adaptively. Artificial intelligence applications require reliable and robust optical data on product quality and the manufacturing environment. I would like to explain this key role of machine vision technologies to decision-makers in business and politics.”

Short CV

Dr.-Ing. Dirk Berndt studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Ilmenau in Germany. He specialized in the fields of precision mechanics, technical optics, sensor technology and computer science. Dirk Berndt then worked for two years as an application engineer for industrial machine vision applications.
For more than 30 years, Dirk Berndt has been working for the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Europe’s largest research organization for applied research. He works at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF in Magdeburg, where he has been Head of Department since 1998. After completing his doctorate in 2008 in the field of optical 3D measurement technology for industrial applications, Dirk Berndt took over the position of Head of the Measurement and Testing Technology business unit. To date, he has managed more than 1,000 projects with industrial customers in a wide range of sectors such as aviation, automotive and rail vehicles, always focusing on industrial image processing technologies and optical 3D production metrology. Since 01.01.2021, Mr. Berndt has been appointed deputy director of the institute.

Always a networker, Dirk Berndt also represents the Fraunhofer Vision Alliance, a network of experts in optical measurement and testing technologies within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, consisting of 15 institutes and more than 500 scientists, where he has been a member of the advisory board since 2010. There, he is primarily responsible for cooperation between Fraunhofer members and industry, but also contributes new ideas and research initiatives. These activities are to be further expanded to the European level. Within the European partner networks, Mr. Berndt is active in the Horizon Europe Joint Undertakings “Europe’s Rail” and “Clean Aviation”.

Since 2018 Dirk Berndt is member of the EMVA Board of Directors and in this role he represents the interests of EMVA members on the Board of Stakeholders of the JU “Photonics 21”.

”Machine vision is becoming part of the industry daily life. It helps in different market segments to automatize processes and at the same time more and more people are using machine vision technology. I would like to bring to the EMVA an end user perspective and bring all actors in the machine vision industry to improve the end user experience. This ambition will be achieved only through the collaboration and the diversity of all the EMVA members. My commitment is to listen actively, act thoughtfully, ensuring that our association remains at the forefront of delivering exceptional value and making a meaningful difference in the lives of our users. I will also bring more sustainability perspectives in our association to keep building a future with lasting relationships.”

Short CV

Dr. Benjamin Cocquelin is the Director of Research and Development at Tiama, a leading company in the field of glass inspection and process improvment systems accelerating the sustainable transition of the packaging industry.

He holds a degree in Engineering from Insitut d’Optique Graduate school, where he specialized in Laser Physics. He holds a Doctorate in Laser and quantum physics for space applications. At the beginning of his carreer, he worked for different French public organizations CNRS, CNES and CEA. Then he worked as project manager for the Laser Industry in Eolite Systems.

At Tiama, Benjamin Cocquelin has been driving forward the company’s R&D initiatives, leading a team of dedicated engineers and researchers, working in close collaboration with packaging manufacturers.

He was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2024 in Gdansk, Poland.

”Using my vast experience in the machine vision industry, I would like to serve the EMVA in order to improve the visibility of the Association in lesser represented and emerging countries. Additionally, I would like to serve the EMVA and its members in order to prepare for new challenges the machine vision world is facing.
Finally, my service would also help the coordination of local machine vision associations to have a unified vision in Europe.”

Short CV

Marco Diani has more than 35 years of experience in Machine and Computer Vision. He developed a keen interest in Machine Vision in 1983 while he was a student at the University of Pavia, where he received his degree in Electronic Engineering in 1986. His thesis was in Machine Vision and he continued his education, ultimately receiving his PhD in Machine Vision in 1989. His PhD research project was in vision to determine the best path of movement of an object in 3D space. He also authored and co-authored nearly 30 national and international scientific publications during his studies.

Marco has spent his entire carrier in the Machine Vision industry. In 1987 he established a system integration company that developed industrial vision systems that is still in business. Among the company’s many achievements, he is most proud of the company’s design and manufacture of the first blister pack inspection system made in Italy for the pharmaceutical industry.
In 1994, he was one of the founding partners of iMAGE S, a leading distributor of machine vision components in Italy and one of the original members of the EMVA. Over the last 27 years he was instrumental in leading the company, together with his partners, to become the reference point for all the Italian system integrators and OEM’s that are working in vision. iMAGE S prides itself in its contributions to the Machine Vision industry by furthering its reach to prospective students and scientists. This is done through teaching machine vision courses and seminars to high schools, universities and research laboratories throughout Italy.
After the acquisition of iMAGE S by Next Imaging in 2018, Marco has continued as one of the CEOs of iMAGE S and provides leadership for the group’s new challenges. He is also member of the board of Next Imaging.

For nearly three decades Marco has attended many industry events globally searching for new technologies that can be integrated into Machine Vision systems and ultimately learning about emerging trends in Machine Vision. Over the past seven years, this has expanded to embedded vision and edge processing. His globally participation includes EMVA conferences, the Vision Show, A3 (AIA) events, JIIA conferences and meetings, and Vision China Show.

Marco was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2021, held in online format and the last time reelected in 2024.

”Since more than 20 years, I am fascinated by Machine Vision as one of the key technologies and innovation drivers of the 21st century. The international Machine Vision industry is blessed with many small and medium-sized enterprises, which develop and produce outstanding products for various target markets. Such as my company Vision Markets, I am eager to dedicate my work at the EMVA board to making the Machine Vision industry thrive, globally.
In line with such mission, I will support the EMVA in providing its members with competitive advantages. EMVA members shall benefit from enhanced access to their target customers, shared market intelligence as well as facilitated know-how exchange and collaboration.”

Short CV

As an expert in the global machine vision industry, Ronald Müller is known for his technical know-how, his management skills, and his first-hand experience in global machine vision sales. Based on these competencies, Ronald founded the consulting firm Vision Markets in 2014. The team of Vision Markets is dedicated to making ambitious players thrive in the global growth market of machine vision by four major consulting services: Strategy including market reports, M&A, Recruitment, and Marketing.
Ronald has served on the EMVA board of directors since 2021. As chair of the committee for member benefits, he has advocated for additional services, e.g. in connecting members with customers from target verticals. Ronald initiated various peer groups where our members can learn from each other about common business challenges and gave various keynote speeches at events on behalf of the EMVA.

Following his mission to drive the growth of the Machine Vision industry, Ronald serves as member of three innovation award juries and various advisory boards of international trade conferences. He is a frequently invited speaker at trade events to share his insights into trends of the machine vision market. His regular columns are published in the leading trade magazines of Europe and North America. Beyond, Ronald is spearheading the formation of an Indian Machine Vision Association with ties to the EMVA.

Ronald was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2021, held in online format, being reelected in Gdansk, Poland, in 2024.

”Together, we achieve more and make new solutions possible. This is especially true in the field of machine vision and even more so in applied research. Despite working in machine vision for over 25 years, each day presents new and highly interesting tasks, keeping my passion for this field alive.
I am convinced that future machine vision systems will no longer function as standalone sensors; instead, they will be integrated into holistic sensor and parameter networks within complex production processes, enabling quality-controlled process optimization. Machine vision plays a crucial role in enhancing Europe’s innovative capacity and securing its position as a manufacturing leader.
My primary motivation is to translate research findings into industrial applications, thereby helping companies become more resilient and competitive. I see myself as a bridge between research and industry, merging novel research results with industrial needs and initiating discussions about new solutions and ideas. I look forward to elevating this connection to a broader, international level as an EMVA board member.”

Short CV

Petra Thanner, MSc, MBA, is a Senior Research Engineer at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the largest institution for applied research in Austria. She studied in Vienna, Krems, and Anchorage (Alaska) and focuses on developing new solutions for automating optical quality control.

Since starting her career in machine vision in 1995, she has been actively involved in applied research. Currently, she oversees Business Development activities for the High-Performance Vision Systems Competence Unit, which focuses on researching and developing new technologies and solutions for automated industrial inspection. In this role, she bridges cutting-edge scientific research with industry needs, fostering innovations for optimized and sustainable production processes. Additionally, she leads the 3D inspection and measurement team, dedicated to developing innovative technologies for inline 3D and 2D quality assurance methods.

The High-Performance Vision Systems Group at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology holds a recognized position in the field of high-performance image processing at an international technological and scientific level. The experts work in close cooperation with leading companies from industry and the public sector in the key technology areas of “3D image processing” and “automated optical quality inspection”. The services offered range from strategic research to prototype development and integration into the plant. The close cooperation with industry enables cutting-edge technologies for high-performance inspection systems that are successfully used both nationally and internationally.

Petra was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2024, held in Gdansk, Poland.

”Building the bridge between IT and OT to enable next generation AI enabled Computer Vision applications.”

Short CV

As long term EMVA member it would be an honor for me to represent the community as a board member.

My field of expertise lays in the computational part (x86 and ARM), as I’ve been in the IT business for over 20 years. The last 10+ years I’ve been working at Advantech, who is a market leader in Industrial PC, as a Product Manager and Solution Architect, where I’ve been helping and educating our sales teams and customer with Computer Vision application requirements.

Over the last 5 years my focus has been on AI enabled applications, going from traditional x86 with Frame Grabbers towards optimized accelerated systems. During those years we’ve developed a sustainable ECO-System for customers in this new era of AI enable Computer Vision applications. With my experience added to the board, I believe we can bridge the GAP of IT and OT.

Maurice was elected into the EMVA Board of Directors by the General Assembly 2024, held in Gdansk, Poland.