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JUNTA DE COMUNIDADES DE CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
KIVANÇ
ÖZKAN
Kıvanç Özkan serves as the Coordinator of the OliVR Project. He completed his undergraduate studies at Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture. He holds an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Akdeniz University and an MA in English Language Teaching. He has been working as an Agricultural Engineer and subject-matter expert at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye for 15 years. In addition to his technical duties, he provides professional training at UTEM/IATC on “Project Cycle Management” and “English Text Analysis and Translation Practices in the Field of Agriculture.”
e-mail: starklor06@gmail.com
HAŞMET
GÜRÇAY
Hasmet Gurcay is currently the director of Computer Graphics Department at Hacettepe University, TR. He received his PhD degree in Mathematics in 1991 from Hacettepe University. Several times, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University Tubingen in the WSI-GRIS group. His research interests include computer animation, visualization, computational geometry and VR.
e-mail: gurcay@hacettepe.edu.tr
PETROS
ROUSSOS
Petros A. Roussos is a Professor and the Director of the Laboratory of Pomology at the Agricultural University of Athens. His academic background includes a BSc, MSc, and PhD in Crop Science from the same university, with research focused primarily on olive propagation, fruit tree physiology, and cultivation techniques. He has authored numerous scientific publications on fruit quality, biochemical profiling, and innovative horticultural practices, and he teaches courses related to pomology and perennial crop production. His work is widely recognized within Mediterranean horticultural research, particularly in the areas of olive and fruit tree biotechnology.
FRANCISCO
JOSE CASTILLO
RUIZ
Francisco José Castillo Ruiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rural Engineering at the University of Córdoba (UCO), specializing in agricultural mechanization, precision agriculture, and sustainable engineering solutions for Mediterranean cropping systems. His work focuses particularly on mechanized olive production, harvesting technologies, and the development of innovative machinery for improving efficiency and resource management in perennial crops. He has contributed to numerous national and international research projects, authored peer-reviewed publications on precision irrigation, mechanized harvesting, and digital tools for orchard management, and actively teaches in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including UCO’s Digital Agriculture master’s programme.
SARA RODRIGO
GOMEZ
Mrs. Rodrigo-Gómez holds a PhD specializing in plant health of woody crops and has authored more than 25 scientific papers, popular science articles, and conference communications. She currently works as a Plant Health Technician at JCCM, where she contributes to monitoring, management, and prevention programs related to crop health. In addition to her technical work, she has significant experience as an instructor, delivering both in-person and distance-learning courses for farmers, agricultural technicians, and the general public.
FRANCISCO JIMENEZ JIMENEZ
The researcher, who holds a Doctorate in Agricultural Engineering, is currently working as a Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food Science and Technology (AGR-170) at the University of Cordoba. He holds the accreditations of Assistant Professor, Contracted Professor, and Private University Professor granted by ANECA. Currently, he holds a research doctor contract under the grants awarded to universities and public research entities through the Resolution of December 30, 2019, within the scope of the Andalusian Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation (PAIDI 2020).
NIKOLETA
DENAXA
Nikoleta-Kleio Denaxa is an Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Pomology, Faculty of Crop Science, at the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), where she specializes in pomology, olive cultivation, fruit tree physiology, and plant stress physiology.
She has authored nearly 30 peer-reviewed publications, investigating topics such as rooting and vegetative propagation of olive cultivars, effects of abiotic stress (drought, heat, salinity) on crop physiology, and quality and biochemical composition of fruit of various tree-crops.
ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ LIZANA
Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana is a Full Professor (Dr. Agronomist / Agricultural Engineer) at the University of Seville (Spain), affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Mechanization / Agro-Forestry Engineering and also connected to the Centre for Mechanization, Rural Technology and Olive Research (CEMTRO). His main areas of expertise and research are conservation agriculture, sustainable soil management, mechanization and application machinery (especially in olive orchards), soil erosion, water and nutrient loss mitigation, and environmentally friendly agro-engineering practices. Over his career he has authored/co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, addressing topics such as mulch covers of pruning residues, cover crops in olive groves, pesticide application optimization, soil carbon sequestration, and sustainable mechanization.
GREGORIO
L. BLANCO ROLDAN
Prof. Dr. Blanco-Roldán is University Professor (2023- ) at the Department of Rural Engineering of the School of Agricultural and Forest Engineering (ETSIAM) of the University of Córdoba (UCO) in the Agricultural and Forest Mechanization Unit. He has been professor at different public universities: Almería (2000-2002), Sevilla (2002-2003) and Córdoba (2003- ), lecturing the topics of agricultural and forest mechanization and safety and health at work, in degree, master and PhD programs. His research work is related to the lecture topics, being organized in three main areas: mechanical harvesting of fruit, application equipment of phytosanitary and characterization of mechanized operations, with special dedication to the olive grove. As a result, he has published several technical books, JCR articles, more than 50 technical and dissemination articles and has given more than 50 lectures in courses and technical conferences on agriculture and forest mechanisation