Andre Sharon received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, and the B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. He has accumulated over 20 years of experience, both industrial and academic, developing and deploying computer-controlled automation equipment for several industries, ranging from submicron, high-precision machinery for optoelectronics, biotechnology, and semiconductor fabrication to high-speed assembly of consumer products. As Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation and Professor of Manufacturing Engineering at Boston University, Boston, MA, he works closely with faculty, students, and engineers to develop next-generation manufacturing technologies for local and international clients. Drawing upon Fraunhofer's and Boston University's vast research base and working closely with industry, the Center goes beyond the scope of traditional academic research to develop and deploy actual working technologies all the way to the factory floor. Prior to joining Fraunhofer/Boston University, he co-founded and served as Executive Officer of the MIT Manufacturing Institute. Prior to joining MIT, he spent seven years at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center and IBM's General Technology Division developing manufacturing machinery and test equipment for computer components. In September of 2000, he founded kSARIA Corporation, a company focused on providing cutting-edge process automation equipment to the optical communication industry. Recently, he co-founded Boston Array Technologies, a company that develops new diagnostic tools based on peptide arrays synthesis technology. Prof. Sharon is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal, Robotics and Computer Integrated Manufacturing.