32al/Olivier Bau

Olivier conceives and develops new interactive technologies, applications and experiences. He is the founder of 32al, an independent Research & Development agency that specializes in Interaction Design and Technologies. Before starting 32al, he led multi-disciplinary R&D projects in the Think Tank Team at Samsung, focusing on the conception and development of new interactive technologies for products. He also worked at Disney Research in Pittsburgh, Sony Corporate Laboratories in Tokyo and Paris, as well as at the MIT MediaLab.

His academic research has also been reported in popular media, such as CNN, BBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired or Engadget. He is a co-inventor on over 15 patents and applications. His background is in Computer Science, Cognitive Sciences and Design. Olivier received his PhD in Computer Science from INRIA in Paris, France.

Bernd Hopfengärtner

As a speculative designer Bernd has been applying speculative design and fiction in foresight, academia and the cultural scene. He has worked commercially with clients such as Deutsche Bahn, Evonik and Volkswagen, and in academia as a faculty member at the Bauhaus University Weimar and the Cologne Academy of Media Art.

His work has been exhibited internationally in venues such as the Wellcome Trust in London, the MoMA in New York and the National Museum of China in Beijing. He has been awarded the prize of the Bauhaus-University Weimar and the Core77 Design Award. Bernd holds an M.A. in Design Interactions from the Royal College of Art in London.