Dr. Fotios Konstantinidis and Panagiotis Zoumpoulis participated in the European Robotics Forum 2026 (ERF2026) in Stavanger, Norway 23-27 of March, representing Wood2Wood project. Our researchers contributed to a series of activities that highlighted the role of robotics in Europe’s transition toward more sustainable, circular, and competitive industrial systems. ERF is one of Europe’s main annual meeting points for the robotics and AI community, bringing together research, industry, investors, end-users, and policy stakeholders.
A first important activity was the participation in the euRobotics General Assembly, which took place as part of the broader ERF2026 programme in Stavanger and offered the opportunity to engage with the wider European robotics ecosystem on collaboration priorities and future directions. (erf2026.eu)
A second key contribution was to the workshop “Rewriting the smart sustainable manufacturing playbook”. This workshop was part of the official ERF2026 programme, and it was space where industry, policymakers, and researchers would co-create strategies to support European industrial resilience and competitiveness. In this context, Fotios presented how robotics, intelligent sensing, and AI/GenAI are reshaping sorting and resource recovery systems and supporting more precise and higher-value recycling processes.
A third highlight was the co-organisation of the workshop “Bio-inspired intelligence and technology for next-generation industrial robotics”, which was also included in the official ERF2026 programme. . In this context, Panagiotis Zoumpoulis among the contributors to that session provided insights, which focused on how bio-inspired approaches can support the next generation of industrial robotic systems.
In parallel, the ERF2026 scientific programme included the paper “Development and Deployment of a High-Speed Pneumatic Finger Gripper for Construction and Demolition Waste Sorting.” The paper was presented by Panagiotis Zoumpoulis, while Dr. Fotios Konstantinidis contributed as co-author. The work focuses on the development of a high-speed robotic gripper for effective sorting of construction and demolition waste, supporting more advanced recovery pathways and reinforcing the role of robotics in circular value chains and sustainable waste management.
Learn more about the the European Robotics Forum 2026 (ERF2026) and Wood2Wood project at https://erf2026.eu/ & https://www.wood2wood-project.eu/
