Prof. Andrey Ronzhin is Director of St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SP¿ RAS). He is a specialist in the field of human-machine interaction research, artificial intelligence and robotics. Under his leadership the technological foundations for the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning methods in the digital means of natural language analysis and control of interoperable socio-cyber-physical and robotic systems were developed. Mathematical and algorithmic models, methods and prototypes of proactive automation tools for information, physical and energy interaction of heterogeneous robotic and cyber-physical complexes have been developed. He is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Informatics and automation", member of the editorial board of the journals "Analysis and data processing systems", "Computational Technologies". He is member of the Scientific Boards of Departments of the Russian academy of sciences "ScientificFoundations of Information Technologies and Automation", "Robotics and Mechatronics", "Theory and control processes", "Mechanical engineering". He is a member of the Academy of Navigation and Motion Control. He is Co-Chair of International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Robotics (ICR). Mikalai Bakach is Deputy General Director for Scientific Work of the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agricultural Mechanization". Candidate of Technical Sciences since 03.12.2002. Associate Professor in the specialty "Agroengineering Systems" since 04/13/2011. Under the leadership and with direct participation, a number of machines have been developed that have been mastered by the industry of the republic, including combined soil-cultivating machines with active-passive working bodies MRP-2.1, PAN-3, MPP-3, FM-3, MTD-3, a mounted cultivator chisel KNCh-4.2, mechanical corn seeder SKN-6, combined tillage units with active working bodies PAN-3-01, FSB-1.8, etc. He is a leading specialist in the republic in the field of mechanization of tillage processes, technical improvement of crops and increasing the productivity of agricultural land. Under his leadership, a number of machines were developed that were mastered by the industry of the republic: a combined soil-cultivating unit PAN-3.6; a set of machines for collecting stones, including a pick-up-transporter of boulder stones PVK-1 for collecting stones measuring 30-70 cm, a rake of small stones VMK-3, a pick-up of stones from rolls PKV-1.5 and a rake-pick-up of stones MPK-4, machines for pre-harvest removal of potato tops MBU-3.0 and MBU-3.6; wide-cut cultivator KP-9, mechanical grain seeders: trailed SZTM-4 and mounted SZTM-4N, etc. In addition, Bakach M.G. is responsible for coordinating work on the implementation of tasks within the framework of state programs of scientific and scientific-technical research, scientific and technical programs of the Union State, individual projects of fundamental and applied scientific research of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, incl. and joint international projects. Academician Alexander Kostyaev is chief scientist of Institute of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Acad. Kostyaev was elected an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2013 and is distinguished scientist in the field of economics and planning of the agro-industrial complex, economic and social problems of the agro-industrial economy of the North. Acad. Kostyaev put forward theoretical propositions that are fundamentally new for science and practice, revealing the actions of objective market laws that form territorial heterogeneity in the development of agriculture and agribusiness, substantiated the directions of regional policy, allowing to mitigate the negative consequences of "market imperfections" in the agricultural sector of the country's economy, investigated the mechanisms of development of rural areas¿ He is author of over 320 scientific works, including 17 monographs in the field of economics and management of the agro-industrial complex, methodology and theory of regional agro-economic research, sustainable development of rural areas.
