MARBLE, UNIZG-FER Laboratory of Underwater Systems and Technologies (LABUST), and IEEE OES University of Zagreb Student Branch Chapter are organizing a lecture “Bridging Research and Industry in Robotics: From Technology Transfer to Operational Deployment” held by Franck Gonzalez and Romain Thomas from the Pristine Robotics company (France), as part of the MARBLE project.
The lecture will place on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the MARBLE HQ.
Summary of the lecture:
Robotics innovation often emerges from the research world, but its industrial impact depends on the ability to bridge very different cultures, timeframes and operational constraints. In this talk, Franck GONZALEZ and Romain THOMAS will share Pristine Robotics’ perspective on how technical expertise, technology transfer and hands-on engineering can be combined to turn research outcomes into deployable robotic systems based on the French technology-transfer and research ecosystem.
Short CV — Franck GONZALEZ
Franck GONZALEZ, PhD is Associate and Managing Director of Pristine Robotics, a French robotics engineering company based in Rennes. He holds a PhD in haptic interfaces from Université Pierre et Marie Curie — Paris VI and completed a post-doctorate at Imperial College London. His work focuses on mobile robotics, embedded systems, mechatronics, control software and ROS 2 integration, with experience in European R&D programmes including H2020, FET and ERC-level proposals. At Pristine Robotics, he leads technical strategy, client delivery and systems-level engineering for complex robotic projects across land, marine and industrial domains.
Short CV — Romain THOMAS
Romain THOMAS, PhD is Associate and Managing Director at Pristine Robotics, where he leads technology-transfer and international innovation activities. He holds a PhD in computer science, with a background in simulation and artificial intelligence, and completed post-doctoral research at the Collège de France on logical models applied to neurophysiology. Over the past 20 years, he has worked across deep-tech entrepreneurship, research valorisation and innovation strategy, including technology-transfer operations at Orange Labs, SATT Ouest Valorisation and ASPIRE in Abu Dhabi. His experience includes managing large technology portfolios, supporting deep-tech startups, and structuring international programmes between Europe and the Middle East.
