Nicole Berx is Innovation Manager CVAMO, a core lab of Flanders Make at Ghent University, where she combines her academic and business expertise to foster collaboration between academia and industry, by supporting the translation of academic knowledge and research into impactful solutions for industry. Motivated by a deep interest in human-machine collaboration, Nicole made the transition from a career in business to academia in 2020 by obtaining a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Her research focuses on the implications of human-machine collaboration for occupational health and safety and explores the transformative impact of digitalization on society, organizations, workplaces and employees. Prior to her academic career, Nicole co-founded The House of Marketing. After the acquisition of The House of Marketing in 2014, she continued to combine her role as Senior Business Manager with the launch of a new data company. Earlier in her career, Nicole held various marketing positions for international companies, where she developed a strong interest in business strategy. Nicole thrives in multidisciplinary environments because of her results-oriented mindset, strong ethical principles and collaborative spirit. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from KU Leuven (Belgium), an MSc in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina (USA) and an MSc in Business Engineering from UHasselt (Belgium).