Dr Balota holds a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering and is a Lecturer in Computer Science at Teesside University, with extensive prior experience in IT consultancy and applied digital systems development. His research expertise spans IoT, wireless sensor networks, data capture and monitoring, digital twinning, industrial digitalisation and end-to-end solution development, all of which are directly relevant to the project. In addition to his academic role, Dr Balota is an Innovation Technician (Cyber–Physical Systems) at the Industrial Digitalisation Technology Centre (IDTC), where he supports SMEs across the Tees Valley in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. This dual academic–industrial role positions him well to bridge research innovation with real-world deployment and stakeholder engagement. https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=ZuVCOGwAAAAJ&hl