His primary focus will be on the safety of self-driving vehicles. Dr. Razdan was attracted to Estonia by the opportunity to conduct high-level research and the unique e-residency program, which enables him to manage his businesses in Estonia while based in Florida.

As a visiting professor, Dr. Razdan will contribute to the research efforts of TalTech's Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Autonomous Vehicles research group, fostering international collaboration, mentoring PhD students, and developing joint projects. His main goal is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in this field.

"TalTech has been an excellent research partner for many years, and the e-residency program made deepening our relationship particularly appealing," stated Dr. Razdan, who is the CEO of Razdan Research Institute and a recipient of the prestigious John von Neumann Award from the Fulbright Program.

The collaboration between TalTech and Dr. Razdan began in 2019 when Raivo Sell, creator of Estonia's first self-driving car, Iseauto, completed a training program with Dr. Razdan's research group in Florida. "Over the years, this collaboration has expanded through joint projects and scientific publications," noted Raivo Sell, a robotics professor at TalTech.

Dr. Razdan's journey into autonomous vehicles began when he was invited by Florida Polytechnic University's president to develop self-driving technologies. "Florida has made significant investments in establishing an autonomous vehicle testing track near the university," he explained. His research strategy involves leveraging open-source software and solutions to accelerate innovation, allowing for open access to research findings and facilitating collaboration among scientists and businesses.

Dr. Razdan emphasized his surprise at discovering that a team in Estonia had not only embraced an open-source approach but had also developed a functioning autonomous vehicle, TalTech's Iseauto, in record time. This led to a formal collaboration that has grown over six years, during which he has made several visits to Estonia, exploring its medieval history and culture while experiencing its colder climate compared to Florida.

An experienced scientist and entrepreneur with a background in academia, startups, and Fortune 500 companies, Dr. Razdan has held leadership positions at Flextronics and Cadence Design Systems. He has founded successful startups focusing on wireless energy, machine learning, and low-power electronics design.

His research has spanned institutions such as Florida Polytechnic University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Institute for Human Machine Cognition. Currently serving as CEO of Raztech Research Institute—an organization that generates ideas at the intersection of technology and society—Dr. Razdan leads active projects including the Autonomous Vehicles Validation Consortium and initiatives in STEM education.

Dr. Razdan holds a Bachelor's degree (1984) and Master's degree (1985) from Carnegie Mellon University and earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University (1994).