diff --git a/presentation/mainmatter/introduction.tex b/presentation/mainmatter/introduction.tex
index 5c4873ff92af00d63fb0d4b0d0d5cc6dcc069598..fba2d918ac6a886d859c5b3873c8156b5841e1bd 100644
--- a/presentation/mainmatter/introduction.tex
+++ b/presentation/mainmatter/introduction.tex
@@ -8,51 +8,62 @@
   \vspace*{-2em}
   \begin{columns}[t]
     \begin{column}{0.5\linewidth}
-      \vspace*{1em}
+      \vspace*{0em}
       % \textbf{\color{fzjblue}{Research group}}
       \begin{center}
 
         \includegraphics[width=1.0\textwidth]{../resources-local/map-europe-stsm/map-cropped-1.png}\vspace{0.5em}
 
-        \begin{columns}[t]
-          % \begin{column}{0.3\linewidth}
-          %   \hspace*{0em}
-          %   Working Groups
-          % \end{column}
-          \begin{column}{0.5\linewidth}
+        \begin{columns}[c]
+          \begin{column}{0.25\linewidth}
             \hspace*{0em}
-            \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{../resources/fig/logos/cost-daemon/cost-daemon-wg1.png}
+            {\small Members of / Objectives:}
           \end{column}
-          \begin{column}{0.5\linewidth}
+          \begin{column}{0.35\linewidth}
             \hspace*{0em}
-            \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{../resources/fig/logos/cost-daemon/cost-daemon-wg2.png}
+            \includegraphics[width=0.66\textwidth]{../resources/fig/logos/cost-daemon/cost-daemon-wg1.png}
+          \end{column}
+          \begin{column}{0.35\linewidth}
+            \hspace*{0em}
+            \includegraphics[width=0.66\textwidth]{../resources/fig/logos/cost-daemon/cost-daemon-wg2.png}
           \end{column}
         \end{columns}
       \end{center}
     \end{column}
-    % \vrule{}
-    \hspace*{2em}
+    % \vrule{}                    % vertical separator line
+    \hspace*{1em}
 
     \begin{column}{0.4\linewidth}
       \vspace*{-1em}
       \textbf{\color{fzjblue}{Host}}\vspace*{1em}
 
-      \includegraphics[width=0.3\linewidth]{../resources-local/map-europe-stsm/sanvito-1.jpg}%
-      % \hspace*{2.0em}\includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{../resources/fig/logos/tcd.ie/Trinity-College-Dublin-Logo.png}
-      \hspace*{1.0em}\includegraphics[width=0.7\linewidth]{../resources/fig/logos/tcd.ie/Trinity_Main_Logo.jpg}
+      % use two minipages to vertically center-align the side-by-side images
+      \begin{minipage}[c]{0.3\linewidth}
+        \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{../resources-local/map-europe-stsm/sanvito-1.jpg}%
+      \end{minipage}%
+      \hspace*{1.0em}%
+      \begin{minipage}[c]{0.7\linewidth}
+        \hspace*{1.0em}\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{../resources/fig/logos/tcd.ie/Trinity_Main_Logo.jpg}
+      \end{minipage}
 
-      {\color{fzjblue}{Prof. Dr. Stefano Sanvito\\Computational Spintronics Group}}
+      \vspace*{0.5em}Prof. Dr. Stefano Sanvito\\Computational Spintronics Group
 
       % \vspace*{1em}
-      % \hrule{}
+      % \hrule{}                  % horizontal separator line
       \vspace*{2em}
 
       \textbf{\color{fzjblue}{Visitor}}\vspace*{1em}
 
-      \includegraphics[width=0.3\linewidth]{../resources/fig/poster_2022-08-22/visitenkarte/profile-picture2_original.jpg}%
-      \hspace*{1.0em}\includegraphics[width=0.6\linewidth]{../resources/fig/logos/fzj/logo-fzj.pdf}
+      % use two minipages to vertically center-align the side-by-side images
+      \begin{minipage}[c]{0.3\linewidth}
+        \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{../resources/fig/poster_2022-08-22/visitenkarte/profile-picture2_original.jpg}
+      \end{minipage}%
+      \hspace*{1.0em}%
+      \begin{minipage}[c]{0.6\linewidth}
+        \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{../resources/fig/logos/fzj/logo-fzj.pdf}
+      \end{minipage}
 
-      {\color{fzjblue}{Johannes Wasmer\\Quantum Theory of Materials Group}}
+      \vspace*{0.5em}Johannes Wasmer\\Quantum Theory of Materials Group
     \end{column}
   \end{columns}
 \end{frame}