Plenary Speakers
Nicos M. Timotheou
Director & Managing Consultant, NAN Strategic Change Consultants Ltd, Cyprus
The IEEE Life Senior Member, Nicos M. Timotheou, offers consulting services in the areas of ICT, BoD and Executive Management Performance, Business Intelligence and Performance Management, Strategy, Business Process Management and Corporate Governance. He serves as Non-executive Director and as consultant to the CEO/MD in a number of companies. He served for nine years as CEO of the Cyprus Telecommunications (CYTA), from where he retired in 2007 after a 34-year successful career. He has served as a NED of BoD/University of Cyprus, CPEA, BoC/IMSC/USC/LA/USA and as Chairman, IEEE Cyprus Section and of EBENCY. He has been a CEng, FIEE and is a Member/ETEK (S&TCC) and MCPEA.
He is a Dipl Eng (E&M), NTUA, Athens, Greece and holds a Diploma in Management. He followed postgraduate professional studies in Advanced Telecommunications in Germany. He has participated and talked at numerous conferences, symposia, seminars and workshops in Europe, USA, Africa and the Far East.
Engineering Leadership for Success
Abstract
Business success equals creation and DELIVERY of value to all stakeholders.
Engineers and especially Engineering Leaders ask themselves:
• Who are my stakeholders and what value do they expect from me?
• How will I lead and manage so as to create and deliver the maximum value to my stakeholders in an optimum, sustainable way?
• To what should I primarily devote my energy: Formulating and executing my unit’s / my own value proposition and delivery, in the context of my unit’s / own Mission or formulating and executing my unit’s / my own strategy, in the context of my unit’s / my own Vision?
• Which are my main duties and in what mix and balance?
Matthias Reumann
Sustainable Resilient Health Systems Research, IBM Research – Zurich, Switzerland
Global Leadership Team of IBM Research for Healthcare and Member of the Leadership Team IBM DACH Healthcare and Lifescience
Matthias Reumann (1978) received the Masters of Engineering in Electronics with the Tripartite Diploma from the University of Southampton, UK, in 2003 and continued his PhD studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology with Prof. Olaf Doessel at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Universitaet Karlsruhe (TH). Reumann focused on translational research in cardiac models and his PhD with summa cum laude in 2007. The research was awarded with two prestigious research awards by both clinical and biomedical professional societies. Reumann continued research in multi-scale systems biology at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY. His work focused on creating high resolution heart models that scale on supercomputers that yielded several high profile publications in Science Translational Medicine, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Supercomputing. He expanded his research interest to Genomics in 2010 at the IBM Research Collaboartory for Lifesciences – Melbourne, investigating higher order interaction of single nucleotide polymorphisms in breast and prostate cancer in collaboration with Prof. John Hopper. In 2011, Reumann build up and the healthcare research team at the IBM Research – Australia laboratory with focus areas in healthcare analytics, medical image processing and genomics. The goal in genomics was to bring next generation sequencing into a production environment in a public health microbiology diagnostic unit. Reumann moved back to Europe in December 2013 and joined the IBM Research – Zurich laboratory where his research focusses on sustainable, resilient health systems research to bridge the divide from bench to bedside to society. Reumann is associate editor of the IEEE Journal on Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, Senior Member of the IEEE and has served on the Administrative Committee of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society from 2009 – 2013 as well as on the IEEE Technical Advisory Board form 2011 – 2012. His research is mentioned in editorials and reviews.
Big data and cognitive computing in healthcare: weathering the perfect storm
Abstract
Big data in healthcare is experiencing the perfect storm: The volume is increasing exponentially with accelerating speed, the variety of data ranges from multi-omics information to lifestyle measures with the help of mobile devices backed by cloud infrastructures. State of the art analytical methods are generally limited by computational approaches. Furthermore, the convergence of data analytics, sophisticated modelling approaches and cognitive computing gives promise to solve the big data challenges in healthcare and lifescience. Data analytics especially in todays ‘omics era yield results of large volumes given computational challenges are overcome. Sieving through the results requires expert and translational knowledge. Cognitive computing can play a significant role in making transparent results. Cognitive computing tools can be used to create hypotheses to guide experimental studies but also as prior knowledge that drives data analytics. The increasing amount of data requires a larger amount of computation that can at some point only be tackled using supercomputers. In biophysical modelling we have already shown how the computational challenge can be overcome using high performance computing systems. The sophistication of computer modelling of biophysical processes has made the transition from basic research to translational science and medicine. It is feasible today that data in healthcare will be augmented by simulation of biophysical models tailored to each patient. Cognitive computing is a promising path to make the analytical results transparent. The IBM WatsonTM technology allows analysis results to be represented within a global context of accumulated knowledge of published literature. To view data and analysis in that global context will not only enable verification of results, but also helps accelerate discovery and identification of, for example, new targets in drug discovery. The combination of data-driven and knowledge-based analytics in a cognitive computing environment becomes a powerful way to create hypothesis and to limit the search space so that it can efficiently be tested using traditional laboratory methods. The IBM WatsonTM technology allows one to find “the needle in the haystack” of today’s big data challenge. Hence, the power of big data can only be unleashed by embracing new approaches in data-driven analysis within a cognitive computing environment. This creates a holistic view that places big data analytics into the context of the accumulated knowledge of the scientific community.
Jovica V Milanovic
Professor of Electrical Power Engineering, Deputy Head of School and Director of External Affairs in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester, UK
Jovica V Milanovic received Dipl.Ing. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Ph.D. degree from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and D.Sc. degree from The University of Manchester, UK. Prior to joining The University of Manchester, UK, in 1998, he worked with “Energoproject”, Engineering and Consulting Co. and the University of Belgrade in Yugoslavia, and the Universities of Newcastle and Tasmania in Australia. Currently, he is a Professor of Electrical Power Engineering, Deputy Head of School and Director of External Affairs in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester, UK, Visiting Professor at the University of Novi Sad and the University of Belgrade, Serbia and Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He was chairman of 3 international conferences , editor or member of editorial/technical boards of 50+ international journals and conferences, research project assessor for 12 international government research funding councils, member of 7 (convenor of 2) past or current IEEE/CIGRE/CIRED WG and consultant or member of advisory boards for several international companies.
Professor Milanovic published over 400 research papers and reports, gave many key note speeches at international conferences and presented over 120 courses/tutorials and lectures to industry and academia around the world. Professor Milanovic is a Chartered Engineer in the UK, Foreign member of the Serbian Academy of Engineering Sciences, FIET, FIEEE, Distinguished IEEE PES Lecturer and currently serves on IEEE PES Governing Board as Regional Representative for Europe, Middle east and Africa.
Modelling and control challenges of sustainable power systems
Abstract
The future power systems will be characterised by blurred boundaries between transmission and distribution system, by mix of wide range of electricity generating technologies (conventional hydro, thermal, nuclear and power electronic interfaced stochastic and intermittent renewable generation), responsive and highly flexible, typically power electronics interfaced, demand and storage with significant temporal and spatial uncertainty, proliferation of power electronics (HVDC, FACTS devices and new types of load devices) and significantly higher reliance on the use of measurement data including global (Wide Area Monitoring) signals for system identification, characterization and control and Information and Communication Technology embedded within the power system network and its components.
In order to successfully control such complex system its parts and components and to ensure its stability and security at acceptable cost, the system modelling and analysis need to cater for significantly increased uncertainties, both in terms of model uncertainties and operational uncertainties, and for efficient knowledge extraction from large amount of data coming from different types of local and wide area distributed data acquisition devices and monitors.
This presentation identifies some of the challenges associated with the modelling and analysis of such complex systems, suggests possible approaches to deal with them and gives examples of methodologies that can be used to successfully model, analyse and control them.
L. Gene Kornegay
Country Manager, Republic of Cyprus, Noble Energy
L. Gene Kornegay is the Republic of Cyprus Country Manager for Noble Energy, based in Nicosia, Cyprus. He previously served for Noble Energy as Country Manager of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, one of the company’s core producing areas, and Country Manager of the Republic of Cameroon. Prior to joining Noble Energy, Mr. Kornegay served as President, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors of GLOBEX Energy Inc., until it was sold to Marathon Oil Corporation. GLOBEX was a privately held international upstream oil and natural gas company based in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Kornegay began his career in the private practice of law, representing major companies in a variety of complex litigation and arbitration cases, when his client Conoco invited him to join the company. While holding a variety of negotiation and management positions of increasing responsibility, he completed business transactions between Conoco and Phillips before they merged and with governments in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
In the mid-1990s, as President of Conoco Middle East Ltd., he initiated and led a team of multi-disciplinary professionals in an effort that became the first upstream petroleum agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran following the revolution in 1979. This achievement required the development of an innovative, multifaceted contractual model. Other unique transactions he led include an agreement with the Government of Cambodia in an international boundary dispute area and marginal field agreements in Indonesia.
Mr. Kornegay serves on Noble Energy’s Corporate Compliance and Ethics Committee and has served on the board of Bryan Texas Utilities, where he has served as Secretary and Vice Chairman. He served on the Board of Directors of BTU QSE Services from 2005-2010 and Texas Municipal Power Agency from 2006-2010. He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of Texas A&M University.
Mr. Kornegay’s career path led him and his family to live in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He and his wife Donna currently reside in Nicosia, Cyprus.
He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with honors, from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from Baylor University School of Law.
Eastern Mediterranean Natural Gas: Resources for Today and the Future
Abstract
The Eastern Mediterranean is in the early stages of becoming a center of energy resources for the region and potentially other parts of the world. This presentation will address the current status and what are the possibilities for the future.
COST Special Session
Ralph Stübner
Science Officer, COST Association, EU
Dr Ralph Stübner has been a Science Officer at the COST Association since 2011, responsible for COST Actions addressing information and communication technologies, materials and/or physics. Prior to joining COST, he had worked for three years as Project Officer at the European Commission, in the area of Future and Emerging Technologies, Directorate General Information Society and Media, nowadays DG Connect. Before joining the European Commission, he worked for ten years for Infineon Technologies in the development of smart power technologies for automotive applications. He studied physics at the Technical University of Berlin and made his PhD at Siemens AG investigating the electrochemical properties of solid oxide fuel cells.
COST in a nutshell
Abstract
COST is the longest-running European framework supporting trans-national cooperation among researchers, engineers and scholars across Europe. As a pan-European intergovernmental framework, COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) mission is to enable breakthrough scientific and technological developments leading to new concepts and products, thereby to contribute strengthening Europe’s research and innovation capacities. Through its networks, the COST Actions, it allows for researchers, engineers and scholars to jointly develop their own ideas and new initiatives across all scientific disciplines through trans-European coordination of nationally funded research activities. A short introduction to COST Actions, their activities and how to join or create them will be given.
Julio Hernandez-Castro
School of Computing, University of Kent (UK) and INSA Rennes (France)
Julio Hernandez-Castro is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Security at the University of Kent's School of Computing. His research interests are wide, covering from RFID Security to Lightweight Cryptography, and including Steganography and Steganalysis and the design and analysis of CAPTCHAs, to name only a few. He worked before for the University of Portsmouth and Carlos III University in Madrid, Spain. He has been a pre-doctoral Marie Curie fellow and a postdoctoral INRIA fellow. He is also affiliated with the Cybersecurity Center of Kent's University. He is currently the vice-chair of the EU COST project CRYPTACUS. He receives research funding from InnovateUK project aS, EPSRC Project 13375 and EU H2020 project RAMSES.
CRYPTACUS, promising development in IoT security
Julio Hernandez-Castro and Gildas Avoine
Abstract
Recent technological advances in hardware and software have irrevocably affected the classical picture of computing systems. Today, these no longer consist only of connected servers, but involve a wide range of pervasive and embedded devices, leading to the concept of ”ubiquitous computing systems”. But there is an important gap in the need to improve and adapt the existent cryptanalysis methodologies and tools to the ubiquitous computing framework. Efforts should target four axes: cryptographic models, cryptanalysis of building blocks, hardware and software security engineering, and security assessment of real-world systems. Researchers have only recently started to devote serious and prolonged efforts to the study of the security of ubiquitous computing systems. Despite the critical flaws found, the required highly-specialized skills and the isolation of the involved disciplines are a true barrier for identifying additional issues. It is therefore necessary to establish a network of complementary skills, so that expertise in cryptography, information security, privacy, and embedded systems can be put to work together. The outcome of this networking efforts will directly help industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies to increase security and privacy in ubiquitous computing systems, in order to eventually make citizens better protected in their everyday life.
Pedro A. Amado Assuncao
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electronics and Multimedia Communication Systems at the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal
Pedro A. Amado Assunção received the Licenciado and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, in 1988 and 1993, respectively, and the Ph.D. in Electronic Systems Engineering from the University of Essex, UK, in 1998. He is currently Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electronics and Multimedia Communication Systems at the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria and senior researcher at Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, Portugal. He has been involved in several projects in the field of multimedia communications and he served as a reviewer and/or technical programme committee of many international conferences and journals. He is author/co-author of more than one hundred papers published in international scientific conferences and journals, one book, eight book chapters and four US patents. His current research interests include UHD, multiview and light-field video coding, communications and processing, video codec complexity control and networking adaptation based on user-driven approaches, error concealment and quality assessment. He is the Chair of the EU COST Action IC1105, 3D Content Creation, Coding and Transmission over Future Media Networks (3D-ConTourNet) and Senior Member of the IEEE.
Evolution from 3D video to light field coding and transmission over future media networks
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) images and video have been around for decades in a variety of formats and supported by different technologies. In the recent past, these technologies have been given increasing attention from both academia and industry mainly due to advances in capture, coding, transmission and display technologies. 3D video has evolved from stereoscopic towards multi-view video plus depth, enabling immersive and interactive experiences. One of the last important advances in 3D content acquisition is the Plenoptic or Light-Field technology, which has the capability of capturing a dense set of light rays coming from the 3D scene. This is foreseen as a promising technology for 3D multimedia applications and services, which is driving research and technological developments not only due to the huge amount of data required for Light Field representation, but also due to the limited performance of current technology. In this technological context, COST Action IC1105, 3D-Content Creation, Coding and Transmission over Future Media Networks (3D-ConTourNet), is intended to bring together researchers from all the spectrum of the 3D multimedia technology chain to research problems of common interest. In its activities, 3D-ConTourNet has dealt with 3D video, from stereoscopic to Light Field, from content representation and coding to transmission, display and quality measurement involving human factors. This article describes the research context of 3D-ConTourNet, mostly covering recent advances in 3D video communications.
Julius Georgiou
Associate Professor, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
Julius Georgiou (IEEE M’98-SM’08) is an Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus. He received his M.Eng degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Ph.D. degree from Imperial College London in 1998 and 2003 respectively. For two years he worked as Head of Micropower Design in a technology start-up company, Toumaz Technology. In 2004 he joined the Johns Hopkins University as a Postdoctoral Fellow, before becoming a faculty member at the University of Cyprus from 2005 to date. Prof. J. Georgiou is a member of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society, is the Vice-Chair of the BioCAS Technical Committee, as well as a member of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Analog Signal Processing Technical Committee. He served as the General Chair of the 2010 IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference and is the Action Chair of the EU COST Action ICT-1401 on “Memristors-Devices, Models, Circuits, Systems and Applications - MemoCIS”. Prof. Georgiou has been selected as an IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Distinguished Lecturer for 2016-2017. He is also is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems and Associate Editor of the Frontiers in Neuromorphic Engineering Journal. He is a recipient of a best paper award at the IEEE ISCAS 2011 international symposium and at IEEE BioDevices 2008 Conference.
EU COST Action IC1401 – Pushing the Frontiers of Memristive Devices to Systems
Abstract
European Union COST Actions provide the opportunity for researchers who are geographically dispersed to work together towards an ambitious, multidisciplinary goal, whilst learning from each other and avoiding effort duplication. This paper gives a brief overview of work done by, but not limited to, members of EU COST Action IC1401. The presented work summary is organized around the four workgroups that tackle devices, circuit theory, circuit implementations, bioinspired and sensory systems.
Moritz Riede
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Moritz Riede is currently Associate Professor for Soft Functional Nanomaterials in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, UK. Before moving to Oxford in 2013, he worked in Germany at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the University of Freiburg as a PhD student (2002-2006), as well as at the Technische Universität Dresden as PostDoc and head of a junior research group (2007-2013). His academic research is focused on emerging solar cell technologies that have potential to transform the way we use solar energy, in particular organic solar cells.
EU COST Action MP1307 – Unravelling the Degradation Mechanisms of emerging Solar Cell Technologies
Tom Aernouts, Francesca Brunetti, Jesus de la Fuente, Nieves Espinosa, Marta Fonrodona, Yulia Galagan, Harald Hoppe, Eugene Katz, Monica Lira Cantu, Marta Ramos, Moritz Riede, Antonio Urbina, Koen Vandewal, Sjoerd Venstra, Elizabeth von Hauff
Abstract
Organic and hybrid perovskite based solar cells have a huge potential to significantly contribute to a clean electricity supply of the future. However, so far they exhibit complex and hierarchical degradation paths and their understanding can only be acquired through the application of complementary chemical and physical characterization techniques. This limited device stability is the main hurdle for a successful and large scale market introduction of these emerging solar cell technologies. Our StableNextSol Action has created a highly interdisciplinary network of laboratories, as well as corresponding industry, overall more than 120 partners, with complementary analytical techniques for the study and understanding of the degradation mechanisms occurring in state-of-the-art devices. Our Action integrates and generates fundamental knowledge and expertise to foster disruptive innovations targeted to mitigate device failure and to propose and develop new concepts for more stable solar cells. Value is added to the entire value chain of photovoltaic research at European and international level, as well as variety decision makers in the public sector by supporting specialisation policy and standards still lacking in this research field. The outcome of the Action will contribute to resolve the global challenges facing the industry and this COST Action initiative has brought together all these expertises and resources to promote the cooperation between different sectors, academia, public authorities and industry.