critical infrastructure

“Charting a Sustainable Future: Sign up for ‘Advances in Water Management and Climate Adaptation’ Lecture Series!”
“Charting a Sustainable Future: Sign up for ‘Advances in Water Management and Climate Adaptation’ Lecture Series!” 1764 720 ide3a

While the ide3a project has concluded, the Smart Water Networks department of TU Berlin is continuing education  in the thematic realm of ide3a, as exemplified by the lecture series titled “Advances in Water Management and Climate Adaptation.” This course is scheduled every Tuesday from October 17th, 2023, to February 6th, 2024, taking place in person at TU Berlin and being streamed online, guest speakers will be either in person or connected online.

The lecture series on “Advances in Water Management and Climate Adaptation” is a comprehensive course designed to explore the latest techniques, tools, technologies, strategies, and policies in managing water resources and adapting to the challenges posed by climate change. Tools and technologies will include, among others, advanced modelling techniques, digital technologies, remote sensing, geographic information systems. Water management and climate adaptation strategies and policies will unpack the intertwined relationship between environmental, technological, societal, and economic stakes, and include topics related to climate justice, multi-objective optimization, risk and conflict management, and multi-sector dynamics under uncertainty.

Following an introductory session, different early-stage researchers from international universities, research institutions, technology centers, and policy institutes will present cutting edge research, projects, lessons learned, challenges and visions on water resources management and climate adaptation. Each lecture will have an approximate duration of one hour, followed by interactive discussions involving attending students and the lecturer.

Assessment includes weekly quizzes based on the lecture content and a concise final report focusing on one of the topics covered in the lecture series.

While a background in topics related to water resources management, hydrology, hydraulics, environmental systems analysis, or related fields is recommended, it is not a strict requirement for participation. Participants will earn 3 ECTS credits for their engagement in this course.

We extend a warm welcome to external participants, for details follow the link below.

 

Register here!

Critical Infrastructure & Digitalisation Course – Register Now!
Critical Infrastructure & Digitalisation Course – Register Now! 2126 1417 ide3a

**ATTENTION**: The registration period ends on April 2 2023 – follow the link below to register!

For the third time, ide3a is hosting its lecture series “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation (CID)” for Master students from all partner universities (TU Berlin, NTNU Trondheim, DCU Dublin, PoliMi Milano, CUT Cracow, HPI Potsdam). Lectures will take place every Tuesday from 3:15 to 4:45 pm during the upcoming summer semester starting on April 18 until July 18, 2023 and will be held in English.

There will be a few changes compared to the last years: The course will have no workshops this time and the exams will be less time-consuming. That is why the students will be awarded 3 ECTS instead of the former 6 ECTS.

The lecture series will be conducted fully online this year.

This lecture series will outline and discuss the latest advances on the digitalisation of critical urban infrastructures. Lectures will be given by various experts from academia, industry, and the policy-making sector, with main focus on water networks, energy grids, sensor and communication networks, mobility, and urban planning.

The overarching goal of the course is to identify and communicate synergies and dependencies between the different sectors and topics, along with discussing them. Each lecture will be of (approximately) 1-hour duration, followed by a discussion among the students and with the lecturer (for live presentations only). As part of the open knowledge material of this course, podcast episodes with interviews of the expert are made available from previous versions of the course. Parts of the lectures will be provided as recorded videos from past editions of the course.

After completing this course, students will be able to draw conclusions and predict forecasts for the future of critical urban infrastructure, as well as present and discuss these ideas. The course will also be an opportunity for students to connect and build relationships with students from other fields and universities.

For international students: You will be awarded a certificate after completion of the Course. Please contact your study track coordinator individually to check if and how the CID course can get the credits recognized.

For TU students: Students from the following study tracks at TU Berlin can accredit the course as Wahl-Pflicht-Modul:

Computational Engineering Science (Informationstechnik im Maschinenwesen) (M. Sc.)
Maschinenbau (M. Sc.)
Patentingenieurwesen (M. Sc.)
Physikalische Ingenieurwissenschaft (M. Sc.)
Planung und Betrieb im Verkehrswesen (M. Sc.)

We are looking forward to conducting this course with interested students from all partner universities. If you are interested in participating please follow the link below and register for the CID course.

Register here!

on air: the CID Podcast
on air: the CID Podcast 1865 916 ide3a

The ide3a network is proud to present the CID podcast. The CID podcast series is a production created as a part of the ide3a project and the associated lecture series “Critical Infrastructure & Digitalization” (CID).

The CID podcast provides not only an overview of digital and technological transformations in different urban infrastructure systems such as water, energy or mobility but also valuable insights into the different research areas of the interviewed experts. The series is featuring David Bermbach, Andrea Cominola, Rita Maria Ugarelli, Sangyoung Park and Monica Vitali.

Urban water systems are increasingly pressured by a growing number of challenges, such as water scarcity, pollution, ageing infrastructure etc. Digital transformation of the water utilities can play a crucial role in improving the resilience of these critical infrastructures. In our interview with Prof. Dr. Andrea Cominola (Chair of Smart Water Networks -Technische Universität Berlin) we go on a journey around the globe to see where water utilities are currently standing in the process of digitalisation.

While digital technologies bring great opportunities, it is important to talk about the downsides as well: critical infrastructures are increasingly popular targets of physical and cyber attacks. STOP-IT is a pioneering research project focusing on developing solutions to protect the water infrastructure against such threats. Prof. Rita Ugarelli (Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering – Norwegian University of Science and Technology) is one of the lead scientists of this exciting project. In our second podcast we learn about how such cyberphysical attacks look like, and we also discuss the importance of educating professionals in the water sector to be prepared to deal with such challenges.

Another industry facing various challenges and opportunities in the age of digitalisation is the mobility sector. In the third episode of the CID podcast our guest is Prof. Dr. Sangyoung Park (Chair of Smart Mobility Systems – Technische Universität Berlin) who specializes in the electrification of the transport sector while also tackling the question of how to enhance the safety of vehicles by means of digitalization and connectivity. Prof. Park helps us get a better understanding of the numerous trends influencing the transport industry, from electric vehicles, through autonomous driving to shared mobility.

In podcast no. 4 starring Prof. Dr. David Bermbach (Chair of Mobile Cloud Computing – Technische Universität Berlin) we continue our journey in the field of sustainable urban mobility. If you also believe that a bicycle is one of the best means of transport to get around a city, this episode is for you! Prof. Bermbach tells us about the biggest challenges and most important tasks the sector must face to transition towards more sustainable solutions. We also get to know SIMRA, an app developed by Prof. Bermbach and his team, aiming to increase safety in bicycle traffic. (If this is a mission close to your heart, you can also become part of the project by installing the app on your phone.)

Data centers play a major role in our every day life enabling a level of comfort and accessibility to a huge amount of data which wasn’t imaginable 30 years ago. However, the same data centers are notorious for their high power consumption. With the climate crisis in sight, the demand for more energy-efficient data centers is growing stronger. In our final podcast episode with Prof. Monica Vitali (Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano) we explore the future of cloud computing and imagine how a sustainable data center could look like.

All interviews were moderated by Dóra Hegyi (Chair of Smart Water Networks – Technische Universität Berlin) and edited by Bea Meyer (Central Institution Scientific Continuing Education and Cooperation – Technische Universität Berlin). The entire ide3a team would like to thank Dóra and Bea, as well as the experts for this amazing collaboration. All the podcasts are independent entities and can be listened to in any order.

©Markus Fischer

Registration closed: Smart Sensing & Smart Cities Schools
Registration closed: Smart Sensing & Smart Cities Schools 2126 1417 ide3a

For the third time ide3a is hosting its winter schools this year. We are inviting all students from our partner universities to participate. If you are interested please follow the registration link below.

The Smart Sensing School focuses on digital measurement techniques used in urban critical infrastructure. During the Smart Cities School students will learn to outline and discuss latest advances in digitisation and urban innovation at the city scale, including open data, distributed IT systems and how they relate to governance and relevant stakeholders. Participants from both schools will than come together to Berlin for the Smart City Hackathon where they will be challenged in international teams to solve current problems of critical urban infrastructure.

Dates

Smart Sensing School (Online): 5th – 7th & 12th – 14th October 2022
Smart Cities School (Online): 2nd – 4th & 9th – 11th November 2022
Smart City Hackathon (Berlin): 30th November – 2nd December 2022

***The hackathon is mandatory for all participants of the schools and will take place in person in Berlin if possible depending on the evolving COVID-19 situation. ide3a will provide funding for all foreign participants of the hackathon to cover travel and accommodation expenses.***

Credits

After attending both one school and the hackathon students will be awarded 6 ECTS and receive a certificate. Please enquire in advance about the form in which the course can be credited to your degree programme: the best way to do this is to contact your study programme coordinator or examination office.

For TUB students: The following Master study tracks have enlisted the Smart Sensing course as “Wahl-Pflicht-Modul”: Computational Engineering Science, Maschinenbau, Patentingenierwesen, Physikalische Ingenierwissenschaften, Planung und Betrieb im Verkehrswesen. The Smart Cities course is part of the curricula of the Master study tracks Physikalische Ingenierwissenschaften and Planung und Betrieb im Verkehrswesen. All other study tracks the courses can be accredited as “Freie Wahl” or as “Zusatzmodul”.

Registration and further information

If you are interested to join one of these courses, please follow this registration links below. You will find more detailed information on the content of the courses and the registration form. After the end of the registration period we will inform all students whether they have been accepted to the course (mid-September). We are looking forward to all participants!

Registration for Smart Sensing School + Hackathon here.

Registration for Smart Cities School + Hackthon here.

Registration period is from August 22nd to September 13th 2022. It is now closed.

CID-Workshop in Berlin
CID-Workshop in Berlin 2126 1417 ide3a

Between May 17th and 19th around 30 students from PoliMi, NTNU, HPI and TUB met in Berlin for a 3 day workshop. The event was organized as part of the lecture series “Critical Infrastructure & Digitalization (CID)” organized by ide3a.

© Bea Meyer

On Day 1 a workshop on “Simulating Urban Storm Water Systems and Green-Blue Infrastructure” was conducted by ide3a ambassadors Siling Chen, Florian Brokhausen and Dóra Hegyi. The workshop was followed by a campus tour at TU Berlin and a get-together.

The testing of our prototype of the serious game “ConnectiCity” was the start of Day 2. The students played the prototype and gave us helpful feedback on the further development of our game. The Regenwasseragentur Berlin gave the participants of the CID course a three hour tour through the area of Rummelsburg. The area was designed and constructed in the 90s and is a showcase for various green-blue infrastructure measures such as green roofs and bioswales.

© Markus Fischer

A workshop on “Urban Storm Water Systems and Green-Blue Infrastructure” on Thursday concluded the event and all students headed back home. We appriciated the opportunity to hold an in-person event to meet the students while having an otherwise online-course. That way the students from the partner universities can participate in the lecture series without coming to Berlin each week.

Register now for lecture series “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation” 2022
Register now for lecture series “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation” 2022 3639 1846 ide3a

**ATTENTION**: The registration is now closed.

For the second time, ide3a is hosting its lecture series “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation” for students from all partner universities (TU Berlin, NTNU Trondheim, DCU Dublin, PoliMi Milano, CUT Cracow, HPI Potsdam). Lectures will take place every Tuesday from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. during the upcoming summer semester starting on April 19 until July 19, 2022 and will be held in English. The exam deadline is August 7, 2022.

In addition to the weekly lectures, we are aiming for a three-day in-person event from May 17 to 19, 2022 in Berlin, which will include two workshops and a field trip. Students from outside Germany will receive funding by ide3a for travelling and accommodation costs. However, this will only be possible if COVID regulations allow it at the time. Otherwise, we will resort to last year’s fully digital format. Furthermore, there is going to be a second workshop (digital only) on June 21 and 23.

The lecture series provides an overview on the digital and technological transformation of different sectors of urban critical infrastructure. These sectors include water networks, energy grids, sensor and communication networks, as well as mobility. Within each topic we are paying special attention to the way sensor and open data networks can enable a shift toward new ways of monitoring, operating, and managing these systems efficiently and sustainably. Additionally, the goal of the course is to identify and discuss the synergies and inter-dependencies between the different sectors and topics.

Experts from different faculties of TU Berlin and guest speakers from the ide3a partner universities will present cutting edge research projects, lessons learned, challenges and visions.

The lectures will be completed by two practical workshops. The overall grade for the ‘Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation’ course is composed of 3 assignments: (1) individual weekly quizzes, (2) a final group report and (3) an individual reflection video. Previous experience in programming is an advantage but not necessary. We will make sure that at least someone in each group has programming skills.

This course awards 6 ECTS if all lectures and the exam are completed. Please note that students from our partner universities must take care of crediting the course in their home university. We will help in that process by providing the necessary information and documentation.

The registration is now closed.

Please note that the motivation part will not be used for the selection of students but (1) to make sure we are dealing with real people and to (2) get to know more about the expectations of our participants to prepare for the course.

Register now for lecture series on “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation”
Register now for lecture series on “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation” 1047 582 ide3a

ide3a offers a series of lectures by all partners of the network in the summer term of 2021. The course will be conducted fully digitally and we invite students from all partner universities to join the lectures on “Critical Infrastructure and Digitalisation”.

If you are interested, register through the form below until April 1st 2021. We will inform all applicants shortly after the deadline if their application was successful.

The lecture series provides an overview on the digital and technological transformation of different sectors of urban critical infrastructure. These sectors include water networks, energy grids, sensor and communication networks, as well as mobility. Within each topic we are paying special attention to the way sensor and open data networks can enable a shift toward new ways of monitoring, operating, and managing these systems efficiently and sustainably. Additionally, the goal of the course is to identify and discuss the synergies and inter-dependencies between the different sectors and topics.

Experts from different faculties of TU Berlin, guest speakers from the ide3a partner universities (NTNU Trondheim; DCU Dublin; PoliMi Milano; CUT Cracow), and from the utility sector and policy making domain will present cutting edge research projects, lessons learned, challenges and visions.

The lectures will be completed by two practical workshops. The exam to complete the course is a portfolio exam consisting of a report to be written in groups, a scientific literature presentation, a video assignment and small weekly quizzes.

Lectures will be held in English and takes place every Tuesday from 3.30 pm to 5 pm starting on April 13th 2021. This course awards 6 ECTS if all lectures and the exam are completed. Please note that students from our partner universities have to take care of crediting the course in their home university. We will help in that process by providing the necessary information and documentation.

Registrations are now closed.

© ide3a 2021
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