digitalisation

“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.

 

3rd ide3a CID concluded

3rd ide3a CID concluded 2550 1394 ide3a

During the third and final iteration of the “Critical Infrastructure & Digitalization (CID)” lecture series, which took place from April 18th to July 28th, a total of 23 students from PoliMi and TUB actively engaged in the program. This last iteration was part of a comprehensive series of weekly online lectures thoughtfully organized to explore various facets of the digital and technological transformation of different urban critical infrastructure sectors, such as water, energy and mobility.

Throughout this extensive series the students had the privilege of gaining invaluable knowledge and insights from a dynamic blend of senior and junior researchers hailing from different faculties of TU Berlin, as well as guest speakers from the ide3a partner university PoliMi and esteemed international institutions such as TU Delft, Exnation and MIT to name a few. These experts – among which was Ashlynn Stilwell from the University of Illinois – presented cutting-edge research projects, shared lessons learned, illuminated ongoing challenges, and visionary perspectives.  The primary goal of this intensive course was to equip students with the ability to critically analyze and discuss pressing technical problems and innovative solutions related to critical urban infrastructure systems. Additionally, students were empowered to envision and outline future developments and challenges in this evolving landscape.

Moreover, participants developed the capacity to identify and elucidate the synergies that exist between various infrastructural components. They also gained competence in understanding the basics of simulations and scenario analysis within these domains.

To successfully complete this course, students undertook weekly quizzes, ensuring their grasp of the subject matter. Additionally, they were tasked with creating a video reflecting on one or more topics they found most relatable within the CID course. From among these submissions, we would like to highlight the two most interesting videos, offering an opportunity to showcase the students’ remarkable insights and contributions to this dynamic field.

Giulia D’Aleo – A student from PoliMi with expertise in user experience design and service design, Giulia’s unique perspective focused on the citizen’s viewpoint. She gained a fresh and insightful perspective on the intricate processes related to water management systems and energy grid networks. This newfound understanding allowed her to envision the city as an organized resource management system.

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Hasti Makdhoum, studying energy engineering at PoliMi, displayed exceptional creativity and an illustrative prowess in explaining the complexities of digitalization within the energy sector, particularly focusing on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Energy Management Systems (EMS). Her approach involved simplifying intricate technical concepts into easily understandable and visually engaging explanations, making them accessible to a broader audience.

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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.

ide3a Smart City Hackathon 2022 concluded

ide3a Smart City Hackathon 2022 concluded 2470 1475 ide3a

The ide3a Smart City Hackathon 2022 took place at the ECDF from the 30th of November to the 2nd of December, 2022. The in-person event concluded the Smart Sensing and Smart Cities schools, which were held online during this Winter Semester. The two schools focused on the digitisation of urban critical infrastructure across the water, mobility, and IT sectors and are taught by experts from different faculties of the TU Berlin and international guest speakers from some of the ide3a partner universities NTNU, DCU, PoliMi, PK, and Hasso-Plattner-Institut (HPI). This year also featured guest speakers from the University of Western Australia, the University of Hong Kong, Friedrich Alexander University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and companies such as Ramboll and Form Follows You. The program included lectures and practical trainings on topics related to digital sensors, open data, distributed IT systems are explored, as well as how they relate to governance and relevant stakeholders.

During the hackathon, 50 students from TU Berlin (TUB), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Politecnico Di Milano (PoliMi), who attended the two Smart Schools, joint forces to solve one of four challenges related to the different sectors introduced over the past weeks. Challenges for this year included blue-green infrastructure placement, privacy of smart meter data, resilient edge computing, and urban mobility monitoring. ide3a was pleased to have Dr. Aurel von Richthofen – Cities Team Leader, Arup (Semantic data for the next generation of Universal Digital Twins) and Ana Chubinidze – Founder and CEO, Adalan AI (AI Governance and ethics) on board as keynote speakers. The Jury members were Sangyoung Park (Assistant Professor of Smart Mobility Systems, TU Berlin), Betül Özdemir (Open Data Officer, Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Inneres, Digitalisierung und Sport), Morgan Geldenhuys (Entrepreneur in the digital health sector), and David Steffelbauer (Hydroinformatics Group Leader, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin).

For the students, it was a great opportunity to come together in Berlin to unleash their creativity in finding solutions to smart city challenges, while leveraging the knowledge acquired with our online courses. The goal was to put their new knowledge and tools into action, build some viable prototypes and most importantly work together in international and multidisciplinary teams. In addition to the work, ide3a also offered a social programme, for example yoga classes in the morning, a visit to a typical Christmas market at the banks of the Spree river and a sightseeing tour. At the end of the ide3a Hackathon, all groups presented their work to the assembled participants and received detailed feedback from the jury. Finally, the best team with the name “404” who worked on the challenge BGI (blue green infrastructure) placement was awarded an Arduino board and prototyping kit.

Copywrite all pictures: © ECDF/PR/Felix Noak

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.

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.