Think Tank Sessions

Our goals are to bring about a culture change in terms of working across disciplines and sharing knowledge and experience, and to foster the creation of new interdisciplinary teams who focus on the proposed themes under the areas of ICT, Bio Engineering, Transports and Mobility, Health and Ambient Assisted Living, Nano Engineering, Energy, Advanced Manufacturing, Environment, Robotics and Electronics.

NOVEMBER 11

Think Tank 4 Sustainability (10h00 – 11h30)

Moderator: Nuno Correia, RAR Imobiliária S.A.

Theme: 100% Sustainable House

Being one of the most relevant activities in global economy and simultaneously one of the greatest consumer of natural resources and producer of solid waste, Construction must undoubtedly evolve in a more sustainable way. This evolution is a very complex process that must be seen by all its players as essential and urgent, from designers to end users, implying changes in behavioral, cultural, social and political patterns.

It is our goal in this session to promote the sharing of knowledge and experiences within sustainable construction scope, thus helping that the “100% Sustainable House” is a reality in the near future.

This session is suitable for designers (Architects and Engineers), students, developers, contractors, service providers and building materials suppliers, local and central authorities’ technicians, banks and financing institutions, end users and all other interested in an issue that concerns everyone.

Think Tank 4 Health (10h00 – 11h30)

Moderators:

Gustavo Fuster, Director of the Andalusian Health System TTO at the Fundacion Progreso y Salud
Javier Márquez, Head of the Neurosurgery Dep. at Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío
Emílio Gómez, Head of the Research Group of Interdisciplinary Physics at the School of Engineering of the University of Sevilla

Theme: Comprehensive monitoring system for operating rooms - discussion on a technical solution, including IP issues

Description of a real case regarding a system of image analysis and surgical management that allows monitoring and recording in real time all activity in an operating room or medical-surgical complex environment through the integration of video images or signal from the devices commonly used in operating room.

Dr. Márquez will describe the technical problem that he was confronted with and the solution given. Gustavo Fúster will describe the IP and legal implications regarding with this case.

We propose to the participants a discussion about how to address other technical problems that are still in need of a solution.

Think Tank 4 Robotics (11h30 – 13h00)

Moderator: Noel Sharkey, University of Sheffield

Theme: rising service robot market and how it will impact on our future

Discussion on the ethical and legal issues that will arise

Think Tank 4 Nano Engineering (11h30 – 13h00)

Moderator:Paulo Freitas, Director of INESC Microsystems and Nanotechnologies

Theme: Nanoengineering: Point of Care Diagnostic Platforms

Point of care diagnostic platforms allow the screening for various pathologies when they are still in their initial development stages. The target biomolecules ( DNA, protein, enzyme) may be marked with a biomarker ( fluorophore, magnetic nanoparticle), and then get hybridized to immobilized probes on top of integrated transducers ( photodiodes, magnetic field sensors). Detection without labels is also possible using optical, or micromechanical methods. These integrated platforms need a microfluidcs module for sample preparation and handling, and an electronic signal processing unit. The full package should be portable, with low power comsumption, and allow detection of the required analytes with high sensitivity. Challenges will be discussed on how to deal with innovation opportunities, and how to bring them to products in the market.

Think Tank 4 Electronics (15h00 – 16h30)

Moderator: Paulo Santos, CEO at Tomorrow Options, S.A.

Theme: e-health and human wear

what is e-Health? definition  /  what is humanware? definition

Issues under discussion:

• Have been e-Health technologies developed taking in consideration the end users needs or limitations?
• What can be the role of multidisciplinary in the development of real useful products or services?
• What business models can be used?
• Will these concepts low the costs and wide the range of people receiving healthcare goods?
• What effect will have in patients’ life regarding social inclusion or quality of life?
• …

Challenges:

• Which technologies do you want that become available?
• How do you want they become delivered?
  

Think Tank 4 Smart Cities (15h00 – 16h30)

Moderator: Simeon Yates, Sheffield Hallam University

Theme: How to create smart cities?  Technology vs User/Citizen

How to create smart cities and how this might be done. Discussion including relevant technologies and innovations, relationships between investment strategies, infrastructure, engagement and inclusion of citizens, etc. Often the focus is tech rather than user/citizen. The idea is to get business, industry, government thinking more broadly and making more use of the EU research on this issue.

Think Tank 4 Environment (16h30 – 18h00)

Moderator: Teresa Mata, Researcher at FEUP

Theme: Framework for sustainability matrix and environmental reporting of companies

It is widely acknowledged that sustainability results from a balance among the three aspects of sustainable development: economic, environmental, and societal. With the rise of environmental awareness, because of external pressure, both legal and societal, manufacturing operations recently have attempted to improve their environmental impacts through the practice of improved process efficiency and waste minimization. As a result, environmental, economic, and societal benefits are being realized.

Several attempts have been made to measure the progress of process technologies and manufacturing operations toward sustainability. For instance, BASF applied eco-efficiency metrics in making decisions on process alternatives that are better from economic and environmental viewpoints. The CWRT (Center for Waste Reduction Technologies) of the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) proposed a set of sustainability metrics that are quantifiable for industrial processes. For the corporate level reporting (i.e., at a level higher than the constituent processes), the Global Reporting Initiative proposed sustainability reporting guidelines for companies, regional or global. The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) proposed an elaborate list of indicators for industrial operations that was grouped into several categories. These indicators are applicable to a specific process or to the entire corporation. However, this list is too long and unwieldy for systematic application.

Published works on metrics (or indicators) for sustainability show that either (i) the chosen metrics are not truly reflective of all three aspects of sustainability; (ii) they are too many and, consequently, are difficult to apply; or (iii) both. In other hand, an aggregate indicator does allow easy comparison between processes, but the loss of information in the analysis is not conducive to the adoption of specific measures for improvement. The use of a small set of quantifiable indicators offers the advantage of assessing technological or policy changes needed to make a manufacturing system more sustainable.

Hence, the questions here are:

• What metrics are the most adequate for companies to measure their progress towards sustainability and for environmental reporting?
• In which way sustainability indicators may be used for the strategic planning and management of modern companies?
• Is that possible to outline a framework for selecting the most appropriate sustainability indicators for each business sector?

Think Tank 4 ICT (16h30 – 18h00)

Moderator: Micael Gustafsson, Managing Director of Øresund IT

Theme: Now everything will change - and ICT is the driver

Today ICT is included in all sectors in society. We use ICT in our homes, at work and even when we for instance go to a gym. This has been a fact during many years now, but it is only during the past 2-3 years it really has began to have impact on our life. The power is slowly moving from multinational companies towards consumers and SME:s, business models are rapidly changing and new possibilities will grow in the cross fields between ICT and other areas. During the session we will together try to pin point new areas of business but also try to predict where the next change will be. We will create questions together and try to find answers. Examples of what could be possible discussions are:

• How can ICT help us to a more sustainable society?
• How will the change to mobility have impact on us?
• Can new solutions increase democracy and how?

During the first phase of the think tank we will set the scene together and then discuss concrete solutions with hight ICT content. When we are finished we will have real ideas to work with and also a network of people to collaborate with.

NOVEMBER 12

Think Tank 4 Energy (10h00 – 11h30)

Moderator: Hélder Leite, Assistant Professor at FEUP / Researcher at INESC-Porto

Theme: Micro-wind generation: a domestic business opportunity?

The micro-wind turbines are becoming more affordable, attractive and silent. The design became well-suited to residential, business, and many other applications. Micro-wind generation can reduce energy bills, carbon footprint and improve the building energy rating.
However, is micro-wind generation a cost-effective way of producing energy?

Also: Further questions will be addressed:

(i) How to connect to the grid?

(ii) What are the current regulations regarding domestic development?

(iii) Can I put a turbine in my garden or on the roof of my house?

Think Tank 4 Advanced Manufacturing (10h00 – 11h30)

Moderators:

Jean Pol Piquard, MIT Portugal

Rui Pinho,

Carlos Aguiar, FEUP

Theme: Rethinking Product Design and Manufacturing for a Changing World

Think Tank 4 Bioengineering (11h30 – 13h00)

Moderator: Tim Hogg, Associate Director at Catholic University of Portugal

Theme: Bioprocessing of agricultural products - reduction of waste and addition of value

The current view of the processing of the products of primary agricultural production is less in terms of "product" and "waste" and more in terms of different product streams. Such thinking is highly compatible with the concept of biorefinery in which a raw material is separated into its components or otherwise processed to a degree which respects the demands of the specific end products but aims to find use in all parts. The most successful strategies conciliate the protection of the actual high value product stream, the economic opportunity of up-grading of low value product streams and the channeling of bulk mass into alternative uses which diminish the environmental burden. Bioprocessing can have a role in all of these options, both in conducting the actual desired conversion or in stabilising a feedstock for further processing.

What is the state of the art in bioprocesses in these applications and are the major research challenges which have to be addressed to optimise their use in this crucial sector?

Think Tank 4 Ambient Assisted Living (11h30 – 13h00)

Moderators:

Dirk Elias, Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions

Thomas Norgall, Fraunhofer lIS

Patrick Champeval, Alcatel Lucent

Theme: AAL - What misses for a market success?

Ambient Assisted Living services and solutions are supposed to help aging and elderly people to manage their independent life longer and to increase their well-being by the use of modern ICT solutions. Although the technologies are well known and for some years research showed promising results, currently there is few successful products available.

The session will address the reasons behind will be interesting for companies and scientists that think of addressing the market in the next future.