Speakers
Get to know the speakers!
Monday
Sustainable machine learning systems: from measurement to optimization of energy efficiency
Silverio Martínez-Fernández
Associate Professor at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) since January 2024. He was a `Beatriz Galindo’ Distinguished Junior Researcher (2020-2024) at UPC, and a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Data Science department of Fraunhofer IESE (2018-2019) and the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (2016-2018). His interests include Empirical Software Engineering, Green Software, Sustainable ML, and Software Engineering for ML. Principal investigator in research and technology transfer projects about the environmental sustainability of ML software (GAISSA, ML-EnergyLabel), and co-organizer of research networks in Greening AI with Software Engineering (CECAM-Lorenz). Also, he is a national observer in the ISO/IEC AWI TR 20226 about environmental sustainability aspects of AI systems. On the topic of Green ML systems, he gave a keynote at FAMECSE 2022, and guest lectures at master subjects of the universities of Stuttgart, Delft, L’Aquila, and Bari.
Abstract
Software-related CO2 emissions from the information and communications technology sector currently account for 2.1%–3.9% of global emissions. With the latest advancements in Machine Learning (ML) systems, this percentage of global emissions is estimated to increase. In this keynote, we will navigate through the different dimensions of sustainability of ML, to embark on a journey to explore environmental issues. We then see how to track and report green ML metrics, in order to measure energy efficiency in ML systems, and continue to optimize the cost and carbon emissions of ML systems in production.
Tuesday
Smart mobile sensing for human behaviour understanding
Oresti Banos
Tenured Professor of Computational Behaviour Modelling at the University of Granada (Spain). Before joining the University of Granada, he worked at the University of Twente (Netherlands) and Kyung Hee University (South Korea). He has also been a Visiting Scholar at the Technical University of Eindhoven (Netherlands), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland), and the University of Alabama (USA). Dr. Banos’ research focuses on the intersection of wearable, ubiquitous, and mobile computing with data mining and artificial intelligence for digital health applications. His interests include human-aware computing, behaviour and context modelling, intelligent coaching systems, and smart pervasive sensing.
Abstract
In the modern era, the integration of smart mobile sensing technologies into daily life has opened new frontiers in understanding human behavior. This talk explores the cutting-edge advancements and applications of smart mobile sensing, emphasizing how these innovations are transforming the way we perceive and analyze human activities and interactions. We will delve into the mechanisms and technologies that enable mobile devices to capture a wide array of behavioral data, from physical movements and location patterns to social interactions and emotional states. By leveraging sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS, and even advanced machine learning algorithms, these devices provide unprecedented insights into human behavior in real-time and across various contexts.
Spread the word: How pluricards can work to enhance software engineers' views on sustainability
Lene Sørensen
Lene Tolstrup Sørensen is associate professor at Electronic Systems, CMI at Aalborg University Copenhagen. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Models and Uncertainty from DTU (Technical University of Denmark) and a M.Sc.E.E. from same place. She is research group leader for the Digital Transformation Group and is affiliated with the research group in cyber security, she coordinates the bachelor education in Cyber- and Computer Engineering, and she is a member of various committees such as the Institute Council, the study board and the Study Environment Group at campus. She is a member of TECH4SDT group at AAU where amongst others, she has been responsible for a Ph.D. course in Sustainability and Digital Transformation. Her research is within privacy and data protection with particular focus on usable security and security learning material for young people.
Abstract
It is not always easy to discuss different perspectives of sustainability with traditionally based software and computer engineers working on the same project proposal. In a center on Sustainability and Digital Transformation, we have developed so-called pluri cards that can be used to shred lights on different areas relevant to sustainability. The overall purpose for the presentation is to present the pluriverse as an alternative perspective to the traditional perspectives on sustainability. The pluriverse have been identified from papers where various authors from around the world who have written about challenges with present deployment of resources, management and decision making. This paper will present the background for the pluriverse cards and a few ideas on how they have been used.
A glimpse into intelligent multimodal user interface design for social good
Alejandro Catalá Bolos
Alejandro Catalá PhD (2012, Universitat Politécnica de València – UPV), MSc (2008, UPV; on Software Engineering, Formal Methods, and Information Systems), Ing. (2006, UPV, Informática) is an assistant professor in computer science and artificial inteligence, investigating actively in topics concerned about Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction and Intelligent User Interfaces. Served as a postdoc at the Human Media Interaction (HMI) department of the University of Twente (UT) in The Netherlands to work in his research project coBOTnity, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship grant (MSCA-IF). Previously, also served as a postdoc at the Laboratory of User Interaction and Software Engineering (LoUISE) research group of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), and the Information Systems and Software Engineering (ISSI) group of the UPV. He joined the Intelligent Systems Group at the Research Center in Intelligent Technologies (CiTIUS) of the University of Santiago de Compostela with a Spanish Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral grant. He is now an assistant professor at the USC. His interests include combining natural language and tangibility in multimodal interactions, stories and conversations, paying special attention to trustworthy AI in Human-AI interaction.
Abstract
Developing, training and maintaining both social and cognitive skills is crucial for well-being and social functioning. User interfaces endowed with socially-capable agents can contribute to sustainable development goals, especially those related to equality and inclusion, quality education, good health and both physical and social well-being. However, their design need to consider not only the users aims but also the characteristics of complex target users (e.g., elderly, children,…) and the affordances of interaction technology being used. In this talk, we discuss some design aspects in intelligent interactive by taking examples from different projects. It will illustrate how their development and user studies can focus on investigating either the sensors (i.e., how to acquire the signals/inputs), the processing and interpretation of signals (i.e., social signal recognition, speech/language understanding, …), the behavioral algorithms or decisions that machine may make (i.e., persuasive communications, dialogue management, content discourse, robot policy, behavior realizers), or how the designed feedback actuators are implemented and may affect user perception and functioning.
Wednesday
DATAlife - European Digital Innovation Hub for Life Sciences
Lucía Castro Díaz
She is the Manager of the DATAlife Digital Innovation Hub. She has a Degree in Chemistry and a PhD in Materials Science by Oxford University. She has extensive experience as a strategic consultant for the Chemical, Agricultural and Biotech industry, having worked for the top 10 global companies in these fields. Currently, her work focuses on the digitalization of SMEs in Galicia through DATAlife.
Abstract
The talk will present the European Digital Innovation Hubs and the specific case of DATAlife, the Galician hub for life sciences that focuses on the potential of the region’s natural resources to promote a sustainable and people-centred digital transformation. The session will include details of the services the hub offers to companies and public administrations wishing to accelerate their digital transformation and of the projects that enable cost-free funding of these services.
AI-based solutions for sustainability use cases in a global fashion retailer
Adrián González Sieira
He is technical lead of data science projects at Inditex, focusing on the creation of ML/AI solutions and their integration into business processes and applications. Over the years he has worked on many different projects and his experience covers diverse areas such as robotics, computer vision, deep learning, NLP, optimisation algorithms and statistical analysis. He has a PhD in Computer Science and AI, which was on autonomous UAV flight with safety guarantees.
Abstract
In a global company that generates a large amount of data on a daily basis, it is essential to have advanced tools to automate business processes, analyze and predict trends, and support decision-making. These applications may be of very different natures depending on the use case, but this is even more true when it comes to the field of sustainability, which due to its broadness has very diverse needs in terms of analytics and artificial intelligence.
In many cases, the efficacy of the developed tools depends on a comprehensive understanding of the processes in which they will be integrated, the type of data to be processed, and all the expert knowledge that needs to be codified. Moreover, it is of utmost importance that these systems are sufficiently explainable, thereby providing confidence and transparency to end users about the obtained results.
In this session, we will overview some examples of sustainability-related needs in a global retail company. Moreover, we will detail how we approached the development of AI-based solutions in the Technology department in order to respond to these needs, as well as the impact of such developments.
The day when man and machine began to think together
Juan Graña
One of the keys to the immediate future will come from the so-called Human Centered AI. Technological development will necessarily involve bringing the development of AI closer to the reality of human beings in order to improve understanding and empathy with human beings with the aim of improving people’s ideas. NeuroIA is key to the development of new AI models to improve the lives of people in different areas such as mental health, education, security, welfare… and why not? the marketing of companies and customer relations. We will present the new models of Kopernica neural networks that are able to understand better and better the moods, emotional cognitive states of people based on artificial vision and active listening to natural language.
Abstract
The CEO and founder of Neurologyca, a company dedicated to neuromarketing and research on human behavior and emotions, applied to various business and social areas. He has worked with brands such as PepsiCO, Nestlé, Movistar and Banco Santander, using NeuroIA-based technologies to improve the understanding of people’s cognitive processes.
He has held leadership positions at International Neuroessence Company, Pearson Education, Essilor-Luxottica, Natural Optics Group and Ogilvy. In 2022, he was recognized as CEO of the Year at the La Razon Awards. In addition, he is a mentor at the University of La Rioja and has a solid academic background in Business Studies, Germanic Philology, Teaching and an MBA in Neuromarketing.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals as Requirements in Systems Engineering.
Ian Brooks
He is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable IT at the University of the West of England, UK. His PhD research is in the use of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as requirements in Systems Engineering. Most of his career has been in management consultancy with PwC and IBM, including working as IBM’s sustainability leader on their IT outsourcing at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Abstract
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a global agreement on ‘the world we want’ by 2030. Many businesses have identified SDGs that they contribute towards. Can we also use them as requirements in Systems Engineering? This talk will look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of using the SDGs in an IT context considering impacts, contributions and education. How can we meaningfully improve the sustainability of the IT we implement and avoid the risks of greenwashing.
Urban Challenges and Smart Solutions for Santiago de Compostela: Recycling & Tourist Supervision
Fernando Suárez Lorenzo
With a degree in Computer Science from the Universidade da Coruña and a Professional Certificate in Digital Transformation from MIT, Fernando Suárez Lorenzo (Ferrol, 1973) is one of the driving forces behind the Colexio Profesional de Enxeñaría en Informática de Galicia (CPEIG), a body he has chaired since its constitution in December 2007. Civil servant of both the regional and local administration, he has developed his professional activity in the Deputation of Ourense, as director of the Area of Transparency and Open Government, in the Axencia de Modernización Tecnolóxica de Galicia as head of the Department of Systems and in the City Council of Santiago de Compostela, as head of Innovation. He is currently president of the Consejo General de Colegios de Ingeniería en Informática and president of the Fundación Instituto Internacional de Tecnología y Derecho Digital.
He is also a member of the Advisory Council for Digital Transformation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, director of the Higher Course on Electronic Administration of the EGAP and lecturer in various university master’s degrees at the universities of Santiago, A Coruña and Vigo and the University Center of Defense.
He has promoted various activities related to the responsible use of technology by adolescents, such as the Plan Navega con Rumbo (reaching more than 200,000 young people) or the study of the impact of technology on adolescence (more than 50,000 surveys), both awarded by the AEPD. He is currently a member of the Committee of Experts for the Generation of Safe Digital Environments, promoted by the Ministry of Youth.
Abstract
At the upcoming event, the contextualization of two key problems for Santiago de Compostela will be presented: the need for a Smart Recycling System for Tourist Areas to enhance waste management through a multilingual notification app, and the need for a Supervision System for Tourist Apartments to help the administration ensure compliance with local regulations on occupancy, noise, and waste management. These projects aim to inspire solutions that optimize urban management and quality of life in the city.
Friday
Sustainable Digital Systems – The Role of Professionals in Driving Change
Norbert Seyff
Prof. Dr. Norbert Seyff is a Professor of Requirements Engineering at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. His work emphasizes the transfer of RE knowledge to students and collaboration with companies to apply this knowledge in practical settings. As a council member of the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB), he contributes to the advancement of best practices in the field. Norbert considers RE as a key field to contribute to sustainable system development, and his research focuses on integrating sustainable practices and principles into the development process.
Abstract
To fully exploit the potential of innovative digital solutions, professionals are needed who are able to take a holistic view: thinking business, people, and technology together and understanding the digital as shapeable material. A prime example of such professionals is the Digital Design Professional (DDP), who embodies this integrated approach. Our vision for professionals like the DDP includes leveraging digitization and digital transformation in a sustainable and value-creating way. However, several questions remain open regarding sustainability in digital systems and their development.
NLP uses cases for social good
Marcos Fernández Pichel
He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2023 from the University of Santiago de Compostela and Universidade da Coruña. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Electronics and Computer Science Department and a research collaborator from the Centro Singular de Investigación en Tecnoloxías Intelixentes (CiTIUS). The Royal Galician Academy of Sciences awarded him with the best paper conducted by a young researcher in 2022. His current research interests are estimating the credibility of online health-related content, information retrieval, and natural language processing.
Abstract
In this talk, we will introduce two Natural Language Processing (NLP) uses cases for social good: online health misinformation detection and early prediction of mental health disorders. Misinformation is a growing concern among the public and governments, with health-related misinformation being particularly critical. To tackle this issue, we will present Social Minder, a tool for social media monitoring, with credibility estimators specifically designed in CiTIUS. As a second part of this talk, we will also present some results to illustrate the potential of NLP for preventing mental health disorders such as depression or pathological gambling.