Two people stand smiling in front of a projector screen displaying Open Research Day, 18–19 April 2024 with abstract artwork and event social media details in a modern indoor setting.

Digital Futures Open Research Days 2024: Advancing innovation and collaboration in digital technologies

The Digital Futures Open Research Days took place on April 18-19, 2024, at the Architecture School building, KTH main campus, Stockholm. The event featured a diverse program, put together by Yifang Ban, Professor at KTH and  Digital Futures Associate Director for Dissemination & Impact, covering various research projects and panel discussions.

Highlights of the first day included lightning talks on topics such as AI for the environment, social AI, smart mobility, robots and people, digitalized built environment, smart society, and digitalized industry. Breakout sessions provided in-depth exploration of specific research areas, while matchmaking sessions offered opportunities for faculty to pitch research ideas.

The event also hosted a postdoc poster session showcasing innovative research endeavours. The best poster was announced based on scientific content, visual style, and presentation. It was awarded to Siyuan Liu for her presentation of her “Secure-by-Construction Controller Synthesis of Cyber-Physical Systems” project. A panel discussion, moderated by Digital Futures Director Karl H Johansson, on “Trustworthy AI in an Uncertain World” rounded off the first day, featuring distinguished panellists from various disciplines. Participants had the chance to network and mingle, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange in the field of Digital Futures research.

 

The second day of the Digital Futures Open Research Days, held on April 19, 2024, continued to offer a dynamic program featuring cutting-edge research projects and insightful discussions. The program commenced with a warm welcome and introduction by Mikael Lindström, Professor and Deputy President of KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The morning sessions delved into the realm of 6G communication, sensing, and computing, featuring great lightning talks and breakout sessions.

A highlight of the day was the Partner Session, where esteemed speakers from various organizations shared insights into IoT platforms, 5G mobile healthcare solutions, and smart construction for smart cities. The session culminated in a panel discussion moderated by James Gross, Professor at KTH and Digital Futures Associate Director Partner Programme, exploring the future of digital twins and divides in Stockholm by 2040. During lunch, attendees could engage with postdocs’ research posters, covering various topics such as shape-changing wearables, fairness in AI, and hardware acceleration for nonlinear functions.

The afternoon sessions focused on digitalized medicine, digitalized healthcare, AI for biology, safe and smart power systems, and trustworthy software and systems. Lightning talks and breakout sessions again provided platforms for researchers to present their work and engage in discussions with attendees.

The day concluded with a closing session by Yifang Ban, marking the end of another successful day of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing in the field of digital futures research.

Text: Johanna Gavefalk

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