2019 | RTSI – Innovation which shapes our future
Almost 200 attendees, from Europe and various other locations around the globe, gathered to actively participate in the 5th International Forum on Research and Technologies for Society and Industry, in Florence, Italy, 2019 September 9 – 12. The outcome was truly a unique and immersive experience revolving around opportunities offered through innovation in technology and industry applications, which created a pathway to better understand our future. The event was organized by the IEEE Italy Section, in cooperation with IEEE Region 8, IEEE Croatia, France, Israel, Switzerland, and UK & Ireland Sections.
The conference covered a broad spectrum of science, technology, and applications within the entire field of interest of IEEE, but with specific focus revolving around the following questions: How do these innovations actually impact the industry? What are the technological trends of the industry? How will the economy and society be impacted? What is the impact on life for each of us? Professionals in industry and research met to talk about innovation, to understand where we are going, and to contribute to shaping the future for a sustainable life. This was an exclusive opportunity for interdisciplinary cross-fertilization and interactions among professionals in industry, academia, and government agencies.
Two plenary panels focused on entrepreneurship and the industrial opportunities for innovation and emerging technologies. The goal was to present a comprehensive scenario of technological trends; Specifically, scenarios in which it could be lucrative to invest efforts, creativity, and funds to ideate and develop new technologies, products, and services for the betterment of people and socioeconomic developments around the world.
The first panel, titled “Be an entrepreneur in hot technological areas,” was chaired by Vincenzo Piuri. The panel focused on the most promising technological areas in entrepreneurship. The keynote address by Roberto Saracco set the stage with an overview of technological areas, future technological directions, and application trends. The address further included an overview of worldwide scientific and professional communities interested in these areas, and support offered by scientific and professional associations like IEEE. Specific presentations focused on status and emerging trends addressed by the following worldwide renowned experts: industry automation by Enrico Ragaini, robotics by Lucia Pallottino, bioengineering by Silvia Civardi, power and energy by Bruno Meyer, hardware and information processing systems by Cecilia Metra, and artificial intelligence by Marco Gori.
The second panel, titled “Be entrepreneur: create the future today,” was chaired by Tiziana Tambosso. This panel focused on entrepreneurship support needed for success. Mario Rapaccini spoke about entrepreneurship in education. Roberto Della Marina presented funding, organization, management, business strategies, and planning. Alessia Rotolo analyzed the institutional support. Patrizia Cotoneschi presented about the roles and services of incubators. Ethical aspects of entrepreneurship and technology was discussed by Andrea Bertolini. Finally, examples of successful startups were provided through the actual experiences of two entrepreneurs, Claudio Annicchiarico and Alessandro Lori.
These panels were organized with the cooperation of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Committee and the Entrepreneurship Committee of the IEEE Italy Section. Both committees focused on stimulating the mind and working with young people who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs via unrestrained creative thought, facing challenges, and making a difference in both the global economy and the daily lives of all people. Read More.
