Keynotes

Prof. Dr. Hojjat Adeli

Keynote Title: Machine Learning - A Key Ubiquitous Technology in the 21st Century

Abstract: Machine learning (ML) is a key and increasingly pervasive technology in the 21st century. It is going to impact the way people live and work in a significant way. This lecture starts with an overview of the key ML concepts and different types of ML algorithms. In general, machine learning algorithms simulate the way brain learns and solves an estimation/recognition problem. They usually require a learning phase to discover the patterns among the available data, similar to the humans. An expanded definition of ML is advanced as algorithms that can learn from examples and data and solve seemingly interactable learning and unteachable problems, referred to as ingenious artificial intelligence (AI). Next, recent and innovative applications of ML in various fields and projects currently being pursued by leading high-tech companies such as Google, IBM, Uber, Baidu, Facebook, Pinterest, and Tesla are reviewed. Then, machine learning algorithms developed by the author and his associates are briefly described. Finally, examples are presented in different areas from health monitoring of smart highrise building structures to automated EEG-based diagnosis of various neurological and psychiatric disorders such as epilepsy, the Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and autism spectrum disorder

Short CV: Hojjat Adeli received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1976 at the age of 26. He is currently an Academy Professor at The Ohio State University where he held the Abba G. Lichtenstein Professorship for ten years. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the international journals Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering which he founded in 1986 and Integrated Computer-Aided Engineering which he founded in 1993. He has also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Neural Systems since 2005. He has been an Honorary Editor, Advisory Editor, or member of the Editorial Board of 144 research journals. He has authored over 600 research and scientific publications in various fields of computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, and medicine, including 16 ground-breaking high-technology books. He is the recipient of over sixty awards and honors including three Honorary Doctorates from Lithuania, Spain, and Italy, and Honorary Professorship at several Asian and European Universities. He is a member of Academia Europaea, a corresponding member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering, a foreign member of Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and Polish Academy of Science, a Distinguished Member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and a Fellow of AAAS, IEEE, AIMBE, and American Neurological Association. He was profiled as an Engineering Legend in the journal Leadership and Management in Engineering, ASCE, April 2010, by a noted biographer of legendary engineers.

Prof. Dr. Manlio Del Giudice

Keynote Title: Evolution and Management of Knowledge Accepts in the Digital Network - Future Perspectives of Knowledge Management

Abstract: In recent decades science and technology have brought unexpected improvements to the living conditions along the Triple Helix, with heavy emerging developments into the ICT, health, food and energy fields.
The dissemination of information and new technologies sustained by the "Knowledge Society" has progressively stimulated a strong process of transformation thus influencing the working styles and the organizations. As a matter of fact, the result has been a different role of the tangible and intangible assets, which had pushed the knowledge assets to become the real protagonist of the entrepreneurial life.
The increasing attention about the emerging challenges and opportunities derived by the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is attracting interest and effort from multiple research domains. Several innovations provided by the ICTs such as 3D printing, virtual markets, and online communication instruments can be considered disruptive changes for both social and economic configurations. These innovations are leading to the digitization of all industrial processes as  well as to the integration and interconnection between different aspects of production and between departments and functions indeed.
Due to the competitive dynamics, knowledge had been widely recognized as a fundamental asset for organizations. Knowledge is the basis of innovation. Using, managing and sharing knowledge is today one of the most important tasks for the organizations. Consequently, right practices of managing knowledge can affect performance, growth, innovation and competitiveness. This implies that a firm’s focused just on production capacity and cost reduction can only generate a temporary competitive advantage. With the aim to address these challenges, the main contribution of this Keynote Speech is to explore what barriers and opportunities are emerging in digital societies and how Knowledge management could help companies in responding to ongoing changes in the business environment and in improving their competitive advantage.

Short CV: Manlio Del Giudice is Full Professor of Management at the University of Rome “Link Campus”, where he serves as Deputy Chancellor of the Campus of Naples and Director of the CERMES Research Centre. He is among the 20 youngest Full Professors in Italy, in every scientific field. He received a PhD in Management from the University of Milano-Bicocca and he has taught in a wide number of universities worldwide, where he is actually affiliated. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Knowledge Management. His researches appeared or are forthcoming in flagship journals like MIS Quarterly, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of World Business, Long Range Planning, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Marketing Review, Information Systems Management, Creativity and Innovation Management, Journal of Technology Transfer, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Production Planning and Control, Business Process Management Journal. He is actually serving as Director for Research and Scholarly Relations within the Euromed Research Business Institute. His scholar profile shows about 100 peer-reviewed articles, about 50 of them ranked in the highest “A Class” within the Italian rankings, and 12 international monographs by flagship publishers like Springer, Palgrave Macmillan, Elsevier, Emerald. His studies had been internationally recognized by significant impact, as evidenced by the about 3,400 citations (December, 2018) he has received on Google Scholar (H-index = 26). His main research interests deal with knowledge management, technology transfer, innovation and technology management, cross-cultural management

Prof. Dr. Claudia Loebbecke

Keynote Title: Digitization, Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Invading Human Practice: Impact on Management Processes and Business Models

Abstract: The processing capacity of today's smartphones – in the hand of every student, employee, and citizen – outperforms the computers that landed a man on the moon in 1969. Digitization, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are about to fundamentally transform management processes and business models, thereby challenge established economics and lead to emerging approaches of value creation in business, society, and research. While impressive examples are gaining ground, the disruptive effects will not spare those who underestimate the increasing momentum of those technologies.
This keynote will outline how digitization, data analytics, and AI can empower organizations, while dooming institutions, which cling to maintaining their status quo. Hopefully, it will open the discussion on how to proactively shape management processes, business models and resulting societal opportunities.

Short CV: Claudia Loebbecke holds the Chair of Media and Technology Management at the University of Cologne. 2005-2006, she was elected first female President of the global Association for Information Systems (AIS), which named her AIS Fellow in 2012. She is Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and of the European Academy of Science, and was Member of the High Level Group (HLG) on Innovation Policy Management to the European Council (2011-2013).
She received a Master Degree (1990) and a Ph.D. (1995) in Business Administration, both from the University of Cologne, Germany, and an M.B.A. from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA (1991). In 2013, she received the Executive Certificate 'Management and Leadership' from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and in 2018 she successfully completed the MIT's Executive Education 'Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy'.
Her previous employments include INSEAD (France), McKinsey & Co. (Germany), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong/PRC), Erasmus University (Rotterdam, NL), and Copenhagen Business School (DK). Later research stays brought her to the Sloan School/MIT (US), Bentley University (US), the University of New South Wales (Sydney, AUS), INSEAD (FR), London School of Economics (UK), LUISS University (Rome, IT), and the University of Paris-Dauphine (FR).
Claudia Loebbecke serves as 'Honorary Board Member' of the Journal of Strategic Information Systems (JSIS), as 'Advisory Board Member' of Information Systems Research (ISR) and the Journal of Information Technology (JIT) as well as on several international editorial boards. From 1997 to 2015, she was seven years Senior Editor of the Information Systems Journal (ISJ) und twelve years of the Journal of Strategic Information System (JSIS).