Monthly Archives: May 2023

IEEE Region8 Action for industry Webinar on «Intelligent industry»

 in News & Events

 

Welcome to the first IEEE Region8 Action for industry Webinar on «Intelligent industry»!

 

https://www.youtube.com/@IEEER8-ActionforIndustry

 

Moderated by Nihel Ben Youssef, IEEE R8 Action for Industry Committee member, industry Events and initiatives Lead, and Industry ambassador at IEEE Tunisia Section

 

With Toni Mattila, IEEE R8 Action for industry Committee Chair.
Toni is the Head of Sustainable Manufacturing at Business Finland, which is a governmental agency for R&D and innovation funding, business development and internationalization services. At Business Finland, Toni leads a national business development program with the goal of transforming Finnish manufacturing industries towards sustainable development. Before joining the investment promotion division of Business Finland eight years ago, Toni worked for fourteen years in academia as a researcher in the field of microelectronics. Toni is still an active member of IEEE, especially in the Electronics Packaging Society, and a frequent attendee of various electronics conferences.

 

Our Guest Speakers:

– Danilo Pau, Technical Director, IEEE & ST Fellow – System Research and Applications at STMicroelectronics, Italy Danilo PAU (h-index 25, i10-index 68) graduated in 1992 at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. One year before his graduation, he joined SGS-THOMSONS (now STMicroelectronics) as interns on Advanced Multimedia Architectures, and he worked on memory reduced HDMAC HW design. Then MPEG2 video memory reduction. Next, on video coding, transcoding, embedded 2/3 graphics, and computer vision. Currently, his work focuses on developing solutions for tiny machine learning tools. Since 2019 Danilo is an IEEE Fellow; he served as Industry Ambassador coordinator for IEEE Region 8 South Europe, was vice-chairman of the “Intelligent Cyber-Physical Systems” Task Force within IEEE CIS, was IEEE R8 AfI member in charge of internship initiative. Today he is a Member of the Machine Learning, Deep Learning and AI in the CE (MDA) Technical Stream Committee CESoc. He was AE of IEEE TNNLS. He wrote the IEEE Milestone on Multiple Silicon Technologies on a chip, 1985 which was ratified by IEEE BoD in 2021 and IEEE Milestone on MPEG Multimedia Integrated Circuits, 1984-1993 which was ratified in 2022. He served as TPC member to TinyML EMEA forum and is the chair of the TinyML on Device Learning working group. He serves as 2023 IEEE Computer Society Fellow Evaluating Committee Members With over 83 application patents, 153 publications, 113 MPEG authored documents and 67 invited talks/seminars at various Universities and Conferences, Danilo’s favorite activity remains supervising undergraduate students, MSc engineers and PhDs.

 

– Zmorda Djedidi, Senior Innovation Consultant at Novation City, Tunisia Zmorda JEDIDI is a dedicated innovation consultant driven by her passion for leveraging data and AI to create meaningful change. With a strong background in supply chain management and a Master’ss degree in data science from Paris Sorbonne University, as well as an engineering degree from the National Engineering School of Monastir, she has consistently delivered exceptional results throughout her career. Zmorda’s journey began as a supply chain production leader in leading industry giants such as Decathlon and United Colors of Benetton, where she honed her expertise in optimizing operations and driving efficiency. During her time at Instadeep, she made valuable contributions as a data science consultant, working with clients in the ME and Africa section. Currently, as a key member of the Novation Industry 4.0 Center, Zmorda remains committed to accelerating the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among Tunisian industrial companies, fostering growth and enhancing competitiveness. Her track record of success, combined with her unwavering dedication, positions her as an invaluable asset in leading the charge towards a transformative and prosperous future for Tunisian industries.

IEEE AFRICON 2023

 in News & Events

IEEE AFRICON 2023 is co-sponsored by IEEE Region 8 and the IEEE Kenya Section and is the flagship conference for the African continent.

 

It will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on 20th – 22nd September 2023 under the theme:

“Advancing Technology in Africa Towards Presence on the Global Stage”.

 

This conference will feature world-class plenary speakers, major technical symposiums, industry and academic panels, workshops, tutorials and invited tracks on emerging technologies.

 

For more information please visit: https://2023.ieee-africon.org/

 

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SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program

 in Detailed Information

 

The IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee (R8 HTAC) provides seed funding to the Region 8 SIGHT groups to support their upcoming year’s activity through the SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program. The amount of the funding corresponds with their humanitarian efforts and the quality and amount of completed activities of the past year.

 

Following up the pilot support from HTB to this program, the SIGHT committee has decided to introduce the IEEE SIGHT Group Activity Initiative. As such, we are very happy to announce that the active SIGHT groups can receive their base funding directly though HTB/SIGHT! Therefore, we strongly suggest active SIGHT Groups to first apply for funds on the HTB Online Funding Opportunities Portal and secondly, apply for the additional funds through our IEEE Region 8 SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program.

 

 

Deadline: 31 October 2025

Goals

The SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program aims to:

  • provide funding to organize more SIGHT activities;
  • help to evaluate the health of the SIGHT groups;
  • promote good practices of active SIGHT groups.

Rules

All active SIGHT groups established for at least one calendar year (12 months) with properly reported activities from 1 November 2024 till 31 October 2025 can apply for the SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program funding. A SIGHT group must fulfill the following Membership and Reporting Requirements to receive funding:

  • vTools Events Reporting (at least 2 activities during the mentioned period)
  • vTools Officer Reporting (up-to-date roster following the HTB/SIGHT guidelines)
  • R8 SIGHT Groups Self-assessment Reporting (successfully submitted before application submission deadline)
  • Submitted usage-reporting form sent by HTAC coordinator (applicable only to immediate past year’s recipients)

Judging & Submissions

Criterion 1. Improve visibility

  • Shared SIGHT group story in local media.
    • Description: That could be in journals, on TV, on blogs, on radio stations, or somewhere else.
    • Submission: Link to the shared story or scan of journal news.
  • Shared SIGHT group story on social media.
    • Description: That could be on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, TikTok, or somewhere else.
    • Submission: Link to the shared story.
  • Recorded promo video of a SIGHT group.
    • Description: The promo video should depict SIGHT group activities or encourage new members to join them.
    • Submission: Link to the published video.
  • Promoted SIGHT group at the IEEE or local event.
    • Description: Promotion of its activities on IEEE day, SIGHT day, faculty day, etc.
    • Submission: Link with photos of the team at the event.
  • Submitted article for the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Newsletter.
    • Description: Article(s) publication for activities in the IHT Newsletter.
    • Submission: Copy of the newsletter with the published article highlighted.

 

Criterion 2. Participate in the activities of the IEEE R8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee

  • Organized a Webinar during a Connecting Humanitarian Experts Week.
    • Description: SIGHT group participated in a CHE week organizing a webinar.
    • Submission: Certificate of appreciation.
  • Attended Connecting Humanitarian Experts Webinars.
    • Description: Member(s) attend one or more R8 HTAC webinars.
    • Submission: Copy of submitted feedback form.
  • Participated in the Humanitarian Student Ambassadors Program.
    • Description: Member(s) participated in the program and obtained badge(s).
    • Submission: Obtained badges.

 

Criterion 3. Organize events and activities

  • Applied for Project Funding in an IEEE Tech4Good CFP.
    • Description: Submitted project proposal to an IEEE Tech4Good Call for Proposals or to the R8/T4G joint call for the Community Support Program.
    • Submission: Proposal submission confirmation email.
  • Successfully implemented Humanitarian Technology and Sustainable Development Projects.
    • Description: Carried out a humanitarian and sustainable project with an impact on the targeted community (funded or not funded).
    • Submission: PDF project report (template will be provided).
  • Organized Training and Professional Development Activities.
    • Description: In accordance with the SIGHT Toolkit (e.g., sustainable development and humanitarian technologies seminars, human-centered and community-based solutions workshops, and social impact project management and assessment workshops).
    • Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER activity.
  • Organized activities that built the internal capacity of your SIGHT group.
    • Description: In accordance with the SIGHT Toolkit (e.g., recruiting new members, engaging current volunteers, and conducting team-building activities).
    • Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER activity.
  • Organized IEEE SIGHT Day event.
    • Description: A SIGHT Day event within its area of interest.
    • Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos.
  • Organized STEM Activities for pre-university students.
    • Description: A humanitarian-oriented activity targeting pre-university students in STEM.
    • Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER activity.

 

Criterion 4. Collaborate with stakeholders

  • Collaboration with local community/government, industry, and organization(s).
    • Description: It could be established through granted sponsorship, hosted events, invited speakers from a company, etc.
    • Submission: Evidence of collaboration (Letter, sponsorship granted, etc).
  • Collaboration with NGOs and/or NPOs.
    • Description: It could be established through granted sponsorship, hosted events, invited speakers, etc. NGOs: Non-governmental organizations; NPOs: Nonprofit organizations.
    • Submission: Evidence of collaboration (Letter, sponsorship granted, etc).
  • Collaboration with local IEEE organizational unit(s).
    • Description: Collaboration with local IEEE Section or Student Branches, Affinity groups, Chapters, SIGHT Groups, etc.
    • Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER collaboration.
  • Collaboration with other non-local IEEE organizational unit(s).
    • Description: Collaboration with IEEE Sections, Student Branches, Affinity groups, Chapters, or SIGHT Groups from outside the SIGHT group’s Section.
    • Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER collaboration.

 

Other Activities

  • Any other activity done by the SIGHT group aligned with the vision and mission of the IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee.

 

Notes

vTools Events report should include at least the following items:

  • Title, date/time, venue, and hosts
  • Event description, and agenda
  • Attendance report submitted

Funding

Every SIGHT group that completes the application and complies with the Rules is eligible for funding of up to $300. The final funding is calculated under two categories (Criteria and Ranking Funding) and depends on application count and budget availability. Following SIGHT guidelines, the funding will be transferred to the affiliated Section bank account for the use of the respective SIGHT group.

 

Criteria Funding (up to $150): A SIGHT group chooses the activities it wants to carry out during the period determined in the Rules section. The possibilities are listed in the Judging section. The more criteria you meet, the more funding you can get.

 

Ranking Funding (up to $150): Want to compete with other SIGHT groups and be publicly exposed as one of the most active ones? The more activities you undertake, the more funding you can receive! It’s a unique opportunity to support your efforts with funding and propel your projects to new heights.

 

Outcome Reporting: A brief report explaining the usage of the funds should be submitted in the upcoming year.

Important Dates

  • Application submission portal open: 1 October 2025
  • Activities considered during the following period: 1 November 2024 – 31 October 2025
  • Deadline for application submission: 31 October 2025 – 23:59 (GMT)
  • Results announcement: 21 November 2025

Region 8 Outstanding Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group of the Year Award

 in Detailed Information / R8 Humanitarian Awards

 

Deadline: 31st August, 2025

Eligibility Criteria

  • All active R8 Section / Student Branch SIGHT Groups;
  • Reported up-to-date officer roster on vTools;
  • Reported at least 2 SIGHT activities on vTools in the past year;
  • Implemented effective engagement with the local community supporting the uptake of the appropriate technologies and/or a local community project funded by HTB in the last two years with submitted final project report.

Nomination Process

Section / Student Branch SIGHT Groups submit an application ideally using the IEEE Region 8 Awards platform. There will be a form to complete requiring:

  • Confirmation of eligibility requirements;
  • Outstanding and sustainable achievement within their local community;
  • Contribution towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;
  • External and internal collaborations;
  • SIGHT activities portfolio;
  • Submission of funded project reports;
  • Recommendations from Section Chair or/and (for Student Branch SIGHT Groups only) Student Branch Chair / Counselor.

Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be evaluated on at least the following criteria:

  • Overall activity status of the SIGHT Group;
  • Quality of SIGHT activities and motivation;
  • Local impact of SIGHT activities;
  • Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals;
  • Established collaborations and partnerships;
  • Promotion of IEEE and SIGHT values;
  • Not already recognized in the past three years with the same award.

Deadline

Deadline follows the IEEE Region 8 Awards official deadline.

Prize

There will be a single winner of a monetary prize accompanied with a certificate/plaque for each category (Section / Student Branch). The cash prize will be considered to promote SIGHT activities. If no Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group is eligible for the award, no prize will be awarded.

Other Humanitarian Opportunities

 in Old Categories

 

 

IEEE International Humanitarian Technologies Conference

The IEEE International Humanitarian Technology Conference (IEEE IHTC) is a Multi-Regional Conference Series rotating between R7 (Canada), R8 (Africa, Europe and Middle East), and R9 (Latin America and Caribbean). This inter-disciplinary conference series focuses on showcasing challenges, success stories, lessons learnt, case studies and technological innovation related to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ICT4D and the application of Humanitarian Technologies (including Disaster Relief and Disaster Recovery) and facilitating engagement by stakeholders from the public, private, education and research and societal sectors around the world.

 

 

IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference

The IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference is the leading conference on the African continent focused on addressing its power and energy challenges. The conference provides a forum for researchers, engineers, policy makers and practitioners from Africa and beyond to share and discuss research findings, innovative ideas, emerging technologies and solutions to pressing challenges in the African energy sector. All researchers who work outside of the continent are invited to come learn from the energy innovations emanating from Africa and share innovations and experience from other regions of the world.

 

 

EPICS in IEEE

EPICS in IEEE empowers students to work with local service organizations to apply technical knowledge to implement solutions for a community’s unique challenges. In this way, EPICS in IEEE not only assists communities in achieving their specific local community improvement goals but also encourages students to pursue engineering for community improvement as a career.

 

 

IEEE Smart Village

IEEE Smart Village (ISV) has a unique approach to support the world’s energy-impoverished communities by providing a comprehensive solution combining renewable energy, community-based education, and entrepreneurial opportunities. ISV provides seed-funding to carefully selected community entrepreneurs based upon a credible business plan that will impact significant number of people with electricity, education and jobs.

 

 

IEEE Empower a Billion Lives

IEEE Empower a Billion Lives is a global competition aimed at fostering innovation to develop solutions to electricity access. Solutions are expected to be scalable, regionally relevant, holistic, and leverage 21st century technologies with exponentially declining prices.

 

 

MOVE Community Outreach

MOVE Community Outreach is an emergency relief program committed to assisting victims of natural disasters with short-term communications, computer, and power solutions. Natural disasters can severely impact individuals, families, and communities around the world. The restoration of electricity and communications is often of primary importance during these challenging times—because when power and connectivity is lost, people have no lights, no means to recharge mobile phones, and no way to reach out.

 

About SIGHT Groups

 in Old Categories

 

 

 

What is HTB and SIGHT?

The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) mission is to support impactful and ethically informed volunteer-led initiatives, programs and projects, and mutually beneficial partnerships, as well as to inform policy formulation that harness technology and innovation to address societal challenges (including disaster recovery) in a responsive, effective, and sustainable way.

 

The IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT) is a global network of groups consisting of IEEE members and volunteers who identify and address local problems by applying their technical skills and partnering with their local communities.

 

 

What about SIGHT groups?

SIGHT groups consist of at least six IEEE members who come together to learn about sustainable development, build relationships within their local communities, and implement SIGHT group projects that utilize technology to tackle key problems within the community. Non-IEEE members are welcome and encouraged to join their local SIGHT group. Groups can be formed at the professional or university level. SIGHT Group’s main purpose is to partner with underserved communities and local organizations to leverage technology for sustainable development.

 

 

In order for a SIGHT Group to be considered as active, the following requirements should be followed:

  • Membership: Should maintain a membership of not fewer than six (6) IEEE members.
  • Activities: Should hold not less than two (2) Group activities per year reported in vTools Events.
  • Leadership: Should hold elections regularly and report any changes in vTools Officers.

 

 

Learning Resources

The IEEE Learning Network (ILN) is the online website for discovering continuing education from across IEEE. With hundreds of educational courses available—and more added all the time—ILN offers the latest in continuing education in engineering, technology, and more. IEEE HTB & SIGHT have developed an educational curriculum on Humanitarian Technology and Sustainable Development at IEEE that is housed on the ILN. There are 6 different modules, and it is tailored for busy IEEE members, each module should take only 20 – 30 minutes to complete.

 

 

The Engineering for Change (E4C) is a hybrid organization with three integrated arms: An online academy, innovation lab, and a media platform. E4C’s mission is to improve the lives of underserved communities by better preparing the global development workforce, optimizing the solutions development cycle, and ensuring public health and safety. E4C in collaboration with IEEE has developed a learning framework and courses for Introduction to Engineering for Global Development.

 

 

An integral part of IEEE HTB’s strategic mission is to offer educational resources and training to equip IEEE members and volunteers to impact their local communities through sustainable development activities. Webinars are one way that SIGHT members can learn new ideas, grow their professional acumen, and connect with an extended community of engineers affecting sustainable change around the world.

 

 

Awards and Recognition

The IEEE Region 8 Outstanding Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established to recognize the essential work of the existing section / student branch SIGHT groups in Region 8, but also to promote and encourage sections / student branches to create SIGHT groups. The purpose of this award is to recognize a Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and to the local underserved community by leveraging technology to accomplish a sustainable solution.

 

 

The IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established to recognize IEEE SIGHT Groups committed to impacting their local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology.

 

The IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award was established to recognize a professional or student member of IEEE who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and a local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology.

 

IEEE REGION 8 Action for Industry Initiative

 in About AfI / Action for Industry

IEEE brings people and technology together for mutual benefit since industry members are traditional majority of IEEE and important contributors to all IEEE actions.

 

Action for Industry (AfI) Sub-Committee is focused on providing membership value to companies. The essential programs currently include Mentorships, Internships, Industry Events & Initiatives, Industry Awards, Entrepreneurship etc.

 

IEEE can provide value for companies in many ways: Whether you are seeking career advancement, looking to start your own company, or need research and trend insights into emerging technologies, IEEE can help those who work in the engineering sciences, research, and technology areas.

 

If your company engaged with the IEEE Action for Industry, can benefit from the following:

 

1. Access the Internstional Talent Pool through the AfI Internship Program

 

  • The lifeblood of any company lies on capable young engineers.
  • The membership of IEEE includes over 84,000 student and graduate student members. These students are all highly educated, young professionals from wide range of technical backgrounds. Over 17,000 of them reside in Region 8.
  • Internships provide mutual benefits: young engineers gain valuable work experience and IEEE AfI can reach out these highly able young engineers with your job offers.
  • IEEE AfI leadership facilitates the placement process both by obtaining job descriptions from companies and vetting the student base to offer to the companies a selection of able young engineers to be matched by to the roles.

 

2. Skills Development though AfI Mentoring Program

 

  • The 400 000+ members of IEEE include highly experienced professionals from all levels of organizations across wide field of industries
  • Mentoring is support and guidance by some of these experienced professionals to develop the professionalism of those less experienced
  • The IEEE Mentoring Program is an online program that facilitates the matching of IEEE members for the purpose of establishing a mentoring. The platform is accessible through IEEE Collaboratec®

 

3. Influence and Access Standards Essential to Your Business

 

  • Engagement with development of standards provides you an opportunity to influence technical development of your business sector and make sure that your insights are taken into account in the standards.
  • Engaging with development of global IEEE standards can provide you significant competitive advantage over your competitors. IEEE nurtures, develops, and advances the building of global technologies and consumers around the world enjoy the benefits (ex: IEEE 802.11 – the WiFi standard, IEEE 802.3 – the Ethernet standard, etc.)

 

4. Skills Development through Education Programs

  • Educational programs of IEEE are a great way to develop skills & competences of your employees.
  • IEEE educational programs enable students and professionals to achieve their goals (Career Preparation, Continuing Education, iTunes U, Pre-University Programs, Professional Certification Programs, etc.)
  • IEEE programs open the eyes of youth to the possibilities of today’s and tomorrow’s technologies (TryEngineering.org, TryComputing.org, Teacher In-Service, etc.)

 

5. Knowledge and insight through IEEE Publications

 

  • IEEE publications, such as the IEEE Spectrum Magazine, provides you with an insight into a wide range of technical fields and helps you to develop your own vision of the future.
  • Technical articles from all IEEE journals and conferences made available to you via IEEE Xplore digital library, on the other hand, provides you with up-to-date undestanding of the state the technical domain relevant to your industry. IEEE Xplore is an IEEE intellectual property, with powerful search tools, nearly 4 million full-text articles and papers and users download more than 8 million documents per month.

 

6. Latest information and new contacts from Technical Conferences

  • Participation in conferences provides you an opportunity to hear state-of-the-art of research and technical development in your field
  • Conferences are also a great opportunity to network with both academics and companies in your technical field.
  • IEEE sponsors more than 1,800 conferences, attracting over 465,000 attendees from around the globe while publishing over 180,000 conference papers each year
  • IEEE offers technical events and scholarly conferences, providing an opportunity to both learn the latest on technologies and network with leading experts. The events often contain technical exhibitions that provide an opportunity for companies to present their commercial offering and also provide an opportunity to present own work to peers and submit technical papers to IEEE for publication.

 

7. Continued professional development through training activities

 

  • IEEE provides continued professional development for your staff through various training activities.
    • Continuing professional education online courses through the IEEE eLearning Library and the IEEE Learning Network. 
      • Online courses enable you to get up-to-date quickly on emerging technologies and trends.
      • Learners who pass course assessments through the IEEE Learning Network can earn IEEE digital certificates, including Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs).
      • Course topics span a wide array of technologies including machine learning, digital transformation, 5G, cyber security, ethical hacking, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, edge computing, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, smart grid, and more.
    • IEEE Courses | IEEE Xplore
  • IEEE, the world’s leading standard developer, is also a leading source of education and informational resources on standards, their applications, and their impact on designing new products, processes, and services.

 

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IEEE EUROCON 2023

 in News & Events

EUROCON is a major international forum for the exchange of ideas, theory basics, design methodologies, techniques and experimental results between academia, research institutions and practitioners from industry. It covers all fields of electrical and electronic engineering, ICT and computer science covered by IEEE Societies.

 

IEEE EUROCON 2023 is one of the flagship conferences of the IEEE Region 8 (the largest region of IEEE, including Europe, Africa, and Middle East). IEEE EUROCON 2023 provides a unique opportunity to bring together researchers and practitioners from different fields, to discuss on the latest developments in these fields and promote cross-disciplinary interactions needed in today’s engineering activities. IEEE Eurocon 2023 is the 20th edition or the Eurocon Conferences.

 

The conference will be held 6-8 July 2023 in Torino, Italy.

 

For more information please visit: https://2023.ieee-eurocon.org/

 

 

IEEE ISIE (International Symposium on Industrial Electronics) 2023

 in News & Events

The IEEE ISIE 2023 is the 32nd International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), focusing on frontier technologies for industries, applications of electronics, controls, communications, instrumentation and computational intelligence. The objectives of the conference are to provide high quality research and professional interactions for the advancement of science, technology, and fellowship.

 

An industry session and visits to local industries will be organized during the event.

 

The event will be held 19-21 June 2023 in Helsinki-Espoo, Finland.

 

For more information please visit: https://2023.ieee-isie.org/