Civilian and defence applications of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and High Performance Computing
3-4 June 2021
Venue: International Convention Centre - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Pretoria and online
Programme - 3 June 2021
8:00-8:30 Registration
Welcome coffee and tea 8:30-9:00 Formal opening
Moderators: Silvia Marrara and Pierguido Sarti – Italian Embassy H.E. Paolo Cuculi – Ambassador of Italy to South Africa
Daan du Toit – Deputy Director General – Department of Science and Innovation 9:00-9:40 Introduction
Sanzio Bassini – IFAB - International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development
Happy Sithole – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - The National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System - NICIS
9:40-9:50 IFAB-NICIS MoU Signing Ceremony
9:50-10:00 Coffee and tea break
10:00-11:15 Session 1: Disaster management and prevention
Moderator: Andiswa Mlisa – South African National Space Agency
David Fabi - Italian Civil Protection
Dechlan Pillay and Alpheus Mashigo - Department of Cooperative Governance
Luigi Lupoli – Leonardo and Lucia Luzietti - Head of Emergency services and Operations - e-GEOS
Morwapula Mashalane – Remote Sensing Scientist, SANSA - Earth Observation in Disaster management: Risk reduction and Mitigation
Pasquale Lelio Iapadre and Paola Inverardi – University of L’Aquila – HPC for disaster resilience: a value chain approach - The HPC4DR project
11:15-11:20 Q&A
11:20-12:20 Session 2: Environmental monitoring and forecasting
Moderator: Andiswa Mlisa - South African National Space Agency
Guido Rianna – CMCC and Antonino Tirri – Leithà, Gruppo Unipol - European Extreme Events Climate Index (E3CI ): an operational service for weather- induced hazard assessment and management
Peter Lukey - Chief Director: Knowledge and Information Management - Climate Change, Air Quality and Sustainable Development Branch - Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Francesco Briotti – Leonardo and Fabio Volpe - Head of Optical and
Hyperspectral Applications – e-GEOS
Mary-Jane Bopape – South Africa Weather Service - The South African Weather Service forecasting systems
12:20-12:25 Q&A
12:25-13:25 Session 3: Health, e-health and personalized medicine
Moderator: Bruce Mellado – University of the Witwatersrand
Jonathan Mapelli – University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Jabu Mtsweni – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Marco Viceconti - Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli
Caradee Wright – South African Medical Research Council - Exploring the intersection of precision medicine and environmental health; where ‘cure’ and prevention meet
13:25-13:30 Q&A
13:30-14:30 LUNCH
14:30-15:30 Session 4: AI for SMMEs growth and economic recovery
Moderator: Francesco Petruccione – University of KwaZuluNatal and and National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences
Rita Cucchiara – University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - University and SMES collaboration in Computer Vision and Deep Learning
Kanyiso Walaza - Department of Cooperative Governace
Michela Milano - University of Bologna – The centre for SMEs: How to ease the uptake of AI technology for SMEs
Tervern Jaftha – Senior Manager: Technology Business Incubation - Department for Small Business Development
15:30-15:35 Q&A
15:35-15:45 Coffee and tea break
15:45-16:45 Session 5: Smart cities
Moderator: Francesco Petruccione - University of KwaZuluNatal and and National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences
Laura Po – University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – Towards sustainable mobility for citizens and the environment
Antony Cooper – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Towards inclusive, resilient and sustainable smart cities
Balasubramanian Chandramouli – CINECA - Smart Bologna and AI
Andrea Teschioni – Leonardo and Elena Francioni - Platforms and New Initiatives Manager – e-GEOS
16:45-16:50 Q&A
16:50-17:50 Session 6: Smart PA and services to citizens
Moderator: Francesco Petruccione - University of KwaZuluNatal and and National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences
Gianluca Mazzini - LEPIDA Scpa
Lucas Mogashoa – Corporate and Digital strategy - SITA
Paolo Traverso – Bruno Kessler Foundation
Alberto Minorini - Head of Mediterranean Area - Italtel
17:50-17:55 Q&A
End of day one
Programme - 4 June 2021
8:30-9:00 Registration
Welcome coffee and tea 9:00-10:00 Session 1: Infrastructures
Moderator: Daniel Adams - Department of Science and Innovation
Sanzio Bassini – IFAB - International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development
Happy Sithole – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Emanuele Scano – Stato Maggiore della Difesa – Italian Armed Forces
Dumisani Ngwenya - Head of Research and Innovation –SENTECH 10:00-10:05 Q&A
10:05-11-05 Session 2: Digital providers
Moderator: Sagren Moodley - Department of Science and Innovation
Cristian Randieri - Founder & CEO - Intellisystem Technologies
Happy Sithole – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Approaches to digital infrastructure provision
Simone Zanotti – E4 Computer Engineering
Davide Tacchino – Vodacom 11:05-11:10 Q&A
11:10-11:20 Coffee and tea break
11:20-12:20 Session 3: Cyber-Security, AI and new technologies
Moderator: Anwar Vahed - National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System
Laura Carpini – Head of Unit for international policies and cyber-security – Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Lunga Bengu - Department of International Relations and Cooperation
Andrea Teschioni – Leonardo and Domenico Grandoni – e-GEOS
Louise Leenen –University of the Western Cape 12:20-12:25 Q&A
12:25-13:25 Session 4: Coastal and maritime surveillance
Moderator: Tommy Bornman – South African Environment Observation Network
Tommaso Santillo - Guardia di finanza
Marjolaine Krug – OCIMS Scientific Advisor and Project Manager- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Salvatore Di Bartolo – Leonardo and Filippo Daffinà - Product Manager SeonSE - e-GEOS
Tholo Pholoto and Andrew Cothill – Institute of Maritime Technology - ARMSCOR
13:25-13:30 Q&A
13:30-13:40 Conclusions
Sanzio Bassini – IFAB and Happy Sithole- CSIR
13:40-14:40 LUNCH
14:40-17:00 B2B session – Online
14:40-15:30 Focus on opportunities in KwaZulu-Natal
A breakout session by Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN)
Civilian and defence applications of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and High Performance Computing
3-4 June 2021
Venue: International Convention Centre - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Pretoria and online
Scientific rationale
COVID pandemic has called for a faster transition towards the digitalization of services and data as key factor to manage societal needs, sustain economic growth, develop local communities, balance inequalities. The digital transformation is ignited by the creation and use of scientific hubs and infrastructures dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI), High Performance Computing (HPC) and Big Data. Digital infrastructures are developed by establishing key collaborations between public institutions and private enterprises. The goal is to create state of the art, world class national modern hubs under a coordinated strategic perspective. South Africa and Italy are currently moving along this direction.
In the field of civilian applications, the “International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development” (IFAB), has been recently established in Bologna (Italy) for the development and promotion of interdisciplinary research based on AI, HPC and Big Data. IFAB and Big Data Association represent an ecosystem of organisations which includes, among others, the following bodies, whose representatives will participate as speakers today: CINECA, CMCC, IOR, LEPIDA Scpa, UNIBO, UNIMORE.
Other Italian private and public enterprises offer geo-information services and applications through platforms in several sectors: from maritime and coastal surveillance to assets and infrastructures management and monitoring, provision of fast geo information contents for emergency management and business intelligence to product and services for agriculture and forestry. AI, HPC, storage and management of Big data also promote social and economic growth helping users, first SMMEs, to match their needs with available technologies.
Other applications include the health sector, such as healthcare emergency where distributed Response and Monitoring of Epidemics in the society are managed through an ecosystem of services based on the hybrid satellite-ground (i.e. using satellite, mobile networks, etc.) high-speed communication infrastructure. These services may support screening, prevention, monitoring and health logistics in response to serious emergencies such as COVID 19, thus offering services for the Civil protection and the Health institutions.
In the field of defence and security applications, Italy has developed operational workflows for intelligence analysis and report generation and geoinformation in AI-powered applications. In the aeronautical sector, Italy has combined together the main AI "actors" - start-ups, developers, researchers and universities –in a logic of open innovation, developing the concept of “AIRtificial intelligence”. AI is also supporting the cyber security evolution and application. In Italy the creation of national cyber security certified centres allowed the implementation of a cyber-resilient framework providing risk assessment procedures to Ministries as well as to Critical National Infrastructure Organizations and International organizations.
In South Africa, the National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITheP) has been recently reconfigured to form the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS). Restructuring of NITheP and consolidation of related Theoretical and Computational Sciences, including Data Science, offers broader sectoral impact, while enhancing the benefits of the investment already made. Elements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) arising through science are incorporated, and impact in 4IR is planned for through innovation and internal cross-disciplinary exchange. At the core of NITheCS will be the disciplines of Theoretical Physics, Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science and will be active in Astrophysics, Earth and Climate Modelling, Quantitative Biosciences and Data Science in Quantitative Finance. NICIS is a platform that promotes scientific and industrial development through the provision of high-performance computing capability, high-speed network capacity and a national research data
infrastructure. The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) provides massive parallel processing capabilities and services to researchers in industry and academia. The South African National Research Network (SANReN) provides high-speed connectivity and advanced networking services and the Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA) implements services that enable sound data management practices and support efficient data-driven scientific and engineering discoveries.
International collaborations are a key element for the effective development of such innovative and strategic initiatives. To this purpose, the Embassy of Italy, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Innovation and other relevant South African Departments and institutions, is organizing a two day workshop (3-4 June 2021) to be held in Pretoria, (South Africa).
