The IEEE Summit on Sustainability has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus, COVID-2019

The organizers of the IEEE summit on sustainability – Vision towards 2050 have been monitoring the developing Coronavirus, COVID-2019. The safety and well-being of all conference participants is our priority. After studying and evaluating the announcements, guidance, and news released by relevant national departments, we are sorry to announce that the IEEE Summit on Sustainability, scheduled to be held March 24, in Brussels will be cancelled. We are looking for a new date later this year to organize this event again and will provide more information as soon as possible.

Registered participants will receive full refunds.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and ask that you contact us on www.ieee-summit.org/contact/ with any questions you may have.



IEEE Summit on Sustainability – Vision for 2050

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

Registration
Welcome introduction by Dirk Van Hertem – KU Leuven – EnergyVille – General chair, IEEE Summit
Opening Statements by Marko Delimar – University of Zagreb – Chair, IEEE EPPC
Summit Expectations from Eva Kaili – MEP – Chair, The Future of Science and Technology Panel in the European Parliament (STOA)
Pathways to a Low-Carbon Future – Keynote Speach by Paul Komor – Associate Director, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), University of Colorado Boulder
Panel 1 – The Green Deal: Through Electric Energy Transition?
The first panel of this summit is centered on the question: Can the targets set by the Green Deal proposed by the European Commission be reached through a transition to more electrical energy? The panel will address the growing demand for energy and tackle the challenges involved when transitioning towards alternative energy sources and through the use of new technologies.

Speakers:

Panel opening statements by Haitze Siemers – Head of Unit “New energy technologies, innovation and clean coal”, DG Energy

  • Adel El Gamma – Secretary General, EERA
  • Lluberes Gelem – Director of Service Agreements Power Generation, Europe, Africa, & Asia, Siemens Gas and Power – Member of the Board, Future Energy Leaders – World Energy Council
  • Nikos Hatziargyriou – Professor, National Technical University of Athens – Co-chair, EU Technology and Innovation Platform on Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET)
  • Vera Silva – Chief Technical Officer, General Electric Grid Solutions
Lunch
Panel 2 – Digital for a European Green Deal
The second panel invites speakers with experience in the field of digitalisation to share their expertise on the impact that digitalisation will have on the future of the economy, industry, and our society. The panelists are invited to share their vision on how digitalisation can help achieve a thriving, financially beneficial, sustainable society in 2050. The panel also highlights the challenges involved in maintaining the extensive digital infrastructure needed to achieve such goals, including the challenges associated with green ICT.

Speakers:

Panel opening statements by Khalil Rouhana – Deputy Director-General in DG CONNECT, European Commission

  • Arnout Aertgeerts – Chief Technical Officer, Flexicity
  • Andreas Breuer – Vice President of New Technologies / Projects, Innogy
  • Jaafar Elmirghani – Professor, University of Leeds – Co-Chair, IEEE Sustainable ICT initiative
  • Willem Jonker – Chief Executive Officer, EIT Digital
  • Bruno Meyer – Energy Consultant – Member of IEEE EPPC
Coffee Break
Panel 3 – Incentivising Tech Development
The final panel will focus on how to ensure that the necessary technology is available to realize the green deal. By encouraging technological innovation, the shift towards a sustainable society could be achieved in a way that we cannot immediately predict. Furthermore, it is seen as a critical condition to remain ahead of the curve and retain leadership on sustainable technology. Therefore, this panel encourages speakers to share their views on how we today can allow for future technological innovations to prosper.

Speakers:

Panel opening statements by Patrick Child – Deputy Director-General in Research and Innovation, European Commission

  • Koenraad Debackere – Professor and general manager, KU Leuven
  • Pär Lundström – Expert on Skills Provision and Vocational Education and Training, The Confederation of Swedish Enterprises – Representative, Management Board of Cedefop
  • Diego Pavia – Chief Executive Officer, EIT InnoEnergy
  • Chris Peeters – Chief Executive Officer, Elia Group
  • Alberto Pototschnig – Former director, ACER
  • Michael Webber – Chief Science and Technology Officer, ENGIE
Closing Session by the moderator Jacki Davis – Managing Director, Meade Davis Communications
Networking Reception
End of the Summit