2nd Annual Transatlantic Symposium on ICT and Policy (18th-19th June 2018)

Leveraging People, Technology, and Information for a Smart and Connected Society

June 18-19, 2018
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC, USA

Webcast Recap

Agenda and Presentations

• Check the Agenda and download presentations
• Agenda for download

Resources:

We recommend the following resources:

• Read PICASSO Policy Papers and Opportunity Reports dealing with the symposium topics.
• Access CROSSROADS, your EU-US ICT Info-Hub – a wealth of resources.

Overview
The United States (US) and European Union (EU) are partners with a shared history and culture who face similar challenges in areas such as security, economic development, and innovation. Working together on key aspects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and policy can strengthen each partner individually while enhancing the relationship between allies.

This event built on the success of the first Trans-Atlantic Symposium on ICT Technology and Policy, held in Minneapolis, MN, USA on June 19th and 20^th, 2017. The first Trans-Atlantic Symposium was organized by the European Commission (EC)-funded PICASSO project with contributions from the EC-funded BILAT USA 4.0 project. It was supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS), IEEE Control System Society, and the University of Minnesota, and hosted by the Technological Leadership Institute of University of Minnesota.

The 2^nd Annual Transatlantic Symposium on ICT Technology and Policy, jointly organized by the Wilson Center and the PICASSO project, convened leaders in government, academia, and industry around the theme of leveraging people, technology, and information for a smart and connected society. The symposium explored key ICT topics for bilateral cooperation, as well as cross-cutting issues including policy aspects and STEM workforce issues. This two-day event included keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive workshops to facilitate knowledge exchange.

Participation to the event was free of charge, but online registration was required.

Key Topics
Five key topics were selected based on the outcomes of the first Trans-Atlantic Symposium as well as the stated policy priorities of the US and EU.  Conference attendees discussed cooperation with a focus on innovative early-stage research in the following areas:

• Cybersecurity and cyber resiliency strategy.
• Big Data, including management, analytics, and visualization.
• Cyber-physical Systems and Internet of Things (IoT), with a focus on smart energy systems.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI), including autonomous systems, robotics, and machine learning.
• 5G and Beyond, including network infrastructure.

Cross-cutting Issues
Beyond these topics, the symposium explored cross-cutting opportunities and challenges relevant to both bilateral cooperation and individual competitiveness. These included:

• Policy considerations to US-EU cooperation such as privacy, security, and standardization.
• Expanding support for open science, including open data and citizen science initiatives.

Organizing Committee
Dr. Anne Bowser (Wilson Center, USA), Chair
Svetlana Klessova (inno TSD, France), Co-Chair
Dr. Tariq Samad (Technological Leadership Institute, University of Minnesota, USA), Co-Chair

Margot Bezzi (APRE, Italy)
Maarten Botterman (GNKS, the Netherlands)
Christine Caly (Florida International University, USA)
Dr. Sebastian Engell (TU Dortmund, Germany)
Dr. Gerhard Fettweis (TU Dresden)
Dr. Nikos Sarris (Athens Technology Centre, Greece)
Dr. Davis Shaw (Mississippi State University
Dr. Haydn Thompson (THHINK, UK)

Co-sponsors
This event was supported by the Wilson Center, the National Science Foundation, the EC-funded PICASSO project and Mississippi State University.

Outcomes
Participants gained greater awareness and education of the latest developments in each of the five key topics as well as cross-cutting issues such as policy considerations, open science, and expanding the STEM workforce. Networking connected leaders from policy, academic, and business circles in the US and the EU.  A brief report will summarize the symposium outcomes, while a series of expert policy briefs published by the Wilson Center will explore key topics in greater depth.