eUMaP 5th Workshop on Utilities Management Under Crisis Conditions

April 23, 2024 0 By admin

Thessaloniki, Greece – The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), leading beneficiary of WP6 within the eUMaP project, successfully hosted the fifth eUMaP workshop in Thessaloniki. Held on February 22nd and 23rd, the workshop focused on Utilities Management Under Crisis Conditions, drawing experts and stakeholders from various sectors.

The two-day event, taking place at the EYATH SA building in Thessaloniki, adopted a hybrid format to facilitate broader participation. It served as a focal point for speakers, project partners, and stakeholders to explore crucial issues surrounding energy, water, waste, and telecommunication management.

Figure 1. eUMaP project partners attending the workshop 

Day one: insights and discussions

The workshop’s first day featured an open session with presentations from esteemed speakers, providing invaluable insights into managing utilities under crises.

The session commenced with a warm welcome from Prof. Agis Papadopoulos from AUTh, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing the challenges faced in utilities management. Dr. Alesio Di Iorio and Mr. Nikolaos Schetakis from ALMA, the project coordinators, provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s objectives and achievements.

Prof. Grigoris Papagiannis from AUTh kicked off the session on Energy Management with a captivating presentation on “Energy transition and modern power grids”. This was followed by a thought-provoking presentation by Dr. Alexandros Mentes from EYATH SA on “Need for Innovation in the Water Supply Sector” during the Water Management session.

The workshop then delved into Telecommunication Management with online presentations by experts from NITEL and ST Microelectronics. Dr. Daniele Croce from NITEL discussed “Telecommunications for Emergency: Adaptation for LoRa for real-time operations” while Dr. Roberto La Rosa from ST Microelectronics explored “Powering the Future of IoT: Innovative Strategies for Energy-Autonomous Wireless Sensor Networks”. These presentations sparked engaging discussions on leveraging technology for crisis management.

The first day concluded with insights into Waste Management, as Dr. George Banias from CERTH, shed light on “Disaster Waste Management: evidence, challenges, and policy responses”. Attendees actively participated in discussions, exchanging ideas and experiences to enhance waste management strategies.

Day two: collaborative work and progress

The second day focused on internal discussions within the project, aiming to address progress and challenges across various work packages.

The day commenced with a comprehensive presentation by Dr. Merope Manataki and Mr. Nikolaos Schetakis from ALMA, focusing on the status of project deliverables, secondments, and data availability. Subsequently, Mr. Napoleon Papoutsakis from ALMA demonstrated the latest updates and features of the eUMaP platform, eliciting discussions on integrating crisis patterns into the platform and addressing data limitations. Prof. Paris A. Fokaides from Frederick University emphasized the need for solutions catering to both normal and crisis scenarios, prompting considerations on overcoming challenges such as limited smart meter availability. Following that, Mr. Konstantinos Apostolopoulos from GSH presented progress on WP4 “Spatial planning of city services utilities network”, focusing on the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) models and 3D maps within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment.

Attendees engaged in productive discussions, exploring solutions to integrate crisis patterns into the platform and address data limitations. Presentations by AUTh showcased progress within WP6 “Utilities Management under crisis conditions”, fostering interactive exchanged aimed at aligning with project objectives and ensuring continued progress.

The workshop concluded on a high note, with expressions of gratitude to all participants for their active involvement and contributions. Special thanks were extended to AUTh for organizing the event and to EYATH SA for hosting it, underscoring the collaborative spirit driving the eUMaP project forward.

The workshop in Thessaloniki underscored the commitment of all partners toward advancing utilities management under crisis conditions. Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, we aim to develop innovative solutions that enhance resilience and sustainability.

Figure 2. eUMaP project partners gathering at EYATH SA

The eUMaP project

The eUMaP project aims to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on critical infrastructure such as energy, water, waste, and telecommunication systems. It proposes the development of an open platform that enables local authorities to effectively manage and plan the demand and supply of building utilities during quarantine or lockdown situations, ensuring resilience and continuity. The platform is based on earth observation data and integrated with open BIM platforms in five European cities.

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