CW Unplugged: Megacities

28 September 2018

The Bradfield Centre

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About the conference

Half of humanity – 3.5 billion people – live in cities today and by 2030, almost 60 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas. The world’s cities occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 per cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions. Rapid urbanization is exerting pressure on fresh water supplies, sewage, the living environment, and public health.

Although 95 per cent of urban expansion in the next decades will take place in developing world there are 828 million people living in slums today and the number keeps rising. By 2030, the world is projected to have 43 megacities, most of them in developing regions.

"However, the challenge is that in many countries it's taking place so rapidly ... and large slum areas have developed that are not maybe achieving the goals of sustainable development the way that we would like."

By 2030 the UN is working towards ways to ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums. To provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, and reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, paying special attention to air quality.

This event on 28 September will showcase three social impact related ventures who are developing smart city technologies in AI and IoT infrastructure that can be scaled to and applied in Megacities.

Bringing together impact investors, designers, engineers, we'll help create solutions to specific challenges for these three ventures as well as others who may join this event. The real tough work will be outside this event over the year with a sustainable effort with support from mentors, platforms and connections to turn some of these solutions into reality and impact.

To ensure we have the right group of people attending this exclusive event we would like to invite you to register your interest by clicking 'reserve a place' and we will reply back to confirm your suitability (within a week).

You can follow @CambWireless on Twitter and tweet about this event using #CWUnplugged.

Event partner: Centre for Global Equality

The Centre for Global Equality focuses the resources available in global centres of excellence such as Cambridge on evolving innovative solutions to global challenges.

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Title sponsor: Arm

Arm technology is at the heart of a computing and connectivity revolution that is transforming the way people live and businesses operate. Our advanced, energy-efficient processor designs have enabled intelligent computing in more than 125 billion chips. Over 70% of the world’s population are using Arm technology, which is securely powering products from the sensor to the smartphone to the supercomputer. This technology combined with our IoT software and device management platform enables customers to derive real business value from their connected devices. Together with our 1,000+ technology partners we are at the forefront of designing, securing and managing all areas of compute from the chip to the cloud. Arm are also founder and patron of 2030Vision, a cross-sector collaboration between business, governments, NGOs and academia. Our ambition is to transform the use of technology to support the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) whilst unlocking the commercial opportunities they offer. We do this by identifying and scaling impactful technologies through multi-sector partnerships. www.2030vision.com

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Sponsored by: Mills & Reeve LLP

Legal and intellectual property advisers.

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Sponsored by: u-blox UK

u-blox is the global leader in positioning and wireless semiconductors

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Ideation Partner: Fresh Perspectiv

Our team of commercially-minded scientists love working at the intersection of science and business strategy to help companies to make informed decisions and enhance their commercial impact.

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Ideation Partner: Dovetailed

We are a Cambridge UK based user experience design studio and innovation lab.

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Ideation Partner: Cambridge Consultants

We do deep tech, you create the future

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Hosted by: The Bradfield Centre

The Bradfield Centre is the premier Tech Hub serving the Cambridge technology cluster and the wider East of England region.

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Agenda highlights

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The information supplied below may be subject to change before the event.

14:30

Arrival, registration and networking

15:00

CW Unplugged Introduction & CWiHero

Abhi Naha, CCO, CW
Sylvia Lu, U-blox

15:05

The role of AI and IoT in improving lives in a rapidly urbanizing world

Bee Hayes-Thakore, Director – Connectivity Management for IoT Services Group, Arm

The next few decades will see unprecedented movements of people into ‘the city’. Movements that are fuelled by the hope for opportunities, but are themselves posing some of the greatest challenges as megacities commonly struggle with issues that arise from sheer size of these cities and managing movement of people, resources, and waste. Artificial intelligence and automated technologies will be a powerful influence on the development of future cities. With over 125 billion silicon chips shipped already, and the vision of 1 trillion connected devices that will work to improve lives both in urban environments and in dispersed smart villages, Arm sees the opportunity for artificial intelligence and automated technologies to shape the liveability of future cities. When we focus on creating interconnections between companies that are important for innovation, we ask how we can scale the impact these technologies can have for all, and what the tech sector can do more to improve lives in a rapidly urbanizing world, with the next generation in mind?

15:25

AI & DL unlocking the potential of future cities

Charbel Aoun - AI City Managing Director EMEA, Nvidia, Nvidia

15:40

Start-Up 1: CamNexus

Jessica Ocampos, Director, CamNexus

Camnexus is a fast-growing IoT solution provider based in Cambridge, startup of the University of Cambridge and associated to the Cambridge University Centre for Global Equality. Camnexus responds to the technological needs of clients in developing regions looking for sustainable development through digitalisation and smart transformation in key productive sectors.

15:55

Start-Up 2: CamBike Sensors

CEO, CamBike Sensors

While the current application of the CamBike Sensor technology is small-scale and Cambridge-based, the potential to use the sensor elsewhere is significant. Globally, ambient air pollution from traffic, industrial sources, waste burning or residential fuel combustion result in an estimated 3 million deaths per year (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg3). With increasing urbanisation and the evolution of Megacities in developing and emerging economies, the technology used in the CamBike Sensor has the potential to contribute to the well-being of the earth’s population.

16:10

Intro to the Ideation workshop facilitators

We'll split into 4 groups and intro you to your group leader before a quick break to refuel.

16:15

Break

16:30

Ideation Workshop

A fast paced hour of brainstorming discussing the challenges Tech for Water faces. Attendees have the opportunity to contribute their ideas and experiences in facilitated groups ran by our partners.

17:30

Workshop Presentations

Informal presentations and discussion of the main outcomes from each Ideation group.

18:15

Next Steps

18:30

Join us in the atrium for food, drink & networking

19:30

Event Close

Speakers

Charbel Aoun - AI City Managing Director EMEA, Nvidia, Nvidia

Charbel joined NVIDIA with a mission to drive EMEA strategy and GTM for AI City and Intelligent Video Analytics. Prior to this he held senior executive positions including President of Schneider Electric City business globally, General Manager for Cisco Systems Smart Cities Emerging Market and EMEA, and executive positions in Accenture Government Services plus senior executive roles for startups in Europe and US.
  
Charbel has spent over 20 years in companies from global Fortune 100 corporations to technology startups, bringing transformation to living and working conditions in urban environments. A recognized industry leader on topics such as Future/smart cities, digital transformation, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence.
 
A strong believer in the potential for positive change as technology is applied in the modern world, Charbel is currently a board member of Future Cities Catapult, as well as serving on the boards and advisory councils of many startups and TechHubs. Charbel has an MBA in global operations and BS Computer Science. He speaks English, French & Arabic.

Charles Christensen

Charles has a bachelor's degree in Physics, and a master's degree in Mathematics from Technical University of Denmark. He has recently started a PhD project at the University of Cambridge on the topic of deep learning microscopy; a collaboration between the Laser Analytics Group and the Artificial Intelligence Group. As a member of the open-seneca team, he has been responsible for data analysis and software.

Lorena Gordillo Dagallier

Lorena completed her undergraduate degree in General Engineering and has recently started a PhD at the University of Cambridge in paper diagnostics. Her research will focus on developing low-cost sensors made of paper to use in resource-limited settings for the detection of diseases. Lorena leads the open-seneca team, along with designing the hardware for a sensor that measures the local environment (i.e. air pollution and road surface quality).

Paul Gough - Principal Corporate Strategy, u-blox UK

Paul is part of u-blox Corporate Strategy Team looking at new markets, technology opportunities, as well as business analytics. In the distant past he worked for Xerox research before moving to Philips research where, over 25 years, he headed a number of research teams including early work on: semiconductor modelling, requirements engineering, phone browsers and wearable electronics. In 2008 he was part of the management team that spun out a software GPS technology from NXP/Philips.  The company, Geotate, was acquired by u-blox in 2009. In addition to working at u-blox, Paul is a part-time assistant Professor at the Dept. of Fashion Design, Shih Chien University, Taiwan, where he teaches a masters workshop on Electronic Fashion.

Bee Hayes-Thakore - Arm

Bee Hayes-Thakore is director of Business Enablement for Connectivity for the Internet of Things Services Group (ISG) at Arm.

Bee has significant experience in driving technology and operational innovation globally, forging growth through strategic partnerships and new business models.

In her role, Bee leads new business initiatives that remove the significant challenges businesses face when deploying connected products and services for IoT globally. She works extensively with Arm partners to enable secure, robust and enterprise grade IoT solutions.

Bee joined Arm in 2014 and has led the global marketing programs for the fast growing IoT Services group since its inception. Previously at Arm, Bee was responsible for CPU product marketing for Arm Cortex-A and Cortex-M processors for the mobile and embedded markets.

She brings over 18 years of thought leadership to Arm, addressing hardware and software development challenges in various industrial sectors and how industrial connectivity and the networks of IoT have evolved.

Her previous roles include head of university program and head of global technical marketing for Premier Farnell Plc, where she oversaw the launch of Raspberry Pi, a number of significant tech M&A activities in Asia. Bee has an entrepreneurial background, having founded engineering consultancy Big On Good Solutions, specialising in robotics, mining and pharma services. She has led products from concept to scale-out production for varied innovative technology partners such as NASA, LEGO, AIRBUS, X PRIZE Foundation and Shell.

She is also an active citizen scientist and a board director for The Planetary Society and the UN World Space Week Association. Bee was noted for two consecutive years within the Top 5 Technologists in the UK for IoT in 2015 and 2016 by DiversityUK. Her previous work has been recognised by the WES Young Engineer of the Year award in 2008, and the prestigious Asian Women Award in 2010. The MT and Sunday Times recognised her within their '35 under 35’ in 2009.

 

Johanna Kölbel

Johanna completed her undergraduate in Physics and she is currently starting a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her research will focus on terahertz spectroscopy to explore the role of vibrational dynamics for the stability of biopharmaceuticals. She is also part of the CamBike Sensor Team.

Abhi Naha - Cambridge Wireless

Abhi Naha is the Digital Accelerator Director at PwC. He is creating and leading a new tech division for PwC. The Digital Accelerator solves innovation challenges using the power of scale ups and ecosystems for greater insights, impact and value creation.

Abhi was the CCO of CW Cambridge Wireless and CEO of the Product as a Service Consortium. At CW, Abhi initiated and lead on the 5G private network testbed in Cambridge, corporate digital innovation accelerators and high value collaborations.

Abhi was the CEO and Founder of Zone V a Cambridge start up backed by Qualcomm and ARM focused on empowering people with aging eyes and visually impairment through inclusively designed smartphone software. He held senior roles at Powermat, San Jose based Synaptics and advisory roles for Goldman Sachs and Silver Lake in the area of mobile user interface technologies. Abhi is a senior advisor to an autonomous vehicle mobility scale up Conigital, Industry Partner (Digital Infrastructure) for Arjun Infrastructure Partners with 5 Billion Euros of assets under management and an Ambassador for the United Nations Global Sustainability Index Institute. Abhi studied Electronics and Electrical Engineering, has an MBA in International Marketing and authored a book on Mobile Handset Design when approached by Cambridge University Press. More recently Abhi has created an initiative to help train widows in developing countries learn python programming, gain financial empowerment and become future leaders.

Jessica Ocampos - CEO, Camnexus

PhD in Chemical Engineering of the University of Cambridge. She is director and co-founder of Camnexus, a technology transfer platform for sustainable development based in Cambridge, and member of the Centre for Global Equality (CGE) Global Goals Innovation Cultivator. With a vast international experience in the pharma, oil & gas and mining industry, Jessica has managed commercialisation of R&D results and projects for 10 years. She led and supervised international engineering and R&D projects for multinational companies (Bayer Corporation in the USA, Procter & Gamble Latin America, 3M Chile, and Air Liquide Germany and France). In France she led the electronics engineering team of Air Liquide ALES, Grenoble, in the design, fabrication and deployment of the first automated filling plant for remote areas in North Africa, Asia and Brazil. Jessica has been awarded with several innovation awards at the University of Cambridge and awarded the second Innovation Prize for Engineers by 3M. She has been recently recognised in the list of five World Class Chileans Abroad, awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile and the Direction of International Trade (DICOEX) and has been sponsored by the University of Cambridge Tier 1 Visa Entrepreneur.

Francesca van Tartwijk

Francesca has a BA and MSci degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and is now starting her PhD project at the University of Cambridge. Her project will focus on phase transitions of the protein FUS in neurons, and the role of its disturbance in disease. She has been the Project Manager of the CamBike Sensor Team.

Event Location

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Location info

The Bradfield Centre, 184 Cambridge Science Park Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0GA

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