Environmental pollution in the urban environment is a major issue with serious implications for the health of citizens. Exposure to air pollution, particularly within the micro-environment of roads, is associated with cardiopulmonary diseases, increased risk of carcinogenicity and neuro-related disorders. In addition, increased noise level (from road traffic and other sources) is also an important parameter which, apart from the disturbance and the mental burden, is associated with cardiovascular diseases. The afore mentioned phenomena may be more intense within large urban centers when occurring on a continuous basis, but also in the island regions where the environmental pollution is caused by the arrival of large volumes of tourists in a short period of time.
The workshop aims to discuss some of the methods for creating "Smart Cities" in island regions, so as to develop "Smart Islands". It also aims to wide application of renewable energy sources use with a view to meet the future power supply needs in the transportation sector. The implementation of new "smart" solutions, such as electromobility, will significantly contribute to the growth of the islands’ by creating new permanent jobs in existing and new local economy sectors.
In this workshop, researchers are invited to propose smart solutions for energy savings both through the application of modern technologies in transport and through the production of renewable energy, with a focus on solar and wind energy.
Discussions on the efficient waste management (disposal and recycling) with the aim of reducing the landfill size, in the already limited space of an island, could contribute to significantly less visual and environmental pollution.
This workshop aims to attract an interdisciplinary group of researchers and stakeholders who are engaged to the research and development actions on the sustainability of islands, with a particular focus on touristic ones. The workshop will be an opportunity for experts to exchange their scientific view and applied research results on how to make islands environmentally sustainable and the same time to increase the quality of services to tourists and to improve the well-being of the local population
The researchers and other stakeholders will present their work and receive feedback from their peers. As part of the larger theme of the PETRA conference, the participants will also have the opportunity to interact with top scientists working with pervasive assistive technologies.
This workshop intends to bring together researchers from various scientific domains relevant to this multidisciplinary field of research. Results from the TeNDER EU funded project and QuaLiSID EU/Greek co-funded will be presented along with research contributions from the broader research community. Indicative research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, are:
Dr. Evangelos Bekiaris
Director, Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT)
Vice President, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)
Greek representative, Horizon Europe Mission on "Climate Neutral and Smart Cities"
President of the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI)
Member of the National Council for Research and Innovation (NCRI)
abek@certh.gr