Digital Futures hosts Scientific Advisory Board to evaluate accomplishments and guide future directions

On 9 September 2024, Digital Futures convened its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to comprehensively review its scientific achievements and societal impact. The meeting aimed to gather feedback on the current operations and future research directions of Digital Futures, preparing the organization for a potential upcoming Government Review. The board consisted of distinguished international experts, including Chair S. Shankar Sastry from UC Berkeley, Vice Chair Urbashi Mitra from the University of Southern California, Catuscia Palamidessi from INRIA, Michelle Christensen from Universität der Künste in Berlin, Steffen Leonhardt from RWTH Aachen University, and John Lygeros from ETH Zurich.

The event featured a robust program designed to showcase the breadth and depth of Digital Futures’ research initiatives, community engagement, and talent development efforts.

The day began with an overview of Digital Futures by Karl Henrik Johansson, setting the stage for a deep dive into the organization’s accomplishments. The first session, titled “Research Excellence,” was presented by Yifang Ban, Viktoria Fodor, Madeline Balaam, Iolanda Leite, Alexandre Proutiere, Aristides Gionis, Martina Scolamiero, Stanley Greenstein, Tobias Oechtering, Olga Viberg, and Teresa Cerratto Pargman. This session highlighted the innovative research conducted across various disciplines and emphasized Digital Futures’ commitment to pioneering technological advancements and societal impact.

Following a brief coffee break, the focus shifted to community-building efforts in the session titled “Build Community” with contributions from Karin Ekdahl Wästberg, Gyözö Gidofalvi, Lanie Gutierrez Farewik, Ulf Håkansson, Anders Bergman, Jan Kronqvist, and Mario Romero. This session underscored the importance of fostering collaboration across different research areas and building a vibrant, interdisciplinary research community.

“Talent Development” was the next key theme, with speakers Sandra Pauletto, David Broman, Alice Harting, Parag Khanna, Matti Vahs, John Wikman, Anna Gautier, Pascal Helson, Christos Mavridis, Sara Saeidian, Angela Fontan, Jan Kronqvist, Zhenliang Ma, and Martina Scolamiero discussing strategies for recruiting, nurturing, and retaining top talent. This session highlighted Digital Futures’ dedication to creating an inclusive and diverse research environment that supports career development at all levels.

The day concluded with a crucial discussion involving KTH and partner leadership, including Mikael Lindström (KTH Vice President), Magnus Frodigh (VP and Head of Research, Ericsson), Karin Ekdahl Wästberg (Director of Innovation, City of Stockholm), Clara Hellner (Director of Research and Innovation, Region Stockholm), and Jonas Romfeldt (Senior Director Product Development, Xylem). This session emphasized the collaborative efforts between academia, industry, and government partners.

“Digital Futures stands at the forefront of pioneering research that advances technology and addresses critical societal challenges. Our role as the Scientific Advisory Board is to ensure that this impactful work continues to shape the future of digital innovation with integrity and vision” explained Shankar Sastry.

Urbashi Mitra continued: “I am truly impressed by the instruments created within the framework of Digital Futures that have nurtured diverse talents by bringing academia, industry, and civil society together.  For Digital Futures to achieve its goals, a commitment from all involved stakeholders is needed to foster an inclusive and interdisciplinary research environment.  This collective commitment will be crucial for driving meaningful change; however, I am optimistic that it will be realized.”

The SAB’s review will address key aspects, including Digital Futures’ international standing, its ability to translate research into societal and industrial benefits, talent recruitment, and organizational leadership. The insights from this review are expected to guide Digital Futures in strengthening its impact and advancing its mission to drive digital transformation.

Featured image on top: Steffen Leonhardt (RWTH Aachen University), Michelle Christensen (Universität der Künste in Berlin), Urbashi Mitra (University of Southern California), S. Shankar Sastry (UC Berkeley), Catuscia Palamidessi (INRIA) and John Lygeros (ETH Zurich).

Text and photos: Johanna Gavefalk