An Open Session on Collaboration and Engagement at ETFA 2025, in Porto, Portugal
By Prof. Lucia Lo Bello, Chair of the Collaboration and Engagement Subcommittee
The IES Membership Activities Subcommittee on Collaboration and Engagement (C&E) organized an Open Session, particularly meant for first time ETFA participants, on 10 Sept. 2025 at the IEEE Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation Conference, ETFA 2025, in Porto, Portugal.
The event aimed at welcoming newcomers and engage them with IES,
– providing them with Technical Exposure, by inviting them, regardless of career stage, age or affiliation, to briefly present their research with short “pitches”
– enabling first-time participants to mingle and network with experts
– promoting the Understanding of the IES governance & meeting the leadership, e.g., IES AdCom members.
– promoting contacts with the Chairs and members of the IES Technical Committees.
The Session was Chaired by prof. Lucia Lo Bello, the Chair of the C&B Subcommittee, who presented the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society and the multiple technical activities and benefits that IES provides to its members, especially S&YP. Next, the VP for Technical Activities, Prof. Valeriy Vyatkin, provided an overview on the 24 Technical Committees of IES, while the Chair of the Technical Committee on Factory Automation (TCFA), Prof. Moris Benham, introduced the TCFA mission, activities and Subcommittees.
The core part of the event was the part reserved to the “pitches” given by the first-time attendants, who introduced themselves and their research interests to the attendees.
The session went smoothly, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.