On 10 October, the international conference “Innovative (Eco-)Technology, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development” (IECOTERD), which has become a tradition, will be held at Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI). Organised for the ninth year, the conference will develop discussions about technological innovations, innovative development of sustainable cities and regions, ecological innovations and their change, technology-based entrepreneurship.

The next week’s conference draws attention to the 21^st century, technological leap and its applicability in business. Speakers of the event are Lithuanian and foreign scientists and professionals in their fields.

Speakers of the plenary session

Dr Georgios Ouzounis – Head of the research team at Atlas AI, responsible for bringing innovative ideas to life in the application of artificial intelligence. At the conference, the speaker will present the topic “Atlas of Human Settlements: monitoring built-up change in the Baltic States and Kaliningrad”. Dr G. Ouzounis holds an MSc in Computer Science from Heriot-Watt University and a PhD in Mathematics and Natural Sciences from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Doctor of Science has more than 25 years of experience in developing image recognition programmes, self-learning systems and remote sensing. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre played a key role in the development of the first edition of HSL. During his career, Dr G. Ouzuonis introduced the concept of image data with integrated earth observation extensions, worked on satellite image analysis challenges at DigitalGlobe, Maxar and other space technology companies.

Dr G. Ouzuonis is actively involved in the academic community as a guest lecturer at Kauno kolegija HEI and an international lecturer at the University of Arizona. Since 2014 he has been a senior member of the IEEE and lectures at academic organisations, companies, and government agencies around the world.

Dr Marija Werner, a Yale University postdoctoral researcher at the Climate Communication Centre, will give a presentation on “Public Support for Renewable Energy and Green Policies: Insights from U.S. & Global Surveys”.

Varner received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Vilnius University, and a doctorate in the same field of science from the University of Colorado Boulder. The scientist conducts research on climate change communication topics, analyses how extreme weather shape public opinion, and together with colleagues tries to answer the question of what can change people’s behaviour in the face of protecting the planet.

Dr Kevin Howell – Professor of the Graphic Communications Programme in the Department of Art at Appalachian State University and Executive Director of Epsilon Pi Tau International Technology Honor Society, will present “Preparing for Success in life: Are You in Control?”

Dr K. Howell is an internationally renowned speaker who speaks around the world on the topics of technology, leadership and motivation. He conveys his studied directions to the audience through evocative presentations filled with humour and new ideas about the future. The speaker received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in industrial technology from Appalachian State University, and a doctorate in leadership and organisational theory from Vanderbilt University.

Programme of the conference can be found here.