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Fabio Tosti
University of West London, UKProf. Dr. Fabio Tosti (IEEE
M’17–SM’19) received the M.Sc. and
Eng. degrees (cum laude) in
Infrastructure and Transportation
Engineering from Roma Tre
University, Rome, Italy, in 2010,
and the Ph.D. degree in Civil
Engineering with European Doctorate
Label (excellent rating) from Roma
Tre University, in 2014. A
registered Chartered Engineer, he is
a Professor of Civil Engineering at
the School of Computing and
Engineering, University of West
London (UWL), London, U.K., and the
Director of “The Faringdon Research
Centre for Non-Destructive Testing
and Remote Sensing” at UWL. His
research interests include the
development of new algorithms,
methodologies, and models for
geoscience applications and the
non-destructive and satellite remote
sensing assessment, repair, and
maintenance of civil and green
infrastructure. He has
authored/co-authored over 220
research publication records in
international journals, conferences,
and books and delivered numerous
keynote and invited lectures. Prof.
Tosti was a recipient of the ECSs
Award by the European Geosciences
Union (EGU) in 2017 and several Best
Paper Awards at International
Conferences, including the 2023
International Conference on
Geographic Information and Remote
Sensing Technology (GIRST 2023), the
2021 IEEE Asia–Pacific Conference on
Geoscience, Electronics and Remote
Sensing Technology (AGERS2021) and
the IEEE 2020 43rd International
Conference on Telecommunications and
Signal Processing (TSP2020). He was
the General Co-Chair of the 3rd and
2nd International Workshop on Signal
Processing Techniques for Ground
Penetrating Radar Applications in
2022 and 2020 (TSP—IEEE Conf. Record
49548), respectively, and he served
as the main organiser, scientific
committee member and chair of
technical sessions in 50+
international conferences and
workshops. He served as the managing
guest editor for various journals.
He is the Editor-in-Chief of NDT
(MDPI), and an Associate Editor of
the International Journal of
Pavement Engineering (IJPE), Remote
Sensing (MDPI), Frontiers in Remote
Sensing, Geoscientific
Instrumentation, Methods and Data
Systems (GI), and the Journal of
Railway Engineering.
●Speech title "Emerging
Technologies for the Observation of
Natural, Built and Heritage
Environments: New Developments at
the UWL Faringdon Research Centre"
Abstract-Safeguarding the natural
and built environment's quality and
preserving the cultural value of
historical assets are paramount,
intertwined objectives. Achieving
these goals requires robust health
monitoring and efficient asset
management systems. Early detection
of structural decay and changes in
ecosystems or green spaces is
critical to ensuring the long-term
integrity and functionality of these
assets. These needs are further
intensified by the impacts of
climate change and the pressures of
a growing global population, which
demand innovative and globally
coordinated monitoring approaches.
Emerging technologies offer powerful
solutions to these challenges.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) has
been a transformative force for
decades, continually aligning with
industry requirements. On a broader
scale, remote sensing has emerged as
a powerful method for the
high-frequency and high accuracy
monitoring of civil infrastructure
and urban green spaces. More
recently, digitalisation has
accelerated the efficiency of
information exchange and
strengthened decision-support
systems. This keynote will review
significant developments at the
Faringdon Research Centre for
Non-Destructive Testing and Remote
Sensing, University of West London,
in advancing observation techniques
for natural, built, and cultural
heritage environments. A special
emphasis will be placed on Gound
Penetrating Radar (GPR) methods,
remote sensing applications, and
immersive technologies such as
augmented and virtual reality. The
talk will also highlight key
challenges and outline future
directions for research and industry
practice.
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Alberto T. Estévez
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Spain
Alberto T. Estévez (Barcelona,
1960), Architect (UPC, 1983),
Architecture Ph.D. of Sciences (UPC,
1990), Art Historian (UB, 1994), Art
History Ph.D. of Arts (UB, 2008).
With a professional office of
architecture and design (Barcelona,
1983-today). Chairman-Professor
(Catedrático) in Architecture,
teaching in different universities,
in the knowledge’s areas of
architectural design, architectural
theory and art history (UPC, TU
Wien, UB, UPF Elisava, HSAK Vienna,
UDEM, UdG, USTA Bucaramanga).
Founding as first Director the ESARQ
School of Architecture (UIC
Barcelona, 1996), as an avant-garde
international school in its first 10
years: it was then the first school
in the world with an architecture
curriculum including –among other
things– mandatory subjects of
sustainability and international
cooperation, as well as laboratories
for biological architecture
(genetics) and digital architecture
(manufacturing). He also founded two
research lines there, with two
officially accredited research
groups, two masters’ degrees and
Ph.D. programs: “History,
Architecture and Design” (UIC
Barcelona, 1998- today) and “Genetic
Architectures / Biodigital
Architecture” (UIC Barcelona,
2000-today). As well as the Master
of International Cooperation with
Alex Levi and Amanda Schachter (UIC
Barcelona, 2004-today). He was also
the Founder and 1st Director of the
UIC Barcelona PhD Program of
Architecture. Director of 31 PhD
Thesis. He has written more than
three hundred publications, and has
participated in a large number of
exhibitions, congresses and
committees. Invited to give more
than one hundred lectures around the
world, presenting his ideas,
research, projects and works of
architecture and design (in the last
two decades on biodigital
architecture & genetics). He was
also Vice-Chancellor /
General-Manager of UIC Barcelona
(Universitat Internacional de
Catalunya), where he is currently
the Director of iBAG-UIC Barcelona
(Institute for Biodigital
Architecture & Genetics) after
founding it.
●Speech title-Biodigital
Architecture & Design: "From DNA to
the Planet"
Abstract:The Modern Movement of the
20th century worked to design "from
the spoon to the city." We, the
inhabitants of the 21st century, can
transcend working only on the
surface of things, as has been done
for millennia. Now it is time to
design "from the DNA to the planet".
From the cell and the bit, to
beyond, to the entire Solar System.
Thus, is shown here, on some ideas,
multi-scalar and trans-disciplinary
works of Alberto T. Estévez, around
the fusion of the biological world
and the digital world, applies to
architecture & design, genetics and
computation, natural intelligence
and artificial intelligence,
bio-learning and machine-learning,
biological techniques and digital
techniques, bio-manufacturing and
digital-manufacturing.
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Ernest Kian Jon Chua
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Dr. Ernest Kian Jon Chua is a
faculty in the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the
National University of Singapore
(NUS), where he has been at the
forefront of research in innovative
cooling and dehumidification,
renewable energy and heat recovery
systems. His expertise spans both
modelling and experimental work,
with a strong emphasis on applying
AI and machine learning to
sustainable cooling and thermal
energy systems. Dr. Chua has
authored over 280 SCI-indexed
journal publications, eight
monographs, and holds more than 10
patents in innovative cooling and
dehumidification technologies. A
Fellow of the Royal Society, IET,
Energy Institute, and IMechE,
consistently ranks among the top 1%
of scientists globally (USR
Network), top 2% of energy
researchers in the Stanford list
since 2021, with over 17,500
citations and an h-index of 71. He
is currently the founding
Editor-in-Chief of Thermal Science
and Engineering, a new Nature-based
journal and serves as Associate
Editor and editorial board member
for leading journals published by
Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Taylor &
Francis, and MDPI. Dr. Chua has
received numerous prestigious
awards, including the IChemE Energy
Award (2017), WSSET Innovation Award
(2016, 2018), ASEAN Outstanding
Engineering Achievement Award (2018,
2019), and the IET Innovation Grand
Winner Award – Sustainability
Category. A two-term Dean’s Chair
holder at NUS, he is the Principal
Investigator of several
multi-million-dollar competitive
research grants and is frequently
invited to deliver keynote lectures
and serve on technical committees at
major international conferences.
●Speech title "Redefining Urban
Engineering with Low-Carbon Thermal
Energy Innovations"
Abstract-This presentation examines
cutting-edge cooling and
dehumidification approaches that
enhance the sustainability,
resilience, and urban engineering of
green buildings. It showcases
membrane-based dehumidification
systems for efficient moisture
control and heat-driven chillers
that capitalize on low-grade thermal
energy to curb electrical
consumption. The integration of
advanced superabsorbent desiccants,
offering high moisture uptake and
regeneration at low temperatures, is
also explored. These technologies
collectively address both sensible
and latent heat loads while
minimizing environmental impact. By
aligning with the principles of
urban engineering, they support the
development of low-carbon,
climate-responsive buildings;
particularly critical in dense,
warm, and humid urban environments
where conventional HVAC systems are
often inefficient and
energy-intensive.
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