IVI Autumn Webinar Series

Professor Markus Helfert

Markus Helfert is the Director of IVI and Director of Empower – the SFI funded Programme on Data Governance. He is also Professor of Digital Service Innovation and Director of the Business Informatics Group at Maynooth University. He is a Principle Investigator at Lero – The Irish Software Research Centre and at the Adapt Research Centre. His research is centred on Digital Service Innovation, Smart Cities and IoT based Smart Environments and includes research areas such as Service Innovation, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Smart Services, Building Information Management, FinTech, Data Value, Enterprise Architecture, Technology Adoption, Analytics, Business Process Managem ent. Prof. Helfert is an expert in Data Governance Standards and is involved in European Standardisation initiatives. Markus Helfert has authored more than 200+ academic articles, journal and book contributions and has presented his work at international conferences. Helfert has received national and international grants from agencies such as European Union (FP7; H2020), Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, was project coordinator on EU projects, and is the Project coordinator of the H2020 Projects: PERFORM on Digital Retail.

Denise Manton

Denise Manton has 20+ years of multi-disciplinary experience with a focus on innovation driven technology and digital transformation initiatives both in industry and in academic research environments, operating at various levels from software engineering to senior management. In her role as Executive Officer of Empower, she will drive the long-term strategic planning of the research programme and lead engagement and collaboration with diverse stakeholder groups, building a community of practice to overcome the global challenges in the area of data governance. Denise is also responsible for ensuring the key objectives are met and growth of the programme achieved.

Dr. Martin Cunneen

Dr Martin Cunneen is a lecturer in Data Analytics and Risk Governance in the Accounting and Finance dept. in the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick. His modules on AI and Data Risk, Ethics and Governance, are part of UL’s MSc programs, including Ireland’s National AI MSc and the MSc in Business Analytics. Dr Cunneen focuses on investigating the science of Data Analytics in terms of broader societal relations, risk, ethics and governance. A key component is to practice research-led teaching and to engage students with research questions and topics relating to:

• AI Governance, Risk & Ethics
• Tech Governance theory
• Explainable AI (XAI)
• Algorithmic Bias
• Black Box decision making
• Data Profiling
• Data Commercialisation and business models
• Autonomous Vehicle Decision making
• InsurTech
• AI Assistants (Language theory & NLP)

He is also interested in AI and technology for social good, especially innovation to support climate risk mitigation and continually works with international consortiums to carry out funded research. He has completed two funded EU Horizon projects on Autonomous Vehicles and researched machine decisionality.

Dr Cunneen is currently co-PI on Anti-FinTer EU funded Horizon project on “Versatile artificial intelligence investigative technologies for revealing online cross-border financing activities of terrorism”

Andrea Šipka

Andrea Šipka is a scientific manager for Data science and its applications at the German research centre for AI (DFKI). As part of her work, she looks after various projects and initiatives in research, industry and the third sector.

She manages Data Science for Social Good fellowship (TU Kaiserslautern and DFKI), a 12-week programme that connects young data scientists with organisations from the governmental and third sectors. DSSG fellows, supported by mentors, work in teams to help their partner organisations solve important societal challenges by delivering a data science product.

Previously, Andrea worked on similar initiatives in the UK (the University of Warwick and the Alan Turing institute), did research in data science and computer science (FBK and the University of Zurich), and worked as a software engineer and release lead at IBM UK.

Mary Flynn

FSCSI FRICS MAPM MSc aBIMM

Mary has been working in the AEC industry for over 30 years in Ireland & the UK. Mary joined Dublin City Council Quantity Surveying Division in 2016 having previously come from a private sector and commercial sector background. Mary is co-founder of the Public BIM Group comprising of the major public bodies collaborating on common interests such as BIM, Public Works Contracts, and Digital transformations. Mary sits on the SCSI QS BIM Working Group focusing on the development and use of 5D BIM amongst the Quantity Surveying profession.  Mary also sits on the ICMS Working Group and is actively involved as APC Assessor/Chair for the SCSI.

Mary sits on the Board of CitA as an non-executive Director and regularly contributes at conferences as a speaker both at home & abroad on BIM & the QS, Public BIM and BIM & Smart Cities. Mary is passionate about the use of Data for the Public Good through its collection, harvesting, mining and analytics. Mary is a guest lecturer with various Colleges, having previously lectured for a number of years part-time in TUDublin.

Mary is Secretary General for The European Council of Construction Economists (CEEC), which is the European knowledge hub for Quantity Surveyors, linking professionals in Europe to share relevant best practice, information and experience, promoting the profession, common knowledge and international standards.

William Hoffman

William Hoffman leads the World Economic Forum’s initiatives on Data for Common Purpose where he oversees a global network of 15 innovation hubs and a community of industry, civil society, government and academic leaders focused on leveraging emerging technologies for a trustworthy and balanced society.  In particular, he leads a multi-year initiative on advancing the need for human-centered approaches which empower individuals with greater autonomy and understanding of emerging networked technologies.

Prior to joining the World Economic Forum, William was the Director of Enterprise Marketing at AT&T.  He serves as an advisor and board member to a number of start-ups which focus on innovative uses of data for the common good.