IT Innovation Festival 2021

13:00 Introduction by Linnar Viik, moderator.

13:03 Opening remarks. Prof. Gert Jervan, Dean of the School of IT (in Estonian).

13:10 Adaptable global digital state. Marten Kaevats, Digital Adviser to the State Chancellery (in Estonian).

13: 30 Eurora Solutions LLC and TalTechi digital public research collaboration led to innovation in global trade. Ingrid Pappel, Head of Digital State Technologies and Architecture; Kaie Hansson, Innovation Manager, Eurora Solutions OÜ (subtitles in English).

13:35 What (and who?) is behind the research of state-of-the-art 5G and NB-IoT technologies? Prof. Muhammad Mahtab Alam, Head of TalTech Communications Systems Research Group (subtitles in Estonian).

13:40 Winner of the Master's level project and theses, category „Information Society” (in Estonian).

13:45 Winner of the Master’s level project and theses, category "Software" (in Estonian).

13:55 Exciting applications and services for 5G technology are the result of a broad-based collaboration between Telia and TalTech. Andre Visse, Telia Estonia Chief Technology Officer (subtitles in English).

14:00 Combining gene, microbiome and digital health data to understand the onset and exacerbation of acne. Riin Ehin, industrial doctoral student at TalTech Institute of Health Technologies (in Estonian).

14:20 Research Cooperation healthcare remote services development. Maarja-Liis Elland, analyst at TalTech E-medicine Centre; Jaarika Järviste, remote services development project manager at Haigekassa (subtitles in English).

14:25 Smart sensor technology solutions with machine learning algorithms are helping create smart infrastructure. Mairo Leier, Head of the TalTech’s Embedded AI Research Lab; Karl Janson, Engineer of the TalTech’s Embedded AI Research Lab (subtitles in English).

14:30 Artificial intelligence and computing algorithms based on the development and implementation of the building automation. Prof. Eduard Petlenkov, Head of the TalTech’s Centre for Intelligent Systems; Siim Täkker, R8 Technologies CEO (subtitles in English).

14:35 Winner of the Master's level project and theses, category "Hardware and systems" (in Estonian).

14:40 Winner of the bachelor's and applied higher education studies projects and theses, category "Hardware and systems" (in Estonian).

14:45 Winner of the bachelor's and applied higher education studies projects and theses, category "Software" (in Estonian).

14:50 Venture capitalist view of science-based companies. How to get there? Gerri Kodres, Angel Investors (in Estonian).

15:05 Hardware Trojans and Pirates. What is hardware security and what do you need to know about it? Prof. Samuel Pagliarini, Head of TalTech Hardware Security Centre (subtitles in Estonian).

15:10 Computer science in its infancy - why is it necessary to create reliable software and "materials science" of the computer systems. Prof. Pawel Sobocinski, Head of TalTech Laboratory for Compositional Systems and Methods (subtitles in Estonian).

15:15 Panel discussion. How to achieve a competitive advantage through innovation and the involvement of science? Gerri Kodres ( Angel Investors ), Ingrid Pappel (TalTech), Siim Täkker (R8 Techologies), Mart Toots (ITL) Riin Ehin (TalTech, BioCC , University of Tartu). Moderator Linnar Viik (in Estonian).

15:55 Final words. Linnar Viik.

We expect sponsors to display financial prizes for the student work competition in particular. The best public output is provided by sponsoring the company's main prizes through the TalTech Development Fund. It is also possible to display special prizes and, if possible, we are waiting for a representative of the company that presented the prize to the jury of the respective category.

It is also possible to support the organization of the event by means other than cash prizes. The event will take place on TalTech Mektory's premises and will be broadcast live on various social media platforms. In addition to internal communication, the event is accompanied by a media campaign before and after the event, which also mentions the supporters of the event. In addition, it is possible to contribute to the communication with a company representative or to support the event through the company's communication channel.

We are open to various cooperation proposals and to finding a suitable outcome for the supporter. We consider the event in a hybrid format due to the pandemic situation, or the number of participants on the ground may be limited. For additional questions or suggestions, please contact the main organizer Tõnn Talpsepp, +372 5342 9200, tonn.talpsepp@taltech.ee

1. Organizer
   The organizer of IT Innovation Festival is TalTech School of Information Technologies in collaboration with TalTech Development Fund and ICT field entrepreneurs. Within the framework of the innovation festival, an ICT student work competition is taking place.
2. Requirements for participants and thesis
   The student work competition is open to students of TalTech's School of IT curricula and groups of students who have completed a dissertation, project or subject work or work in another format completed in 2020/2021 as part of or in connection with their studies.
3. Contest categories
   Presented theses compete in the following categories. The competition category has to be determined when submitting the application. 

Bachelor’s (BSc) / Applied Higher Education level project and thesis categories:	Master’s (MSc) level project and thesis categories:
software	software
hardware and systems	hardware and systems
	information society

Contest category descriptions:

Software

Description: Theses which focus on software. On the one hand, development, implementation or adaptation of software for a specific task, and on the other hand, software design, business process analysis or database design with a view to solve the problems set.

Keywords: databases, data mining, strategic analysis, management, development and protection of information systems, intelligent systems, software applications and the user interface, multimedia, software architecture, design and dynamics, software engineering, software processes and quality, security and privacy in a networked world, web services and web mining, the Internet of Things, big data, open data and linked data, e-governance, analysis and development of the enterprise information system’s architecture. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive!
 

Hardware and systems

Description: Theses which focus on design, analysis and use of electronic systems, computers and computer based systems, and their components. Systems may be either distributed or compact ones but focus should be on the implementation of hardware or system where (embedded) software can be one of the components.

Keywords: signal-processing, digital systems, digital electronics, analog electronics, hardware close programming, reconfigurable systems, verification and testing, control systems, process control, sensorics, artificial neural nets and their applications, electronic design, microelectronics, automation tools. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive!
 

Information society

Description: Theses which do not focus on developing a software or hardware based solution (or it is a small proportion of the thesis), but analyze the set problem from an organizational or a social-theoretical perspective.

Keywords: strategic analysis, management and development of information system, security of information systems, cyber security, digital expertise, encryption, security and privacy in a networked world, intelligent systems, e-governance and e-governance methodologies, enterprise information system’s architecture. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive!

The competition is held in two stages.

I stage, pre-stage

• The student or group of students submits their work to the competition on their own initiative or on the recommendation of the supervisor, the defense committee or another related party.  The deadline for submission of works is June 10 at 23:59.
• Each submitted work is accompanied by a 1-page one-pager and a 1-2-minute video summary of the work.
• The pre-evaluation committee will review the submitted work. However, if the Commission considers that the subject of the work does not fit into the selected category, the Commission reserves the right to transfer the work to the appropriate category;
• Based on the submitted works, the commission will determine the presentation form and time for each work. Depending on the number of entries submitted, the Commission may choose which entries will advance to the second stage.
• Students will be notified by e-mail no later than June 14, 2021 of their progress to the second stage, including non-entry.

II stage, presentations to the commission: 

• Will take place on June 15, 2021.
• Presentations to the Commission will take place in the Teams environment.
• The competition is based on good academic practice.
• Each competitor or group of competitors will present their work in the Teams environment and depending on the work, the presentation time will be 5-10 minutes. It is important to reflect the purpose of the work in the presentation; the utility of the work performed for society, including, for example, companies, individuals, science or any target group for whom the results of the work are important; and the results and complexity of the work performed or to demonstrate the solution resulting from the work.
• The presentation will be followed by a 5-10 minutes for questions from the committee.
• Presentations in Teams will be recorded.
• Students will be notified of the entry into the final stage on June 15 at 17:00 at the latest.

III stage, final stage: 

• Will take place on June 16, 2021 from 13:00 to 16:30.
• The winners of the categories will be announced.
• The winners of all categories will present their work at the IT Innovation Festival in Mektory.
• The winners will be awarded at the end of the festival in Mektory. 
   

The pre-stage committee is composed of representatives of School of IT programmes. In the second stage, the committee consists of at least 5 members and in addition to university representatives, specialty experts from companies may also be included. During the second stage, each category is evaluated by a different committee. Committee decisions are taken on the basis of a discussion. All decisions accepted by the committee cannot be appealed in neither of the stages.

All final papers presented to the competition will be evaluated on the following key points:

• establishment and comprehensibility of the assignment(s)
• technical realization of the solutions presented, their accuracy and correctness
• originality, novelty and usefulness for the society, companies or other parties
• presentation skills.

A winner for each category will be chosen from the presented theses in the second stage. In addition, the evaluating committee has a right to give out a special prize in each category. The committee also has a right to not give out the special prize with a valid justifications.

• Competition's scholarship fund is at least 5000€.
• Each category winner is awarded with a scholarship of 500€, which may be presented by company.
• The special prize is 300€. 
• In addition to the overall scholarship fund, there are additional company-named scholarships.
• In case of the additional scholarships from entrepreneurs, the decision is made by the funder of the scholarship or by their authorized representative.
• The company has a right to not give out the scholarship with a valid justification.

Please present:

• Application for participation in the form on the website of the Development Fund together with the category in which you wish to participate. The work and the necessary additional materials must be submitted via the Development Fund's web form ;
• work in a reproducible form (eg dissertation; team project report; project report or summary in another form) that provides a sufficiently detailed overview of the work performed
• 1-page designed one-pager of work;
• 1-2 minute work video presentation (optional).

Important dates:

• The deadline for submission of works is June 10 at 23:59.
• no later than June 14, participants will be notified to the second round, including non-entry;
• If you have received a notification about advancing to the second round, please submit the slides supporting the presentation to the e-mail address innovatsioonifestival@taltech.ee.
• Presentations to the Commission will take place on June 15 in the Teams environment (presentations will be recorded).
• On June 16, the IT Innovation Festival will take place, where the winners of the categories will be awarded.