NowOpen - Böcker

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.This book is a general introduction to the statistical analysis of networks, and can serve both as a research monograph and as a textbook. Numerous fundamental tools and concepts needed for the analysis of networks are presented, such as network modeling, community detection, graph-based semi-supervised learning and sampling in networks. The description of these concepts is self-contained, with both theoretical justifications and applications provided for the presented algorithms. Researchers, including postgraduate students, working in the area of network science, complex network analysis, or social network analysis, will find up-to-date statistical methods relevant to their research tasks. This book can also serve as textbook material for courses related to the statistical approach to the analysis of complex networks.In general, the chapters are fairly independent and self-supporting, and the book could be used for course composition “à la carte”. Nevertheless, Chapter 2 is needed to a certain degree for all parts of the book. It is also recommended to read Chapter 4 before reading Chapters 5 and 6, but this is not absolutely necessary. Reading Chapter 3 can also be helpful before reading Chapters 5 and 7. As prerequisites for reading this book, a basic knowledge in probability, linear algebra and elementary notions of graph theory is advised. Appendices describing required notions from the above mentioned disciplines have been added to help readers gain further understanding.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.This book covers an introduction to convex optimization, one of the powerful and tractable optimization problems that can be efficiently solved on a computer. The goal of the book is to help develop a sense of what convex optimization is, and how it can be used in a widening array of practical contexts with a particular emphasis on machine learning.The first part of the book covers core concepts of convex sets, convex functions, and related basic definitions that serve understanding convex optimization and its corresponding models. The second part deals with one very useful theory, called duality, which enables us to: (1) gain algorithmic insights; and (2) obtain an approximate solution to non-convex optimization problems which are often difficult to solve. The last part focuses on modern applications in machine learning and deep learning.A defining feature of this book is that it succinctly relates the “story” of how convex optimization plays a role, via historical examples and trending machine learning applications. Another key feature is that it includes programming implementation of a variety of machine learning algorithms inspired by optimization fundamentals, together with a brief tutorial of the used programming tools. The implementation is based on Python, CVXPY, and TensorFlow.This book does not follow a traditional textbook-style organization, but is streamlined via a series of lecture notes that are intimately related, centered around coherent themes and concepts. It serves as a textbook mainly for a senior-level undergraduate course, yet is also suitable for a first-year graduate course. Readers benefit from having a good background in linear algebra, some exposure to probability, and basic familiarity with Python.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.The damaging effects of cyberattacks to an industry like the Cooperative Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) can be tremendous. From the least important to the worst ones, one can mention for example the damage in the reputation of vehicle manufacturers, the increased denial of customers to adopt CCAM, the loss of working hours (having direct impact on the European GDP), material damages, increased environmental pollution due e.g., to traffic jams or malicious modifications in sensors’ firmware, and ultimately, the great danger for human lives, either they are drivers, passengers or pedestrians.Connected vehicles will soon become a reality on our roads, bringing along new services and capabilities, but also technical challenges and security threats. To overcome these risks, the CARAMEL project has developed several anti-hacking solutions for the new generation of vehicles.CARAMEL (Artificial Intelligence-based Cybersecurity for Connected and Automated Vehicles), a research project co-funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 framework programme, is a project consortium with 15 organizations from 8 European countries together with 3 Korean partners. The project applies a proactive approach based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques to detect and prevent potential cybersecurity threats to autonomous and connected vehicles. This approach has been addressed based on four fundamental pillars, namely: Autonomous Mobility, Connected Mobility, Electromobility, and Remote Control Vehicle. This book presents theory and results from each of these technical directions.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Information theory deals with mathematical laws that govern the flow, representation and transmission of information. The most significant achievement of the field is the invention of digital communication which forms the basis of our daily-life digital products such as smart phones, laptops and any IoT devices. Recently it has also found important roles in a spotlight field that has been revolutionized during the past decades: data science.This book aims at demonstrating modern roles of information theory in a widening array of data science applications. The first and second parts of the book covers the core concepts of information theory: basic concepts on several key notions; and celebrated source and channel coding theorems which concern the fundamental limits of communication. The last part focuses on applications that arise in data science, including social networks, ranking, and machine learning.The book is written as a text for senior undergraduate and graduate students working on Information Theory and Communications, and it should also prove to be a valuable reference for professionals and engineers from these fields.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.In this first part of the INFINITECH book series, which is a series of three books, the principles of the modern economy that make the modern financial sector and FinTech the most disruptive areas in today’s global economy are discussed. INFINITECH envision many opportunities emerging for activating new channels of innovation on the local and global scale while at the same time catapulting opportunities for more disruptive user-centric services. At the same time, INFINITECH is the result of a shared vision from a representative global group of experts, providing a common vision and identifying impacts in the financial and insurance sectors.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.In this second part of the INFINITECH book series, which is a series of three books, the basic concepts for Fintech referring to the diversity in the use of technology to underpin the delivery of financial services are reviewed. The demand and the supply side in the financial sector are demonstrated, and further discussed is why Fintech is the focus of industry nowadays and the meaning for waves of digitization. Financial technology (FinTech) and insurance technology (InsuranceTech) are rapidly transforming the financial and insurance services industry. An overview of Reference Architecture (RA) for BigData, IoT and AI applications in the financial and insurance sectors (INFINITECH-RA) is also provided. Moreover, the book reviews the concept of innovation and its application in INFINITECH, and innovative technologies provided by the project for financial sector practical examples.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.This third and final part of the INFINITECH book series begins by providing a definition for Fintech, namely: the use of technology to underpin the delivery of financial services. The book further discusses why Fintech is the focus of industry nowadays as the waves of digitization and the way financial technology (FinTech) and insurance technology (InsuranceTech) are rapidly transforming the financial and insurance services industry.The book also introduces technology assets that follow the Reference Architecture (RA) for BigData, IoT and AI applications. Moreover, the series of assets includes the domain area where applications from the INFINITECH innovation project and the concept of innovation for the financial sector are described. Further described is the INFINITECH Marketplace and its components including details of available assets, as well as a description of solutions developed in INFINITECH.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Healthcare systems around the world are grappling with several major challenges such as the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, rising healthcare costs, and a shortage of healthcare workers. Without action, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has estimated that the average public spending on healthcare costs will increase to 10% of GDP. The shortage of healthcare workers has been a long-standing issue in Europe, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 2018 report by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, there was a shortage of over 1 million healthcare workers across the European Union. Such shortages have resulted in longer waiting times for patients, increased workload and stress for healthcare workers, and lower quality of care for patients. The pandemic has further underscored the importance of addressing this issue and ensuring that healthcare systems have adequate capacity to meet the needs of patients, both now and in the future.It is clear that the healthcare sector needs to undergo radical changes to ensure that future generations have easy access to quality care that is also affordable. One way to achieve this is by leveraging the increasing use of digitization in the sector. According to a 2019 report by the European Commission, the volume of healthcare data in the EU could reach 2.8 zettabytes by 2020, with an annual growth rate of 36%. The question then is, how can we leverage the insights that lie within this vast amount of data to transform the healthcare sector and address its most pressing issues, namely cost, quality, and accessibility of care.This book captures the learnings from the BigMedilytics project, funded by the EC from 2018 to 2021. The project aimed to transform Europe’s healthcare sector by using state-of-the-art Big Data technologies to achieve breakthrough productivity in the sector by reducing cost, improving patient outcomes, and delivering better access to healthcare facilities, covering the entire Healthcare Continuum. The project executed 12 real-life, in-hospital, big data pilots across three different themes: (i) Population health and chronic disease management, (ii) Oncology, and (iii) Industrialization of healthcare. The pilots spanned 8 European countries, the health data of 11 million patients, involved 35 consortium partners, and incorporated diverse data sets originating from the public health sector, insurance companies, IoT devices, pharmaceutical industry, and public data sets.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.While the 5th Generation (5G) system is being widely deployed across the globe, the research and consensus building for the 6th generation (6G) are already well underway with high expectations toward the merger of digital, physical and human worlds. The main goal of this book is to introduce the upcoming 6G technologies and outline the foreseen challenges, enablers, and architectural design trends that will be instrumental in realizing a Sustainable and Trustworthy 6G system in the coming years.The envisioned 6G system promises to offer a more advanced and comprehensive user experience not only by achieving higher speeds, larger capacity, and lower latency, but also much more improved reliability, greater energy efficiency, and an enhanced security framework while natively integrating intelligence end-to-end (E2E). Achieving these goals will require innovative technological solutions and a holistic system design that considers the needs of various stakeholders and future 6G use cases.Capitalizing on the 5G Public-Private-Partnership (5G PPP) Phase 3 projects and the join efforts between the Architecture Working Group and the flagship Hexa-X project, this book delves into the critical challenges and enablers of the 6G system, including new network architectures and novel enhancements as well as the role of regulators, network operators, industry players, application developers, and end-users. Accordingly, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the current research activities on 6G and sets a solid cornerstone towards a more connected, intelligent, and sustainable world.

Infrastructures are ageing and have become a subject of profound concern, awakening our collective consciousness to the imperatives of civil and structural integrity. This concern, compounded by the unrelenting impact of climate change and the burgeoning demand on transport networks and infrastructures, underscores the critical necessity of preserving infrastructural functionality, safety, and alignment with their original design objectives. In doing so, we strive to mitigate health, financial, societal, and environmental risks that these infrastructures may pose. Presently, the imperative is to maintain a vigilant and continuous watch over these critical assets, employing factual, real-time data to support efficient maintenance strategies.This book embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the contemporary industrial challenges surrounding critical infrastructure inspection and maintenance. It offers a detailed examination of current inspection methodologies, manual intervention practices, and the intricate challenges involved in the sustained, systematic evaluation of structural integrity. Subsequently, it delivers an exhaustive analysis and technical elucidation of recent research breakthroughs across various infrastructures and industrial domains. These innovations, deeply rooted in robotics, automation, and digital technologies, augment, support, streamline, and often redefine established paradigms in the realms of inspection and maintenance. Among these innovations are the outcomes of research endeavours co-funded by the European Commission, addressing a spectrum of research priorities and thematic areas.The solutions delineated in this book encompass an array of cutting-edge technologies, from robotic ground vehicles to unmanned aerial systems, digital platforms, advanced sensing solutions, and state-of-the-art visualization and 3D imaging technologies. These technologies foster enhanced data acquisition, precise reporting, and ultimately, more efficient inspection and maintenance approaches. As we navigate through the years ahead, the inevitability of ageing infrastructures looms large, while the tangible value of modern technologies is already manifesting in numerous industrial applications. Though the journey may be arduous, the assimilation of digital technologies into existing infrastructure inspection and maintenance frameworks is gaining traction and acceptance, aligning with the overarching vision articulated within this book.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Human operations, whether in business, at home, or otherwise, cause a transgression of the boundaries of a safe and just operating space for planet Earth and humankind. Developments in operations that have steadily grown over the long course of history, and which have especially gained momentum since the uptake of fossil fuel powered machines in the recent and on-going industrial revolutions, now threaten to cause irreversible damage to ecosystems and society. The present situation calls for new perspectives and understanding of operations and operations management that enable to change the course of development and for operations to provide sustainable solutions for the planet and humankind.In pursuit of sustainable operations, this book analyses the past, present, and future of operations. It first examines the history of operations while explicitly reflecting on its environmental and social sustainability and on the corresponding development of operations management practices. Chapters 2 and 3 provide corresponding theoretical foundations and start studying the operations on planet Earth prior to the appearance of humankind. Chapters 4 to 9 cover the history of human operations until now, from stone tool manufacturing to lights out manufacturing, and from clay tokens to service robots. Chapter 10 synthesizes extant unsustainable operations and operations management practices and the present 4th industrial revolution. Chapter 11 identifies the transition in operations and operations management needed towards a future safe and just operating space, and how the 4th industrial revolution can contribute to this transition.The book is firstly written for all practitioners, scientists, and students of operations management and operations research. It offers extensive and historical insight into the relationship between operations and sustainability that has not yet appeared in the operations management literature. The final two chapters help the operations community to understand current problems, to find directions towards sustainable operations, and to contribute to the necessary transition. The book may also serve as a valuable resource for policy makers, business strategists, technology managers, and others devoting themselves to creating a sustainable future, as it may build the necessary understanding of the present operations that cause transgressions of the safe and just operating space, and of the transition towards sustainable operations.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Wireless communication is the backbone of the digitized society, where everything is connected and intelligent. Access points and devices are nowadays equipped with multiple antennas to achieve higher data rates, better reliability, and support more users than in the past. This book gives a gentle introduction to multiple antenna communications with a focus on system modeling, channel capacity theory, algorithms, and practical implications. The basics of wireless localization, radar sensing, and controllable reflection through reconfigurable surfaces are also covered. The goal is to provide the reader with a solid understanding of this transformative technology that changes how wireless networks are designed and operated, today and in the future.The first three chapters cover the fundamentals of wireless channels, and the main benefits of using multiple antennas are identified: beamforming, diversity, and spatial multiplexing. The theory and signal processing algorithms for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications with antenna arrays at the transmitter and receiver are progressively developed. The next two chapters utilize these results to study point-to-point MIMO channels under line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS conditions, covering the shape of signal beams, impact of array geometry, polarization, and ways to achieve reliable communication over fading channels. The book then shifts focus to multi-user MIMO channels, where interference between devices is managed by spatial processing. The next chapter extends the theory to multicarrier channels and explains practical digital, analog, and hybrid hardware implementations. The last two chapters cover the role of multiple antennas in localization and sensing, and how reconfigurable surfaces can improve both communication and sensing systems.The text was developed as the textbook for a university course and builds on the reader's previous knowledge of signals and systems, linear algebra, probability theory, and digital communications. Each chapter contains numerous examples, exercises, and simulation results that can be reproduced using accompanying code.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Artificial intelligence (AI) depends on data. In sensitive domains – such as healthcare, security, finance, and many more – there is therefore tension between unleashing the power of AI and maintaining the confidentiality and security of the relevant data.This book – intended for researchers in academia and R&D engineers in industry – explains how advances in three areas—AI, privacy-preserving techniques, and acceleration—allow us to achieve the dream of high performance privacy-preserving AI. It also discusses applications enabled by this emerging interplay.The book covers techniques, specifically secure multi-party computation and homomorphic encryption, that provide complexity theoretic security guarantees even with a single data point. These techniques have traditionally been too slow for real-world usage, and the challenge is heightened with the large sizes of today's state-of-the-art neural networks, including large language models (LLMs). This book does not cover techniques like differential privacy that only concern statistical anonymization of data points.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.The Internet's exponential growth is driven by the development and emergence of advanced technologies, attended by a flood of new services. The maturity of these technologies is a decisive factor in the progress of the entire telecom industry, leading to a profound transformation of computer networks from traditional, hardware-centric functions to flexible, software-based solutions. Network function virtualization (NFV), together with software-defined networking (SDN) and cloud computing, are not just key enablers, but they are the basis of more programmable networks that are able to adapt to the evolving requirements of diverse customers, ensuring a promising future for the Internet. This future implies the efficient collaboration of different software components, with the aim of improving flexibility, scalability, and the overall agility of the network. Numerous researchers and professionals today focus their research on finding solutions for the resource, service, security, and other orchestration types and further automation of the processes.The monograph focuses on the following contents:Shortcomings in traditional networks and the primary motives and benefits of NFV implementation in network infrastructureFundamentals and the key components of the ETSI NFV frameworkThe virtualization techniques and their application in modern computing environments, with an accent on the characteristics and functionality of virtual entities (virtual machines and containers)Containerization technology - creation, characteristics of various containers, and their orchestration and usage of the Kubernetes platform for the management of containerized workloads and servicesThe basic principles of NFV-based network design and the path for migration from traditional to NFV-based architectureSDN technology, including architecture, protocols, use cases, and integration with NFV in modern networksThe role of virtualization in the clouds' architectures, types, and delivery modelsKey service chaining strategies and standardized architecture for SFC deployment and SDN/NFV-based architecture for SFC deploymentThe key principles of network slicing in networks with implemented NFV and SDNThe monograph offers a practical blend of theoretical considerations and practical NFV implementation in modern computer environments. It is a valuable resource for students, engineers, and researchers looking for a comprehensive guide to further network softwarization and building a highly programmable, scalable, and software-based network infrastructure.

Complex cognitive systems, such as social networks, robotic swarms, or biological networks, are composed of individual entities (the agents) whose actions typically arise from some sophisticated form of “social” interaction with other agents. For example, consider the way humans form their individual opinions about a certain phenomenon. The opinions take shape via repeated interactions with other individuals, whether through physical contact or virtually. A diffusion mechanism emerges through which opinions, information, or even fake news propagate.Social learning also arises over man-made systems in the form of decision-making strategies by multiple agents interacting over a network. Consider a robotic swarm deployed over a hazardous area, where some robots operating under disadvantageous conditions (e.g., with limited visibility or partial information) would only be able to perform their task (such as saving a life during a rescue operation) by leveraging significant cooperation from other robots that have better access to critical information. Nature itself provides many other excellent examples of cooperative learning in the form of biological networks. The main topic of this book relates to mechanisms for information diffusion and decision-making over graphs, and the study of how agents’ decisions evolve dynamically through interactions with neighbors and the environment.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Differential Privacy in Artificial Intelligence: From Theory to Practice is a comprehensive resource designed to review the principles and applications of differential privacy in a world increasingly driven by data. This book delves into the theoretical underpinnings of differential privacy, its use in machine learning systems, practical implementation details, and its broader social and legal ramifications. Intended as a primer and a deep dive, it lays a solid foundation by introducing essential concepts and mechanisms critical to understanding differential privacy.From theoretical foundations to practical application, the book is organized into five distinct parts. Part I reviews the foundational notions of differential privacy in the central and local models, delving into composition and privacy amplification. The discussion extends to practical strategies for data release and the creation of synthetic data, which is essential for real-world applications. Part II focuses on the application of differential privacy in optimization and learning, examining the integration of privacy measures in machine learning, including private optimization methods and private federated learning.Beyond technical applications, the book highlights the use of differential privacy in critical sectors such as healthcare and energy, and discusses its implications in image and video analysis in Part III. Part IV provides a thorough look at the tools and challenges in deploying privacy-preserving models, including insights into programming frameworks and machine learning tools. Finally, Part V addresses the societal impact of differential privacy, discussing its intersection with public policy, law, fairness, and bias.Targeted at researchers, practitioners, and policymakers; Differential Privacy in Artificial Intelligence: From Theory to Practice aims to be an essential guide for anyone committed to advancing privacy in the digital age, providing the knowledge needed to develop and deploy effective and ethical privacy solutions across various domains.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Compressed sensing, also known as sparse representation or sparse modeling, has experienced substantial growth in research fields such as signal processing, machine learning, and statistics. In recent years, this powerful tool has been successfully applied to the design of control systems.This book provides a comprehensive guide to compressed sensing-based techniques, focusing primarily on their application to systems and control. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers who already have a foundational understanding of basic calculus and linear algebra. Its primary objective is to equip readers with the practical skills to apply compressed sensing techniques to a range of engineering problems, with a particular emphasis on systems and control. It presents a comprehensive collection of efficient algorithms for addressing the problems discussed in the text. Moreover, the book includes accompanying Python programs, which enable readers to actively experiment with these algorithms first-hand. By engaging with these practical examples, readers will develop a deeper understanding of compressed sensing techniques and their applications to systems and control.This book is the second edition of the author’s previous work, Sparsity Methods for Systems and Control, published by Now Publishers in 2020. This edition incorporates significant updates to reflect the latest advancements in the field. Notably, it includes new chapters and sections covering the following key topics: Distributed optimization, Sparse system identification, Sparse controller design, and Distributed hands-off control.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Systems Entrepreneurship is based on the author’s experience as a technology entrepreneur as well as from 50 years on a business-school faculty. The entrepreneurial framework presented here is robust and driven by a desire to find an organized and scalable model for students and researchers to work with partners in fostering innovation to advance sustainable solutions to a myriad of current challenges including mitigating climate risks, building the new-energy future, addressing the crisis in the American workforce, redressing social and environmental injustice, and enabling large-scale systems change. This robust framework, based on his training and teaching experience in systems entrepreneurship and product management, fosters coalition building in firms. Cooper’s experience in business and marketing makes his views and advice on current problems authoritative and worth sharing. This book contains both the author’s personal journey as well as valuable lessons for anyone studying or working in the field of business and entrepreneurship.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.20 years in conception and 15 in construction, the SpiNNaker project has delivered the world’s largest neuromorphic computing platform incorporating over a million ARM mobile phone processors and capable of modelling spiking neural networks of the scale of a mouse brain in biological real time. This machine, hosted at the University of Manchester in the UK, is freely available under the auspices of the EU Flagship Human Brain Project. This book tells the story of the origins of the machine, its development and its deployment, and the immense software development effort that has gone into making it openly available and accessible to researchers and students the world over. It also presents exemplar applications from ‘Talk’, a SpiNNaker-controlled robotic exhibit at the Manchester Art Gallery as part of ‘The Imitation Game’, a set of works commissioned in 2016 in honour of Alan Turing, through to a way to solve hard computing problems using stochastic neural networks. The book concludes with a look to the future, and the SpiNNaker-2 machine which is yet to come.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.In recent years, the rising complexity of Internet of Things (IoT) systems has increased their potential vulnerabilities and introduced new cybersecurity challenges. In this context, state of the art methods and technologies for security risk assessment have prominent limitations when it comes to large scale, cyber-physical and interconnected IoT systems. Risk assessments for modern IoT systems must be frequent, dynamic and driven by knowledge about both cyber and physical assets. Furthermore, they should be more proactive, more automated, and able to leverage information shared across IoT value chains.This book introduces a set of novel risk assessment techniques and their role in the IoT Security risk management process. Specifically, it presents architectures and platforms for end-to-end security, including their implementation based on the edge/fog computing paradigm. It also highlights machine learning techniques that boost the automation and proactiveness of IoT security risk assessments. Furthermore, blockchain solutions for open and transparent sharing of IoT security information across the supply chain are introduced. Frameworks for privacy awareness, along with technical measures that enable privacy risk assessment and boost GDPR compliance are also presented. Likewise, the book illustrates novel solutions for security certification of IoT systems, along with techniques for IoT security interoperability.In the coming years, IoT security will be a challenging, yet very exciting journey for IoT stakeholders, including security experts, consultants, security research organizations and IoT solution providers. The book provides knowledge and insights about where we stand on this journey. It also attempts to develop a vision for the future and to help readers start their IoT Security efforts on the right foot.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Modern critical infrastructures comprise of many interconnected cyber and physical assets, and as such are large scale cyber-physical systems. Hence, the conventional approach of securing these infrastructures by addressing cyber security and physical security separately is no longer effective. Rather more integrated approaches that address the security of cyber and physical assets at the same time are required. This book presents integrated (i.e. cyber and physical) security approaches and technologies for the critical infrastructures that underpin our societies. Specifically, it introduces advanced techniques for threat detection, risk assessment and security information sharing, based on leading edge technologies like machine learning, security knowledge modelling, IoT security and distributed ledger infrastructures. Likewise, it presets how established security technologies like Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), pen-testing, vulnerability assessment and security data analytics can be used in the context of integrated Critical Infrastructure Protection.The novel methods and techniques of the book are exemplified in case studies involving critical infrastructures in four industrial sectors, namely finance, healthcare, energy and communications. The peculiarities of critical infrastructure protection in each one of these sectors is discussed and addressed based on sector-specific solutions.The advent of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) is expected to increase the cyber-physical nature of critical infrastructures as well as their interconnection in the scope of sectorial and cross-sector value chains. Therefore, the demand for solutions that foster the interplay between cyber and physical security, and enable Cyber-Physical Threat Intelligence is likely to explode. In this book, we have shed light on the structure of such integrated security systems, as well as on the technologies that will underpin their operation. We hope that Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection stakeholders will find the book useful when planning their future security strategies.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Europe has paid a high price for asbestos, with over 100 000 related deaths. First in line in the fight to free buildings from asbestos contamination, workers in the construction sector could soon find a helping hand in the form of an AI-piloted robotic system. The constant and multifaceted evolution of society has left very few industries unchanged. For most sectors, this has meant moving towards increased automation. Most, but not all. One unyielding sector has largely stayed true to its old ways: the construction sector. For the past 200 years, the same repetitive, standardised and physically challenging construction tasks have been performed by workers with their own two hands. But this could change soon, as emerging voices – some of which decided to stand together under the Bots2ReC (Robots to Re-Construction) project – have been calling for the sector to embrace automation. The reasoning behind Bots2ReC is simple: some tasks are simply too hazardous for humans to perform, and machines could easily replace them. Besides the exposure, some processes or the materials handled in those processes generate health hazards in the form of dust, vibration, noise or toxic substances. It is precisely for these tasks that we could expect great benefits from – and also show the massive potential of – automation to achieve sustainable socio-ecological improvements.With its focus on asbestos, the EU H2020 Bots2ReC project is focusing on reducing the future health burden on workers. There is little doubt that the cost of the technology will easily be counterbalanced by its high social benefit and economic efficiency. This books presents the findings and results of the Bots2ReC project, and should be useful for Construction and Robotics Engineers, as well as graduate level students and researchers active in these fields.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Globally, poor hygiene and sanitation contribute to more than 1,000 daily deaths from diarrhoeal diseases among children under the age of 5, while two thirds of urban wastewaters are discharged without treatment into lakes, rivers and coastal waters. Across Europe the percentage of the population connected to wastewater treatment plants varies from 14% to >99% with many reliant on unsuitable decentralised sanitation systems or no wastewater treatment at all. With less than a decade left to achieve the 2030 sanitation targets as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals, there is an urgent need to develop new treatment solutions that can be rapidly deployed to meet the needs of growing urban and peri-urban populations, together with under-served rural communities.This book discusses decentralised wastewater treatment and the role of nature-based solutions within the context of the twenty-partner international INNOQUA project. INNOQUA set out to develop and demonstrate a suite of modular, low cost, decentralised solutions that use the combined capabilities of earthworms, bacteria, Cladocera and micro-algae to deliver nature-based primary, secondary and tertiary treatment – followed by UV disinfection. Design and operation principles are outlined, together with performance data and practical feedback from pilot and demonstration facilities situated in eleven countries from Ecuador to Scotland and India.Barriers and drivers towards more widespread uptake of these technologies are also examined, alongside an exploration of existing markets for nature-based sanitation in the Global South.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Modern critical infrastructures can be considered as large scale Cyber Physical Systems (CPS). Therefore, when designing, implementing, and operating systems for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), the boundaries between physical security and cybersecurity are blurred. Emerging systems for Critical Infrastructures Security and Protection must therefore consider integrated approaches that emphasize the interplay between cybersecurity and physical security techniques. Hence, there is a need for a new type of integrated security intelligence i.e., Cyber-Physical Threat Intelligence (CPTI).This book presents novel solutions for integrated Cyber-Physical Threat Intelligence for infrastructures in various sectors, such as Industrial Sites and Plants, Air Transport, Gas, Healthcare, and Finance. The solutions rely on novel methods and technologies, such as integrated modelling for cyber-physical systems, novel reliance indicators, and data driven approaches including BigData analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some of the presented approaches are sector agnostic i.e., applicable to different sectors with a fair customization effort. Nevertheless, the book presents also peculiar challenges of specific sectors and how they can be addressed.The presented solutions consider the European policy context for Security, Cyber security, and Critical Infrastructure protection, as laid out by the European Commission (EC) to support its Member States to protect and ensure the resilience of their critical infrastructures. Most of the co-authors and contributors are from European Research and Technology Organizations, as well as from European Critical Infrastructure Operators. Hence, the presented solutions respect the European approach to CIP, as reflected in the pillars of the European policy framework. The latter includes for example the Directive on security of network and information systems (NIS Directive), the Directive on protecting European Critical Infrastructures, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the Cybersecurity Act Regulation. The sector specific solutions that are described in the book have been developed and validated in the scope of several European Commission (EC) co-funded projects on Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), which focus on the listed sectors.Overall, the book illustrates a rich set of systems, technologies, and applications that critical infrastructure operators could consult to shape their future strategies. It also provides a catalogue of CPTI case studies in different sectors, which could be useful for security consultants and practitioners as well.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.Emerging out of the collaborative work conducted within the Working Group “Mechanisms to activate and support the collaborative economy” of the COST Action “From Sharing to Caring: Examining Socio-Technical Aspects of the Collaborative Economy”, the book questions the varied set of organizational forms collected under the label of “collaborative” or “sharing” economy —ranging from grassroots peer-to-peer solidarity initiatives to corporate owned platforms— from the perspective of what is known as the European social values: respect for human dignity and human rights (including those of minorities), freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law. Therefore, the edited collection focuses on the governance of such economic activities, and how they organize labour, cooperation and social life. From individual motivations to participating, to platform use by local groups, until platform design in its political as well as technological dimensions, the book provides a comparative overview and critical discussion on the processes, narratives and organizational models at play in the collaborative economy. On such a basis, the volume offers tools, suggestions and visions for the future that may inform the designing of policies, technologies, and business models in Europe.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.The successful deployment of AI solutions in manufacturing environments hinges on their security, safety and reliability which becomes more challenging in settings where multiple AI systems (e.g., industrial robots, robotic cells, Deep Neural Networks (DNNs)) interact as atomic systems and with humans. To guarantee the safe and reliable operation of AI systems in the shopfloor, there is a need to address many challenges in the scope of complex, heterogeneous, dynamic and unpredictable environments. Specifically, data reliability, human machine interaction, security, transparency and explainability challenges need to be addressed at the same time. Recent advances in AI research (e.g., in deep neural networks security and explainable AI (XAI) systems), coupled with novel research outcomes in the formal specification and verification of AI systems provide a sound basis for safe and reliable AI deployments in production lines. Moreover, the legal and regulatory dimension of safe and reliable AI solutions in production lines must be considered as well.To address some of the above listed challenges, fifteen European Organizations collaborate in the scope of the STAR project, a research initiative funded by the European Commission in the scope of its H2020 program (Grant Agreement Number: 956573). STAR researches, develops, and validates novel technologies that enable AI systems to acquire knowledge in order to take timely and safe decisions in dynamic and unpredictable environments. Moreover, the project researches and delivers approaches that enable AI systems to confront sophisticated adversaries and to remain robust against security attacks.This book is co-authored by the STAR consortium members and provides a review of technologies, techniques and systems for trusted, ethical, and secure AI in manufacturing. The different chapters of the book cover systems and technologies for industrial data reliability, responsible and transparent artificial intelligence systems, human centered manufacturing systems such as human-centred digital twins, cyber-defence in AI systems, simulated reality systems, human robot collaboration systems, as well as automated mobile robots for manufacturing environments. A variety of cutting-edge AI technologies are employed by these systems including deep neural networks, reinforcement learning systems, and explainable artificial intelligence systems. Furthermore, relevant standards and applicable regulations are discussed. Beyond reviewing state of the art standards and technologies, the book illustrates how the STAR research goes beyond the state of the art, towards enabling and showcasing human-centred technologies in production lines. Emphasis is put on dynamic human in the loop scenarios, where ethical, transparent, and trusted AI systems co-exist with human workers. The book is made available as an open access publication, which could make it broadly and freely available to the AI and smart manufacturing communities.