The 24th International Conference on Software, Telecommunications and Computer Networks (SoftCOM 2016) was held in the attractive ambience of the Radisson Blu Resort Hotel, Split, September 18–20. The Conference was organized by the University of Split, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FESB) and Crotian Communications and Information Society (CCIS) under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Croatian Academy of Engineering and Croatian Regulatory Agency for Network Industries. The Conference was technically co-sponsored by the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc).
Researchers and experts from industry, research institutes and universities from 30 countries around the world submitted a total of 170 papers for presentation at SoftCOM 2016. Submitted papers were reviewed by more than 200 scientists from universities, institutes and ICT companies around the world, with 49% of submitted papers being accepted for presentation within the technical program based on their contribution, relevance, conceptual clearness and overall quality.
At the opening ceremony the participants were welcomed on behalf of the organizers by Prof. Sven Gotovac, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split; Prof. Simun Andelinovic, Rector of the University of Split; Zlatko Zevrnja, Prefect of the County of Split and Dalmatia; Prof. Pascal Lorenz, Chair of the IEEE ComSoc France Chapter; Prof. Mislav Grgic, Chair of the IEEE Croatia Section and the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb; and Drazen Lucic, Ph.D., president of the Council of HAKOM. A plenary talk titled “LOOOM: Defining Control Systems for 5G”, was presented by Sandor Albrecht, Ph.D., Director of Network Technology, Ericsson Research, Stockholm, Ericsson AB, Sweden.
The technical conference program featured 17 conference sessions, including four special sessions and three symposia: the Symposium on Environmental Electromagnetic Compatibility, the Symposium on Green Networking, and the Symposium on Smart Environment Technologies. The special sessions were focused on hot topics including: RFID Technologies and the Internet of Things, Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks, QoS in Wired and Wireless Networks, and Security and Digital Forensics.
Besides the scientific program, a professional workshop dedicated to the wide spectra of topics in ICT was organized, and six half-day tutorials were organized by worldwide recognized experts.
In conjunction with the SoftCOM 2016 Conference, a Business Forum was organized featuring two workshops and three panel sessions with the participation of managers, executives, experts, government and institution representatives. The Lean Innovation Workshop and the Fifth Workshop on Software Engineering in Practice attracted researchers from academia and professionals from industry to discuss challenges and new developments in the area of communications software production, with a special focus on Cloud based systems. The Lean Innovation Workshop was organized by Marko Bervanakis, and moderated by Toni Mastelic, Ph.D., Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Croatia. The Workshop on Software Engineering in Practice was organized by dr.sc. Darko Huljenic, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Croatia. The Roundtable discussion on the topic “Development of Broadband Backhaul Infrastructure in Areas Lacking Sufficient Commercial Interest for Investments, using European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI)” was organized by Mario Weber, M.Sc., director of the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries. The Roundtable was particularly interesting for the representatives of local communities preparing projects for development of the broadband access infrastructure of the next generation.
The Roundtable on Entrepreneurship in ICT was organized by Ante Dagelic, M.S. Representatives from academic institutions and professionals from ICT companies discussed practical aspects in entrepreneurship in the area of ICT. The Roundtable included entrepreneurs with different backgrounds and previous experiences. The topics included the “cold start“ problem, relations with the government, relations with the university, human resources, software outsourcing, etc.
The Ph.D. Forum provided an opportunity for Ph.D. students to present their work in the areas of ICT related to the SoftCOM 2016 Conference topics to a wider community of researchers from academia and industry. The forum was intended to encourage interaction and networking among Ph.D. students, as well as the audience. The Ph.D. Forum was organized as a poster session, preceded by a fast-paced introduction (“pitch talk”) by each student, offering a preview of the posters. The forum involved academics and students from universities from Zagreb, Split, Osijek, and Rijeka. The Forum organized by Prof. Maja Matijasevic, Prof. Dinko Begusic, Asst. Prof. Ognjen Dobrijevic, and Asst. Prof. Petar Solic.
The presentations of the student projects pursued in the frame of the Ericsson Nikola Tesla Summer Camp 2016, were held within a special workshop session that was organized by Sasa Desic, M.Sc. and Goran Gasparovic (Ericsson Nikola Tesla).
The Welcome Reception by the Mayor of the town of Split was organized in the attractive ambience of the 1700 year old Diocletian Palace Basement in Split. The participants also had an opportunity to enjoy a visit to the historic fortress of Klis and the picturesque town of Trogir, which is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
More information about the SoftCOM 2016 Conference may be found at: http://www.fesb.hr/softcom