Building the Future: The Industrial Metaverse and the Next Era of Engineering Innovation : vTools Events

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Building the Future: The Industrial Metaverse and the Next Era of Engineering Innovation

#WIE #Metaverse

Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) is a specialized society within the IEEE, dedicated to advancing the management and leadership skills for engineers and technology professionals, bridging the gap between technical innovation and business success, and supporting careers in managing complex technology-driven organizations.

In her talk, Dr Jeewika Ranaweera will explore how industrial metaverse technologies are transforming sectors such as manufacturing, construction, energy, and logistics through enhanced efficiency, predictive maintenance, and sustainable design. Examples will highlight how immersive environments and intelligent digital twins are enabling faster prototyping, safer operations, and better decision-making. The session will also outline how engineers can play a leading role in shaping this next industrial revolution.

Panel Discussion
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‘Promoting diversity in Computing and Engineering fields: Perspectives from Industry and Academia’,
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Panellists: Dr Jeewika Ranaweera, Dr Louis Nisiotis, Dr Panagiota Nikolaou, Dr Christiana Ioannou
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Moderator: Dr Andriani Piki

Short bios:
Dr Jeewika Ranaweera is an engineer, author, inventor, IEEE TEMS Distinguished Lecturer (DL), and sustainability advocate. She co-chairs the IEEE Metaverse Initiative and serves as a member-at-large for IEEE WIE. She authored an eBook for IEEE WIE and illustrated IEEE’s first children’s book. A strong advocate for diversity in AI and the metaverse, she actively addresses digital and hardware inequalities. Dr. Ranaweera holds degrees from CUJAE and the University of Toronto, along with five U.S. patents. She was recognized as one of SWE's Women Engineers You Should Know in 2023 and received the Outstanding Member Who Promoted WIE award from IEEE WIE SCV in 2020.

Dr. Louis Nisiotis is an Assistant Professor at UCLan Cyprus, specialising in XR, Intelligent Interactive Environments and Entertainment Computing. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and serves the international scientific community through several leadership and volunteering roles. He is a steering committee member of the IEEE Metaverse, and actively supports IEEE Future Directions contributing to international working groups and expert panels on the convergence of XR with emerging disruptive technologies for developing the next generation of immersive interactive systems. He is also the IEEE Cyprus Section Students Activities lead, is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, and a member of IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society.

Dr Andriani Piki is an Assistant Professor in Computing and an experienced researcher in Educational Technology, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and User Experience Design (UXD). She holds a PhD in Educational Technology from Royal Holloway University of London, UK. Dr Piki leads EU-funded projects and conducts interdisciplinary research focusing on the application of social technologies, such as AI and digital games, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and sustainability education. She has published her work in international journals and conferences including IEEE EDUCON, IEEE GEM, IEEE BESC, IEEE ICIR, and HCI International. She is a professional ACM and CCS member, coordinating member of CCS-Women, and elected Treasurer for the Cyprus ACM-W Cyprus Chapter.

Dr Panagiota Nikolaou is a Lecturer and Course Leader in Computer Engineering with extensive experience in demanding technical projects funded by the European Commission and Industry. She has prepared, supervised, and contributed to numerous high-quality deliverables in projects such as Eurocloud-FP7, HARPA-FP7, Uniserver-H2020, SESAME-H2020, Cerciras-COST Action, and ALPS (Huawei). She has strong collaborations with research and industry partners and has addressed technical and administrative issues relevant to this project. Notably, Cyprus’ contribution to SESAME (H2020), with her active involvement, was assessed by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar as Market Ready.

Dr Christiana Ioannou is an Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity and Course Leader of MSc Cybersecurity programme at UCLan Cyprus, and a Research Fellow at CYENS Centre of Excellence. She has expertise in Security in the Internet of Things (IoT), with a specialization in Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). She earned her PhD by introducing a framework for Intrusion Detection Systems in Wireless Sensor Networks and the IoT, along with developing a lightweight tool for their easy integration into commonly used IoT/WSN platforms. She has experience with several EU Funded projects, including HORIZON-WIDERA MetaCities and the University of Cyprus’ ONISILOS Post-Doctoral Funding Grants.
Certificates of Participation will be issued.
Register by Tuesday 20/02/2026:
Event Registration 23.01.26, 2-4 p.m. UCLan Cyprus, CY006 – Fill in form