Workload Prediction in Cloud Computing

Andrea Rossi, PhD student, SFI Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence

Impact: Local, National, International

Providers of cloud computing systems need to allocate resources carefully to reduce waste due to overallocation. To allocate resources to service requests without excessive delays, we need to predict future demand. Most current state-of-the-art methods make only point predictions of resource requests and ignore uncertainty.  Predicting the future demand distribution is more informative and allows the providers to reduce resource waste during the resource allocation phase, reducing the cost of electricity and maintenance. Predicting the future demand distribution in the cloud computing environment allows the providers to reduce resource waste during the resource allocation phase, reducing the cost of electricity and maintenance. Currently, proposed models can provide better estimations of resource usage bounds, allowing a reduction of both overprediction and the number of unmatched requests.

The predictions will be used by the resource manager for the pre-provisioning of the virtual machines to minimize the waste and the electricity consumption, guaranteeing a high quality of service level at the same time. The project is presented at International Conferences and SFI CRT in AI events. Moreover, the project is part of Task 3.6 on the Sustainability of Trustworthy AI of the European TAILOR network.

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Ensuring Corporate Sustainability: Strategic Perspectives for Developing a Sustainable Organisation

Dr. Stephen Treacy, Department of Business Information Systems, Cork University Business School

Impact: Local

Using judgement studies conducted with eighteen industry experts, this research explores the key obstacles faced by organisations when pursuing transformative sustainability initiatives, and reports these across three specific domains: leadership, business processes, and business models. As both governments and consumers begin to hold companies accountable for their sustainability practices and carbon output, there is more pressure than ever for organizations to drastically adapt their operations. It has now become the responsibility of organizations to display proactive initiatives towards providing a solution to the world’s environmental issue, instead of adding to the problem. The burden must now be taken up by business leaders to reconceptualise the global environmental issues into sustainable business opportunities. Extant literature identified the absence of a clear path for organizations to achieve their sustainable goals and identified areas which must be addressed in order to succeed in this transition.

This research sought to address the obstacles surrounding corporate sustainability and targeted practitioners who were able to divulge the key insights required for sustainable reformations. This investigation contributes to existing literature by presenting eight specific themes (lack of internal knowledge, side project mentality, leadership structure, complexity, mindset shift, transformation, cost barriers, and renewability) across three main areas (leadership, business processes, and business models) developed from empirical data collected from eighteen industry experts, while also offering distinct managerial implications. These findings enable a guided transition to an improved ecoconscious paradigm that takes stakeholder requirements and leadership vision into account. The research adds to the sustainable literature, and develops the importance of leadership in this transition, while establishing the need for a three-dimensional approach for the organization pursuing these strategies. The obstacles identified herein allows practitioners to develop a more holistic evaluation of the areas of primary focus, which organisations need to target if they wish to enjoy the full benefits of sustainable business operations. Taken together, these findings present organizations with a strategic blueprint to ensure they are capable of delivering their visions of sustainability.

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

Urban Sprawl: Land-Use, Travel Behaviours, and Emissions in Irish Regions

Conor O’Driscoll, PhD Student, Spatial and Regional Economic Research Centre, Department of Economics, Cork University Business School

Impact: Local, National

This research investigates the relationship between, and the economic and environmental impacts of, land-use and transport policies in Ireland. It analyses how Ireland's historically unsustainable and inefficient developmental landscape has shaped current travel behaviours and land-use developments and provides insights into what policymakers can do to re-align regional development with the SDGs.

The most significant medium-to-long term impact of this research will involve setting research agendas in defining future sustainability-centred policymaking directions in line with the SDGs. Accordingly, the research outputs prioritise advancing the field of sustainable urban and regional development through the publication of research papers alongside research dissemination activities which will inform the general public on issues surrounding unsustainable land-use and transport policies. This research is contributing to debates on regional development in Ireland by analysing how existing travel behaviours can be altered by policymakers to facilitate shifts away from car-use. In an international context, this research is producing novel insights surrounding the sustainability of regional land-use developments through data-driven innovations.

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Intelligent MOtion COntrol under Industry 4.E (IMOCO4.E)

Dr. Alfie Keary¹, Dr. Michael Walsh¹, Dr. Javier Torres¹, Dr. Masoud Emam¹, Dr. Dara O’Sullivan², Dr. Daire McNamara^3,  

1. Tyndall National Institute, 2. Analog Devices,  3. Emdalo Technologies

Impact: Local, National, International

The IMOCO4.E project’s target is to provide vertically distributed edge-to-cloud intelligence for machines, robots and other human-in-the-loop cyber-physical systems.  IMOCO4.E’s aim is to perceive and understand complex machines and robots, with the two main pillars of the project associated with the fields of digital twins and advanced AI principles (machine learning/deep learning).

The IMOCO4.E research project has the potential to impact across a range of the SDGs. In particular, and with reference to SDG 8, the project outcomes will lead to economic growth for Europe and beyond, coupled with the generation of a range of new forms of working outcomes and re-engineered jobs, with significant increases in productive employment options for manufacturers. Also, the work conducted across all IMOCO4.E partners will address SDG 9 in relation to industrial infrastructure and fostering innovation, leading to advances in scientific research across all forms of manufacturing industries. In the context of the longer-term potential from IMOCO4.E outcomes, it can be expected that the benefits will reach far beyond Europe and will address a number of the sub-goals of SDG 17 in relation to global partnerships and sustainable development opportunities. The IMOCO4.E research led by Tyndall in Ireland also involves two industrial partners, Analog Devices and Emdalo. Tyndall leads a particular use case relating to edge based and AI powered tactic robotic tele-operation with a core focus on latency reduction targets. This research will contribute to the advancement of industrial automation systems in Ireland and also across the EU and worldwide.  Specifically, the IMOCO4.E related research conducted will contribute to the factory of the future and the internet of skills and has also got applied potential for the creation of virtual workforces on a global scale. 

“The IMOCO4.E project must be seen as mandatory technical infrastructure for the advancement of smart manufacturing across Europe and worldwide.”

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4 - Upgrade all industries and infrastructures for sustainability
• Target 9.5 - Enhance research and upgrade industrial technologies
• Target 9.b - Support domestic technology development and industrial diversification

SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth 

• Target 8.2 - Diversify, innovate and upgrade for economic productivity

SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.7 - Promote sustainable technologies to developing countries
• Target 17.8 - Strengthen the science, technology and innovation capacity for least developed countries

Calculating the cost of rural infrastructure access in South Africa

Professor Don Ross, School of Society, Politics, and Ethics, UCC & School of Economics, University of Cape Town

Impact: International

This research involves the design of sustainable rural transport infrastructure improvement in Southern Africa, with emphasis on improved rural access to basic services, labour-intensive maintenance, and resilience against climate change effects. Consultant services are provided to governments and international agencies to estimate costs of such improvements. This work generates strategic plans, detailed local implementation models, and associated financial models, for policy implementation by governments, including management of pilot projects that test these models. This work does not apply to developed countries (e.g. Ireland). Transport models which this research contributes to have been adopted as policy in South Africa. Current research by others takes them as a basis.

“Sustainable growth in Southern Africa depends on better management of urbanisation. This requires providing rural communities with infrastructure that allows people who choose to remain in rural areas to do so, particularly in the face of pressures from climate change effects.”

– Professor Don Ross

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 11 - Sustainble Cities and Communities

SDG 13 - Climate Action

The Use of Manganese, an Earth Abundant Metal, as an Economically Viable, Safe, and Tuneable Alternative to Rare Precious Metals, in a Range of Important and Pharmaceutically Relevant Transformations (SOS Earth (Sustainable Organic Synthesis) using Earth Abundant Metals in Critical Pharmaceutical Processes)

Ben O’Donoghue, PhD student, School of Chemistry

Impact: International

Positioning Manganese (Mn) as a sustainable alternative to precious metal catalysis will ease reliance on Pd-group metals, as well as financial, toxicity, environmental, and geopolitical concerns (Russia are one of the leading world-suppliers). As an output from this project, Mn catalysis will be developed as an alternative to precious metal catalysis – this will be a more sustainable means of production if adopted in the pharmaceutical industry. Mn is cheaper, safer, and far more abundant on the Earth’s surface. Avoiding extensive and deep mining along with adopting a robust supply chain for Mn is critical. Avoiding the dependence on Russia for supply is also critical. In obviating our dependence, pharma companies may quicker achieve sustainability goals and improve adherence to related policies. Along with this, collaborations (national & international) in academia & industry will promote partnerships for furthering sustainable development.

This research will greatly advance the understanding and scope of Mn-catalysis. This diversification away from precious metal usage will reduce the reliance of the pharma industry/academia on the purchase and supply of these metals and the environmental cost of their sourcing. It will also provide a pivot-point for further research in these sectors.

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4 - Upgrade all industries and infrastructures for sustainability
• Target 9.5 - Enhance research and upgrade industrial technologies

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.4 - Responsible management of chemicals and waste
• Target 12.6 - Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and sustainability reporting

SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.14 - Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
• Target 17.16 - Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

DYNAMO: Dynamic Resilience Assessment Method including combined Business Continuity Management and Cyber Threat Intelligence solution for Critical Sectors

Dr. Karen Neville, Centre for Resilience & Business Continuity (CRBC) & Department of Business Information Systems, Cork University Business School 

Impact: International

The H2020 DYNAMO €5 million project combines the two fields of business continuity management (BCM) and cyber threat intelligence (CTI) to generate a situational awareness picture for decision support across all stages of the disaster resilience management lifecycle (to prepare, prevent, protect, respond and recover) for critical infrastructure organizations.

The results will generate knowledge concerning susceptibility and vulnerability of the Critical Infrastructure sector (e.g. Health Services, Telecommunications, Transportation). DYNAMO will support Business Continuity Management (BCM) with respect to the five disaster resilience phases. The Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) solution will deliver data that will be integrated into the resilience and BCM methodology. DYNAMO will enable organizations to conduct analysis of threat intelligence across and between organizations.

“Cybersecurity attacks have fa r reaching consequences, as is evidenced by the HSE Attack. This project, of which UCC is a key partner, is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Research Institute and it will support organizations and countries in utilizing Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence to be resilient against attacks.”

– Dr. Karen Neville

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

EU EnABLES Power IoT Research Infrastructure and Ecosystem

Dr. Mike Hayes, Micro & Nano Systems Centre, Tyndall National Institute

Impact: International

78 million batteries will be dumped worldwide every day by 2025 if we do not improve the life span for powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Currently, it is estimated that by 2025, there will be 1 trillion IoT devices in the world – smart objects and automated systems that gather information, communicate with each other, and analyse data – such as sensors, smart phones, wearable devices and heating control systems. There is now an urgent need to make IoT batteries more sustainable so they can outlive the devices they power. EnABLES is asking everyone to think about battery life from the outset, to ensure that batteries outlive the devices they power. This will help tackle the issue of e-waste and guarantee safer, more reliable power sources for devices where batteries are not easily changed, such as medical technologies, implantable devices and technology in harsh and difficult to reach environments. There is a need to not only increase the energy supplied by batteries, so they last longer, but to also reduce the amount of power the devices consume. EnABLES fosters and guides key ‘power IoT’ advances to harvest tiny ambient energies such as light, heat and vibration and converting them to electricity, whilst minimising energy consumption by the sensors. For example, a solar panel half the size of a credit card could power a temperature and humidity sensor in an office indefinitely.

The purpose of this research is to develop an energy harvesting related 'power IoT' ecosystem of collaborators (developers, manufacturers, system integrators, end users) that develops power solutions that dramatically extends battery life of wireless IoT edge devices. The ecosystem can be used to guide and accelerate development of solutions around real-life applications using ambient energies. This research will results in longer battery life; more reliable Wireless sensors; less batteries going into landfill (SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 12); enabling wireless sensors to be retrofitted on, in near equipment, infrastructure, people to reliably offer services including more energy and resource efficient factories (SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 12); assisted living & wearables (SDG 3, SDG 11); environmental monitoring (SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 14, SDG 15); lower carbon footprint transportation (SDG 12, SDG 13); and condition monitoring of renewable energy infrastructure (SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 13). This research puts Ireland and the EU at the forefront in technology and thought leadership by fostering the ecosystem to maximise the benefits of the wireless IoT retrofit value proposition. This results in the building of academic and industry partnerships particularly in manufacturing and med tech sectors (both manufacturing and product development) where Ireland is very strong.

SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production