Programme

Protocol Panel

The Multidimensional Importance and Contribution of Engineering, Especially Electrical Engineering, in All Its Spectrum of Activities

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Marko Topič, Dean of UL FE

Sogovorniki:

• Marjan Batagelj, Postojnska jama, d.d.

CEO and owner of Postojnska jama, who has elevated this Slovenian natural treasure to global recognition.

• Aleša Mižigoj, Medex Group d.o.o.

Director and key driver of Medex Group, making it increasingly innovative, socially responsible, and sustainability-oriented.

• dr. Jure Knez, Dewesoft d.o.o.

Founder of DEWEsoft, an international company with a global presence and a leading expert in the field of measurement hardware.

• Blaž Brodnjak, NLB, d.d.

CEO of NLB, our largest bank, and the parent bank of the NLB Group, a leading banking and financial group in Southeastern Europe.

Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence

Challenges, Opportunities, and Future of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Research, Development, and Industry

Moderator: prof. dr. Vitomir Štruc

Sogovorniki:

• prof. dr. Andrej Kos, UL FE

Andrej Kos is a full professor at UL FE and the head of the Laboratory for Telecommunications. He leads the research group “Decentralized Solutions for Digitalization of Industry and Smart Cities and Communities.” His research areas include the Internet of Things, 5G and 6G networks, blockchain, and cybersecurity. A significant part of his work involves collaboration with the industry and knowledge transfer between academia and industry. He uses various methods for knowledge transfer, including project collaboration, training within the ICT Academy, and multidisciplinary cooperation between different faculties, companies, and institutions within the study process.

• izr. prof. dr. Žiga Špiclin, UL FE

Žiga Špiclin obtained his PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Ljubljana in 2011. During his studies, he was a visiting researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, part of Harvard University. After his PhD, he was a guest at the Technical University of Munich in Garching, Germany. Since 2020, he has been an associate professor at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. His research at the Laboratory for Image Technologies involves developing and evaluating numerical procedures and software for image alignment, image quality enhancement, image decomposition, and quantitative image analysis with applications in biomedicine and computer vision. He has authored 30 scientific articles and received the University of Ljubljana’s award for the best research achievement in 2016. Since 2017, he has led several fundamental and industrial research projects.

• Maja Škrjanc, Institut Jožef Stefan, Qlector d.o.o.

Maja Škrjanc has 25 years of experience in artificial intelligence (AI). She complements her research work at the Jožef Stefan Institute’s Department of Artificial Intelligence with implementing AI solutions in the business environment. In recent years, she has focused on AI governance. Since 2023, she has been an active member of the Slovenian SIST group and the international standardization group for AI management, CEN-CLC/JTC 21, responsible for setting standards for AI implementation in line with emerging regulatory and legal frameworks. Her career in the business world began at SAS Institute as the head of advanced analytics for the Adriatic region, where she led the design and implementation of innovative AI projects for large companies in various industries, including telecommunications, finance, banking, retail, and the electricity sector. In 2017, she founded the central data intelligence unit at Telekom Slovenije, responsible for internal and external data monetization. Besides her work at the Department of Artificial Intelligence, she serves as Chief Product Officer and Head of Implementations at the start-up Qlector.

• dr. Tadej Justin, Medius d.o.o.

Dr. Tadej Justin is a lead data scientist at Medius d.o.o., specializing in custom software development. He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana in 2009. During his studies, he was particularly enthusiastic about developing AI systems based on machine learning and data mining. After his undergraduate studies, he continued as a young researcher, focusing on language technologies, specifically automatic emotion recognition in speech and cross-linguistic parametric speech synthesis. Currently, he leads a team of data scientists at Medius, identifying and developing segments where AI and machine learning approaches can enhance custom software projects and improve business processes. His team’s success is confirmed by the GoDigital award for the best digital project of 2024 – Frodo AI.

Awards Ceremony for UL FE Business Partners:

• Business Partner
• Public Sector Business Partner
• Business Partner in the Field of Electrical Engineering Promotion

Cultural program: Janez Dovč