Responsible Automation and Applied Informatics

A primer on containers and Kubernetes

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the core concepts of containerization and orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes. Over the course of three hours, attendees will learn how to package applications into portable containers, manage dependencies efficiently, and deploy those containers in a scalable, production-like environment. The session is designed to be practical and accessible, with guided exercises that walk through building, running, and troubleshooting containerized applications.
By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how Docker simplifies development workflows and how Kubernetes enables reliable deployment, scaling, and management of containerized systems. Whether you’re new to containers or looking to connect the dots between development and operations, this workshop provides a concise, hands-on foundation you can immediately apply to real-world projects.

Dr. Francom specializes in DevOps, cloud computing, and software development. He is passionate about finding creative ways to bring cutting-edge technology into the classroom. He has 25+ years in higher education.  When he’s not teaching, he enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and exploring Utah with his wife and four children.

Engineering Self-Adaptive Systems and the Role of AI: Case Studies, Research Challenges and Results (TBD)

Marin Litoiu is a Professor of Software Engineering in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and in the School of Information Technology, York University. He is also a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Dr. Litoiu leads the Adaptive Software Research Lab and focuses on making large software systems more versatile, resilient, energy-efficient, self-healing, and self-optimizing. His research won many awards, including the IBM Canada CAS Research Project of the Year Award,  the IBM CAS Faculty Fellow of the Year Award for his “impact on IBM people, processes and technology,” three Best Paper Awards, and two Most Influential Paper Awards.  Prior to joining York University, Dr. Litoiu was a Research Staff member with the Centre for Advanced Studies in the IBM Toronto Lab, where he led the research programs in software engineering and autonomic computing. He received the Canada NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation in recognition for these collaborative university/industry activities. He was also the recipient of the IBM Outstanding Technical Contribution Award for his research vision on Cloud Computing. Dr. Litoiu is one of the founders of the SEAMS Symposium series—ACM/IEEE Software Engineering for Adaptive and Self-Managing Systems. He has been the General Chair of SEAMS in 2013 and 2019, ACSOS 2023, ICPE 2025,  Program Chair of SEAMS, ICPE, and CASCON, and serves on the steering committees of  SEAMS and CASCON.  Dr. Litoiu is also the Scientific Director of „Dependable Internet of Things Applications (DITA),” an NSERC CREATE program.

A Journey Through Responsible GenAI Use (TBD)

Iosif Viorel (Vio) Onut is Associate Partner – Cyber Strategy and Risk & Master Inventor at IBM Security. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa and co-director of the University of Ottawa and IBM Cyber Range. He specializes in cybersecurity and cybercrime research and development. He is also passionate about curriculum and product innovation acceleration through R&D. Over the past decade, he has managed over 150 research projects involving 35 universities, led by over 90 professors, over 360 students, and over 330 IBM staff.

In enterprise software,  data driven decision making and extracting insights from large amounts of information are essential. With this workshop we’re touching the intersection of Data Science methods and the new Generative AI technology.

Main Speaker: Radu Purdel, Principal Development Architect @ SAP, with more than 20 years of software engineering experience

Details to come

Details to come

The workshop will present modern programmable logic controller applications in a comparative approach based on technologies from reputable manufacturers (Siemens, Allen Bradley, Beckhoff, Phoenix Contact, Bosch Rexroth). The IEC 61131-3 standard for PLC software development will be discussed together with key principles in building Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) for industrial process monitoring and control. Integration and interoperability aspects for industrial communication using open-source tools will be investigated. Case studies include modelling of a typical industry application using state diagrams and the development of an end-to-end automation project using Siemens TIA Portal technologies.

Build Your Own AI Squad: a workshop where students learn how to design and connect multiple AI agents that collaborate on real tasks.