The lecture by Kristian Widén (Associate Professor, Innovation Science with focus on the Built Environment Halmstad University) highlighted  Smart cities strategies are based on the usages of network infrastructures and Internet-based applications. Key areas in Smart Cities include; Smart Building, Smart Mobility, Smart Infrastructure, Smart Technology, Smart Energy, Smart Citizens, Smart Governance, Smart Education and Smart Health. The discussion further delved into In contrast to manufacturing, where new ideas may flow fairly easy through a well-established vertically integrated value-chain, construction is characterised by the way new ideas are implemented in projects where the value-chain may vary from project to project. The innovation process in construction cannot be modelled according to the models developed for manufacturing business sectors, due to the project-based nature of construction.

Date : November 25th 2017

The day featured several presentations from Geodyn /Geomark ,Ethiopian Mapping Agency, Secondary Cities Project from Nigeria, INSA and EADRASHA App. It feartured simulations as well as a quiz segments engaging the participants. All partcipants and speakers were issued with Certificates.

With regards to Why GIS:

1. Save money and promote efficiency.

“GIS is widely used to optimize maintenance schedules and daily fleet movements. Typical implementations can result in a savings of 10 to 30 percent in operational expenses through reduction in fuel use and staff time, improved customer service, and more efficient scheduling.

1. Improve Communications.

“GIS-based maps and visualizations greatly assist in understanding situations and in storytelling. They are a type of language that improves communication between different teams, departments, disciplines, professional fields, organizations, and the public.”

3.  Make Clear Decisions.

“GIS is the go-to technology for making better decisions about location. Common examples include real estate site selection, route/corridor selection, evacuation planning, conservation, natural resource extraction, etc. Making correct decisions about location is critical to the success of an organization.”  

1. Easily Track Data & Records.

“Many organizations have a primary responsibility of maintaining authoritative records about the status and change of geography. GIS provides a strong framework for managing these types of records with full transaction support and reporting tools.”  

5.Manage Geographically.

“GIS is becoming essential to understanding what is happening—and what will happen—in geographic space. Once we understand, we can prescribe action. This new approach to management—managing geographically—is transforming the way that organizations operate.”

Date: Monday December 4. 2017

Venue: at the new staff lounge of eiabc.

Background: Served as Scientific Director of EiABC for 6 years since 2012. And before that as a visiting Professor for 4 years.

Event: Gifts were presented to Jo and family and Jo gave a farewell address

Joachim Dieter

Born 1967, Germany / Diplom-Ingenieur in Architecture, Technische Universität Berlin 1999

Scientific Director of the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development 2011-present / Chairholder, Chair of Construction Materials and Geotechniques, Acting Scientific Director Materials Research and Testing Center and Visiting Professor for Building Materials and Construction at EiABC 2010–2011 / DAAD Visiting Professor for Architectural Design, Building Materials and Construction at EiABC 2007–2010, Project Manager in the University Capacity Building Program (ucbp) at GTZ-IS in Ethiopia 2005–2007, Assistant Professor at University of Technology Berlin, School of Architecture 2000-2005

Joachim Dieter is currently holding the position of the Scientific Director of the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His responsibilities include without limitation all academic affairs, institute management, qualified education, applied research and technology transfer, university industry linkage, entrepreneurship, international university cooperation and the implementation of the Institute reform under the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp/eecbp), Ethiopian Ministry of Education (MoE).
Since 2007 he has been teaching as a Visiting Professor in the fields of Architectural Design and Building Materials & Construction at the EiABC. He became Chairholder of the Chair of Construction Materials and Geotechniques in 2010.
He was involved in the Institutes department reform, the development and implementation of a Chair system, and the program- and curriculum-development.
As the Acting Scientific Director of the Materials Research and Testing Center (MRTC) he was responsible for human resource development and installation of an operating structure for the two sections Construction Material Testing and Foundations Soil Section, the upgrading of all laboratory equipment, re-organizing and renovation of all laboratory facilities and the Transformation of the MRTC into an entrepreneurial unit at EiABC.
Before that, he taught as an Assistant Professor (“Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter”) at the University of Technology Berlin (TU-Berlin), Department ″Konstruktives Entwerfen und Klimagerechtes Bauen″ (″design, construction, energy efficient buildings″), Chair of Professor Rainer Hascher, with a focus on building materials and construction, sustainable design and the integration of technical systems.

On November 22nd a workshop was conducted regarding Waste Management and the construction of a waste recycling Systems. The workshop was led by Mr Walta Nigussie and Experts from Austria