Isabel Conference 2011

The inter-disciplinary approach is becoming an increasing need in scientific and industrial communities. The most evident example of such a need is represented by the strong interconnection between biomedical and communication engineering. On the one hand, ICT can provide new tools for making healthcare systems more efficient and responsive in order to supply in-the-home and mobile healthcare solutions. On the other hand, many of the most recent advances in communication technologies - from algorithms to the electronics and materials - are "bio-inspired". Moreover, it is increasing the awareness of the great potentials offered by the synergistic combination of many disciplines (e.g., mathematics and physics, biology and chemistry) in both biomedical and communication engineering.

The global interest towards a safer Planet is forcing the industrial and scientific worlds to seek for engineering solutions in order to reestablish normal conditions both in terms of communication and medical-related functionalities, which are two of most basic needs of human beings, especially under critical scenarios in the aftermath of a disaster, either natural or man-made. Hence, from 2011 onward, ISABEL will also look upon the application of sciences in biomedical and communication engineering so as to develop novel technologies and solutions that can make our lives "safer" in critical situations.