Doceis2013

The purpose of the fourth edition of the Doctoral Conference on Computing, Electrical and Industrial Systems, DoCEIS'13, is to bring together PhD students, researchers, engineers and practitioners from all over the world, interested in innovative ideas and techniques that might lead to new society'valued products and technological innovation. Such technologies can leverage economic transformation, create value in the society and ultimately improve individuals' lives.
Certainly most PhD students are not experienced researchers and are in the process of learning how to do research. Nevertheless, a number of empiric studies also show that a high number of technological innovation ideas are produced in the early careers of researchers. The combination of the eagerness to try new approaches and directions of young doctoral students with the experience and broad knowledge of their supervisors is likely to result in an important pool of innovation potential, with strong economic impact, being important that the issue of value creation becomes an intrinsic part of the doctoral programs.
The DoCEIS doctoral conference aims at creating a space for sharing and discussing ideas and results from doctoral research in these inter-related areas of engineering. Innovative ideas and hypotheses can be better enhanced when presented and discussed in an encouraging and open environment. DoCEIS is designed to provide such an environment, releasing PhD students from the pressure of presenting their propositions in more formal contexts.
This fourth edition of DoCEIS, which is sponsored by SOCOLNET, IFIP and IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, attracted a considerable number of paper submissions from a large number of PhD students (and their supervisors) from 24 countries. I am particularly thankful to all of you that contributed with your high quality work and therefore allowed us to prepare this Programme that will offer a very enriching experience to all participants. A special word of thanks goes the members of the International Program Committee that carried the heavy task of evaluating the large number of submissions.