Introduction

19th IFAC World Congress

The IFAC World Congress is the world’s foremost gathering on automatic control. The Congress gives effect to the IFAC mission to promote the science and technology of automatic control, and is unique in the breadth and depth of topics covered.

The 19th IFAC World Congress will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from Monday August 25 to Friday August 29, 2014. The Congress will consist of 11 plenary lectures, a public lecture, and the presentation of about 2000 papers in 25 parallel sessions over a five-day period. Topics covered range from the theory of automatic control; the components, including robotics, used to give effect to control algorithms; application areas of control that range from power and energy systems to biosystems and bioprocesses; and social systems that include control education and the social impact of automation.

Tutorials will be offered during the weekend prior to the Congress on August 23 and August 24 after which delegates will be greeted at the Opening Ceremony on Sunday August 24. This will be followed by the Welcome Reception. The Congress Banquet will be held on Thursday August 28 with the Closing Ceremony and Farewell Reception planned for Friday August 29, 2014.

Situated on the south-eastern tip of Africa, at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is undoubtedly one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It is also a melting pot, where east meets west in Africa, and the resulting blend is a fascinating mix of cultures, flavours and history – a diversity that is easily seen in the faces of its people, their languages, architecture and food. It’s easy to see why Sir Francis Drake, when he circumnavigated the globe, described it as “the fairest Cape of them all.”

To date, the triennial Congress has operated on two levels: to promote dialogue and debate within the profession, and to promote the development of the profession within the wider engineering and related communities. We hope to achieve both objectives in Cape Town at the 19th IFAC World Congress.