Research projects

Howest is establishing an Integrated Security Operations Center (ISOC). An ISOC is an extension of the more familiar SOC (Security Operations Center, the physical location of an information security team).                                                                           

This project focuses on digital transformation in government. How can we enhance, expedite, and innovate public services to citizens through new technologies?                                                                                                                          

For cities, keeping the energy bill affordable is a challenge. Howest is assisting Kortrijk city in this regard. Through pilot projects in Kortrijk Weide and Transfo Zwevegem, the Smart Technology Energy lab is developing a data architecture for smart control of energy systems. 

This research explores two interconnected paths related to Artificial Intelligence (AI): interpreting results to provide better/individual guidance for students and investigating which AI applications could be beneficial for education.                                             

Can AI models engage in realistic conversations with people and perform complex tasks (behaving as a specific persona, such as a client in a psychologist's session)? And how can we combine generative AI tools to create a credible embodied conversational agent?