Edy Portmann

Edy Portmann is a Professor at the Department of Informatics, University of Fribourg, where he leads the Resilient Systems Group at the Human-IST Institute and chairs the Mobiliar Cluster for Resilience. He holds a doctorate in fuzzy logic and has extensive experience in both academia and industry, having worked at Swisscom, PwC, and EY, and conducted research at the National University of Singapore, UC Berkeley, and the University of Bern.

His research interests include Fuzzy Logic, Cognitive Cities, Computational Intelligence, Digital Ethics, and Human-Computer Interaction. He explores how fuzzy systems can enhance knowledge representation, decision-making, and urban governance, particularly in smart and resilient city contexts. His work integrates digital humanities and connectivist learning theories to bridge the social and semantic web.

The recent publications (2022–2025) highlight a strong trend toward ethical AI, explainable systems, public participation, and the application of fuzzy logic in conversational agents, decision support, and urban informatics. He frequently publishes on topics such as digital ethics, emotional chatbots, and systemic consensus in group decision-making.

• HMD Best Paper Award 2018

He advises several PhD and research students and collaborates extensively with researchers such as Sara D’Onofrio, Patrick Kaltenrieder, and Luis Terán. His work often involves interdisciplinary grants and partnerships with public institutions like Swiss Post. He leads a dynamic research team focused on resilient, human-centered computing and cognitive city technologies.