Computational Intelligence Techniques for Bioprocess Modelling, Supervision and Control

Computational Intelligence (CI) and Bioprocess are well-established research areas which have much to offer each other. Under the perspective of the CI area, Biop- cess can be considered a vast application area with a growing number of complex and challenging tasks to be dealt with, whose solutions can contribute to boosting the development of new intelligent techniques as well as to help the refinement and s- cialization of many of the already existing techniques. Under the perspective of the Bioprocess area, CI can be considered a useful repertoire of theories, methods and techniques that can contribute and offer interesting alternative approaches for solving many of its problems, particularly those hard to solve using conventional techniques. Although throughout the past years CI and Bioprocess areas have accumulated substantial specific knowledge and progress has been quick and with a high degree of success, we believe there is still a long way to go in order to use the potentialities of the available CI techniques and knowledge at their full extent, as tools for supporting problem solving in bioprocesses. One of the reasons is the fact that both areas have progressed steadily and have been continuously accumulating and refining specific knowledge; another reason is the high level of technical expertise demanded by each of them. The acquisition of technical skills, experience and good insights in either of the two areas is very demanding and a hard task to be accomplished by any professional.