Keynote Speakers

Senior Security Architect at Siemens Technology USA

Biography:

Dr. Charif Mahmoudi is a renowned expert in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and distributed systems, with a notable academic and professional background that bridges advanced research and real-world application. He holds a Ph.D. in Formal Verification of Distributed Systems from Paris-Est Créteil University in France, where his dissertation focused on orchestrating mobile agents within community settings—a fundamental work that set the stage for his future innovations in IoT. Currently serving as the Senior Security Architect at Siemens Technology in Princeton, New Jersey, Dr. Mahmoudi spearheads projects that integrate IoT solutions into industrial and security-sensitive environments. His work includes the development of Titanium, a Siemens-funded project that applies Artificial Intelligence to certify safety-critical operations, and Micro-SOC, a solution designed to protect commercial buildings through advanced IoT and building automation systems. Dr. Mahmoudi has significantly contributed to IoT security with his development of a secure network architecture for Independent Power Producers (IPP) that adheres to stringent North American standards. He has also developed frameworks for real-time monitoring and dynamic resource management, essential for the efficient operation of IoT networks. His commitment to advancing IoT education is evident from his role as a guest lecturer, where he has designed and taught courses focusing on IoT applications at universities such as the Alioune DIOP University in Senegal. His publications and speaking engagements further highlight his ongoing contributions to the field, including papers on secure resilient 5G operations and service-oriented architectures for IoT. Dr. Mahmoudi's work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Siemens Excellence Award, recognizing his contributions to technology and security in IoT environments. His pioneering research and dedication to teaching continue to influence the development of IoT technologies globally.

 Professor in the Electrical and Electronics Department at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA)

Biography:

Dr. Francisco Falcone (Senior Member, IEEE) received the degree in telecommunication engineering and the Ph.D. degree in communication engineering from the Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Pamplona, Spain, in 1999 and 2005, respectively. From 1999 to 2000, he was a Microwave Network Engineer at Siemens-Italtel, Málaga, Spain. From 2000 to 2008, he was a Mobile Access Network Engineer at Telefónica Móviles, Pamplona. In 2009, he co-founded Tafco Metawireless, Navarre, Spain, a spin-off of the UPNA (with EIBT national label), of which he was its first Manager. In parallel, from 2003 to 2009, he was an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UPNA. In June 2009, he became an Associate Professor. From 2011 to 2012, he was a Secretary at the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering, UPNA. From January 2012 to July 2018 and from July 2019 to November 2021, he was the Head of the Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Communication Engineering, UPNA. In 2018, he was a Visiting Professor at the Kuwait College of Science and Technology, Doha, Kuwait, for three months. He has also been with the Smart Cities Institute, Public University of Navarra, a multidisciplinary research institute with over 100 researchers, being the Head of the Institute, since May 2021, working on contextual and interactive environments solutions, through the integration of heterogeneous wireless communications networks, based on HetNet and the Internet of Things. Since June 2022, he has been a Distinguished Visiting Professor with the Telecommunications School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico. Since September 2022, he has also been a Full Professor with the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering, UPNA. He has over 600 contributions to indexed international journals, book chapters, and conference contributions. His research interests include computational electromagnetics applied to the analysis of complex electromagnetic scenarios, with a focus on the analysis, design, and implementation of heterogeneous wireless networks to enable context-aware environments. Dr. Falcone received several research awards, such as the CST Best Paper Award in 2003 and 2005, the Prize of the Official Association of Telecommunications Engineers for the Best Doctoral Thesis in 2005, the UPNA Ph.D. Award in experimental sciences from 2004 to 2006, the First Prize Juan López de Peñalver to the Best Young Researcher in 2010, the Real Academia de Ingeniería de España, the XII Talgo Foundation Award for Technological Innovation with the proposal “Implementation of an Environment for the Railway Ecosystem,” the ECSA-2 Best Paper Award in 2015, the Best Paper Award IISA in 2015, the ECSA Award-3 Best Paper Award in 2016, the ECSA-4 Best Paper Award in 2018, the Best Paper Award ISSI in 2019, and the IIoT 2020 Best Paper Award 

Professor at Higher Normal School, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University – Fez & Ex-Researcher at CEA France

Biography:

Dr. Mohammed Ali JALLAL is a dedicated professor and researcher specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Renewable Energies, and Electrical Engineering. He currently serves as a Professor at the Higher Normal School in Fez, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Morocco. Dr. Mohammed ali earned his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, Renewable Energies, and Electrical Engineering from the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh (2021). His academic journey includes a research internship at the Faculty of Computer Science, University of Murcia, Spain, where he focused on energy consumption forecasting in smart buildings using hybrid machine-learning algorithms. Before joining Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Dr. Jallal worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), where he was actively engaged in cutting-edge research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and energy systems. His work contributed to the TRILOGY project, emphasizing uncertainty quantification and machine learning in multi-vector energy systems. Additionally, he contributed to the International Energy Agency (IEA) District Heating and Cooling (DHC) project, focusing on the digitalization and optimization of energy systems, as well as to projects related to green hydrogen production and the intelligent control of heat absorption machines aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability. With a strong passion for innovation and applied research, Dr. Mohammed ali’s interests encompass artificial intelligence, renewable energies, and electrical engineering, particularly the development of hybrid algorithms to solve complex, real-world problems. He has a proven track record of collaboration with industrial partners and mentoring Ph.D. students, reflecting his dedication to advancing scientific research and nurturing the next generation of engineers and researchers..

 Professor in the Department of Automobile Engineering at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH)

Biography:

Dr. Vidas Žuraulis received the master’s and Ph.D. degrees in transport engineering from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH, Lithuania) in 2001 and 2015, respectively. From 2014 to 2017, he was head of Traffic Safety Laboratory and from 2017 to the present he is a researcher at the Transport and Logistics Competence Centre. As a professor in the Department of Automobile Engineering (VILIUS TECH) he has teaching courses on vehicle dynamics, road traffic safety, road vehicle safety, and traffic accident expertise which also corresponds to his main research interests. He is an associate editor for vehicle and traffic safety in peer-reviewed journal “Transport”. He is also a member of Lithuanian Automobile Engineering Association which belongs to FISITA. He is the author of more than 50 papers in research fields of vehicle dynamics and safety, road traffic and users behaviour as well as various solutions in transport machinery.

 Professor in Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal, Morocco.

Biography:

Dr. Abdessamad Klilou received his Engineer’s degree in 2010 and his Ph.D. degree in 2016, both from Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco. From 2010 to 2017, he served as a Research and Development Engineer at the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation, and Research (MAScIR), in Rabat, Morocco. Since 2017, he has been a Professor with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco. His research interests focus on enhancing target detection and classification using FMCW mmWave radar, as well as designing and optimizing embedded systems and real-time video processing algorithms for road safety applications.