The Canadian Academy of Engineering / L’Académie canadienne du génie

Telecommunications networks underpin practically all aspects of daily life. This has been clearly demonstrated during the current pandemic. From news and information to e-commerce, e-health, entertainment, education and even on-line dating. With the advent of more advanced automation, increasingly connected vehicles and the emerging virtual reality of the Multiverse, our reliance on networks, and our need to trust them, is becoming increasingly important.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s advances in semiconductors, photonics, real-time operating systems and object oriented computer languages such as Java, were rapidly integrated into telecommunications Networks. 40 years later, important advances in AI/ML, quantum technologies, block chain and satellite constellations, promise to usher in a radically new version of the Internet and the associated telecommunications networks.

While advances in telecommunications and information technologies have brought many benefits, there are major challengs due to cybersecurity breaches, loss of privacy and risks to national security.

What challenges and opportunities will Future Networks bring? Will the next decade be as transformative as those we have just been through? Will Canada continue to be a global leader in the sector?

CAE International Workshop on Sustainable, Intelligent Next G Systems (SINGS) – March 15, 2022

The Internet and the underlying telecommunication network are evolving under the influence of emerging technologies such as AI, quantum, block chain and new wireless, photonic and satellite technologies. Taken together, the CAE refers to the associated computation, communication and control requirements generically as “Next G Systems”.

This international workshop is the third in a series, the first two having been hosted by the National Academy of Engineering (US) and the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK).

This workshop will feature Canadian and International speakers and panelists from industry, academia and government, who will share their perspectives on future directions for Next G Systems and the investments and collaborations in research and innovation required to achieve them.

General Chairs:

Dr. Robert Crawhall, FCAE, Executive Director, CAE
Dr. Mallik Tatipamula, FCAE, CTO, Ericsson (Silicon Valley)

Organizing Committee:

Professor Alberto Leon Garcia, FCAE, University of Toronto
Professor Mohamed Cheriet, FCAE, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS)
Professor Charles Despins, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
David Tennenhouse, Independent Industry Executive, Strategic Advisor
Dr. Anne-Marie Huynh, Senior Director, Strategic Projects, CAE
Emmanuel Nkwo, CAE Learning Program

AGENDA

Welcome, Opening Remarks and Opening Keynotes
Objective: Speakers will set the stage from the perspective of policy, research, industry
and international collaboration

Welcome

Professor Yves Beauchamp, President, Canadian Academy of Engineering
Professor Rafik Goubran, VP, Research and International, Carleton University

Workshop Objectives and Agenda

Professor Alberto Leon-Garcia, University of Toronto
Dr. Mallik Tatipamula, CTO, Ericsson, Silicon Valley

Introductory Remarks

Dr. Mark Schaan, A/Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, ISED, Government of Canada
Dr. Alejandro Adem, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
Ibrahim Gedeon, CTO, TELUS
Dr. Mike Short, Chief Scientific Advisor, International Trade Division, UK Government

Session I: Industry Executive Panel

Objective: Bring Industry thought leaders to discuss “the set of attributes necessary for
successful industry-academia-government partnerships in NextG Systems

David Tennenhouse, Independent Technology Executive (Moderator)
Paul Baptista, Head of ENCQOR and Site Leader, Ericsson Montreal
Victor Bahl, Technical Fellow & Chief Technology Officer, Azure for Operators, Microsoft
Utpal Mangla, General Manager, Industry EDGE Cloud, IBM, Canada
Sylvie LaPerriere, Google Global Networking Infrastructure
Dr. John Smee, Sr. VP Engineering, Global Head of Wireless Research, Qualcomm

Session II: International Research Panel

Objective: Panelists highlight areas of international focus and opportunities for
collaboration

Pierre Boucher, General Manager, Innovation ENCQOR (Moderator)
Dr. Gurdip Singh, Deputy Division Director, National Science Foundation (NSF) (USA)
Bernard Barani, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission DG Connect, Future Connectivity Systems (EU)
Regius Professor Rahim Tafazolli, University of Surrey (UK)
Dr. Sungho Choi, Ministry of ICT, Government of S. Korea (South Korea)
Professor Octavia Dobre, Memorial University (Canada)

Session III: Academic Leader Panel
Objective: Academic leaders from across Canada discuss areas of research, opportunities
for innovation and skills development

Professor Alberto Leon-Garcia, University of Toronto (Moderator)
Professor Raouf Boutaba, University of Waterloo
Professor Tho Le-Ngoc, McGill University
Professor Nur Zincir-Heywook, Dalhousie University
Professor Hausi A Müller, FCAE, University of Victoria

Session IV: Next Steps
Objective: Policy and program leaders reflect on panel discussions and consider
implications for future collaborations

Professor Charles Despins, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) (Moderator)
Professor Mike Short, Chief Scientific Advisor, International Trade Division, UK Government
Luc Sirois, Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Economy and Innovation, Government of Québec
Dr. Ketaki Desai, VP Business Development, Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
Robert Gordon, Strategic Advisor, Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX)
Professor Al Pisano, Dean, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego; Chair, National Academy of Engineering, Engineering Deans Roundtable
David Willis, President, Communications Research Centre, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

Final Words – 14h45 – 15h00
Objective: Summary of the Day. A thank you to participants