News & Events

IEEE R8 Action for Industry is honored to organize a workshop on the theme “Smart Manufacturing 2026: The Next Leap” at IEEE MELECON conference at Pyramisa, Cairo, Egypt, on February 2, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM (UTC+2).
 
 

 

 
Welcome to IEEE R8 AfI Webinar Series co-organized by Section Industry Ambassadors!
Welcome to our new Webinar!
Save the date 22 January 2026 at 12:00-13:00 (CET)
 

 
Speakers:
 
Anas Dakkak, AFI Ambassador and Chairman of CS Chapter, IEEE Sweden
Sofiane Imadali, Chief R&D Officer, Lablabee, France
Houcine Chougrani, Research Scientist, KAUST University, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Galal Khafagy, IEEE R8 AFI committee Member, IEEE Egypt
 
Webinar Abstract
Over the last decades, the complexity of telecommunications networks has been growing at an unprecedented pace. Mobile Network Operators need to manage a growing blend of technologies and network services, including 4G, 5G, IoT, and mission-critical communications. In addition, mobile network operators need to keep the network secure by ensuring that new software releases are validated and deployed promptly. The need for faster deployment helps operators stay competitive by introducing new functionality to their users more quickly.
 
However, as networks are composed of many software elements developed and delivered by many vendors and open-source projects, testing and validating these deliverables can be challenging from both technical and competence perspectives.
 
In this webinar, we discuss the emerging operational challenges network operators face today and how they are expected to change in the near future. We also focus on the role of new AI technologies in helping network operators manage the increasing complexity and ensuring that testing and validation, as well as competence upskilling, are addressed intelligently.
 

 
Welcome to IEEE R8 AfI Webinar Series co-organized by Section Industry Ambassadors !
Welcome to our new Webinar !
Save the date 17 November 2025 at 1pm(GMT+2)
 

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c58W8cv8bE]

 
Thanks to our dear Guest Speakers:
 
Speaker: Dr. Mohamed Mostafa El Khayat
Presentation Title: An Overview of Renewable Energy Market in Egypt
 
Dr. Mohamed’s Bio

Energy and Environment Expert | Author & Renewable Energy Advisor
With over 30 years of experience in energy and environmental policy, Dr. El-Khayat served as Executive Chairman of Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) and chaired the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee at the League of Arab States. He co-chaired the IRENA–ADFD partnership, contributed to drafting the Pan-Arab Renewable Energy Strategy, and helped shape Egypt’s renewable energy legislation. A recipient of multiple international awards, he has published 11 books and
is a weekly opinion columnist for Gulf 24 (UAE), Al-Ahram Al-Masa’ei, and Al-Mash’had (Egypt).
 
Speaker: Sameh O. Abdellatif
Presentation Title: Fabrication Roadmap for Perovskite and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells for Diffused Light Harvesting Applications
 
Dr Sameh is an accomplished semiconductor devices expert, with a diverse academic background and extensive experience in research and industry projects. Holding a B.Sc. degree in Electronics and Communication from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt (2009), he continued his academic journey with an M.Sc. degree in Semiconductor Nanostructures (2012) and a Ph.D. funded by DAAD, focusing on nano-photonic structures for enhancing thin-film solar cell efficiency, Recognized for his expertise, Sameh was appointed as an associate professor by the Egyptian Supreme Council in November 2022 and currently holds the position of associate professor in the Electrical Engineering
department at the British University in Egypt (BUE). He actively contributes to research and serves as a co-founder at FabLab within the Centre of Emerging Learning Technology (CELT) at BUE. In addition to his academic achievements, Sameh is a seasoned AI technical mentor for two start-ups,
where he applies his knowledge and experience to drive innovation and growth. His research interests encompass the modeling and simulation of organic/inorganic semiconductor nanostructures, fabrication of semiconductor devices, and low-power electronic circuit design. With a remarkable publication record of over 143 scientific papers and proceedings, as well as involvement in more than 15 scientific grants,
Sameh O. Abdellatif continues to make significant contributions to the field of AI, electronics, and sustainable energy technologies. In 2025, Dr. Abdellatif has been placed among the world’s top 2% most influential researchers, as featured in the prestigious 2025 Stanford University global list.
 
Moderators:
Dr Aida el Sabban

Aida El Sabban is an IEEE R8 Action for Industry committee member, IEEE Egypt Section Industry Ambassador. A Board member for Digital Economy Devision,
Commercial Chambers Union as well as a member in the Green
Economy Advisory Committee, Council of Arab Economic Unity. She
has more than 32 years of experience in her field in industry. In 2023,
Excellence Award for Women in Engineering Leadership from the
Federation of African Engineering Organizations (African level).
 
John Matogo

IEEE R8 Action for Industry committee member, Corporate Social Responsibility Leader for Middle East & Africa at IBM

Welcome to our new Hybrid Event!
Save the date 11 June 2025 at 18:30(GMT+3)

	Physical location: European University of Cyprus, Room 130 https://maps.app.goo.gl/eyrx1KQcCMdPd1WP9
	Teams Link Meeting ID: 353 419 825 130 9 Passcode: Md97jn6H
	Youtube Link https://www.youtube.com/@IEEER8-ActionforIndustry

Agenda:

Part 1
Introduction to IEEE and Cyprus Section
Speaker: Katerina Papanikolaou (IEEE Cyprus Section Chair)
Duration: 5 minutes

Part 2
Title: Making the Switch: From Traditional Power Plants to Renewable Energy with Grid Forming Converters
Speaker: Dr. Andreas Stavrou
Duration: 50 minutes

Part 3
Title: Q&A Session
Duration: 10 minutes

Speaker Bio: 

Andreas Stavrou received his BSc in electrical engineering and MSc in power stations from Leningrad State Technical University, in 1988 and 1990 respectively and his PhD degree on Condition Monitoring of Electrical Machines from Aberdeen University, Scotland in 1995. He joined the Electricity Authority of Cyprus in 1996, where now holds the position of Assistant Manager in the Transmission Substations, Construction, Protection and Maintenance department of the Transmission Network Owner’s Unit. In the last 25 years in his capacity as site engineer and project manager he handled a few tens of new transmission substation erection, testing and commissioning projects, upgrades, and extensions. Also, he was involved in Renewable Energy Sources testing and commissioning, schedule and non-scheduled maintenance and repairs of Transmission Substations equipment, condition assessment for aged equipment and corrective maintenance activities, protection and SCADA systems testing.
In the Transmission Network Owner’s Unit he is now involved in New technology applications, Specifications, Preparation and monitoring of Unit short and long-term business plans, Project management, procurement, tenders, Transmission Grid Testing, maintenance and protection policies. He is representing the unit externally in the relevant Transmission System Operator’s and Regulators committees. He is Transmission Network Owner’s Unit representative in Transmission System Operator’s Advisory Committee for Transmission Rules.
Dr Stavrou was also a special scientist in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Cyprus from 2007 to 2023, teaching the courses of Power Electronics and Flexible AC Transmission Systems and, also, in the years 2019 and 2020 he taught the course of Introduction to Power Systems.
Dr Stavrou participates in Research Programs in collaboration with the University of Cyprus, University of Southampton and Cyprus University of Technology on Fault diagnosis of Medium Voltage Cables and Power quality assessments, use PMUs in the assessment of transmission line parameters and also in a series of externally funded projects like: GridGnosis, TwinEU, CABLEGNOSIS, FLEXITRANSTORE, MOST, EDDIE, LightSense), BestRes, SEM- SEM, INVENT. He was a Member of the CIGRE Study Committee “The Impact of Battery Energy Storage Systems on Distribution Networks”, WG No C6.30.
Dr Stavrou is an IEEE Power Engineering Society Reviewer since 2000. His research interests lie in Smart Grids, Power electronics, Custom Power Devices, renewable energy sources, energy storage, distributed generation control techniques and Condition monitoring techniques.

Welcome to our new Webinar!
Save the date 30 May 2025 at 2pm(GMT+1)

[https://ieeemeetings.webex.com/ieeemeetings/j.php?MTID=m1658c05bece1547478f9e335d7251e0a Meeting number: 2535 116 3811 Meeting password: mfPFiPmK368]

Our dear Guests:

Topic: Edge AI Solutions and the Transition to Generative AI
Danilo Pau
Bio
With 32 years at STMicroelectronics in System R&D, I have 109 invention requests and 151 patent applications. I authored 226 scientific publications and delivered 133 invited talks. I graduated in Electronic Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and have expertise in MPEG video technologies, computer vision, and AI. Recognized as an IEEE and AAIA Fellow, I have held leadership roles in IEEE and TinyML initiatives. My awards include the Finmeccanica Innovation Award and multiple STAR awards. I have supervised numerous students and collaborated widely in the scientific community.

Topic: IEEE Italy Section actions for industry engagement
Tiziana Tambosso
Bio
Tiziana Tambosso is an innovation consultant and entrepreneurship mentor. She is a Technical Expert for European Commission, H2020-SME Instrument program and Horizon Europe program. She was co-founder of Tambosso & Associates (2006-2018) carrying out projects, technical studies and market analysis for SME. She has been Visiting Professor in Taiwan, teaching master courses on Green Photonics and Laser Instrumentation. She has been Head of Research Group and Project Manager at CSELT-TILAB (1993 to 2005), Head of fiber optic devices group at SIRTI, R&D (1989-93), designer of integrated circuits at SGS Microelectronics (now ST Microelectronics) (1983-1985). She was author of about 80 journals and conference papers and hold twelve patents (H-index 14). She acted as Secretary and Vice-Chair (1993-1997) of IEC-SC86B international standardization Committee. IEEE Member for 31 years she (M’94, SM’02) has been a volunteer since 1997 serving in many roles. For example: IEEE Conference Committee member (2025-2026), IEEE IEC (Industry Engagement Committee) member (2023-2024 and 2025-2026). R8 Vice-Chair for Technical Activities (2025-2026), R8 Conference Coordination Committee chair (2023-2024). IEEE Italy Section Chair (Sept.2016-Jan.2019) (the first woman from the foundation 1959). Entrepreneurship Committee Coordinator (2021-2024) and founder of the committee in 2017. IEEE Photonics Italy Chapter Chair (2002-2012).

Topic: Smarter Devices, Faster Decisions: The Actual Edge AI
Laura Falaschetti
Bio
(Member, IEEE) received the B.Sc., the M.Sc. degree in Electronic Engineering and the Ph.D. degree in Information Engineering (final grade: Outstanding), curriculum in Electronic Engineering, from the Polytechnic University of Marche (UnivPM), Ancona, Italy, in 2008, 2012 and 2017 respectively. She collaborated as a Research Fellow with the Department of Information Engineering (DII) at the UnivPM, from 2012 to 2013. From 2017 to 2021 she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same Department (DII) and a Contract Professor for the course “Electronic Systems” at Electronic and Biomedical Engineering, UnivPM. Since 2022 she is an Assistant Professor with the DII, UnivPM, where she teaches the courses: “Architectures and Programming of Digital Systems” at Electronic and Digital Technology Engineering, “Electronic Systems” at Biomedical Engineering, and “Devices for the Videogame and Virtual Reality Industry” at Information Engineering for Videogame and Virtual Reality. She serves as an Editorial Board Member/a Reviewer and Guest Editor for several international scientific journals and conferences. She has authored/coauthored more than 80 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Her research keywords include embedded systems, machine learning, neural networks, tinyML, edge AI, pattern recognition, system identification, signal processing, image processing, speech processing, biosignal analysis.

Moderator
Sohaib Sheikh – IEEE R8 Action for Industry Committee member is a Global Design Lead & Senior Technical Program Manager at Google. He has expertise in strategy, design, implementation, and commissioning of large-scale complex systems on major international capital investment programs, particularly in the commercial property and sports sectors across the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Russia.
Sheikh has delivered keynotes and workshops at 40+ international events including the UNESCO World Science Forum, IEEE Sections Congress, and the World Engineering Education Forum.

Welcome to our new Live Event, part of Webinar Series Co moderated by IEEE R8 Action for industry committee and IEEE R8 Section industry Ambassador.

[https://www.youtube.com/live/IEjJU0j4myM?si=Bl55CdMd7Cx6Sj85]

We invite you to subscribe to our channel and follow our activities

Guest Speakers:

Michel Haddad is the General Manager – Measurement Solutions Business Unit, Multilane Inc., Houmal, Lebanon. Michel is a growth-driven executive with over 30 years of experience leading high-performing organizations in the technology sector. Known for his visionary leadership and hands-on execution, he has played a pivotal role in building businesses through strategy, innovation, and team development. Michel is currently the General Manager of the Measurement Solution Business Unit at MultiLane, where he continues to drive innovation and growth. Prior to joining MultiLane, he held a leadership role in Space Technology at Tonumus/NEOM in Saudi Arabia and served in various positions at National Instruments (1990–2019). As Managing Director at NI, he led the company’s expansion across the MEA region. In addition, his earlier experience in R&D—as Director of Technology and Section Manager—involved leading teams to develop flexible and competitive product architectures. Michel holds a Master’s degree from MIT and a Bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He has received multiple awards and holds several patents.
Title of talk: Collaborating for Impact: Successful Industry-Academia Partnerships in Tech

Prof. Sandy Rihana is the Director of the Technology Transfer Office and Head of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon. A Fulbright Scholar at the University of South Florida (USF) and member of the WHO Scientific and Technical Advisory Group on Medical Devices (STAG-MEDEV) since October 2022, she is an expert in digital health, and AI-driven personalized medicine. Prof. Rihana leads USEK’s efforts in technology transfer, IP management, and industry collaboration, with a mission to translate academic research into impactful solutions. She works closely with startups, companies and international organizations to strengthen innovation ecosystems and advance responsible, real-world technologies.
Title of talk: Collaborate, transfer, Innovate!

Moderators:

Walid Karam

industry ambassador . IEEE Lebanon Section
IEEE Senior Member

Mohammad Galal Khafagy

Mohammad Galal Khafagy (S’06–M’15–SM’17) is currently a Radio Strategy & Design Sr. Tech. Lead at Vodafone Egypt, as well as a part-time research scientist at the American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt. Prior to joining Vodafone, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, from May 2018 to May 2019. Also, from Dec. 2016 to Apr. 2018, he was affiliated with Qatar University as a postdoctoral researcher. He received the Ph.D. degree from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2016, the M.Sc. degree in wireless communications from the School of CIT, Nile University, Egypt, in 2011, and the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt, in 2009. His team and himself recently won the Vodafone Egypt 2025 Hackfest Business Growth Award, qualifying for the Vodacom Group finals. He also recently received, as a member of the winning team, the Vodacom CEO Innovation Award 2023, as well as a Vodafone Egypt Top Performer for the years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Mohammad co-authored around 20 conference and journal papers, in addition to a filed GB patent. His current research and development interests focus more on applied topics such as machine-learning-aided communication systems (like in Open Radio Access Networks), while he also pursues fundamental research on intelligent reflecting surfaces, multiple-antenna techniques, relay-aided communication, performance analysis and protocol design over fading channels, buffer-aided cooperation, and statistical signal processing for communications. He is a long-term IEEE member, and has volunteered since 2007 as a student, young professional, and later as the 2022-2023 IEEE Egypt Section Industry Ambassador. Currently, He is serving as a committee member of IEEE Region 8 Action for Industry. He is also a reviewer in IEEE Transactions on Communications, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology and IEEE Communications Letters.

We are thrilled to announce the new IEEE R8 Action for Industry YouTube Webinar, Co- organized by IEEE Oman Section that will be held on 29 March 2025 at 10am (CET)
 

[https://www.youtube.com/live/cacjZ0AY9ac?si=YHGny34qxB153dUx]

 
This event is a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into cutting-edge topics from industry leaders.
 
Agenda:

Part 1
Introduction to IEEE, Action For Industry committee and its activities
Speaker: Dr. Nihel ben Youssef (IEEE R8 AfI Committee Chair)
Duration: 5 minutes

Part 2
Title: AI & Digital Leadership: Transforming Organizations
Speaker: Dr. Saleh Al-Khaldi
Duration: 30 minutes

Part 3
Title: PowerTalk Oman
Speaker: Eng. Abdullah Al Wahaibi (SMIEEE)
Duration: 15 minutes

Part 4
Title: Q&A Session
Duration: 15 minutes
 
Speakers Bios (IEEE Oman Section):

– Dr. Saleh Al-Khaldi is an internationally recognized expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, leadership, and project management. With over 18 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and 10+ years in professional training, he has played a pivotal role in shaping technological and strategic initiatives across corporate and government sectors. He holds an International Artificial Intelligence Driving License (IAIDL) and is a certified AI Leadership Trainer, enabling him to guide organizations in leveraging AI to enhance productivity and decision-making. His expertise extends to strategic leadership, business innovation, and project management methodologies, making him a sought-after consultant and keynote speaker. Dr. Al-Khaldi has held senior executive positions, including Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Operations Officer (COO), where he successfully led cross-functional teams, developed business strategies, and oversaw large-scale digital transformation projects.
 
– Eng. Abdullah Al Wahaibi (SMIEEE): Eng. Abdullah Al Wahaibi serves as the CEO of Oman Company for the Development of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Tatweer Duqm). He holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering, specializing in Power Systems & Energy, from Sultan Qaboos University. Abdullah is a certified Energy Auditor by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR). Additionally, he is recognized as a Certified Consultant Engineer by the Oman Society of Engineers and is a Senior Member of IEEE. He serves as the Chair of the IEEE Power & Energy Society in Oman. With over 15 years of experience in Power Engineering and Renewable Energy, Abdullah has contributed significantly across sectors such as Government, Manufacturing, Industrial, Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, and Energy. His expertise and leadership drive advancements in energy solutions in Oman and beyond.

IEEE Region Action for Industry Committee is Glad to present the last event on “IEEE BLOCKCHAIN – AROUND THE WORLD & AFRICA HIGHLIGHT” that has been held in 19 December 2023 at IEEE Tunisian Student and Young professional Congress program https://tsyp.ieee.tn/schedule

Subscribe to IEEE Region Action for Industry channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IEEER8-ActionforIndustry
Follow last event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BsnGUjfuVk

Dive into the electrifying world of blockchain and join the global conversation. This dynamic session brings together a powerhouse of minds from across the globe, each illuminating a unique facet of the blockchain revolution and sharing their insights and experiences (IEEE standards, Academia, National projects, industry uses cases)

The panel was moderated by

Mrs Nihel ben Youssef. Cybersecurity trainer. IEEE Region8 Afi Initiatives and Events leader. industry ambassador at IEEE Tunisia Section.

✨Introducing our esteemed panelists✨:

Mr. Ramesh Ramadoss: Co-Founder and current Chair of the IEEE Blockchain Technical Community. https://blockchain.ieee.org, Fundamentals of Blockchain Technology.
Mr. Gora Datta: Holding the position of Vice Chair at IEEE Blockchain Technical Community, he also serves as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. Emerging & Evolving world of IEEE Blockchain Technical Community (BCTC).
Mr. Dominic Damoah: Currently the Academic Dean at Valley View University in Ghana.Beyond Cryptocurrency: Blockchain’s Trailblazing Journey in African Innovation.
Mr. Oludele Awodele: Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and AI. Opportunities in the Current Landscape of Blockchain Adoption in Nigeria.
Mr. Mohamed Hamdi: A renowned Cybersecurity Expert associated with the Arab ICT organization and a Full Professor at SUP’COM, Tunisia.The Arab Blockchain-based Forensics Chain of Custody Platform.
Mr. Tarek Kammoun: CEO of K2LIS. Blockchain in Action in Africa: Marine Traceability and Academic integrity

The AFI Industry Events program focuses (a) on promoting IEEE events relevant to industries, and (b) seeks to engage with IEEE sponsored conferences to produce industry relevant program, such as workshops or site visits, to the conference agenda.

Welcome to our IEEE Region8 Action for Industry Webinar on «IEEE Standards» !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn-rhJzBTVo

Moderated by  Nihel Ben Youssef,
IEEE R8 Action for Industry Committee member, industry Events and initiatives Lead.  and Industry ambassador at IEEE Tunisia Section

With Toni Mattila,
IEEE R8 Action for industry Committee Chair.

Toni is the Head of Sustainable Manufacturing at Business Finland, which is a governmental agency for R&D and innovation funding, business development and internationalization services. At Business Finland, Toni leads a national business development program with the goal of transforming Finnish manufacturing industries towards sustainable development. Before joining the investment promotion division of Business Finland eight years ago, Toni worked for fourteen years in academia as a researcher in the field of microelectronics. Toni is still an active member of IEEE, especially in the Electronics Packaging Society, and a frequent attendee of various electronics conferences.

Our Guest Speakers:

– Volker Jungnickel
Volker Jungnickel (M’99) received PhD and habilitation in Physics and Communications Engineering in 1995 and 2015, respectively. He joined Fraunhofer HHI in 1997, working on optical wireless communications, multiple antennas in mobile networks and fixed optical access networks. Volker teaches and supervises thesis at TU Berlin, where he was appointed as extraordinary professor in 2021. Volker serves in optical wireless standards as chair of IEEE P802.15.13, technical editor of IEEE P802.11bb and delegate in ITU-T Q3/15.

Title of the presentation: New standards and applications for light communications

– Tuncer Baykas
Tuncer Baykas [SM] ([email protected]) is currently senior technical staff at Ofinno.
He received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Ottawa. He joined the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan, in 2007. During his tenure, he contributed to multiple standardization projects, including IEEE 802.15.3c, IEEE 802.11ad, and IEEE 1900.7. He served as the Chair for IEEE 802.19.1 coexistence in the TVWS Task Group. Between 2016 and 2019 he represented NICT in the ITU Radiocommunication Sector, and he was drafting group Chair of the 1A-3 and 5C-3 groups on WRC-19 agenda item 1.15.  He is currently serving as the Vice Chair of the 802.19 Working Group and the 802.11bb LC Task Group, and a corresponding member of the IEEE TAB COS. He has over 50 major journal and conference publications, and 3 U.S. and 37 Japanese patents. He was one of the recipients of the Turkish Academy of Sciences Young Researcher Award, the IEEE-SA Standards Board Award, and the IEEE-SA Certificate of Appreciation. He served as a Guest Editor for IEEE Communications Magazine and a Board Member for IEEE Comsoc MMTC E-Letters.

Title of the presentation: Introduction to IEEE 802 Standards