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one6G Summit 2026

one6G SUMMIT 2026

Top Experts

one6G Summit 2026 will gather international industry leaders, technical experts, and elite researchers who will come together to discuss the pivotal role of native Artificial Intelligence in transforming next-generation mobile networks. Meet the speakers and moderators of the 2026 edition!

Keynote Speakers

Ahmad Bahai

Senior Vice President & CTO; Texas Instruments

Dr. Ahmad Bahai is the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Texas Instruments, where he leads groundbreaking innovation, corporate research, and Kilby Labs. He also serves as a Professor of the Practice at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is an IEEE Fellow, and served as a member of the Industrial Advisory Committee for the CHIPS Act. Previously, Dr. Bahai contributed to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology’s semiconductor working group. From 2017 to 2022, he was an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University and, from 2001 to 2010, a Professor in Residence at UC Berkeley. Dr. Bahai’s technology leadership experience includes roles as Director of Research Labs and CTO at National Semiconductor, Technical Manager of a research group at Bell Laboratories, and Founder of Algorex, a communications and acoustic IC and systems company acquired by National Semiconductor. He has authored over 80 publications in IEEE/IEE journals and holds more than 40 patents related to systems and circuits. Dr. Bahai earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, University of London, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Vahid Tarokh

Professor, Duke University

Vahid Tarokh is a professor and researcher whose career has included leadership roles at AT&T, MIT, Harvard, and Duke University. He currently serves as the Rhodes Family Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics at Duke University. His research spans communications, signal processing, machine learning, statistics, neuroscience, astronomy, and, more recently, the foundations and applications of artificial intelligence.

Wen Tong

CTO, Huawei Wireless

Wen is an industry-recognized leader in the invention of advanced wireless technologies. He is a Huawei Fellow and an IEEE Fellow. He was the recipient of the IEEE Communications Society Industry Innovation Award in 2014, and the IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Industry Leader Award for “pioneering technical contributions and leadership in the mobile communications industry and innovation in 5G mobile communications technology,” in 2018. He is also the recipient of the R.A. Fessenden Medal. In the past three decades, Wen has pioneered fundamental technologies from 1G to 6G wireless and WiFi with more than 550 awarded US patents. Before joining Huawei in 2009, Wen was a Nortel Fellow and the head of the Network Technology Labs at Nortel. He joined the Wireless Technology Labs at Bell Northern Research in 1995 in Canada. Wen is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Speakers & Moderators

Amira Alloum

Director of Engineering, Qualcomm France; Director, 5G/6G Wireless Research Center Europe

Amira Alloum, PhD, is the Director of Engineering at Qualcomm France, where she leads the European 5G/6G Wireless Research Center. With over two decades of R&D experience, she drives next-generation mobile network innovation, leading key initiatives under the France 2030 program and overseeing EMEA academic partnerships. A major contributor to 3GPP 5G standardization, Amira also serves on the Scientific Council of ARCEP’s Future Networks Committee and holds leadership roles within the IEEE. She holds a PhD in Information Theory from Télécom Paris.

Nancy Alonistioti

Chair, one6G; Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Nancy Alonistioti is the chair of one6G Association and an associate professor at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). She holds a BSc and a PhD in Informatics and Telecommunications. She has over 20 years of experience in numerous national and European projects, including project/technical management experience. She currently leads the SCAN group activities at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is also a member of the ETSI Experts group and the Greek standardization group ELOT (5G, smart city autonomic communications). Nancy is a highly cited author. She authored over 200 publications in mobile networks, IoT, NGI, SDN/NFV, autonomic communications, and reconfigurable mobile systems. She also co-authored 4 WO Patents.

Kaspar Althoefer

Director, Center for Advanced Robotics, Queen Mary University of London

Professor Kaspar Althoefer is Director of the Centre for Advanced Robotics (ARQ) and Professor of Robotics Engineering at Queen Mary University of London. His research spans tactile perception, soft robotics, and intelligent robotic systems, with applications in minimally invasive surgery, rehabilitation, nuclear, construction, and manufacturing. He also explores the role of advanced telecommunications in robotics. Jointly with Alberto Arezzo (University of Turin), Bruno Siciliano (University of Naples) and Sebastien Ourselin (King’s College London), he leads an ERC Synergy Grant developing technologies for the next generation of colonoscopy. Professor Althoefer was General Chair of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023 in London, a Turing Fellow (2018 - 2023), and has been recently elevated to IEEE Fellow.

Adnan Aijaz

Programme Leader, Bristol Research and Innovation Laboratory, Toshiba Europe

Adnan Aijaz leads a portfolio of research and innovation activities at the Bristol Lab of Toshiba Corporation. His recent activities focus on connectivity for DX (Digital Transformation), GX (Green Transformation), and QX (Quantum Transformation), turning advanced systems and networking research into technology that matters for Toshiba and the sectors it serves. With more than a decade in corporate R&D and active participation in large-scale national and international programmes focused on 5G/6G, his mission has been moving research from lab to real-world use. He holds a Ph.D. in Telecommunications Engineering from King's College London.

Lina Bariah

Adjunct Professor and AI Scientist, Khalifa University

Dr. Lina Bariah is an AI Scientist and Adjunct Professor at Khalifa University, an Adjunct Research Professor at Western University, and an AI & Data Science Consultant at LightOn. An expert in Generative AI for Telecom, LLMs, and 6G, she holds a Ph.D. in Communications Engineering from Khalifa University. Previously, she served as a Senior Researcher at the Technology Innovation Institute and Lead AI Scientist at Open Innovation AI. An IEEE Senior Member and VTS Distinguished Lecturer, she is the Industry Chair for IEEE GenAINet ETI and a Steering Board Member of the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF). Dr. Bariah founded the WiMLDS Abu Dhabi chapter and was named among the "100 Brilliant and Inspiring Women in 6G." She has authored over 80 publications and serves as an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications.

Monique Calisti

CEO, Martel Innovate; President, Digital for Planet

Monique Calisti is the CEO of Martel Innovate and the president of Digital for Planet. She is a passionate entrepreneur and ICT expert with consolidated experience in research and innovation funding, strategic consulting, training, communication, social media marketing, and business development of sustainable and innovative software solutions across several industry segments. She is a member of the board of directors of the European AI, Data and Robotics Association, a director of the European Next Generation Internet Outreach Office, and the coordinator of the European Next Generation Internet of Things Coordination and Support Action. Monique holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne and a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Bologna.

Narcís Cardona

Vice-Chair, one6G; Director, iTEAM, Technical University of Valencia

Narcís Cardona is the Director of the Research Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) at the Technical University of Valencia (UPV). In 1990, he received his MSc in Communications Engineering from ETSI Telecommunications, Technical University of Catalonia, and in 1995, a PhD in Telecommunications from the Technical University of Valencia. Narcís authored several research books and more than 200 publications in the most relevant international journals and conferences in the field of communications. He holds ten patents. His research interests include mobile channel characterization, broadcast cellular hybrid networks, and body area networks.

Periklis Chatzimisios

Professor, International Hellenic University

Dr. Periklis Chatzimisios is Professor of Information and Electronic Engineering at the International Hellenic University, Greece, and Research Professor at the University of New Mexico, USA. He also serves as Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University, UK. An internationally recognized expert in networking, telecommunications, and 6G technologies, he holds leadership roles in one6G, IEEE, and several global standardization initiatives. He has participated in numerous European and international research projects as coordinator, work package leader, and standardization chair. Professor Chatzimisios was included in Stanford University's Top 2% Most Influential Scientists list (Networking & Telecommunications) from 2020 to 2024.

Javan Erfanian

Senior Director of Strategy, GTI Alliance

Javan Erfanian is a senior consultant at Veezhen, a member of one6G, with extensive experience within industry, research, IEEE, SDOs, and industry alliances such as GTI, NGMN, one6G, Next-G Alliance, and ETSI, with many publications and numerous citations. Javan is Senior Director of Strategy at GTI Alliance. He has been an IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Speaker for many years and a recipient of IEEE Comsoc Millennium Medal, and NGMN Lifetime Achievement Award. He actively contributed to development of ITU-R IMT-2030 Framework.

Haris Gačanin

Chair Professor, RWTH Aachen University

Haris Gačanin (IEEE Fellow) is a Full Professor and Head of the Chair for Distributed Signal Processing at RWTH Aachen University. He received his Dipl.-Ing. from the University of Sarajevo (2000) and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Tohoku University (2005, 2008), where he also worked as a JSPS fellow and Assistant Professor. Following a decade in industry with Alcatel-Lucent Bell (now Nokia Bell), he joined academia in 2020. His research focuses on wireless signal processing, networking, and artificial intelligence for wireless communications. An widely published innovator holding multiple patents, Dr. Gačanin has received numerous honors—including several Nokia Innovation Awards and IEICE Best Paper Awards—and has served extensively as an IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecturer, journal editor, and conference chair.

Dmytro Gassanov

Network and Cloud Architect, TM Forum

Dmytro Gassanov is a seasoned architect specializing in Autonomous Networks, ODA, GenAI, and Cloud Native transformation projects at TM Forum. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecom and IT industries, holding various roles. Prior to joining TM Forum, Dmytro worked as an architect in the NEC/Netcracker CTO office, where he was responsible for technology strategy and the development of service and domain orchestration products. Additionally, he has authored numerous contributions to ETSI, MEF, OASIS, IOWN, and other standards development organizations, focusing on orchestration and integration aspects.

Paul Harris

Senior Principal Wireless Architect, VIAVI Solutions

Dr. Paul Harris works at the intersection of wireless communications engineering, network standardization, and long-term technology strategy. As a Senior Principal Wireless Architect within the Office of the CTO at VIAVI Solutions, he leads VIAVI’s representation in 3GPP and focuses on bridging complex emerging standards across 5G and 6G AI-Native networks with market-ready test and optimisation portfolios. He also serves as a Board Member for one6G, Co-chairs the Trials Working Group for the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), and participates as a member of the Test & Validation Committee (TVC) within the Telecom Infra Project (TIP).

Jakob Hoydis

Distinguished Research Scientist, NVIDIA

Jakob Hoydis is a Distinguished Research Scientist at NVIDIA, focusing on the intersection of machine learning and wireless communications, where he serves as a core developer for the Sionna simulator. Previously, he was a Research Department Head at Nokia Bell Labs and co-founder of the social network SPRAED. An IEEE Fellow and co-author of the textbook Massive MIMO Networks, he holds a Ph.D. from Supéléc and a diploma from RWTH Aachen University. He is a former chair and editor for the IEEE Communications Society and the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the IEEE Marconi and Leonard G. Abraham prize paper awards.

Morteza Kheirkhah

Technical Director in Networks, GSMA

Dr Morteza Kheirkhah is a Technical Director in Networks at GSMA, where he leads work related to research and standardisation including 3GPP, 6G, and AI. He has over 15 years of experience across telecommunications, networked computer science, and AI/ML, spanning both academia and industry. He holds more than 40 patents and has authored multiple peer-reviewed academic publications. Prior to joining GSMA, he held senior roles at Samsung Electronics, InterDigital, and the 6G Innovation Centre (6GIC) in the UK. At 6GIC, he served as Senior Technical Manager, leading the UK Government-funded, £12 million TUDOR project on developing 6G technologies.

Guenter Klas

Senior Manager R&D, Research Clusters AI and Quantum, Vodafone

Günter is heading research activities related to AI in a research department of Vodafone Group. His current focus is on autonomous networks, service creation and AI for network monetisation. Previously he spearheaded Vodafone’s research efforts into quantum computing and further in the past the development of edge cloud computing for mobile networks in Vodafone and the wider industry. He has a PhD in Computer Science from Technical University Munich and a Master’s in electrical engineering from Technical University Vienna.

Albena Dimitrova Mihovska

Chief Technology Officer, SmartAvatar

Albena Mihovska holds a PhD degree in EEng (2008) from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. She has a strong academic research track record as an associate professor at Aalborg University (2008-2017) and Aarhus University (2017-2023), Denmark. She is a Senior Research Expert at the Research, Innovation & Development Consortium (RDIC), Sofia, Bulgaria. Furthermore, she holds positions of the CTO, SmartAvatar BV, The Netherlands; and Research Director at CTIF Global Capsule (CGC) Foundation, Skagen, Denmark. She is the one6G WG3 Vice-Chair and a Board Member of EUROMERSIVE. Her research interests lie in 6G connectivity for applications across vertical market segments. She is an ITU-T Focus Group on Metaverse (FGMV) Expert, and has been active within the ITU-T standardization since 2011. She serves on the committees of several prominent IEEE events and has more than 200 peer-reviewed research publications, including several books on 6G.

Mohammad Shikh-Bahaei

President, one6G; Professor, King’s College London

Mohammad Shikh-Bahaei has been engaged in research in the area of wireless communications for 27 years, both in academic and industrial organizations. He has worked for start-up companies on statistical signal processing for interference cancellation, network planning, and optimization of wireless networks. In 2000, he joined National Semiconductor Corp. (NSC), CA, USA (now part of Texas Instruments) and has worked within a team on the design of 3rd generation handsets based on UMTS standards, for which he has been awarded three US patents as inventor and co-inventor, respectively. He returned to the UK in March 2002 as a Lecturer at King’s College London and is now a full Professor of Telecommunications in the Department of Engineering. He is the chair of one6G Association’s Working Group 1 and its representative in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a Fellow of IET, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Senior Member of IEEE.

Mike Short

Chairman, AWTG

Dr. Mike Short CBE was appointed Chairman of AWTG in 2025, bringing over 40 years of leadership in telecommunications, satellite communications, and digital innovation. He previously served as the UK Department for International Trade’s first Chief Scientific Adviser (2017–2023), following three decades at Telefónica, including 17 years as Vice President launching 2G and 3G networks and leading global research and standards. Dr. Short has held key academic and advisory roles, including positions at the Satellite Applications Catapult, the National Physical Laboratory, and visiting professorships at UCL and the University of Surrey. He also chairs the advisory boards of both the UK Telecoms Labs and the UK Telecoms Innovation Network. A global telecom leader, he is a former Chairman of the GSMA, former President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and was awarded a CBE in 2012 for his services to the industry.

Rahim Tafazolli

Professor and Founder, 5G/6G Innovation Center, University of Surrey

Rahim Tafazolli is a Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering, Professor of Mobile and Satellite Communications, Director of Institute of Communication Systems (ICS), and a Director and Founder of the 5G/6G Innovation Center at the University of Surrey. He has been active in research for over 30 years. Rahim has been a technical and strategic advisor to many mobile companies; he has recently served as a member of DCMS Task Force on “Diversification of Telecom equipment providers ecosystem”. He is a Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), IET (FIET), and WWRF (Wireless World Research Forum).

Itsuma Tanaka

President and CEO, DOCOMO Communications Laboratories Europe

Itsuma has 20 years of experience in the telecom industry, particularly in R&D, international telecommunication business, and HR domains. At DOCOMO R&D, he led 4G and 5G core network standardisation in 3GPP and GSMA. In GSMA, he was the chairman of IREG Packet WG and served as editor of various technical guidelines and specifications that are the basis of today’s telecom services. He holds an MBA from ESADE Business School in Barcelona and an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London.

David Willis

Group Director for Spectrum, Ofcom

David Willis is Group Director for Spectrum, responsible for leading Ofcom's work managing the UK's airwaves. Prior to joining Ofcom in 2022, David spent 5 years with the Canadian spectrum regulator with roles leading the research lab, engineering team and international work. Prior to that held a variety of product leadership roles with telecom equipment vendors.

Jun Zhang

Professor, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Jun Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He is an IEEE Fellow and a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. His research interests include integrated communications and AI, generative AI, and edge AI systems. Dr. Zhang co-authored/co-edited five books including Fundamentals of LTE (Prentice-Hall, 2010). He is a co-recipient of several best paper awards, including the 2019 IEEE Communications Society & Information Theory Society Joint Paper Award and the 2016 Marconi Prize Paper Award in Wireless Communications. He also received the 2016 IEEE ComSoc Asia-Pacific Best Young Researcher Award. He served as a symposium co-chair for IEEE WCNC 2011 and 2026, IEEE ICC 2021, and as a TPC co-chair for The IEEE Hong Kong 6G Wireless Summit 2023, 2024.