Nonprofit research organization Mitacs conferred the Mitacs Award for Exceptional Leadership on Georges Kaddoum, a top researcher at Montreal-based École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS).
The research director of the Resilient Machine Learning Institute (ReMI) at ETS, Kaddoum is being recognized for building an innovation hub to support Canada’s next-generation wireless networks enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), including 6G technology.
These breakthroughs aim to deliver extremely fast and intelligent telecommunications networks that self-heal, self-optimize, and self-configure, critical to emergency, military and humanitarian relief teams, as well as digital infrastructure businesses, governments, and citizens.
He explained that the goal is to be able to build autonomous and cognitive networks capable of determining, for instance, where to draw power from, what information to transmit, and the best pathway to use, without the need for human intervention.
“The more we rely on wireless communication, the more imperative it is to build networks capable of sensing and observing their environment, so they know how to evolve and continue to operate without disruption in the event of a problem,” said Kaddoum.
ÉTS is currently developing, in collaboration with Ericsson, novel solutions that improve key performance network indicators, leveraging technologies such as intelligent reflecting surfaces, non-terrestrial networks, digital twins, and Terahertz (tremendously high-frequency waves) technology.
Consequently, it will be possible, for instance, to download a video from a mobile device in a matter of seconds, and support emerging applications like remote surgery, without latency.
Researchers are also considering ways to reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of future wireless networks.
“This is a service we rely on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long,” said Kaddoum. “We need to be thinking about how we can green the technology and make it friendlier to the environment.”
Kaddoum has also mentored more than 15 Mitacs interns since he spearheaded the establishment of ReMI in 2019.
He considers it a privilege to work with and train highly-skilled and well-matched Mitacs interns, who, he said, “significantly enrich” the institute’s work.
“Mitacs fosters innovation through collaborative brilliance, where academia meets the pulse of industry for real-world transformation,” he noted.
Kaddoum is one of nine Mitacs Award 2023 winners nationally, chosen from thousands of researchers who take part in Mitacs programs each year. The remaining eight recipients were recognized for outstanding innovation, commercialization, or exceptional leadership in other areas of research spanning health, industry, inclusivity, indigenous programs and more.
“Mitacs is honoured to play a pivotal role in empowering industry leaders across Canada to foster game-changing ideas, and we couldn’t be more pleased to celebrate their significant achievements with these awards,” said Mitacs chief executive officer John Hepburn.