Keynote Speakers 2021

Prof. Dr. Neeli Prasad

Biography: Prof. Dr. Ir. Neeli Prasad is CTO of startups SmartAvatar B.V., Netherlands and TrustedMobi “VehicleAvatar Inc.”, USA.  She also serves on the executive of the IEEE VTS as VP Membership, and is advisor to DIMAAG-AI Inc., a leader in application AI for agricultural technology and robotics based in Sunnyvale, CA, USA.A thought leader in the IoT and security realms, Dr. Prasad was advisor to Movimento Group, a leader in software defined vehicles which was acquired in 2017 by Aptiv PLC. “former Delphi Automotive PLC.”, USA. She was Assistant Department Chair and Professor at the ECE  Department, ITU, California and founder/CEO of a startup within automotive, network and security. Her notable accomplishments include enhancing the technology of multinationals including CISCO, HUAWEI, NIKSUN, Nokia-Siemens and NICT, defining the reference framework for the European Commission Future Internet Assembly and being one of the early key contributors to IoT. She is also advisory board member of governmental working groups and cross-continental forums. Dr. Prasad is editor-in-chief andassociate editor in many peer-reviewed journals in the area of IoT and Security and has published many book chapters and 4 books, 2 on WLAN (foundation of WLAN, next generation WLAN) and 2 on the software-defined vehicle series (the rise of Internet of Things, 2017; conversion of automotive and IoT, 2019).

Title: Smart Farming: Advancing Sustainability & Efficiency

Abstract: According to the United Nations estimate by 2050 there will be 9.7 billion people which will be an additional 2.2 billion people to feed in the next 30 years. Over the same period, an additional 2.5 billion people will migrate to cities, the demand for food and crop will increase over 50% and 100% respectively and at the same time the supply side faces constraints in land and workforce.

In order to meet these challenges, farming which is one of the oldest industries finds itself at a technological crossroads. The industry will need to embrace a smart & connected digital transformation to overcome increasing demand and several disruptive forces. Over the next decade existing connectivity and data analytics technologies will advance and totally new ones will emerge which will have the potential to radically transform many aspects of farming such as smart-crop monitoring, drone farming, autonomous farming machinery, smart equipment management, smart livestock monitoring, etc.

Mr. Raj Sivalingam

Biography: As Head of Spectrum Governance and International at DCMS,  Mr. Raj Sivalingam promotes collaboration across Government, Ofcom and industry to enable fit for purpose policies on the use of spectrum and thus maximise benefits for UK.
Previously, as Head of Innovation at WHP Telecoms Ltd., UK’s largest mobile / wireless comms infrastructure services provider, Raj Sivalingam was responsible for helping the company to leverage its current capabilities to address new and emerging market opportunities. This involved promoting strategies for addressing emerging market developments (such as in private mobile, small cells and indoor applications) as well as identifying innovative approaches for tackling current business opportunities. A key element of his work was to build trusted partnerships and collaborations with equipment/tech suppliers, ecosystem players (for example in addressing contract opportunities), Government and regulators.

Prior to this, as Exec Director for Telecoms and Spectrum activities at techUK involved cross-Industry leadership in influencing Government and regulatory policy and driving progress on issues important to member companies. Mr. Raj Sivalingam established the UK Spectrum Policy Forum and led work ranging from child online safety to improving mobile / broadband connectivity for the rail and utilities. This work gives him a detailed understanding of the communications industry as well as relationships with key industry, Govt and regulatory players.
Earlier as a Senior Civil Servant, Raj Sivalingam roles included that of Director for UK Space Policy and European Relations, at the British National Space Centre. I have extensive experience of high level negotiations and achieving results through international collaboration in EU fora (European Commission, Parliament and Council) and with other member states.

Mr. Raj Sivalingam role as Head of Business Unit at the former Radiocommunications Agency (now Ofcom) gives him comprehensive knowledge of the radiocommunications industry and spectrum regulatory issues. This experience includes leadership of equipment standardisation and spectrum licensing operations in UK, and negotiations in European fora (ETSI and CEPT).

His earlier engineering experience in the space and communications industries gives him expertise in the relevant technology and systems and includes the role of Chief Technologist at M/A-Com. Raj Sivalingam have extensive programme management experience. His MBA from Imperial College provides an additional set of business tools on which to draw.

Title:   Achieving Spectrum Abundance for a  Connected World – Realistic or pipe dream?

Abstract: Availability and access to suitable and adequate spectrum is a vital ingredient in achieving the smart and connected world that we are exploring here. In an ideal world, developments towards this connected world will be determined by the demand for such services and the merits of the innovative applications to address them rather than the availability of suitable spectrum. Given developments in technology, both of wireless systems and the means and mechanisms for accessing spectrum, this presentation puts forward some questions to determine whether there is a realistic trajectory for achieving spectrum abundance in the future.