IMDEA Networks Institute is delighted to host its 1st Alumni Workshop, bringing together alumni from diverse career paths in industry, academia, and government. This event offers a unique opportunity to reconnect, share experiences, and foster new collaborations. In addition to a keynote by Prof. Paul Patras, alumnus #1, the program features two technical sessions with alumni presentations and two panel discussions on entrepreneurship and career advice. The workshop aims to inspire innovation and spark meaningful conversations with an audience that includes the institute’s current students and faculty. Whether exchanging insights, discussing the latest advancements, or exploring new professional opportunities, the event celebrates alumni achievements, strengthens our Alumni Network, and helps shape the institute’s future.

Agenda

09:00 – 09:40 | Registration and Welcome

09:40 – 09:55 | Opening Remarks

Sergey Gorinsky, Workshop Chair (IMDEA Networks Institute, Spain)
Albert Banchs, Deputy Director (IMDEA Networks Institute, Spain)

09:55 – 10:45 | Keynote: Taking AI for Networking from the Lab to Commercialisation

Paul Patras, Alumnus #1 (University of Edinburgh, UK)

Abstract: Despite initial scepticism, it was only a matter of time until AI found its way into networking. In this talk I will discuss how we built early on a unique neural engine for mobile traffic decomposition to fuel network slicing (allegedly a key feature of 5G), how we identified (what at the time appeared to be) a massive business opportunity that called for spinning out a company, and how engaging with prospective customers offered a reality check. Having understood what keeps network engineers awake at night (besides their cats), I will speak about probably the most accurate forecasting engine in the world that simultaneously solves for energy efficiency and profitability, which we developed. I will close by sharing key lessons learned on the journey from academic research to commercial products.

10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:45 | Session on Wireless Networking

11:15 – 11:45 | Sustainable and Resilient RAN Virtualization with AI

Marco Gramaglia, Alumnus #3 (UC3M, Spain)

11:45 – 12:15 | Computing Behind Transparent Screen

Qing Wang, Alumnus #17 (TU Delft, Netherlands)

12:15 – 12:45 | BeGREEN – A Performance Comparison between D-MIMO and C-MIMO

Alejandro Blanco, Alumnus #50 (Telefonica, Spain)

12:45 – 13:45 | Panel Discussion 1: Entrepreneurship and Startups

Paul Patras, Alumnus #1 (University of Edinburgh, UK),

Oluwasegun Ojo, Alumnus #56 (UC3M, Spain)

Dayrene Frómeta, Alumna #61 (IMDEA Networks Institute, Spain)

13:45 – 14:45 | Lunch Break

14:45 – 15:45 | Institute Tour

15:45 – 16:25 | Presentation: Network Research at Cisco ThousandEyes

 Julien Gamba, Alumnus #53 (Cisco Systems, Spain)

16:25 – 16:55 | Coffee Break

16:55 – 17:55 | Panel Discussion 2: Career Advice

Qing Wang, Alumnus #17 (TU Delft, Netherlands),

Guillermo Bielsa, Alumnus #30 (Indra Sistemas, Spain),

Alejandro Blanco, Alumnus #50 (Telefonica, Spain),

Julien Gamba, Alumnus #53 (Cisco Systems, Spain)

17:55 – 18:00 | Closing Remarks

Joerg Widmer, Research Director (IMDEA Networks Institute, Spain)
Sergey Gorinsky, Workshop Chair (IMDEA Networks Institute, Spain)

Please note: Attendance is by invitation and registration only.