Abstract: These years see increasing geopolitical tension, increasing generative AI capabilities, and increasing safety requirements of autonomous systems, which leads to the massive need for security solutions. The keynote will give an overview on some examples of cyberattacks on networked Operational Technology (OT) systems and describe the risks especially for intelligent and autonomous systems. On the defense side, an increasing number of countermeasures can be observed. This includes integration of cryptographic protocols and credential management into deeply embedded OT network protocols, like for PROFINET, CAN, Ethernet or Wireless M-Bus. Also, automatic Intrusion Detection (IDS) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)-systems are an object of research and development with a special focus on the specific requirements of OT networks.

Abstract: The rapid evolution of wireless communication technologies has opened the door to the development of sixth-generation (6G) networks, expected to transform how devices, applications, and services interconnect in a highly intelligent and autonomous manner. While 5G deployment continues globally, emerging applications such as immersive extended reality, autonomous systems, intelligent automation, and massive digital connectivity are expected to demand capabilities beyond current networks' limits. Unlike its predecessors, 6G is projected to offer ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, and terabit-level transmission speeds. To achieve these ambitious goals, novel technologies such as Federated Learning (FL), Blockchain, and developed security mechanisms will play a vital role in future communication networks. By allowing decentralized intelligence, secure data sharing, and privacy-preserving communication, these technologies address key concerns inherent in next-generation networks. Future research should focus on optimizing the integration of these technologies, addressing scalability concerns, and enhancing their adaptability to the dynamic demands of 6G applications. Such efforts will be instrumental in realizing the full potential of 6G as a transformative communication infrastructure for the digital age. This keynote presents a technical overview of the key research directions driving the development of 6G wireless systems. The presentation also highlights challenges related to spectrum utilization, hardware constraints, network architecture, and sustainability.

Abstract: We live in a world where getting published is a challenging task for both young engineers and seasoned R&D engineers/researchers. The present-day norm is to get your work published or perish. Although most of the young generation are AI-native and have sufficient exposure to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Meta, which can facilitate the preparation of technical documents, the task of meeting the demand to have their work reported on reputable platforms remains daunting. This is true for all who are working in the broad domain of Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Management (STEMM). This talk addresses this important aspect and offers practical insights. We delve deep into important aspects that a reviewer usually checks in a paper or technical document, before acceptance or rejection. It will also shed light on the skills a good R&D engineer/researcher should develop to publish a reader-friendly technical document of any kind-technical papers, dissertations, textbooks, reference books, monographs, or user manuals. We will also focus on challenges faced by students/faculty in locating non-predatory journals or conference-proceedings, that have excellent performance metrics such as citation-index, h-index, g-index, FWCI, and so on, where they can publish the results of their original research. Smart AI-tools that can leverage the process of authoring excellent technical documents, like Grammarly, Crosscheck, Turnitin, QuillBot, Notion, and Mindgrasp will be discussed. We will conclude the talk by listing out checkpoints that a peer-reviewer will look into in any document. This will help the authors minimise rejection rate of their paper/technical article.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence has been making significant inroads into the evolution of wireless networks and computer networking. Unlike traditional networks, the complexity of networks, the high density of nodes, and the heterogeneity of devices and diversity of requirements make the traditional protocol design approach unsatisfactory. In this talk, the importance of space-time-spectrum for the optimal operation of the communication protocols is discussed. The need to apply AI to the entire protocol stack and the methods for achieving that are also discussed. Further, the talk also presents Deep Stack, which provides a Deep Neural Network model that can replace the Internet Protocol stack. The talk concludes with opportunities and challenges in 6G networking, where AI is critically needed.

Abstract: Generative AI has made it possible to create highly realistic images from text prompts, sketches, noisy inputs, or other forms of guidance. In recent years, diffusion models have become one of the most successful approaches behind this progress, powering many modern image-generation systems. The basic idea is simple to state: start from random noise and gradually refine it until a meaningful image emerges. Although the underlying mathematics and implementation can be complex, the visual intuition for these equations is accessible and powerful. This talk will give a broad and intuitive introduction to recent trends in image generation, with a focus on diffusion models. I will explain how these models are trained, why they generate images by reversing a noise-adding process, and how text prompts can guide the generation process. The talk will also discuss why diffusion models often produce high-quality images, why they can be slow, and why faster sampling methods are an important area of current research.