Panel 1 – Academic Panel
What AI Did (and Didn’t) Do in Our PerCom Papers
Overview
The goal of this year’s panel is to move beyond debates about AI in the abstract to discussing the concrete costs, benefits, and verification of AI when embedded within academic research.
To support this goal, the panel adopts a new format. First, the audience will be asked to respond to a poll inquiring about the areas of their paper submission where AI was involved. Then, rather than standard opening statements, panelists will present Lightning Evidence: each individual has strictly 2 minutes and a single slide to present one specific artefact from their research co-produced with AI. A moderated synthesis and audience discussion will follow, and the audience will be repolled at the end of the discussion.
Moderator
Prof. George Roussos
University of London, UK
Panelists
Prof. Delphine Reinhardt
Prof. Delphine Reinhardt is a Full Professor at the University of Göttingen, leading the “Computer Security and Privacy” research group. An IEEE Senior Member and recipient of the Johann-Philipp-Reis-Preis, she specializes in human-centric security, bridging the gap between technical privacy mechanisms and usability in ubiquitous computing. Previously an Assistant Professor at the University of Bonn and associated with Fraunhofer FKIE, she was named a “Rising Star in Networking and Communications” by N2Women for her impactful research.
Dr. Georgios Bouloukakis
Dr. Georgios Bouloukakis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Patras, Greece. Previously an Associate Professor at Télécom SudParis and a Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Irvine, he specializes in distributed systems and middleware for the Internet of Things. His research on robust edge computing has earned him Best Paper Awards at PerCom and ICIOT. He currently coordinates EU-funded projects like PANDORA, focusing on enabling reliable, autonomous data exchange in complex, dynamic environments.
Prof. Takuya Maekawa
Prof. Takuya Maekawa is a Distinguished Professor at the Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Osaka University. A recipient of the prestigious 2024 JSPS Prize, he is a pioneer in ubiquitous computing and sensing technologies. His research innovatively combines wearable sensors and machine learning to analyze complex behaviors, bridging human activity recognition with “AI on Animals” bio-logging. Previously a researcher at NTT and EPFL, he publishes in top-tier venues like UbiComp and PerCom.
Dr. Ella Peltonen
Dr. Ella Peltonen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oulu, Finland, where she contributes to the Center for Ubiquitous Computing and the 6G Flagship program. Her research bridges pervasive sensing, edge-native Artificial Intelligence, and the transition “from data to actions” in everyday environments. Previously a researcher at University College Cork and University of Helsinki, she has been recognized with the Marc Weiser Best Paper Award and named a “Rising Star” by N2Women.
Prof. Dr. Sajal K. Das
Prof. Dr. Sajal K. Das is the Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Daniel St. Clair Endowed Chair at Missouri University of Science and Technology. An IEEE Fellow, he was previously a Program Director at the US National Science Foundation and the founding director of CReWMaN at the University of Texas at Arlington. His pioneering research spans wireless sensor networks, mobile and pervasive computing, cyber-physical systems, and smart environments, including smart healthcare and grids. He has authored over 700 research articles and received the IEEE Computer Society Technical Achievement Award.
Panel 2 – Industry Panel
AI Beyond the Lab: Are We Solving the Problems Industry Actually Has?
Overview
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping pervasive computing, from sensing infrastructures and edge platforms to autonomous agents and large-scale industrial systems. Yet, a subtle but significant gap is emerging between academic AI research and the problems that industry actually faces. There is a growing concern that parts of the research community may be operating within a “research bubble,” driven by theoretical advances and benchmark-driven innovation rather than real-world constraints and requirements.
This panel brings together leaders from global corporations, agile SMEs, and emerging technology companies to confront this tension. By contrasting industrial experiences with academic assumptions, the discussion will explore what industry truly expects from AI, edge computing, and pervasive systems, and whether current research trajectories are aligned with these expectations.
The panel aims to stimulate a critical reassessment of priorities and foster a more grounded and impactful AI research agenda in the context of pervasive computing and communications.
Moderator
Claudio Cicconetti
Istituto di Informatica e Telematica (IIT), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
Panelists
Dr. Novella Buonaccorsi
Novella Buonaccorsi is the Global Digital Manager for the Tissue Business Area at Valmet. She holds a Master of Science in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Pisa and joined Valmet in September 2019 as Digital Value Creation Lead, focusing on transforming digital technologies into tangible business value.
She has developed strong expertise at the intersection of digitalization, advanced automation, and industrial processes, with a particular emphasis on data-driven decision making and AI-enabled solutions. In July 2025, she assumed full responsibility for driving digital initiatives across the entire Valmet Tissue Business Area, defining and executing the digital strategy in alignment with Valmet’s overall business objectives to support customers in improving performance, efficiency, and operational autonomy.
Dr. Giada Landi
Giada Landi received her Master’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Pisa, Italy, in 2005. She is R&D Technology Leader at Nextworks, with over 20 years of experience in European and national research projects under Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and ESA ARTES programs, often serving as technical project manager.
She has led industrial consulting projects for vendors, operators, and vertical industries in SDN/NFV, Time-Sensitive Networks, and 5G services for automotive. She has participated in ETSI MEC Specialist Task Forces and contributed to proof-of-concept activities in ETSI ZSM and ETSI ENI. Her research interests focus on management and orchestration for 5G/6G networks, edge/cloud computing, and programmable platforms for AI-driven network intelligence and automation.
Dr. Alessandro Erta
Alessandro Erta is a technology executive with over twenty years of experience in industrial wireless, IoT, and mission-critical networking systems. He is currently Senior Director of Engineering at Cisco, where he leads engineering and product development for industrial and ultra-reliable wireless solutions deployed in demanding environments worldwide.
Previously co-founder and CTO of Fluidmesh Networks (acquired by Cisco in 2020), Alessandro holds a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering and has a strong background in wireless system design, networking protocols, and large-scale product architectures. He has led multidisciplinary teams across hardware, firmware, and software and is co-author of more than 50 industrial patents in wireless transmission technologies for industrial and mission-critical scenarios.
Dr. Markus Sauer
Markus Sauer is a Senior Key Expert and Senior Research Scientist at Siemens Foundational Technologies, specializing in distributed computing, connected intelligence, and autonomous systems. He leads and mentors multidisciplinary teams across research, innovation, and consulting projects and contributes to shaping Siemens’ strategic research agenda.
His current work focuses on self-evolving and self-organizing systems, next-generation computing fabrics for industrial automation, and emerging areas such as 6G/NTN integration and the industrialization of space. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Würzburg and actively bridges academia and industry through national and European research programs.