Abdelmoula Bekkali

Abdelmoula Bekkali received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. He is currently Research Director with Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC). Previously, he was R&D Manager with TOYO Electric Corporation, Japan (2019-2024), Senior Researcher with KDDI Research Inc. Japan (2014–2019), Adjunct Lecturer with Waseda University, Japan (2012–2019), Research Scientist with Qatar Mobility Innovation Center, Qatar (2011–2014), Researcher with NTT Labs, Tokyo, Japan (2010–2011) and R&D Engineer with TreeDalgo Sarl (Moroccan Airports Authority /ONDA project), Casablanca, Morocco (2001-2005).

His research achievements portfolio includes both fundamental and applied research work conducted in the industry resulting in award-level accomplishments and the generation of intellectual property (IP), including 14 patents granted in Japan and the US. His research interests span from RF to optical bands and cover a diverse set of topics including Free-Space Optics (FSO) and Optical Wireless Communication, Fiber-Wireless (Fi-Wi) links for B5G Radio Access Networks (RAN), Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) and Microwave Photonics (MWP), Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Communications, Internet-of-Things (IoT), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Navigation and Positioning, Satellite Communications, RF/Optical Wireless Communication Channel Modelling and Machine Learning. He has made valuable contributions in the field of FSO communication systems for B5G/6G networks, particularly on the design and development of patented laser-based FSO systems for both fixed and mobile platforms.

He has managed and conducted national and international applied research in the field of optical and RF wireless communications engineering. Additionally, he has secured competitive research grants totaling more than 27 million Euro, from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan, the National Institute of Information and Communications (NICT) of Japan and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

He has been an IEEE Senior member since 2015 (Communication Society and Photonics Society). He served as Optical Networks and Systems (ONS) symposium co-chair of the IEEE Globecom 2020.

His research has received excellent recognition from both his companies and university, as well as other esteemed research organizations:

• KDDI Excellent Basic Research Award (2016).
• Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers of Japan (IEICE) Transactions on Electronics Best Paper Award (2016).
• IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC) Best Paper Award (2014).
• Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan (IIEEJ) Excellent Journal Paper Award (2012).
• 26th TELECOM System Technology Award (Encouragement), awarded by JAPAN Telecommunications Advancement Foundation (TAF) (2011).
• 2009 Waseda University Ono Azusa Memorial Academic Award (Medal).
• 19th Isao Ookawa Memorial Academy Award (2008).
• ITU-T Young Author Recognition Award (2008).
• Merit Scholarship of the Japanese Government (MEXT) (2005-2010).