Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized how we live our lives with its unparalleled versatility and adaptability, touching virtually every industry. Moreover, with its ability to provide real-time data, IoT has disrupted traditional resource management, decision-making, and optimization processes, ushering in remarkable progress. Additionally, the upcoming next-generation IoT (NG-IoT) networks have the potential to establish connections among countless devices and generate massive amounts of data. However, effectively managing this massive number of devices is inherently complicated. Moreover, the limited processing, storage, and communication capabilities of IoT devices pose significant challenges in handling the amplified demands resulting from the expansion of NG-IoT networks. Therefore, to support the massive scale of NG-IoT networks, handle the large amounts of network data from devices, and ensure the security of their communications, new communication paradigms are required. The Chair Renewal Program aims to realize an ambitious vision of developing NG-IoT networks that incorporate cutting-edge concepts such as softwarization, knowledge-driven approaches, and artificial intelligence (AI)-native networks. The program intends to integrate and leverage digital twin (DT) technology, along with communication, computing, and AI, to enable the development of highly autonomous and intelligent IoT systems. Moreover, to effectively manage the large volumes of network data generated based on digital twins, we will exploit the paradigm of semantic communication (SC) to empower network-informed decision-making functions. Consequently, novel solutions will emerge in three main areas: DT-empowered radio resource management (RRM) strategies, SC protocols tailored for NG-IoT networks, and robust security measures against adversarial attacks in AI-native IoT platforms. With our vision, expertise, and commitment, we look forward to contributing to the evolution of IoT ecosystems and the realization of a more connected, intelligent, and secure world.