Speakers
Distinguished Keynote Speakers
Professor Gilles Brassard
Canadian computer scientist. He has been faculty member of the Université de Montréal since 1979, where he has been a Full Professor since 1988.He shared the 2025 Turing Award with Charles H. Bennett for their work in quantum information science.
Professor Brassard laid the foundations of quantum cryptography at a time when nobody could have predicted that the quantum information revolution would usher in a multi-billion-dollar industry, much less that the United Nations would proclaim 2025 to be the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology and that the ACM would grant him the Turing Award for this work. He is also among the inventors of quantum teleportation, which is one of the most fundamental pillars of the theory of quantum information. Fellow of the Royal Society of London, Officer of the Order of Canada and Ordre national du Québec, his many accolades include the Wolf Prize in Physics, the Micius Quantum Prize, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences and the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, in addition to the Turing Award. He has been granted honorary doctorates from ETH Zürich, the University of Ottawa, Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, and the University of Waterloo. Université de Montréal Plenary Keynote SpeechOpening Session
Title:
Cassandra No Longer? Privacy in a Quantum World
Abstract:
According to Greek mythology (and Homer’s Iliad), Cassandra is described as the comeliest daughter Priam, King of Troy,
and even a peer of Aphrodite. She was given by Apollo the gift of uttering true prophecies,
but cursed so that she would never be believed. Had her father Priam taken heed of her warnings, not only Troy may not have*
fallen, but the War itself might have been avoided.
In April 1994, I uttered my first prophecy in the conclusions of my paper Oracle quantum computing: “A good way of pumping funding into the building of an actual quantum computer would be to find an efficient quantum factoring algorithm!” Within weeks, perhaps days, Peter Shor discovered precisely how to do this. Suddenly, the cryptographic infrastructure on which we had been relying was compromised. As a modern-time Cassandra, I started to preach the need to prepare for this announced disaster. I was even invited by RSA to write a paper with the provocative title of “The impending demise of RSA?” for their newsletter RSA Laboratories CryptoBytes as early as 1995 (it was their only condition that I add this question mark to the title of my paper!). Nevertheless, Cassandra being Cassandra, almost no one paid attention. After all, it was obvious that quantum computers were science fiction at best.
Time passed and people are no longer laughing: extraordinary technological progress has occurred at an ever increasing pace in the past few years. Nobody can doubt anymore that quantum computers capable of running Shor’s algorithm will become a reality (if not already up and running in some secret laboratory). Not only will this wreak havoc on the future of secret communications, but also on the past. Indeed, nothing prevents opponents from recording currently undecipherable Internet traffic. When a quantum computer becomes available, they can decrypt it retroactively. Said bluntly, everything you ever confided to the Internet with a false feeling of security will become an open book. This is known as the “Harvest now and decrypt later” paradigm. The past is lost and nothing can be done about it. All you can hope for is to save the future.
My prophecies are now taken seriously, and therefore it would seem that I am Cassandra no longer. Not so fast! The most popular attempt for securing the future of communications is to develop (and implement) alternative classical key establishment methods that would withstand the onslaught of a quantum computer. This is known as Post-quantum cryptography (PQC). But alas, no mathematical tools are known to prove the safety of those techniques. One reason for trusting RSA before the discovery of Shor’s algorithm was that it is based on a century-old problem: the presumed difficulty of factoring. But the new techniques are based on wishful thinking even more than before. And now that Cassandra (me!) is back trying to warn the world that blind faith in PQC would be ill-advised, “she” is again not taken very seriously. Hence the question mark in the title of this talk.
But no worry, quantum cryptography is here to come to the rescue (at least for secure communications). As the late Asher Peres once said, “The quantum taketh away and the quantum giveth back”! A full version of this talk will appear in the Communications of the Intelsyst2026 .
In April 1994, I uttered my first prophecy in the conclusions of my paper Oracle quantum computing: “A good way of pumping funding into the building of an actual quantum computer would be to find an efficient quantum factoring algorithm!” Within weeks, perhaps days, Peter Shor discovered precisely how to do this. Suddenly, the cryptographic infrastructure on which we had been relying was compromised. As a modern-time Cassandra, I started to preach the need to prepare for this announced disaster. I was even invited by RSA to write a paper with the provocative title of “The impending demise of RSA?” for their newsletter RSA Laboratories CryptoBytes as early as 1995 (it was their only condition that I add this question mark to the title of my paper!). Nevertheless, Cassandra being Cassandra, almost no one paid attention. After all, it was obvious that quantum computers were science fiction at best.
Time passed and people are no longer laughing: extraordinary technological progress has occurred at an ever increasing pace in the past few years. Nobody can doubt anymore that quantum computers capable of running Shor’s algorithm will become a reality (if not already up and running in some secret laboratory). Not only will this wreak havoc on the future of secret communications, but also on the past. Indeed, nothing prevents opponents from recording currently undecipherable Internet traffic. When a quantum computer becomes available, they can decrypt it retroactively. Said bluntly, everything you ever confided to the Internet with a false feeling of security will become an open book. This is known as the “Harvest now and decrypt later” paradigm. The past is lost and nothing can be done about it. All you can hope for is to save the future.
My prophecies are now taken seriously, and therefore it would seem that I am Cassandra no longer. Not so fast! The most popular attempt for securing the future of communications is to develop (and implement) alternative classical key establishment methods that would withstand the onslaught of a quantum computer. This is known as Post-quantum cryptography (PQC). But alas, no mathematical tools are known to prove the safety of those techniques. One reason for trusting RSA before the discovery of Shor’s algorithm was that it is based on a century-old problem: the presumed difficulty of factoring. But the new techniques are based on wishful thinking even more than before. And now that Cassandra (me!) is back trying to warn the world that blind faith in PQC would be ill-advised, “she” is again not taken very seriously. Hence the question mark in the title of this talk.
But no worry, quantum cryptography is here to come to the rescue (at least for secure communications). As the late Asher Peres once said, “The quantum taketh away and the quantum giveth back”! A full version of this talk will appear in the Communications of the Intelsyst2026 .
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Professor Rachid Yazami
Renowned Moroccan scientist, engineer, and inventor best known for developing the graphite anode, a crucial component in over 95% of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries powering modern electronics. He has spent over 30 years researching battery technology, receiving prestigious accolades including the 2014 Charles Stark Draper Prize, IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies 2012, Draper Prize 2014, Royal Medal (Morocco) 2014, Legion of honour 2016, Takreem Award for Scientific Innovation and Technology (Kuwait City, 2018), Arab Investor Forum Award in Green Applications (UNESCO, Paris, 2019), The Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence and for Life Achievement (Dubai, 2020), The VinFuture Grand Prize (Hanoi, 2023) KVI PTE LTD, Singapour Plenary Keynote SpeechSession
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Professor Alvaro Rocha
Álvaro Rocha holds the titles of Doctor Honoris Causa, Honorary Professor and Habilitation in Information Science. He earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems and Technologies, an M.Sc. in Information Management, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science. He is a Full Professor (Professor Catedrático) at Lusófona University (Portugal), Honorary Professor at Amity University (India) and a Visiting Professor at Harbin Institute of Technology (China), Rushford Business School (Switzerland), Brawijaya University (Indonesia), and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan). Additionally, he is an Invited Professor at the University of Calabria (Italy) and Israel Technological University (Ecuador). He is also a Core Researcher at ISEG, University of Lisbon, and a Collaborating Researcher at RISE-Health | Research and Development. His main research interests include maturity models, management information systems, information systems quality, intelligent information systems, cybersecurity, e-government, e-health, and information technology in education. He is Chairman of AMARITS Consulting and Chair of ITMA (Information and Technology Management Association). He is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of two journals: the World Journal of Information Systems and the Revista Ibérica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação (RISTI), both published by ITMA. In addition, he is the Scientific Manager of the Information Systems Engineering and Management book series at Springer Nature. He has served as Vice-Chair of Experts for the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Programme and as an Expert for several international research funding bodies, including the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Programme, COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology, the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research, the Latvian Ministry of Finance, the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, the Polish National Science Centre, the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, and the Slovak Research Agency. Álvaro Rocha is recognized among the world’s top 1% scientists by Stanford University, Elsevier and ScholarGPS. He has published nearly 150 papers indexed in JCR/SCI/SSCI/Scopus/SCImago journals, most of them in the first quartile, with more than 400 documents indexed in the Scopus database and almost 250 indexed in Web of Science. He is General Chair of WorldCIST – World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, and General Chair of CISTI – Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies. Contact: alvaro.rocha@ulusofona.pt University of Lisbon, Portugal Plenary Keynote SpeechSession
Title:
The Evolution of Maturity Models for Health AIAbstract:
The adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare requires structured approaches
to assess organisational capabilities and support responsible implementation.
This presentation examines the evolution of health AI maturity models between 2022 and 2026,
tracing their progression from readiness assessments to governance frameworks and certification-oriented assurance.
It compares leading approaches and explores their shared emphasis on data quality, local validation, human oversight, equity and continuous monitoring.
Particular attention is given to persistent limitations, including reliance on self-assessment,
uneven organisational capabilities and insufficient evidence
of patient benefit. The presentation also considers how generative and agentic AI challenge conventional maturity ladders.
It outlines future directions towards continuous, evidence-based assessment that distinguishes
organisational maturity from system autonomy and connects improvement priorities to measurable clinical and operational outcomes.
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Professor Joel Myers
Joel Myers is a technologist and entrepreneur whose work has been published in international newspapers and journals like Forbes Magazine, the New York Times and the BBC. Over the past 30 years he has specialised in the creation and development of innovation technology solutions in cultural heritage, tourism and digital transformation in cities, working in partnership with national, state and local governments, universities and industry. Today, as Chair of the IEEE Initiative for Smart Cities, he will be providing us with an overview of the work that IEEE has carried out in standards. Joel will also be presenting a new initiative under a joint collaboration between ITU and IEE: the “Global Observatory for Urban Intelligence”. Joel Myers is an IT engineer, entrepreneur and leading international technologist, specialising in the creation and development of innovation technology solutions in Cultural Heritage, Tourism, Fintech, and Smart Cities. Over the past 30 years he has worked internationally with state and local governments (including Italy, Germany, Finland, Portugal, UK, USA, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Morocco, Rwanda, and Uganda); with museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of New York, The Frick in New York, the Witt Collection in London (UK); historical sites such as the Colosseum of Rome and Pompei in Italy; universities (including Harvard, UCLA, University of Virginia, Polytecnico di Milano, the Universidad de Guadalajara, and Fraunhofer Institute) and industry (including a partnership with Google Inc., Mountainview, CA, USA). Chair of Smart Cities for IEEE (IoT TC) Chair of IEEE World Technology Summits on Digital Twins Chair of the IEEE IoT Global Cities in Action Chair of Smart Cities for the IEEE Standards Association Board member of IEEE Public Safety Technologies Chair of Smart Cities for the IEEE World Forum on IoT and World Technology Summit Chair of Smart Cities WG for the EU Observatory for ICT Standardisation (EUOS) Plenary Keynote SpeechSession
Title:
One Signal, Every Citizen: Datacasting-Powered Digital Twins to Reach Digital Morocco 2030, from Smart Cities to the Last MileAbstract:
Morocco is building its digital future at speed. Digital Morocco 2030 sets a goal of 5G access for 70% of the population.
Renewable power is growing fast, new deepwater ports are opening at Nador and Dakhla, and the country is preparing to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Yet intelligent systems are only as smart as the data that reaches them. 5G covers mostly the cities today,
and each 5G cell reaches only a few hundred metres to a kilometre. Many towns, schools, farms, health centres and fishing boats remain beyond reliable,
affordable connectivity, and in a disaster mobile networks can be the first thing to fail.
The Al Haouz earthquake of September 2023 showed this.
This keynote argues that Morocco can reach its 70% goal faster, and serve the remaining 30%, by joining three things: 5G, ATSC 3.0 datacasting and digital twins. Datacasting sends the same data to every receiver at once, at almost no extra cost per user. When mass content such as live sport, video, lessons, software updates and alerts moves to datacasting, 5G capacity is freed for personal two-way traffic. That lets operators stretch each euro of 5G investment further and roll out to more people sooner. The two networks can share towers, fibre, power and sites. Beyond the 5G footprint, datacasting from existing TV transmitters reaches homes, schools, farms and the territorial sea now, with 5G, 4G and LoRaWAN carrying the replies. Field sensors and citizens' replies feed the digital twins, and the twins' decisions are datacast back to everyone.
Drawing on terrain-based coverage modelling of Morocco's TV transmitter network and current 5G coverage, the talk shows how a combined 5G and datacasting design could bring digital services close to the whole population for a fraction of what extending 5G alone would cost. It then sets out three uses in turn:
-city twins for Casablanca–Rabat and the World Cup host cities;
-rural twins for schools, cooperatives and health centres;
-a maritime twin for fisheries, ports and the blue economy in the Southern Provinces.
The keynote closes with a roadmap that makes Morocco Africa's reference country: international standards, partnership with the 5G operators, local manufacturing, university-led capacity building through IEEE and its partners, and pilots that prove impact before scale.
This keynote argues that Morocco can reach its 70% goal faster, and serve the remaining 30%, by joining three things: 5G, ATSC 3.0 datacasting and digital twins. Datacasting sends the same data to every receiver at once, at almost no extra cost per user. When mass content such as live sport, video, lessons, software updates and alerts moves to datacasting, 5G capacity is freed for personal two-way traffic. That lets operators stretch each euro of 5G investment further and roll out to more people sooner. The two networks can share towers, fibre, power and sites. Beyond the 5G footprint, datacasting from existing TV transmitters reaches homes, schools, farms and the territorial sea now, with 5G, 4G and LoRaWAN carrying the replies. Field sensors and citizens' replies feed the digital twins, and the twins' decisions are datacast back to everyone.
Drawing on terrain-based coverage modelling of Morocco's TV transmitter network and current 5G coverage, the talk shows how a combined 5G and datacasting design could bring digital services close to the whole population for a fraction of what extending 5G alone would cost. It then sets out three uses in turn:
-city twins for Casablanca–Rabat and the World Cup host cities;
-rural twins for schools, cooperatives and health centres;
-a maritime twin for fisheries, ports and the blue economy in the Southern Provinces.
The keynote closes with a roadmap that makes Morocco Africa's reference country: international standards, partnership with the 5G operators, local manufacturing, university-led capacity building through IEEE and its partners, and pilots that prove impact before scale.
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