Mwrf 4789 Ims2017
Mwrf 4789 Ims2017
Mwrf 4789 Ims2017
Mwrf 4789 Ims2017
Mwrf 4789 Ims2017

Q&A: Wayne Shiroma, IMS 2017 General Chair

May 10, 2017
The 2017 installment of the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) is coming to Honolulu June 4-9. General Chair Wayne Shiroma tells us what's in store.

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CD: IMS is clearly the most prominent event in the RF/microwave industry. However, several notable companies will not be exhibiting this year. Do you think this diminishes the show in any way?

WS: We are confident that the attendees and exhibitors who make the trip to the Aloha State will find it more than worthwhile—with new events and initiatives launched this year. The IMS2017 Steering Committee has been working hard to make sure the show is a success and expects to have over 450 companies in the exhibition. IMS2017 had the third-highest paper submission and second-highest paper acceptance in the 60-year history of IMS. In addition, the 57 workshops, 9 short courses, new 5G Summit, and other IMS Technical Program staples ensures that IMS will draw large technical attendance.

Exhibitors also have a lot to look forward to this June. New exhibitor-focused initiatives include exhibitor workshops, a sales rep program, 5G demos, and three-and-a-half hours of dedicated exhibit time on Wednesday (no overlapping technical program activities). We are also actively pursuing new audiences for IMS, including the Hawaii-based military and high-tech communities, 5G Summit attendees from ComSoc, and Pacific Telecommunications Council members. Given these facts, I can’t say that IMS2017 has been diminished in any way. To the attendees and exhibitors who are still on the fence: remember, it’s not too late to “Catch the Wave!”

CD: What can we expect to see at the 5G Summit at this year’s IMS?

WS: IMS2017’s 5G Summit is a joint collaboration that complements IEEE MTT-S’ “hardware and systems” focus with IEEE ComSoc’s “networking and services” focus. The summit program features top experts from industry, academia, and government, who will share knowledge and discuss strategies and solutions with the summit attendees. Day 1 features Flavio Bonomi of Nebbiolo Technologies as the opening keynote speaker, who will give a 5G overview and show the relationship with fog computing and networking as a key enabler. Distinguished speakers following Flavio will cover topics including security, spectrum use, operator and service provider perspectives, advanced multi-carrier waveforms, channel modeling, and densification. Day 1 will end with a panel on “5G Startup Ecosystem-Network to Components.”

Day 2 begins with an overview of the IEEE 5G Initiative by Ashutosh Dutta of AT&T, the initiative co-chair, and then a keynote by Arogyaswami Paulraj of Stanford University on “5G Wireless Evolution and MU-MIMO.” The distinguished speakers who follow will cover topics such as massive MIMO from LTS to new radio, V2X and 5G, 5G vision and experimental trials from a service provider perspective, full-duplex wireless challenges, RFIC/CMOS techniques for 5G and beyond, and RFIC/CMOS transceivers for 5G. Day 2 will close with a panel on “5G Test and Measurement.”

Following the 5G Summit is the 5G Executive Forum, a two-hour fireside chat with executive leaders in the 5G field that will be open to all conference attendees. Executives will provide their vision of the 5G market while fielding questions from both a moderator and the audience. The panelists will cover all areas within the 5G market.

More importantly, a reception including complimentary drinks and appetizers will be included! This will be a great time to network and meet the executives. 

CD: As a professor at the University of Hawaii, can you discuss some of the activity taking place there?

WS: Hawaii has a unique role in the history of radio technologies. The Opana Radar Station on Oahu was the site of the first operational use of radar by the U.S. in wartime, detecting the first wave of Japanese warplanes en route toward the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Thirty years later, in 1971, the University of Hawaii demonstrated ALOHAnet—the first public demonstration of a wireless packet data network connecting computers via radio communications.

The theme for IMS2017—“Hawaii 5G: Catch the Wave”—builds on this proud heritage while looking forward to the cutting-edge technology and research presented at this year’s conference, particularly those related to 5G technologies. At the University of Hawaii, we have large research thrusts spanning Big Data; the Internet of Things (IoT); cybersecurity; smart city and smart grid technologies; biomedical applications; and a wide array of device and materials research that flow into those systems, from liquid metals to microrobotic cell sorting and more.

CD: Lastly, what are you personally looking forward to the most at IMS?

WS: More than 350 volunteers comprising the IMS Steering and Technical Paper Review Committees worked very hard over the past nine years to ensure that IMS2017 will be an unforgettable experience, and we all look forward to catching the wave with everyone who attends IMS. Our desire is to have each of our technical attendees and exhibitors learn something new, meet a new friend, or generate a new idea. But most of all, we’re looking forward to ensuring that every visitor experiences the Aloha Spirit—the warmth and affection that permeates our island home and makes it such a special place to conduct business while in paradise.

More information about IMS2017 can be found here.

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