On May 5, CEI hosted an engaging research seminar titled Edge Computing for Smart Cities, led by two pioneering researchers and co-founders of Green Communications. The session explored the fundamentals and benefits of edge computing, and how sovereignty, sustainability, and resilience can be embedded into digital systems.

The two speakers brought complementary expertise to the discussion. Prof. Guy Pujolle is a specialist in 6G, intelligent edge systems, drone networks, and cybersecurity with hardware security modules (HSMs). Prof. Khaldoun Al Agha, known for his work in mesh and ad hoc networks, IoT, and distributed systems, highlighted the protocol design challenges of building systems that function reliably in highly dynamic, decentralized environments.

The seminar addressed a pressing challenge in urban digital infrastructure: as cities become increasingly connected, traditional cloud-based systems are struggling to keep up with the demands for speed, reliability, and sustainability. Edge computing was presented as a transformative alternative — one that moves processing power away from centralized data centers and closer to where data is actually generated, at the network edge.

The speakers presented the Internet of Edges (IoE) — a decentralized system of federated edge devices developed by Green Communications. This system enables local, resilient, and sustainable digital services by distributing computing power to the network edge. Grounded in two decades of research and innovation, the IoE draws from pioneering work at leading institutions including Sorbonne University, Paris-Saclay University, and CNRS.

Thank you to Prof. Pujolle and Prof. Al Agha, and to everyone who joined us for this insightful and inspiring session!