On Tuesday 21 May, researcher Giovanni Geraci, a member of the UPF-Fractus Chair on Tech Transfer and 6G, received the Early Achievement Award from the Communication Theory Technical Committee (CTTC) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE Communications Society). Geraci’s distinction comes as a result of his outstanding contributions in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle, more commonly known as a drone, communications and Wi-Fi networks, as well as his efforts to foster awareness in this field.

The CTTC Early Achievement Award recognises researchers who are within 10 years of their PhD, have achieved early visibility in their professional career and are actively involved in the CTTC. Giovanni Geraci collected the award during the IEEE Communication Theory Workshop, which took place in Banff (Canada) from 19-22 May.

Giovanni Geraci, principal research scientist with Telefónica and associate professor at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), has garnered both national and international recognition for the excellence and impact of his scientific research in the field of wireless communications. Upon collecting the award, he stated: “It is an honour for me to receive this distinction from a community of researchers whose competence and integrity I have always admired. I would also like to express my gratitude to my closest research partners, as much of my success would not be possible without them.”

According to Ruben Bonet, president and CEO of Fractus, “it is an honour for one of the Chair’s researchers to be distinguished for his research contributions and efforts.” Meanwhile, Àngel Lozano, head of the UPF-Fractus Chair on Tech Transfer and 6G, went on to add that, “Giovanni is one of the most internationally acclaimed young researchers in the field of mobile communications. His combination of industrial and academic experience in a host of different countries makes him incredibly versatile when it comes to solving complex problems. And his contributions include significant results in the use of drones for commercial communications purposes.”

The UPF-Fractus Chair on Tech Transfer and 6G is a joint initiative launched by Pompeu Fabra University and Fractus with a view to encouraging the dissemination of knowledge in the field of technology transfer and research on 6G wireless communication systems.

Giovanni Geraci’s career

Geraci, who earned a PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2014, is an expert in industrial innovation. From 2016-2018, he worked as a scientific researcher at Nokia Bell Labs (Ireland), following professional stints at Singapore University of Technology and Design, the University of Texas at Austin (USA), Supélec (France) and Alcatel-Lucent (Italy). He has earned a number of distinctions over the course of his career, including the prestigious IEEE ComSoc Communications Theory Technical Committee Early Achievement Award in 2023 and the IEEE ComSoc Young Researcher Award for the Europe, Middle East and Africa Region in 2018.

In 2018, he joined Pompeu Fabra University as a member of the research and teaching staff, thanks to a Junior Leader Fellowship from “La Caixa”, and, in 2023, the Telefónica Human-Artificial Intelligence Lab in the area of Digital Innovation. With an extensive research background, he holds a dozen patents related to communications and wireless networks and has published over eighty papers in the IEEE. He also serves as an IEEE distinguished lecturer and has delivered close to one hundred international keynotes as a guest speaker.

About Fractus

Fractus is an early pioneer in the development of antenna technology for smartphones, tablets and other wireless Internet of Things (IoT) devices and holds an intellectual property rights portfolio of over 40 inventions protected by more than 120 patents and patent applications in the United States, Europe and Asia. Fractus was named a 2005 Davos World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and one of Red Herring’s top innovative companies for 2006. The company also earned the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Award for Technological Innovation and the 2010 National Communications Award from the Government of Catalonia in the Telecommunications category. A team of Fractus inventors was shortlisted for the 2014 EPO European Inventor Award. In 2015, Fractus received the Academiae Dilecta Award from the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering and, in 2017, the “European Inspiring Company Award” from the London Stock Exchange and the Elite Group.