pureLiFi Co-Founder and CPTO, Dr. Mostafa Afgani, Will Be One of The Speakers At ISA GALiFiS on Optical Wireless Innovation

Image credit to IEEE UAE WIE

pureLiFi co-founder brings decade of commercial LiFi experience to ISA GALiFiS, running parallel to IEEE women in engineering leadership event

The ISA Global Annual LiFi Summit (ISA GALiFiS) has announced Dr. Mostafa Afgani, Co-founder and Chief Product and Technology Officer of pureLiFi Ltd, as a featured speaker at the upcoming Dubai event. Running parallel to the IEEE UAE Women in Engineering Leadership Summit, the summit creates a unique convergence of cutting-edge optical wireless technology and inclusive leadership development in engineering.

From Laboratory to Marketplace

Dr. Afgani has established himself as a pioneering figure in LiFi technology, the innovative approach to wireless connectivity that transmits data through light waves rather than traditional radio frequencies. Over more than a decade, he has been instrumental in transforming LiFi from an academic concept into commercial reality, leading the development of the first commercial LiFi products now entering global markets.

His professional background combines academic rigor with practical industry experience. Prior to co-founding pureLiFi, Dr. Afgani worked at Agilent Technologies (now Keysight Technologies) and DOCOMO Euro-Labs in Munich, gaining valuable expertise in telecommunications and advanced measurement systems. He earned his PhD in communications and signal processing from The University of Edinburgh, an institution that has been central to foundational LiFi research.

A Strategic Dual-Summit Format

The IEEE UAE Women in Engineering Leadership Summit (IEEE UAE WIELS) 2025 operates under the theme "WAHA: Women Advancing in Horizons of Achievement" and represents a key component of IEEE's global initiative to empower women in engineering and technology through targeted leadership development. The decision to run this summit in parallel with ISA GALiFiS creates a dynamic environment where technical innovation intersects with discussions on inclusive leadership and sustainable development.

This parallel structure offers attendees a rare opportunity to engage simultaneously with the technical frontiers of optical wireless communications and the broader strategic conversations shaping the future of engineering professions.

Global Participation and Advanced Programming

Taking place in Dubai, UAE, the combined events are expected to attract researchers, industry leaders, innovators, and aspiring young professionals from around the world. The summit provides a comprehensive platform for mentorship, collaboration, professional networking, and advanced training, all essential elements for developing the next generation of technology leaders.

Technical sessions and workshops at IEEE UAE WIELS 2025 will address contemporary engineering's most pressing challenges, with particular emphasis on sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, and emerging technologies. Programming will explore AI-driven innovations, sustainable engineering practices, and next-generation systems including 6G networks, Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, smart cities, and cognitive urban infrastructure.

Participants will benefit from keynote speeches, expert panels, interactive tutorials, and industry sessions specifically designed to prepare women engineers for leadership roles in technological advancement. The parallel LiFi programming through ISA GALiFiS adds critical depth by showcasing optical wireless technologies that could prove essential to building the high-capacity, sustainable networks future smart cities will require.

LiFi's Growing Relevance

Dr. Afgani's presentation carries particular significance given the summit's focus on next-generation connectivity solutions. LiFi technology addresses several critical challenges confronting wireless communications: spectrum congestion, security vulnerabilities, and energy efficiency demands. By transmitting data through light rather than radio waves, LiFi can operate effectively in environments where RF communications face restrictions or congestion, while potentially offering enhanced security through the natural containment of light within physical boundaries.

For engineering leaders and innovators attending IEEE UAE WIELS, understanding LiFi's commercial trajectory offers valuable insights into how breakthrough technologies move from research laboratories to market deployment. The technology exemplifies the kind of transformative innovation that will shape telecommunications infrastructure in coming decades.

Building Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems

By connecting academia, industry, and emerging technological sectors, IEEE UAE WIELS 2025 aims to foster an inclusive environment that empowers women in engineering, advances sustainable technological innovation, and inspires future generations of engineering leaders. The parallel structure with ISA GALiFiS reinforces an important principle: breakthrough technologies develop most effectively when diverse perspectives and experiences contribute to their evolution.

The presence of established innovators like Dr. Afgani alongside programming focused on women's leadership development underscores the value of diversity in engineering. Technologies shaping the future achieve their greatest potential when developed and deployed by teams bringing varied backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints to complex technical challenges.

A Vision for Engineering's Future

As Dubai hosts these parallel summits, participants will engage with both the technical frontiers of optical wireless communications and the strategic imperatives of inclusive leadership in engineering. Dr. Afgani's experience in commercialising LiFi technology, navigating the challenging path from laboratory proof-of-concept to market-ready products, offers valuable lessons for any innovator seeking to transform research into real-world solutions.

The IEEE UAE Women in Engineering Leadership Summit 2025, enhanced by its parallel programming with ISA GALiFiS, represents more than a traditional conference. It embodies a comprehensive vision for engineering's future where technical excellence, sustainable innovation, and inclusive leadership converge to address complex global challenges. For attendees, the event promises insights spanning cutting-edge optical wireless technology, AI-driven systems, sustainable engineering practices, and the leadership capabilities needed to guide these innovations from concept to widespread deployment.

The convergence of these two summits in Dubai creates a unique opportunity to explore how emerging technologies like LiFi will integrate with broader efforts to build more sustainable, efficient, and inclusive technological ecosystems, while simultaneously developing the diverse leadership necessary to guide this transformation.