Onel López has received the TEK dissertation of the year award for his doctoral thesis on resource allocation strategies for machine-type communication, which addresses the critical challenges of massive connectivity and ultra-reliable low-latency in future IoT networks. His research, conducted at the University of Oulu, proposes advanced wireless energy transfer (WET) solutions to power thousands of battery-constrained devices in factory environments, moving beyond unsustainable wired charging. The work distinguishes between non-dedicated harvesting from ambient RF signals and dedicated power beacons to ensure quality of service for high-intensity connectivity scenarios. Recognized for its international standards and potential business applications, the thesis earned López a 7,500 euro prize and a professorship immediately following its completion.
Keywords: wireless energy transfer, resource allocation, IoT connectivity, energy harvesting, ultra-reliable low-latency