Professor Zahriladha Zakaria is Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and a Professor with the Microwave Research Group, Faculty of Electronic and Computer Engineering. His career spans industrial engineering, academic leadership, and interdisciplinary research. Before joining academia, he served as a Product Engineer at STMicroelectronics Malaysia from 1998 to 2002. He received his B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1998 and 2004, respectively, and his Ph.D. from the Institute of Microwaves and Photonics, University of Leeds, United Kingdom, in 2010. His research explores microwave and radio-frequency technologies for human health, connected healthcare, and aircraft safety, encompassing microwave imaging, wireless body area networks, antennas, filters, resonators, sensors, energy harvesting, material characterisation, and non-destructive evaluation. A central theme of his work is the integration of electromagnetic modelling, advanced sensor design, signal processing, and artificial intelligence to transform complex microwave measurements into reliable and actionable information. Professor Zakaria has authored or co-authored more than 450 scientific publications and holds eight intellectual property rights. His innovations have received numerous awards at national and international exhibitions, including UTeMEX, MTE, ITEX, iENA Germany, and the Seoul International Invention Fair. He is also an active reviewer for leading IEEE and IET journals in microwave engineering, antennas, wireless technologies, and sensing. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, he was named a Top Research Scientist Malaysia by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) and included in the Stanford University–Elsevier list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2025.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Tharek Abd Rahman, FASc holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom, Master’s Degree in Communications Engineering from University of Manchester, United Kingdom; and PhD in Mobile Communication from University of oof Bristol, United Kingdom. Professor Emeritus Dr Tharek Abd Rahman was a Professor of Wireless Communications at Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Professor Emeritus Dr Tharek has published over 300 scientific papers and journals whereby his ideas won national and international recognition. He is an active member of several research academic entities and has been appointed as Fellow of Academic of Science Malaysia (FASc) and MCMC Advisor. Professor Emeritus Dr. Tharek plays a key role in developing 5G Malaysia initiatives. In the 1990s, he was involved in ITU Task Force 8/1 related to the IMT2000 (3G) Standardization. He connects academia and the telecommunication industry, forming effective collaboration and partnerships. This includes the engagements with Japan’s 5G Mobile Communications Promotion Forum (5G MF) and Korea’s 5G Forum, which promotes knowledge transfer and the collaboration in 5G research and development.

Peter Adam Hoeher received the Diploma degree in electrical engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany, in 1986, and the doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany, in 1990. From 1986 to 1998, he was with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. From 1991 to 1992, he was on postdoctoral leave at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ. In 1998, he joined the University of Kiel, Germany, where he is a Full Professor of Electrical and Information Engineering. His research interests are in communication theory and its applications in wireless radio communications, optical wireless communications, and advanced communications in power electronics. He has been a Fellow of the IEEE since 2014.

Talkative Power Conversion (TPC) is a switching-ripple communication technique that integrates data modulation into switched-mode power converters, enabling simultaneous information transmission and power conversion. TPC is an emerging topic at the interface between power electronics and communications engineering. In this keynote, we will first introduce the basic principles of TPC and outline potential wireline and wireless applications. We will then focus on recent contributions. Finally, we will propose a roadmap for future research on TPC.