The 5 research axes are listed below for completeness reflect the continuous evolution of ICT research, development, and commercialization.

The distribution of STARaCom Professors and their research teams as a function of axis expertise is shown in Fig. 1. By design, STARaCom  Axis 1 focuses on optical and microelectronic/Radio Frequency (RF) device technologies underpinning many systems. Here researchers design, simulate, fabricate, and characterize devices such as silicon photonic modulators, and new antennas. Significant STARaCom fabrication resources enable this experimentally intensive work. Research in Axis 2 is directed at building and operating transmission system testbeds used to, amongst other activities, develop new transceiver architectures. Notable is the world class optical fiber transmission system testbed and the RF transmission system testbed that in both instances are unique in North America in terms of their performance. Axis 3 research targets new Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. Here the research articulates the mathematics of new DSP/ML concepts, and then designs and simulates attendant algorithms. Significant STARaCom resources are directed at maintaining computational hardware and software for this axis, as well as for Axis 4, and 5. Axis 4 considers a broad array of ICT centric systems requiring differing signal processing engines and/or Artificial Intelligence. Finally, Axis 5 covers the ever-increasing domain of software for all forms of ICT systems, the most recent and recognizable being ChatGPT. This axis also studies network theory and optimization as well as connectivity to cloud based information.

The complexity of current and future ICT problems, both hardware and software, demands horizontal mobilization activities because researchers operating within a particular axis need to have ready access to complementary expertise. STARaCom will continue to promote and enable interdisciplinary, inter-axis collaboration. Additionally, researchers will direct one another to industry partners who can also contribute to the research agenda of STARaCom Professors and their research teams.

STARaCom research directly contributes to verticals of consequence to the UNO by, for example, addressing: i) SDG3 (good health): this goal is pursued via work done on breast cancer detection and improved MRI machines; ii) SDG8(economic growth): Quebec’s ICT sector is both an economic driver and vital HQP employer; iii) SDG9 building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation which are targets for STARaCom; and iv) SDG11 (sustainable cities): ICT inventions and innovations intrinsically target sustainability through engineering practices that, for example, aim at cost effective methods to reduce power consumption in wireline/wireless networks deployed within cities(e.g., Quebec City, Montreal).