A passionate leader with a background in both research and strategy, Dr. Ir. Michael Peeters is Head of the Nokia Incubator. Michael has been identifying and implementing state-of- the art technology opportunities through a career that spans two decades.
Previously as CTO for the Wireless Division at Alcatel Lucent, his role required him to make sense out of the uncertainty that exists when technological possibilities have to be balanced with business case realities. His team’s responsibility: to see beyond the business analysis and help customers envision how emerging technologies and trends will impact their networks and end-user community. The shaping and approach to vRAN and 5G were two key responsibilities. 

Michael’s keen eye for identifying and implementing industry opportunities has been honed through a career that spans two decades and technology disciplines. Prior to his role as CTO for the Wireless Division, he was CTO for the Wireline Division. Here, Michael looked beyond the product roadmap and identified what new trends, technologies and tools were on the horizon and helped determine how those future opportunities may or may not fit into the Alcatel-Lucent pipeline. It was also during this period that the business commercialized VDSL2 Vectoring, an idea conceived 7 years earlier while Michael led the Bell Labs Access Nodes and DSL Technology Group. Now a leader in the wireless industry, Michael serves on several industry shaping boards, including the 4G Americas Board of Governors, IEEE Photonic Board and the ATIS Executive Board. He has authored more than 30 SCI-rated publications and more than 70 publications for international, peer-reviewed conferences and holds many patents in the access and photonics domains. Michael earned a Ph.D. in Applied Physics and Photonics from Vrije Universiteit Brussel as well as a master’s degree in Electrotechnical Engineering and Applied Physics. While his focus remains on the moderate-and- long-term future, Michael does keep one eye on the more immediate horizon. In the coming year, he is hoping to generate more industry discussion around virtualization of the network and what it can mean for interoperability, big data and new business models. Outside of work, Michael is passionate about cooking and continues to refine the recipe for the perfect lasagna, balanced by bouts of long-distance running to offset the caloric intake inherent with such a quest.