Samsung Research SVP Charlie Zhang Named Recipient of IEEE ComSoc Industrial Innovation Award

Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President at Samsung Research America (SRA) and Head of the 6G Research Team at Samsung Research, has been honored with a Career Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) — the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

Recognizing Achievement in Telecommunications Technology

Zhang was acknowledged with the Industrial Innovation Award by the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc). Recipients were recognized at an award ceremony on December 9 at the 2024 IEEE Global Communications (GLOBECOM) conference in Cape Town, South Africa.

An expert in mobile communications technology, Zhang was recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the development and standardization of Massive MIMO systems — a technology crucial to network coverage and capacity. Introduced in 2009, the Industrial Innovation Award was presented for the first time in five years.

From 2009 to 2013, Zhang served as vice chair of the Radio Access Network Working Group 1 (RAN WG1) at the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) — a global mobile communications standardization organization — during which he led the standard development of LTE and LTE-Advanced technologies. In 2015, he was named an IEEE Fellow — the highest honor for IEEE members. Currently, Zhang leads Samsung Electronics’ global 6G strategy and technology innovation efforts at Samsung Research.

“As a researcher in the field of telecommunications, I am honored to receive this meaningful award,” said Zhang. “We will continue to research and develop innovative telecommunications technologies for a better user experience.”

A Legacy of Excellence at IEEE ComSoc Awards

Founded in 1963, IEEE is the world’s largest organization of technical professionals in the fields of electronics, communications and computers — with over 460,000 members in more than 190 countries. The IEEE ComSoc annually recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence in leadership and made significant advances in information and communications through a rigorous selection process.

Samsung has a history of being recognized for its outstanding achievements at the IEEE ComSoc Career Awards — a reflection of the company’s contributions to the standardization of communication technology and the development of mobile phones.

Former Samsung Vice Chairman Ki-tae Lee, who played a pivotal role in developing Samsung’s Anycall mobile phone series, received the IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Industry Leader Award in 2004. Former Samsung Vice Chairman Jong-kyun Shin, who played a key role in developing the world’s first color phone, received the same award in 2016. More recently, Samsung Research Fellow Juho Lee, who successfully helped lead 4G and 5G standardization, received the IEEE ComSoc Excellence in Supporting Standardization for Communications Award in 2023.

Continuing Next-Generation Communication Research

Samsung is working to standardize and integrate AI technology in next-generation communication.

The company currently holds two chairmanships and four vice chairmanships within 3GPP. This year, the company further engaged in standardization activities by adding a chair to the Radio Communication Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R), a United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICT).

Samsung is a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance, a global organization dedicated to advancing telecommunications technology. Recently, the company has also been reappointed as vice chair of the Next G Alliance — an initiative dedicated to advancing North American wireless technology leadership — further strengthening its leadership in the convergence of AI and wireless communication technologies.