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Imagine if your electric vehicle could recharge while waiting at a red light, or if you never required a new battery for your pacemaker. It may sound like next generation technology, but these ideas are being explored by researchers around the world including those at Dalhousie University.

Known as wireless power technology, this emerging field took centre stage this month as Dal’s Faculty of Engineering welcomed more than 260 researchers, industry leaders and students from more than 30 countries to the 2026 IEEE Wireless Power Technology Conference and Expo (WPTCE). The event marked the first time this international conference had been hosted in Canada.

Co-chaired by Dal Electrical Engineering Professors Dr. Zhizhang (David) Chen and Dr. Hamed Aly, alongside Dr. Olivier Trescases from the University of Toronto, the four-day conference provided a global forum for experts to share ideas, showcase emerging research and build new collaborations.

Powering the Future Without Wires

Wireless power technology uses electromagnetic fields to transfer energy from a power source to a device without the need for physical connections. Although wireless charging is already familiar in everyday products, researchers are exploring new applications that could transform transportation, healthcare, manufacturing and other industries.

Demonstrations at the WPTCE conference offered a glimpse into what that future could look like including systems that can charge smartphones from a distance and surfaces that can power devices such as computers, lights and other electronics.

But Dr. Aly says there are still several challenges to overcome before wireless power transfer technology becomes widely adopted. These include improving power transfer efficiency, extending the transfer distance, reducing electromagnetic interference, and minimizing the size and cost of wireless charging systems.

“Continued progress in this field will depend on the researchers, engineers, and students who work every day to advance the technology and make it more practical and accessible,” he adds.

Global Recognition

With that research underway at Dal, Dr. Aly adds that hosting WPTCE was an excellent opportunity to highlight the Faculty’s growing expertise in the field and help connect undergraduate and graduate students with other leading experts from around the world.

“Our students had the chance to hear from different researchers, not only from us,” he says “Because it was on campus, it was easy for our graduate students to attend and learn about the latest research in wireless power, microwave technology, electromagnetics and power electronics.”

The conference was also an opportunity for researchers to share ideas and develop partnerships that could lead to future collaborations.

“We met many researchers who are experts in the field, and we discussed the up-to-date research in that area,” says Dr. Aly. “We built different connections, and in the future, we are expecting more collaboration with different researchers.”

“We built different connections, and in the future, we are expecting more collaboration with different researchers.”

While the conference showcased the future of wireless power technology, making it happen required a lot of effort behind the scenes. Preparations began more than a year ago, with the organizing committee working through programming, logistics and international participation.

“This was the first time for me organizing such a big conference,” says Dr. Aly. “It was a big challenge at the beginning because I was worried about the logistics and also leading such a large conference.”

Yet, despite the challenges, including travel and visa issue, the conference successfully brought together researchers, students and industry partners from countries such as USA, Japan, Italy, France, England, Germany, Hong Kong, China and more.

“We are very proud to have brought WPTCE to Dal and to Halifax for the first time,” says Dr. Aly “Hosting an international conference of this scale allowed us to not only showcase the expertise we have here at Dal, but also demonstrate that Canada is contributing to the future of wireless power technology.”