By Dominique Schreurs
At a time when models for producing and delivering energy must adapt to increasingly diverse needs, a team of dedicated volunteers around the globe created a vibrant community to stand up to the challenge: The IEEE Future Directions Wireless Power Technologies (WPT) Initiative
A New Vision
Started in 2023, the WPT Initiative is co-chaired by Dominique Schreurs, Professor at KU Leuven in Belgium; Patrick Hu, Professor at U. Auckland in New Zealand; and Hooman Kazemi, Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Technologies in California, USA. The Steering Committee currently counts an additional 27 very active members from around the world. These members represent 10 collaborating Societies and Councils: ComSoc, APS, EDS, EMCS, PELS, IES, MTTS, IAS, the Council on RFID, and Smart Cities. They have assembled a website (wirelesspower.ieee.org) chock full of information about the technologies, from intriguing historical timelines and documents, to the latest videos about breakthroughs in the field. These technologies range from near-field to far-field, and at various levels of TRL development. Their vision has been to create a tightly knit community dedicated to working together to make a real difference for both the research and industry arms of their field. Some of their endeavors are described below.
A Growing Flagship Conference: WPTCE
The story of the IEEE Wireless Power Technology Conference and Expo (WPTCE) traces back to its beginnings as the International Microwave Workshop Series on Innovative Wireless Power Transfer (IMWS-IWPT) held in 2011 and 2012 in Kyoto, Japan. These early meetings, focused on cutting-edge research in wireless power, laid the foundation for a growing community. In 2013, the first official Wireless Power Transfer Conference was launched in Perugia, Italy, marking a significant step in establishing a recurring international event. Over the following years, the conference traveled the globe — from South Korea to Portugal and the United States — under the sole organization of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S), helping to strengthen the worldwide network of researchers and industry leaders in wireless power.
As the field expanded, so did the conference. In Canada, the event joined forces with the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) through their Workshop on Emerging Technologies: Wireless Power (WoW), evolving into a larger event known as Wireless Power Week. Recognizing the need for a unified platform, the two societies eventually merged their efforts into a single flagship conference: the IEEE Wireless Power Technology Conference and Expo (IEEE WPTCE), co-organized and co-owned by IEEE MTT-S and IEEE PELS. Then, in a major milestone for 2025, WPTCE proudly welcomed the Future Directions WPT Initiative to join-in as a first-time sponsor.
This year, the conference will be hosted in the stunning ancient building of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Rome, Italy, on June 3rd to 6th, promising to further elevate the impact and global reach of the WPTCE. As “the largest event in the world for wireless power research and industry engagement, covering a wide range of topics, applications, frequencies, and power levels”, according to its 2025 Call for Papers, it accepts both research, and industry/application papers. It features a range of innovative events designed to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers in the field: a “WPT School” consisting of two courses offered prior to the opening of the technical program, and a very popular Student Design Competition, where undergraduate and postgraduate teams selected in advance of the conference present their practical systems to demonstrate the capability of various wireless power technologies. Nearly 250 papers from all continents have been accepted into the technical program, with over half submitted by student first-authors. Many different types of applications are represented in the technologies discussed, from wearable and implantable devices, to transportation systems, to IoT, and even advances in complex environments such as the oceans. As in prior years, many of the volunteers working on the Future Directions Initiative will be leading events at the conference, and meeting in-person as a steering committee.
The Launch of an IEEE Journal: J-WPT
In addition to all the progress realized building its community and flagship conference, the Initiative now proudly announces the launch of the IEEE Journal on Wireless Power Technologies (J-WPT), a multidisciplinary publication dedicated to the advancement of wireless power technologies with a strong focus on hardware implementation. Supported by an independent, expert editorial board under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Prof. Jasmin Grosinger, J-WPT seeks to publish groundbreaking research and practical demonstrations from researchers, industry professionals, and innovators worldwide.
The journal invites original contributions covering diverse aspects of wireless power technologies and encourages submissions showcasing innovative applications. Jointly sponsored by IEEE Microwave Theory & Technology Society (MTT-S), IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS), IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES), IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (APS), IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS), IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS), IEEE Council on Radio Frequency Identification (CRFID), and IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society (EMC), J-WPT is positioned to become an influential voice fostering progress across this rapidly evolving field.
Standards that Support a Dynamic Industry
As game-changing applications based on wireless power technologies are being developed, the industry relies on updated standards to grow. In 2024, the Initiative established a standard committee under the MTT-S umbrella. This group facilitates a communication channel between members of industry and academia, focusing on radiative WPT via microwaves and radiowaves. Its work supplements existing standards that apply to current commercialized applications, including: Japanese radio regulations established in 2022, ITU-R recommendation of beam WPT created in 2022, the AirFuel standard of uncoupled WPT, and others. This work carried out by the members of the Initiative is a key element supporting this rapidly evolving industry.
A New, Engaging Video Podcast
The WPT Initiative has launched an exciting new activity called WPT PowerCast — a video podcast designed to spotlight some of the most well-known initiatives in the field of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT). Each episode delves into a specific topic within the broad spectrum of WPT research, bringing attention to cutting-edge developments, ongoing projects, and the diverse applications that are shaping the future of the field. The series is moderated by Alessandra Costanzo and Nuno Carvalho, both highly recognized experts and active contributors to the WPT community.
The vodcast is structured as a friendly and engaging conversation, where leading researchers from around the world discuss their work, share insights, and explore what lies ahead for WPT technologies. Pre-recorded and made available online, WPT PowerCast offers both newcomers and experts a unique opportunity to hear directly from the voices driving innovation in wireless power — all in an accessible and informal format guided by knowledgeable and experienced hosts.
Learn More
“Radiative Wireless Power Transfer: Where We Are and Where We Want to Go” by: Valentina Palazzi et.al., IEEE Microwave Magazine, February 2023.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10004795
wirelesspower.ieee.org.
