Prof. Helen Karatza
Department of Informatics
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Greece
Abstract: The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has transformed the computing landscape, placing unprecedented demands on traditional cloud-centric architectures. The massive volume of distributed data, coupled with stringent latency and reliability requirements, has accelerated the adoption of edge-oriented computing paradigms. Within this context, Fog and Mist computing have become fundamental components of the edge computing system, enabling computation to be progressively shifted from centralized cloud platforms toward network edges and even directly onto end devices. This keynote examines the challenges and opportunities associated with orchestrating computational resources across the cloud–fog–mist continuum, with particular emphasis on scheduling mechanisms for real-time and mission-critical IoT applications. It reviews contemporary approaches that balance latency, resource utilization, energy efficiency, and quality of service while satisfying application deadlines in highly dynamic environments. The presentation also discusses emerging technologies, including adaptive scheduling, highlighting the key research challenges that will shape next-generation edge computing infrastructures.
Biography:
Helen Karatza (senior member of IEEE, ACM, SCS) is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Informatics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Dr. Karatza's research interests include cloud, fog and mist computing, energy efficiency, fault tolerance, resource allocation, scheduling algorithms and real-time distributed systems. Dr. Karatza has authored or co-authored over 270 technical papers and book chapters. She has received the ACM SIGSIM Distinguished Contributions Award 2025. She is included in the list of the world’s top 2% of scientists (Stanford University rankings), and also in the 12th edition of the Research.com best computer science scientists ranking list, 2026. She served as an elected member of the Board of Directors at Large of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International. She also served as chair and keynote speaker at international conferences. Dr. Karatza is Senior Associate Editor of the Elsevier journal “Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory”, an Editor of “Future Generation Computer Systems” of Elsevier, and the Topical Editor for Edge Computing of IEEE Transactions on Services Computing. She was Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier journal “Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory”, Editor-in-Chief of “Simulation Transactions of The Society for Modeling and Simulation International”, Associate Editor of “ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation” and Senior Associate Editor of the “Journal of Systems and Software” of Elsevier. She served as Guest Editor of multiple Special Issues in international journals. More info about her activities and publications can be found at: Web Link