NEC Labs America

10/01/2026

Research never really stops at NEC Labs America, but this summer our teams in Princeton and San Jose made time to step away from the lab and enjoy each other's company. We traded whiteboards for volleyball nets, kayak paddles, golf clubs, hiking trails, potluck dishes, karaoke mics and hosted our own multi-day World Cup!

Along the way, researchers and interns from every department swapped stories, shared recipes, and uncovered a few hidden talents. Congratulations to Yi-Wen Chen on her second straight potluck win and Amir Khojastepour as the most outstanding World Cup competitor!

Read the full recap on our blog. https://www.nec-labs.com/blog/summer-fun-at-nec-labs-america/

NEC Laboratories America teams enjoyed volleyball, kayaking, Topgolf, a hike, a potluck, and karaoke this summer in San Jose and Princeton.

09/30/2026

Good food, great company, and plenty of steam rising from the hot pots!

Our new Optical Sensing & Solutions (OSS) team at NEC Laboratories America took a break from the lab to have a kick-off lunch at our favorite restaurant, Korean BBQ & Hot Pot in Princeton, New Jersey. Moments like these remind us that the best research starts with a team that enjoys working side by side.

Pictured (left to right): Yangmin Ding, Yuheng Chen, Shuji Murakami, Yusuf Elbana, Stacey Marino, Sarper Ozharar, Yaowen Li, Ming-Fang (Yvonne) Huang, Jian (James) Fang, Tingfeng Li, Junqiang (JQ) Hu and Yue Tian.

Visit our OSS page: https://www.nec-labs.com/research/optical-sensing-solutions/

09/24/2026

We're proud to share that Christopher White has been named Corporate Senior Vice President and Global Managing Director, R&D at NEC Corporation, while continuing as President of NEC Laboratories America. In this expanded role, Chris will lead NEC's worldwide R&D strategy across labs in the US, Japan, Europe, Asia Pacific, and China. Congratulations, Chris!

Learn more: https://www.nec-labs.com/blog/christopher-white-appointed-corporate-senior-vice-president-and-global-managing-director-rd-at-nec-corporation/

Christopher White has been appointed Corporate Senior Vice President at NEC Corporation and Managing Director of the Research & Development Division.

09/15/2026

The Optical Communications & Computing and Optical Sensing & Solution teams are heading to (ECOC 2026 | 52nd European Conference on Optical Communication) later this week, in Málaga, Spain, from September 20-24th.

Don't miss presentations and poster sessions spanning underwater acoustic sensing, power-efficient submarine cables, earthquake detection through fiber networks and precision event localization. Presenting are Sarper Ozharar, Fatih Yaman, Ezra Ip, Jian Fang, Andrea D'Amico, Philip Ji and Wataru Kohno. Ming-Fang Huang will chair two sessions dedicated to subsea sensing.

Catch a glimpse of where research is headed next.

Learn more: https://www.nec-labs.com/blog/nec-labs-america-presents-at-ecoc-2026-in-malaga-spain-september-20-24th/

09/11/2026

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and afterward, and to honor the first responders, families, and communities forever changed by that day. We reflect on the resilience shown in the years since and recommit ourselves to the values of service, unity, and progress that define our work. We hold space for remembrance and for gratitude toward all who continue to protect and rebuild.

09/09/2026

Exciting news! Effective September 1st, NEC Laboratories America has split its Optical Networking and Sensing department into two focused research groups.

Yue-Kai Huang will lead the Optical Communications and Computing department (OCC), working on high-capacity transmission and photonic computing for AI workloads. The new OCC research team includes Eric C. Blow, Researcher; Andrea D’Amico, Researcher; Azita Nouri, Researcher; Ezra Ip, Senior Researcher; Philip N. Ji, Senior Researcher; Eduardo Mateo, Senior Researcher; and Fatih Yaman, Senior Researcher.

Yue Tian will lead the Optical Sensing and Solutions department (OSS), turning deployed fiber networks into sensing platforms for cities and infrastructure. The OSS research team includes Yuheng Chen, Researcher; Yangmin Ding, Researcher; Tingfeng Li, Researcher; Yusuf Elbana, Research Assistant; Shuji Murakami, Research Assistant; Jian Fang, Senior Researcher; Junqiang Hu, Senior Researcher; Ming-Fang Huang, Senior Researcher; Yaowen Li, Senior Researcher; and Sarper Ozharar, Senior Researcher.

Ting Wang, the former Department Head of Optical Networking and Sensing, will continue to contribute to both departments.

Read more about the new departments: https://www.nec-labs.com/blog/nec-laboratories-america-forms-two-new-departments-optical-communications-computing-and-optical-sensing-solutions/

09/08/2026

NEC Laboratories America is heading to (European Conference on Optical Communications) in Málaga, Spain, from September 20-24th.

Our researchers will present on underwater acoustic sensing, power-efficient submarine cables, earthquake detection through fiber networks, and precision event localization. Our presenters include Sarper Ozharar, Fatih Yaman, Ezra Ip, Jian Fang, Andrea D'Amico, Philip N. Ji and Wataru Kohno, while Ming-Fang Huang will chair two sessions on subsea sensing.

See where photonics research is headed next.

Learn more: https://www.nec-labs.com/blog/nec-labs-america-presents-at-ecoc-2026-in-malaga-spain-september-20-24th/

NEC Laboratories America researchers present at ECOC 2026, sharing advances in fiber optic sensing, submarine cables, and AI-driven networks.

09/07/2026

This Labor Day, NEC Laboratories America celebrates our employees and interns whose work pushes AI, optical communications, media analytics, optical sensing, machine learning, data science and integrated systems research forward every day. Their dedication drives innovation that shapes the future of technology. Wishing everyone a restful holiday and a well-deserved break.