Mohsen
Shakibafar

Senior Systems Architect · IT/OT/IoT Integration Architect · Industrial Platforms, Edge Computing & Industry 4.0 Expert

I bridge IT, OT, and IoT, combining 30+ years of software engineering with 20+ years of industrial expertise to architect connected systems, industrial networks, edge computing, and digital platforms for Industry 4.0.

IT / OT / IoT Integration Industrial Systems Architecture DCS / SCADA Industrial IoT (IIoT) Edge & Cloud Computing Industry 4.0
Mohsen Shakibafar
About

Background

20+ years in industrial automation · Architect of MAPCS and MAPNA MIND · Visiting Researcher at CAU Kiel

With more than 20 years of experience across industrial automation, software engineering, networking, and distributed systems, I have delivered mission-critical solutions for the energy, manufacturing, transportation, and infrastructure sectors. Throughout my career, I have worked across the full technology stack — from embedded and control systems to cloud-native platforms, edge computing, and large-scale digital transformation initiatives.

I have contributed to several pioneering industrial projects, including the development of MAPCS, one of Iran's first Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and MAPNA MIND, one of the country's first industrial IoT and cloud-based analytics platforms. These experiences have allowed me to bridge the gap between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), transforming complex industrial challenges into scalable, secure, and future-ready digital solutions.

I also maintain an active interest in applied research, with a focus on Edge AI and intelligent architectures for industrial systems.

20+
Years of experience
60+
Industrial units supported
2
Registered patents
2
Published books
Company Exemplary Engineer recognition (MAPNA)
Career

Professional Experience

06/2026 – present
Visiting Researcher — Distributed Systems Group Current
Designing an architecture integrating Federated Learning (FL) with TinyML over Named Data Networking (NDN) for real-time monitoring of power distribution networks. Focus on improving efficiency, scalability, resilience, and security of energy infrastructure through edge AI and content-based routing.
03/2025 – 05/2026
Principal IIoT Platform Architect
Established core digital architecture for MAPNA Group's digital innovation arm. Led design of IIoT systems and data-driven solutions for energy, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. Drove large-scale Industry 4.0 initiatives across MAPNA subsidiaries.
07/2023 – 03/2025
Lead IIoT Systems Architect
Designed scalable cloud-native and edge-based architectures for MAPNA MIND, a real-time industrial analytics and decision-support platform. Led digital transformation initiatives and platform-level enhancements.
03/2020 – 07/2023
Senior IIoT, IoT, CM Developer
Architected next-generation MAPNA MIND IIoT platform and MINDA IoT gateway, covering cloud, edge, embedded development, and industrial data integration.
07/2016 – 03/2020
Senior Software & Network Developer
Designed IIoT/Industry 4.0 platform for industrial data collection, real-time monitoring, and cloud-based analytics for power and industrial asset optimisation.
Company Exemplary Engineer
11/2013 – 09/2016
Senior DCS Platform Developer
Led architecture and development of MAPCS, one of Iran's first Distributed Control Systems based on Foundation Fieldbus. Deployed supervisory and process control platform across multiple power plants.
Company Exemplary Engineer
10/2009 – 10/2013
Industrial Network Expert
Administered Solaris/Unix systems for Siemens TELEPERM XP and SPPA-T2000 across ~60 power plants. Developed MAPVIEW monitoring software for MAPCS DCS.
Company Exemplary Engineer
01/2007 – 01/2009
Expert Commissioning Supervisor — Railway & Metro Signaling
Deployed and commissioned safety-critical signaling systems for complex rail and metro environments.
Expertise

Technical Skills

INDUSTRIAL
Industrial Systems
DCS / SCADA · Foundation Fieldbus · PROFIBUS · MODBUS · OPC UA/DA · PLC · HMI Design
Certified · Siemens Power Academy · Karlsruhe 2010
IOT / IIOT
IoT & Edge Computing
IIoT Platform Design · Edge AI · Federated Learning · TinyML · MQTT · NDN · Embedded Systems
CLOUD
Cloud Architecture
Cloud-Native Design · Microservices · Docker · Big Data Pipelines · Real-Time Analytics
CODE
Programming
C# · C/C++ · Python · JavaScript · PHP · Delphi · Assembly x86
SYSTEMS
Systems & DevOps
Linux / Unix / Solaris · Windows Server · Shell Scripting · MS SQL Server
SECURITY
OT/IT Security
Industrial Cybersecurity · Network Hardening · Access Control
INDUSTRIES
Industries
Software Development · Thermal Power Plants · Renewable Energy · Railway Signaling · Infrastructure & Telecom
LANGUAGES
Languages
Persian — Native
English — Professional Working Proficiency
German  — Basic Working Proficiency (currently improving)
Academic Background

Education

In Progress
PhD Candidate — Computer Systems Networking and Computing Current
Research focused on networked computing systems, with current work on Federated Learning, TinyML, and Named Data Networking for industrial applications.
Completed
Master of Science — Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
Graduate specialisation in computer networks and telecommunications systems.
Completed
Bachelor of Science — Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Shiraz University · Shiraz, Iran
Undergraduate foundation in electrical and electronics engineering.
Completed
Diploma — Mathematics and Physics
Highly selective national gifted-students programme with focus on mathematics and physics.
Research

Current Research — CAU Kiel

FL + TinyML over NDN for Power Distribution Network Monitoring

Designing and evaluating an architecture that integrates Federated Learning (FL) with Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) over Named Data Networking (NDN) for real-time monitoring of power distribution networks. Supervised by Dr.-Ing. Mohamed Hail within the Distributed Systems research group at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.

The objective is to improve the efficiency, scalability, resilience, and security of energy infrastructure monitoring by combining AI processing at the edge, local model training via FL, and content-based routing using NDN — reducing latency and bandwidth consumption while preserving data privacy.

Federated Learning TinyML Named Data Networking Edge AI Power Grid Monitoring Distributed Systems
Patents & Publications

Intellectual Contributions

MAPNA MIND Device PATENT · 2021
MAPNA MIND — Comprehensive IoT/IIoT Cloud-Based Platform
Iranian Patent No. 105702. one of Iran's first cloud-based IIoT platforms for AI developers, industries, and smart infrastructure applications.
mapnamind.com
MAPCS Control Room PATENT · 2016
MAPNA Automation & Process Control System (MAPCS)
Iranian Patent No. ir139650140003006723. one of Iran's first Distributed Control Systems based on Foundation Fieldbus, deployed in 10+ power plants.
mapcs.info
Control of Peripheral Devices by Computer
BOOK · 2005 / 2011
Control of Peripheral Devices by Computer
A technical guide to controlling hardware from a computer — driving electronic and electromechanical devices via the serial, parallel, and USB ports, with hands-on examples in 9 programming languages and coverage of interface-circuit design. Adopted as a university reference; 2nd edition 2011. Nass Publishing.
View publication
Scrum Insights for Practitioners
BOOK · 2022
Scrum Insights for Practitioners (Co-translator)
Persian translation (co-translator) of “Scrum Insights for Practitioners” by Hiren Doshi — a companion guide that takes the Scrum framework beyond the fundamentals into real-world practice, as a localized resource for software teams adopting agile, Scrum-based development. Safar · Eshragh Publishing.
View publication
Built from Scratch

Sample Projects

MAPCS HMI
MAPCS — HMI & DCS Platform
one of Iran's first domestically engineered Distributed Control Systems, built on Foundation Fieldbus technology. MAPVIEW — the HMI layer — provides real-time process visualisation, alarm management, and operator control across power, petrochemical, and industrial plants. Deployed in multiple power plant units.
C#FieldbusSCADAOPCDCSHMI
Patent No. ir139650140003006723 · Deployed in 10+ power plants
mapcs.info ↗
ADMS Screenshot
ADMS — Archive Data Management System
Specialised software for archiving, retrieval, and analysis of historical operational data from Siemens SPPA-T2000 DCS power plants. Replaces legacy MOD disk-based archiving with a modern database-backed system. Converts Siemens binary data to standard formats and integrates directly with the control system. Sold commercially in 15+ Iranian power plants.
C#.NETMS SQLSiemens TXPSPPA-T2000
Deployed in 15+ power plants · Commercial product
Vital Pixels Screenshot
Vital Pixels — Image Processing IDE
A full-featured Integrated Development Environment for developing, debugging, and analysing image processing algorithms. Implements the "vital points" compression method — a novel lossy image compression technique based on extracting critical pixels. Rated 4.5/5 on Softpedia, outperforming NIH's ImageJ (3.5/5).
C#Image ProcessingAlgorithm Design.NET
Softpedia score: 4.5/5 · MSc thesis foundation
View on Softpedia ↗
MINDA Smart Hub
MINDA — Smart Home IoT Ecosystem
MINDA is a complete smart home IoT ecosystem built on LoRa technology. The system comprises a full range of smart home devices — lighting, sensors, meters, and actuators — all communicating wirelessly over LoRa with the MINDA central hub. The hub acts as the bridge between the smart home network and MAPNA MIND's cloud platform: on one side, it speaks LoRa with all connected home devices; on the other, it connects via WiFi to the cloud for remote control, data analytics, and intelligent automation. Available in three hub form factors: wall-mounted, desktop, and luxury.
LoRaWiFiIoTEmbeddedCloudSmart Home
Hardware + Software · Integrated with MAPNA MIND platform
Watch on YouTube
MAPNA MIND — IIoT Cloud Platform
MAPNA MIND is one of Iran's first industrial IoT/IIoT cloud platforms, built for energy, manufacturing, and smart infrastructure. It stores and processes large-scale industrial data — including power plant telemetry at per-second resolution — and makes it accessible to engineers, operators, and managers in real time. The platform supports multi-language APIs (6+ languages), enabling developers to build custom applications for turbine fault detection, predictive maintenance, and smart city services. Scalable by design, MAPNA MIND bridges field-level industrial data with cloud analytics and AI-driven decision support.
IoT/IIoTCloudEdgeAIDockerREST API
Patent No. 105702 · National-scale deployment
mapnamind.com ↗
MIND Board LoRaWAN Map
Smart City LoRaWAN Coverage
Large-scale smart city deployment using LoRaWAN network infrastructure connected to MAPNA MIND. Integrates diverse sensor types — weather stations, electricity/gas/water smart meters, environmental and soil sensors — across city districts. The full network stack was deployed and configured, including LoRaWAN Core server for network management, device provisioning, and session handling of all connected end-nodes. MIND Board provides real-time geo-mapped visibility of device coverage, asset status, and zone-based management across urban infrastructure.
LoRaWANSmart CityGISSensorsMIND Board
Multi-district deployment · 8 sensor categories
Media & Press

Featured Interviews

ZOOMIT Persian · Video
MAPNA MIND — One of Iran's First Industrial IIoT Platforms
Zoomit (zoomit.ir) is one of Iran's most widely read technology publications, covering tech news, in-depth product reviews, and science education. In this feature, Zoomit reports on MAPNA MIND — one of Iran's first homegrown industrial IIoT cloud platforms — covering its architecture, real-time monitoring capabilities, AI-powered analytics, and its significance for Industry 4.0 adoption across Iran's energy and manufacturing sectors.
Watch on YouTube
IRIB Persian · TV
8th ICT Challenge — National Technology Competition
IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) — Iran's national state television — covered the 8th ICT Challenge, one of the country's leading technology and innovation competitions. The broadcast highlights contributions to the industrial IoT and digital transformation category, featuring MAPNA MIND as a flagship example of homegrown industrial intelligence.
Watch on YouTube
NEXTERA · NEXT TALK 9 · PART 1 Persian · Panel
IoT in Iran: Infrastructure to Management — Part 1
Next Talk is a specialized technology panel series hosted by Nextera Innovation Hub — one of Iran's leading startup accelerators and innovation centres located at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, focused on IoT, Smart City, Blockchain, and Cyber Security. In this episode, experts discuss the infrastructure challenges and platform development shaping the Industrial IoT landscape in Iran.
Watch on YouTube
NEXTERA · NEXT TALK 9 · PART 2 Persian · Panel
IoT in Iran: Infrastructure to Management — Part 2
The second part of Nextera's Next Talk panel continues the expert discussion on IIoT strategy and management — diving deeper into cloud vs. edge architectures, data governance in industrial environments, and real-world lessons from large-scale IIoT platform deployment in Iran's energy sector.
Watch on YouTube
Professional Footprint

Field Coverage & Engagements

45+ project sites across Iran — power plants, industrial networks, IIoT deployments, railway signalling and infrastructure — alongside international engagements in Germany, Switzerland and the UAE (Siemens training, research, business meetings and exhibitions).

Iran — field & project sites International — training, research, meetings & exhibitions
Testimonials

References & Recommendations

9 references — colleagues, managers, professors & academic advisors · View all on LinkedIn ↗

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