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Communication technologies

More than €10.5m invested to support seven 5G projects



The 5GDrive project, led by SNT and the University of Luxembourg, aims to develop an autonomous vehicle using 5G for real-time driving and remote control. It has received the most funding of the seven projects selected, with an endowment of €1.957m. Photo: Shutterstock

The 5GDrive project, led by SNT and the University of Luxembourg, aims to develop an autonomous vehicle using 5G for real-time driving and remote control. It has received the most funding of the seven projects selected, with an endowment of €1.957m. Photo: Shutterstock

€10.541m in seven 5G projects to transform sectors such as agriculture, industry and transport. These initiatives, the result of a rigorous process, harness the technologies of “smart cities,” “smart environment” and “Industry 4.0” to accelerate digital transformation.

“5G, a real lever for accelerating digital transformation, is at the heart of Luxembourg’s priorities,” emphasises economy minister Lex DellesLex Delles (DP). The country is actively pursuing the deployment of 5G communications technologies, selecting seven projects as part of a joint call for projects coordinated by the ministry of state, the department of media, connectivity and digital policy, the economy ministry, the National Research Fund (FNR) and Luxinnovation. Unveiled on Tuesday 5 November, these projects cover a variety of sectors, from agriculture and transport to industry, illustrating the cross-cutting impact of 5G on the grand duchy’s economic and technological development.

Launched in 2023, the initiative aims to harness the potential of 5G in the areas of “smart cities,” “smart environment” and “Industry 4.0.” The call for projects took place in two phases. Between November 2023 and February 2024, interested parties submitted their proposals in the various fields. After an initial evaluation, the shortlisted projects submitted detailed proposals between March and May 2024, which were examined by a panel of experts. Implementation of the projects can now begin.

The total budget for the projects is €10.541m. The media, connectivity and digital policy department is funding €7.637m. “€3.495 million will be transferred via the economy ministry to the private players involved, while €4.142m will be transferred via the FNR to the research bodies.”

The seven selected projects

(The order of the projects is not a ranking)

5G-Agrobot

Fësch Haff and Frontier Connect, in partnership with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (List), is focusing on the creation of an automated monitoring and harvesting system for indoor farms. 5G technology is used to enable low-latency communication between IOT sensors, cameras and the harvesting robot. Artificial intelligence algorithms analyse the data to optimise operations. The project has a budget of €1.444m.

5G-CriCo

Post Luxembourg and the List are working on the reliability of critical communications on 5G standalone networks, with a demonstration involving essential infrastructure such as that of the CFL. This project has a budget of €1.279m.

5G-Artemis

The 5G-Artemis project, developed by Dropslab Technologies and the University of Luxembourg, integrates sensors, augmented reality and 5G to improve additive manufacturing processes. The system aims to quickly identify inefficiencies and defects in production lines. The budget allocated to this project is €1.848m.

Cosmic

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SNT) and SES are exploring direct communications between devices via non-terrestrial networks. This technology aims to improve connections for connected vehicles and portable devices, while developing the next generation of mobile networks. The project has a budget of €1.47m.

Pasta-5G-V2X

The consortium comprising IEE SA and the List is developing transparent antennas to improve communications between vehicles and infrastructure. The project aims to improve road safety and traffic management through extended network coverage. The project has a budget of €1.278m.

5GDrive

The SNT at the University of Luxembourg, Post Luxembourg and Ohmio are designing an autonomous driving system using 5G to transmit sensor and video data in real time. The project is also testing low-latency remote control of vehicles. The project has a budget of €1.957m.

5G-Meta

Proximus and the List aim to create solutions to automate the exposure of 5G network functionalities. The project aims to simplify access to advanced services for application developers and mobile network operators. The budget allocated to this project is €1.256m.

This article was originally published in French.