5G PPP – 5G core technologies innovation

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

5G offers prospects for a range of new technologies and hardware devices to enter the market and to create economic opportunities for new and innovative market actors. The challenge is hence to reap the fruits of earlier R&D investments in these enabling technologies to support the emergence of new markets and new market actors in Europe.

a) Innovation Actions (IA)

Enabling technologies: The key 5G technological blocks under consideration are primarily hardware-based and include, but are not limited to, phase array antenna, array processors, millimetre wave devices and subsystems, photonics based devices, baseband processor platforms, low-cost access points, new generation of 5G terminals notably for future Connected and Automated Mobility, in order to provide opportunities for innovative high-tech SMEs access to new markets through pilot validation of promising solutions. A special emphasis will be put on new types of IoT devices demonstrating the use of 5G connectivity functionalities addressing requirements of one or several vertical industry sectors.

The actions go beyond individual components and also address integration and validation of technologies as part of an overall architecture representing a subset of 5G network functions. Their added value is in the validation of the target component as part of its integration into an overall architecture representing a subset of 5G network functions.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 4 and 6 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

b) Coordination and support actions (CSA)

Enabling technologies applicable to connectivity systems are increasingly important in the context of strategic autonomy. Europe is not anymore leading connectivity technologies that are applied at terminal/device level (e.g. advanced processor and ancillary device technologies) or at network level, such as the needed hardware processing/ acceleration that are increasingly needed to deploy real time virtualised functionalities. Whilst new opportunities have been opened by future connectivity systems that operate at millimetre or higher frequencies, Europe has not prominently positioned itself on these new markets, in spite of significant know-how acquired with military and space systems.

Against this background, the objective of the target support actions are:

• definition of the expected core hardware components of future connectivity systems where Europe should seize opportunities and strengthen its capabilities, taking into account the characteristics and architectures, including security, of future connectivity platforms;
• definition of the required R&I and investment requirements related to the identified domains;
• definition of related industry roadmap in partnership among relevant EU actors, both from industry and academia;

The Commission considers that a proposal requesting a contribution from the EU of EUR 1 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

a) Innovation Actions (IA)

• support to the emergence of a European offer for new 5G core technologies at TRL 7 or beyond.
• support to the emergence of new actors in the related markets.
• creation of high tech start-ups or of new business opportunities for established SME's.
• strong SME participation is targeted.

b) Coordination and support actions (CSA)

• Cross industry availability of a European roadmap for hardware enabling technologies supporting European strategic autonomy objectives for connectivity platforms.

Contractual Public-Private Partnerships (cPPPs)
5G