Consortium

Ericsson Telecomunicazioni is a company part of the Ericsson Group, the world's leading provider of technology and services in Telecommunication and Information and Communication Technology. Ericsson is leader in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile technologies, providing support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services, with about 40% of the world’s mobile traffic carried through its networks. Company’s comprehensive portfolio includes network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions also providing connectivity services and platforms to support growth in IoT.

Samsung is a multinational conglomerate company and provider of communication technology and services. Since its founding in 1969, Samsung Electronics has grown into a global information technology leader, managing more than 200 subsidiaries around the world. The company’s offerings include home appliances such as TVs, monitors or printers, as well as key mobile telecommunications products like smartphones and tablets. Samsung aims to improve the global community through its constant pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and value creation. Today, Samsung Electronics is the world’s highest selling mobile terminal company, number one in global and European smart phone sales, and only second in the World R&D investment ranking according to the EU’s 2015 scoreboard. Samsung Electronics Europe has a turnover of EURO 34 billion, has major R&D centres in 5 European countries and employs nearly 5000 R&D staff across Europe.

TIM (the single brand of the Group from the beginning of 2016 which combines Telecom Italia's solidity and TIM's innovation) operates in all the sectors of the advanced communications chain, with highly developed business in fixed-mobile communications and the Internet; in the office & system solutions (Olivetti); in research and development (TIMLab). It is present mainly in Europe, the Mediterranean Basin (TI Sparkle) and South America. At March 31, 2016, TIM has 11,6M retail physical accesses in Italy and a broadband portfolio equal to 9M accesses (7,1M retail and 1,9M wholesale). In the Italian mobile market, TIM is one of the main players with 29,8M lines. Abroad, TIM Brazil is the second largest operator by number of mobile lines (67,3M).

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with 40 billion euros sales in 2015 and 154,000 employees worldwide (30 June 2016), including 96,000 employees in France. Present in 29 countries, the Group has 250 million customers worldwide (30 June 2016), including 189 million mobile customers and 18 million fixed broadband customers. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. Orange invested 726 million euros in research and innovation in 2015; close to 8000 researchers, engineers, designers, developers, data scientists, sociologists, graphic designers, marketers and cyber-security experts work together in order to develop solutions in all areas of digital transformation. Orange has got 6,594 patents in its portfolio, including 250 patent applications registered in 2016.

The Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation S.A. (OTE), member of the Deutsche Telekom (DT) Group of Companies, is the incumbent telecommunications operator in Greece. OTE offers its customers a wide range of technologically advanced services such as high-speed data communications, mobile telephony, internet access, infrastructure provision, multimedia services, leased lines, maritime and satellite communications, ICT services and directories. OTE’s vision is to rank among the largest telecommunications companies in Europe, and through its international investments (mainly in the area of South-Eastern Europe), now addresses a potential customer base of 60 million people, making OTE the largest telecommunications provider in SE Europe. OTE’s R&D Department is involved in almost all technological and infrastructural issues and is an active participant in many EU and international collaborative projects. OTE’s current R&D activities include broadband technologies and services, next generation network architectures, infrastructure development etc., following to the actual challenges for the development of a fully competitive network infrastructure & a portfolio of innovative services/facilities.

Nokia is a global leader in creating the technologies at the heart of our connected world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry’s most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing. From the enabling infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things, to emerging applications in virtual reality and digital health, we are shaping the future of technology to transform the human experience. Nokia Bell Labs conduct disruptive research focused on solving the challenges of the new digital era, defined by the contextual connection and interaction of everything and everyone. With expertise in analytics, cloud, fixed, optics and wireless and by collaborating openly with the global innovation community, Nokia Bell Labs is seeking the technology solutions that will transform the connected world. For 90 years, scientific breakthroughs at Nokia Bell Labs have fundamentally transformed the ICT industry and won 8 Nobel Prizes.

Nokia creates the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, Nokia serves communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing. From the enabling infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things, to emerging applications in virtual reality and digital health, Nokia is shaping the future of technology to transform the human experience. Nokia presence in Greece is focusing on Customer Operations and Networks with a Technology Centre in Athens, which is one of the main development centres of Nokia worldwide with employees currently more than 1000 highly qualified engineers. It is specialized in the development of telecommunication services, protocols and applications with incubation and development activities extending over products from mobile, fixed and packet core networks, with a clear focus towards Cloud architecture and 5G evolution. With state-of-the-art and cutting-edge laboratories for research and development, Nokia Technology Center in Athens delivers world class solutions to customers across the globe.

Royal Philips is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare and Consumer Lifestyle. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2017 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 74,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.

Royal Philips is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare and Consumer Lifestyle. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. Philips posted 2017 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 74,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.

RAI - Radiotelevisione italiana is the Italian Public Service Broadcaster and Italy’s largest radio television broadcasting company. RAI was formed in 1954, year of the first analogue national television channel, taking over the former company which provided Radio services since 1924. The company played a major role in shaping the country’s life and customs over the last decades. RAI offering include several television and radio channels, as well as online based services for the communication to the public. Besides audio-visual production and broadcasting, RAI is depositary of the largest Italian television archive. RAI is a founding member of the European Broadcasting Union and member of FIAT/IFTA organisation.

Athens International Airport (AIA) opened in March 2001 and is a pioneer international Public Private Partnership of its type, being the first major Greenfield airport constructed with the participation of the private sector. A €2.2 billion investment, the new airport was built in a record time of 51 months, replacing its congested predecessor and offering to all airlines and passengers a modern, spacious and state-of-the-art environment. Since its opening AIA has performed exceptionally well in terms of handling major events (Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2004, Champions League Final etc.). AIA has managed to earn international recognition, holding top positions in the world in Overall Passenger Satisfaction - in its airport size category - according to the IATA Global Airport Monitor and AETRA surveys. AIA can offer operational expertise and a real environment for the conduction of the operational tests.

The Municipality of Turin is the city capital of Piedmont region (North-West Italy). With its 886.837 inhabitants, its 130 km2 of territorial extension and its GDP of 55.000 millions of Euros (which is 4.5% of the national GDP) is one of the most important cities in Italy. The city administration deals with the management of territorial and municipal assets and of public services (civic, social, sport & leisure, commerce, etc.). Since the 1990’s Torino has been following a path that has transformed it from an industrial capital (predominantly in automotive sector) into a pole of innovation & culture. In 2009 officially kick-started Turin path to become a “Smart City”, when the City Council took the decision to take part in the initiative of the European Commission “Covenant of Mayors” and – as one of the first Italian cities – engaged itself to elaborate an Action Plan for Energy in order to reduce its CO2 emissions more than 20% by 2020. More recently the City was awarded the second prize for “European Capital of Innovation” (I Capital 2016) for open innovation models supporting social innovation start-ups and creating new market opportunities for urban innovations. Furthermore, since 2017 the new City administration developed some mainstream projects to transform Torino into a “sensing city”.

The University Hospital of Rennes (CHURennes) is a referral center, tertiary care, 1607-bed, teaching hospital. The dedicated ‘Clinical Research Management Department’ provides comprehensive support to research projects, including administrative tasks, ethics and regulatory issues, quality control and monitoring of Good Clinical Practices. It is ranked 10th in the national ranking of the best public hospitals. The ‘Clinical Research Management Department’ is ISO 9001 certified. Philippe Mabo is author or co-author of more than 270 publications (H index 41). TherA-Image is a research platform in minimally invasive therapy and guided by the image. TherA-Image is a hybrid operating theater, used for both patient care and research in the field of health technology. It is a medico-technical platform located at the interface between the Rennes University Hospital, the University of Rennes 1, INSERM and the medical industry. It is here that the computerized approaches are devised and deployed for planning interventions, assistance with operating procedures and assessment of these procedures CHURennes is currently involved in several H2020 projects listed below.

Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA) is an educational organization of private law officially recognized by the state which covers all stages from pre-school to upper secondary education. In 1998, the organization established a Research and Development Department that uses the environment of the school as a testbed for the design and development of research and innovation activities in education. The R&D Department acts as an interface between pedagogical research, technological innovation and the school community. It focuses on the design, implementation and support of pedagogical and technological innovation in educational practice, both through internal research and through collaborations with educational, research and commercial organizations in Europe and the world.

The Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) is a think tank on homeland security policies and an established research center since 2005 (L. 3387/2005) within the Hellenic Ministry of Interior (former Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection), aiming to support security policy implementations in Greece, at a strategic level. More specifically, the activities KEMEA include a) the certification of practitioners in private security professions at the national level, b) research and development in the context of National and European projects in close cooperation with LEAs, working under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior and c) training of practitioners in new systems and technologies. The Center also provides advisory and consulting services to the Ministry of Interior, as well as other Public and Private authorities, on safety and security issues. A main objective of KEMEA is to bring together all national Law Enforcement Agencies (Police, Fire Service, Coast Guard, Civil Protection agency, etc.) and to enable them to collaborate, interconnecting them with corresponding agencies, research institutions and the industry from around Europe. This dedicated approach to exploring synergies, establishing communication links and working together to produce end-user driven research on all fronts of the Security Sector during the last decade, has earned KEMEA its participation in numerous National and EC R&D projects.

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital services with pro forma annual revenue of circa € 12 billion and 100,000 employees in 72 countries. Serving a global client base, the Group provides Consulting & Systems Integration services, Managed Services & BPO, Cloud operations, Big Data & Cyber-security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. With its deep technology expertise and industry knowledge, the Group works with clients across different business sectors: Defence, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline.

WINGS ICT Solutions is an SME, which focuses on the development of software for various vertical sectors (namely, water, energy, smart cities, food safety, health, transportation, finance) through advanced wireless, cloud/IoT, big data and security technologies. WINGS is staffed by members who have been active in research and development for more than twenty years. The wide expertise of its staff on the fields of “Internet of Things – Cloud Platforms – Wearables/Nano-systems/Embedded-Computing”, “Big Data, Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics”, “Device Management”, “Smart Wireless Access” and “Software networks” provides WINGS with a rich background and a portfolio of noteworthy achievements.

Expway is an LTE Broadcast (eMBMS) specialist. Expway has been involved in Broadcast, LTE Broadcast demos, proof-of-concepts, field trials and commercial launches since 2005. Expway is an active contributor to 3GPP, IETF, DVB and MPEG standards, and is the only vendor to offer a complete end-to-end, open LTE-Broadcast solution. The Expway BM-SC and provisioning server software are re-sold by Nokia, Huawei and used by Anritsu and Verizon. The Expway Middleware is integrated with eMBMS modems from Samsung, Bittium, Quanta, Intel, and Mediatek. The Expway Middleware is part of MooD (MBMS operation on Demand) feature commercially launched by Telstra operator in 2018. In addition, Expway has also its own MooD solution. Expway also offers a unique LTE Broadcast expertise to telecom operators, device makers and content providers that can be leveraged through a range of services.

Real Wireless is the pre-eminent independent expert advisor in wireless technology, business, strategy & regulation worldwide. A small to medium sized enterprise (SME) based in the UK, but working internationally, we bridge the gap between the wireless industry and wireless users. We help the wireless industry to better understand and meet the needs of its customers and help wireless users to get the best from wireless to the benefit of their business. With no fixed allegiances to any operator, vendor or technology and a complete focus on wireless, underpinned by a high level of integrity, we provide truly independent, deeply informed advice on the best form of wireless – both technology and commercial strategy – to meet any business requirement. We offer a wide range of services, including business cases, system modelling, coexistence studies, expert witness services, market surveys, product analysis, demand forecasts, economic analysis, network dimensioning, coverage/capacity/performance analysis, cost analysis, event support, rights negotiations and more. Our wireless industry clients include operators, vendors and regulators.

AMA R&D is the research and development entity of AMA, a 90 people company based in Rennes (France) with offices in Romania, Germany, UK and USA. AMA sells advanced remote assistance solutions based on smartglasses called XpertEye since June 2015. AMA makes 30% of its business in medical field with a big push on first responders. AMA already equips 9 Emergency Hospitals team in France and Belgium, but this is just the beginning. It all started in February 2014 when AMA achieved the first live surgery between Rennes (France) and Nagoya in Japan. It was a world premiere but only a nice proof of concept that became a specific product in June 2015 XpertEye. AMA R&D is a team of 36 skilled and passionate employees ready to change human process and efficiency thanks to smartglasses and real time communication.

Sequans Communications is a leading developer and supplier of single-mode LTE chipset solutions that are highly cost and power efficient. Sequans was founded in 2003 to address the WiMAX market where it became the de facto leader in WiMAX chips, and in 2009 turned to address the LTE market, where today its LTE chips are powering many new single-mode LTE devices, including tablets, routers, and M2M solutions. Sequans is one of the most experienced pure-play 4G technology companies in the world, and one leader in providing cellular IoT (Cat M, Nb-IOT) solutions for the devices. Since 2014, Sequans is involved in 5G standardization. Sequans is contributing to EU projects since its early days, being involved in FP7 and H2020 projects.

LiveU is the leader in live IP video solutions for TV, mobile, online and social media. The company provides high-quality and flawless live video, based on its patented bonding and video transport technology. LiveU creates a consistent bandwidth and a reliable connection so you can acquire, manage and distribute high quality remote live broadcasts over IP. Our broad portfolio of products sets the industry standard for live video production. From backpacks to smartphones, and satellite/cellular hybrid to external antenna solutions, LiveU offers a complete range of devices for live video coverage anytime, anywhere. In addition, LiveU offers extensive cloud-based management and video distribution solutions. With over 3,000 customers in 130+ countries, LiveU’s technology is the solution of choice for global broadcasters, online media, news agencies and social media.

Advanced Communications Testing Applications Ltd. (ACTA Ltd) is an SME founded in October 2002 in Athens Greece. It is a provider and integrator of Test & Measurement solutions, mainly focused on Telecoms, IT, Electronics and EMF & EMC technologies. It is present in the area of South East Europe. Especially in Greece, Cyprus, Albania, FYROM. Typical customers of ACTA Ltd are Telecom Operators, Integrators and Manufacturers, Utility companies, Universities, Research Laboratories and Enterprises providing test and measurement solutions for a wide range of technologies with greater focus on optical, mobile, radio and access networks. Over the past several years, ACTA Ltd has focused its attention towards Ethernet testing technologies, both in terms of ad-hoc approaches by providing state-of-the-art measurement and testing instruments from the world’s leading manufacturers, as well as long-term monitoring and testing solutions for performance analysis of a variety of production network environments, both wired and wireless.

b<>com Institute of Research & Technology is dedicated to boosting development and marketing of tools, products and services that improve daily life, thanks to research and innovation in digital technologies. In concrete terms, b<>com innovates at the highest level in the areas of hypermedia (ultra-high definition images, 3D sound and images, virtual and augmented reality, etc.), telecommunications (with special efforts on smarter and faster networks incl. 5G and IoT) and e health (advanced medical imaging solutions intended to physicians or surgeons at work, interoperability of medical systems and data). b<>com is based in Rennes with additional sites in Brest, Lannion and Paris and was launched at the end of 2012. It is supported by the French government, the Region of Brittany and local city.

University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M) was founded in 1989 with the objective of providing an efficient, high quality public undergraduate and graduate education. In its two decades of existence, it has established itself among the best universities in Spain – in 2018, UC3M ranks 27 in the QS ranking of the top 50 universities world-wide under 50. The Telematics Department of UC3M is involved in education and research on broadband networks, mobile networks, advanced Internet networking and applications, and has been consistently ranked as the best Department in its area in Spain by the main national ranking.

The UPV is a public, dynamic and innovative institute that is dedicated to research and teaching. It maintains strong bonds with its social environment and a strong presence abroad. Currently, its university community consists of over 39,100 people. Of these, nearly 34,000 are students, 3,600 are members of the teaching and research staff and 1,500 are administrative and services personnel. The UPV is made up of 9 schools, 2 faculties and 2 higher polytechnic schools. The University’s research institutes are highly valued centres devoted to artistic, technical and/or scientific research. One of them, the Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) is a research centre integrated in the Polytechnic City of Innovation, the new science park located at the UPV. The iTEAM is formed by 8 research groups, gathering more than 100 researchers and covering 5 scientific areas related with the Telecommunication Engineering field.

The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology, IIT) is a Foundation established jointly by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to promote excellence in basic and applied research. The research plan of the institute focuses on Humanoid Technologies & Robotics, Neuroscience and Cognition, Nanotechnology and Materials. The Institute has a staff of more than 1200 people and 10 sites in Italy, the central research lab being located in Genoa. IIT has consolidated experience with the management of large research projects and has been involved in more than 100 EU funded projects in the last 8 years.