These are the brief profiles of the six candidates: Arturo Azcorra, a pioneer in internet and network science research in Spain, former director of the CDTI, and current Director of the IMDEA Networks research institute and Professor in the Department of Telematics at Carlos III University of Madrid; Jesús Santamaría, International Manager of Tecnalia Research & Innovation; Sergi Figuerola, Director of Technology and Innovation at the i2CAT Foundation; Carles Antón-Haro, Director of R&D Programs at the Centre Tecnòlogic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC); Daniel Sáez-Domingo, Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence at the ITI-Instituto Tecnológico de Informática; and, finally, Federico Álvarez, Professor and Coordinator of several European projects at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
The elected committee will be responsible for the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), which will be implemented by a public-private partnership (PPP) comprised of 400 ICT research entities from the EU and associated countries. These 400 research entities will vote to elect the six scientists on the 29th. This PPP will lead the development of the “Horizon 2020 Advanced 5G Network Infrastructure for Future Internet PPP.” This program, known as the “5G PPP,” aims to provide solutions, architectures, technologies, and standards to create ubiquitous, robust, flexible, interoperable, and cost-effective ICT infrastructures and smart communications networks.
The launch of the 5G PPP initiative is framed within “Horizon 2020,” the EU’s research framework program, which will operate from 2014 for a period of seven years, with an estimated budget of €80 billion. The 5G PPP will receive approximately €120 million from the European Commission, plus contributions from the participating companies, the amount of which is yet to be determined.
European Technology Platforms (ETPs) are forums comprised of industry-led interest groups, bringing together researchers, companies, and other stakeholders to develop short- and long-term research and innovation agendas and roadmaps at the European and national levels, supported by private and public funding. The ETPs Net!Works (Converged Fixed and Wireless Communication Networks) and ISI (Integral Satcom Initiative) will merge at this event. These two ICT platforms will combine their efforts to strengthen European industrial and technological leadership in the field of mobile and satellite communications, with the vision of seamless and transparent access to voice, data, and multimedia services—whether via mobile, wireless, fixed, or satellite connections—as a new shared challenge.
The rise of mobile internet has probably been the most remarkable communication phenomenon of recent years. The ICT market now contributes 5-6% to European GDP and employs more than 7 million people, with a positive correlation between mobile phone penetration and an increase in GDP per capita. The current state of 4G is just the beginning of a revolution toward internet access services of unprecedented complexity and richness. The future 5G network will deliver advancements such as 1,000 times the current wireless connection capacity per area for 7 billion people and 7 trillion objects, with energy savings of 90% for each service provided, and the creation of a secure and reliable internet with zero perceived downtime for the end user.
The telecommunications infrastructure built in Europe has contributed to improving the quality of life for Europeans, enriching services in many areas increasingly dependent on connectivity, such as health and well-being, energy and the environment, and transport. The 5G PPP initiative also aims to reduce the digital divide between urban and rural areas, accelerate the adoption and use of ICT services, strengthen the competitiveness of the European economy, and promote innovation and research that will allow Europe to regain global technological leadership in a sector that is a key catalyst for progress for industry and society, with a vital socio-economic impact on Europe's future.
