The National Radio Research Institute of the Ministry of Science and ICT has launched a five-year collaborative research project with local universities and companies to establish a foundation for the utilization of 5G radio wave application services in the sub-60 GHz band.

The National Radio Research Institute announced on the 11th that it has signed a five-year R&D project execution agreement from 2023 to December 2027 with the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science (Honam Branch Research Team), Gyeongnam Technopark, and other universities and companies in the Honam and Gyeongnam regions based on the Special Account for Balanced National Development, thereby commencing collaborative research between regions in earnest.

This project involves developing core technologies that automatically measure the propagation characteristics of next-generation high-frequency bands in 3D using robots in indoor communication environments, such as smart factories where various IoT devices are connected via Wi-Fi or mobile communication networks, and analyze and predict them using AI technology, and then demonstrating and verifying these technologies in smart factories currently operating in the region.

In addition, the goal is to practically apply and utilize the developed technology in local industrial sites and to contribute the research results to the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) to have them reflected as international standards.

In the meantime, the National Radio Research Institute has been a regional hub for industry-academia collaboration.We have carried out numerous research projects with research institutions and have continuously strived for the development of regional radio wave research by providing free measurement support and lending equipment to jointly utilize our radio wave research equipment in order to revitalize radio wave R&D.

This project aims to further expand such regional radio wave research by having local governments take a leading role in the initiative, jointly invest research funds with the government, and practically utilize the results for balanced regional development. It is the first instance in which the National Radio Research Institute is implementing a project in direct cooperation with a local government.

The National Radio Research Institute plans to actively support the expansion of regional R&D scope and expertise by transferring accumulated technology and know-how to local governments, regional universities, and industries in the field of information and communications radio research, where a significant gap still exists between the capital area and regional regions, and by strengthening development capabilities for next-generation advanced radio measurement systems and international standard radio models in the high-frequency band.

Furthermore, through this collaborative project, we expect to further expand communication and research cooperation with local governments, and to form a virtuous cycle ecosystem where local talent needed by the regional industry is nurtured and settled.

Director Seo Seong-il stated, “Based on our experience with the world’s first 5G commercialization, we will not only lead the use of next-generation frequencies and secure core technologies for digital transformation in the radio wave sector, but also contribute further to balanced regional development through technology exchanges with relevant local institutions.”