Ericsson Nikola Tesla and FER Continue Their Successful Cooperation

A contract for continuing successful cooperation and new projects with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), University of Zagreb, was signed, representing a continuation of a traditionally good cooperation between Ericsson Nikola Tesla and higher education institutions in Croatia and the region.

A package of contracts on cooperation was signed by leaders of the Institutions – President of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, MSc. Gordana Kovačević and Dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Professor Mislav Grgić, Ph.D. Within the package of contracts, for 2015, six research projects and one development project of total value more than M2.4 HRK were contracted. Along with the before stated, one development project is already being executed together with cooperation through a project, co-financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund within the invitation “Strengthening the research, development and innovation capacity”. Also, one research project is financed by the EU 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Researches from FER together with Ph.D. students from Ericsson Nikola Tesla work on the projects.

The projects, with their research goals and content, address the challenges of the networked society. AAL-e project is related to technology research and building of a prototype for advanced systems for the provision of assistance to elderly and infirm persons. Within the GEL project, energy efficiency of communication network’s particular segment will be researched with a special emphasis on radio access networks. E-IMUNES project is about virtualization and core network distributed environment in order to test complex network environment. M2MCC project will research networks for machine communication, and will include the optimization of the communication needs. PBRC will conduct research on complex network streams in new networks paradigms with a special focus on a software-defined network infrastructure. SmartSocial project will research social networks and connection of possibilities of a unified user in modern communication paradigms. In the E-IMUNES development program, an aim is to provide operational support in virtualized emulation environment, which is used for testing of complex network requests and which brings significant savings. This is possible thanks to the fact, that, when testing access equipment it is not necessary to build expensive physical core infrastructure, because it is software-emulated.

As part of the cooperation, it is announced that Ericsson Nikola Tesla will during this year additionally donate and equip FER’s Laboratory for mobile communications and mobile services. This valuable lab will be on two locations: lab for mobile access network will be built on FER, and network core and management will be in the Ericsson Nikola Tesla lab. In that way, with direct participation in the education system, a new development will be encouraged and students will be motivated for acquiring competences and participation in new researches. Lab equipment is of strategic importance, as a basis for mentioned projects and also for future ones.

This new contract, together with equipping the lab, represent a continuation of a fruitful partnership, lasting more than 50 years, which included different types of cooperation and knowledge sharing. The result of this cooperation is a series of prototype solutions which became a part of company products, jointly applied patents and joint technical and science papers. We proudly highlight the fact that numerous Ericsson Nikola Tesla employees have graduated from FER. One of the results of this successful partnership is Ericsson Nikola Tesla Summer Camp, which will this year mark its 15 ^th anniversary. FER has been from the very beginning part of the creation and organization of the Summer Camp, and its most numerous participants are students from this prestige faculty of the University of Zagreb.

This active cooperation empowers students to become a part of the business community, making them competent for quality and practical contribution to the development of the networked society.

MSc. Gordana Kovačević, President of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, expressed her satisfaction with the signed contract: For many years we have successful cooperation with the University of Zagreb and Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. A link between all projects is exchange and reproduction of knowledge. The latest cooperation on the projects will improve our mutual relations, which have already been very developed, and give a new impetus to the development of communication systems and technologies. Investments in the lab improve this necessary connection between the science and economy, and at the same time represent an investment in the Company’s future. With the stipulated activities we will continue to build a knowledge society and contribute to competitiveness of our country.
Dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Professor Mislav Grgić, Ph.D., emphasizes a long-term partnership with Ericsson Nikola Tesla as a role model of successful cooperation of the academic community with the industry: Cooperation of FER and Ericsson Nikola Tesla is not only an example, but a role model on how to create dynamic and successful partnership through different types of cooperation and activities. Research projects in cooperation with the industry are an important part of the FER’s development strategy, and cooperation with Ericsson Nikola Tesla especially stands out in the ICT context. ICT is a crucial part of all research topics in the “FER Development Strategy 2013 – 2017”, and common interest is especially found in the area of next generation networks and services and challenges for inclusive, innovative and safe society. New research projects and lab, which will be available to all our employees and students, represent a fruitful basis for continuation of our successful cooperation and accomplishment of future common goals in the area of research and education of high-quality experts.

 Communications Ericsson Nikola Tesla