Ericsson announced on Monday it has extended its R&D partnership with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) for another two years to continue research related to 5G and 6G technologies.
Ericsson said the research agenda with KAUST will focus on cutting-edge telecoms technologies within the framework of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. That includes 5G and 6G, with a specific focus on things like on-chip reflective intelligent surfaces and free-space optics.
Mashhour Al-Sudairy, head of local content at Ericsson Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said the initial three-year collaboration with KAUST has been fruitful in regards to those specific technologies, as well as machine learning for frequency-selective wireless channels.
“The initial phase of our partnership yielded significant advancements in telecommunication technologies, which have been crucial in pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the 5G and emerging 6G space,” he said in a statement.
Pierre Magistretti, VP of Research at KAUST, said the collaboration has also facilitated the exchange of knowledge and collaboration among students and researchers between KAUST and Ericsson Research in Sweden, Ericsson said, which has also contributed to Saudi Arabia’s technology talent pool.
“The next phase of our partnership promises even greater innovations, as we continue to explore the untapped potential of advanced telecommunication technologies,” he said.
