NETCOM Research Group

IMDEA Networks’ Director Arturo Azcorra, one of the top European experts on fifth generation communication networks (5G), travelled to the US earlier this month with a clear roadmap: to present three leading examples of the successful partnership between industry and academia currently driving innovation and research in communication networks in Europe, at two key venues that are cornerstones for the international research community.

These three examples are the Madrid research institute IMDEA Networks, 5TONIC, which is an open research and innovation laboratory focusing on 5G technologies, and 5G PPP, the European 5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership, an association committed to the advancement of 5G in Europe and to build consensus on 5G at a global level.

The two cornerstones are the top-ranked international conference on networking, IEEE INFOCOM, and the top-ranked university in the world, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

On May 3^rd Arturo Azcorra participated in one of the only two panels celebrated at INFOCOM. Entitled «Innovation through Joint Industry-Academic Partnerships», the panel counted with five international experts, who debated possible strategies to foster industry and academic shared work aimed at driving ambitious, open-ended research. Bringing together over 700 attendees to exchange their views on the most disruptive networking research currently performed, the 36th IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications took place in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) during the first four days of May.

On May 8^th Azcorra delivered a presentation at the MIT focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration between the US university, IMDEA Networks and 5TONIC, on the development of 5G, the ultrafast mobile broadband technology that promises to become the most remarkable communications phenomenon of the decade.

Professor Arturo Azcorra holds a preeminent role in European decision-making bodies working towards the design of next-generation advanced communication systems. He is Chairman of the Expert Advisory Group of the NetWorld2020 European Technology Platform (ETP), Partnership Board member and member of the Vision Group within the 5G Infrastructure Association, Vice chairman of the 5TONIC Lab, and Director of IMDEA Networks. The Institute is an associated member of the 5G PPP, which Azcorra contributed to launching, having being a member of its Steering Board during its inception period (2013-2015).

Arturo Azcorra during his intervention at INFOCOM 2017.