![Applus+ IDIADA technical center launches 5G coverage and becomes Europe’s largest facility for connected mobility testing](/web/app/themes/vml/assets/wp/images/sala-prensa-bg.png)
- 5G Barcelona, Mobile World Capital Barcelona, i2CAT Foundation and the Department of the Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territory of the Generalitat de Catalunya driven program, will enable autonomous and connected mobility testing.
- The Applus+IDIADA technical center covers 370 hectares of test tracks apt for 5G car connectivity testing, a key step for the development and introduction of autonomous vehicles in the market.
- Applus+ IDIADA awarded Orange and Ericsson the development of a private 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network at its Santa Oliva complex.
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9 March, 2022
Applus+ IDIADA, Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital), i2CAT Foundation and the Department of the Vice-Presidency and Digital Policies and Territory of the Generalitat de Catalunya announced this morning at MWCapital’s booth at the MWC Barcelona the implementation of a private 5G network at Applus+ IDIADA’s technical center in Santa Oliva (Tarragona). The latter becomes the most important facility in Europe for connected and autonomous vehicles developing and testing.
Applus+ IDIADA, a global provider of vehicle design, engineering, testing and homologation services for the automotive industry, awarded Orange and Ericsson the development of a private 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network at their Santa Oliva (Tarragona) complex. This network will allow for the development and validation of connected and autonomous driving technologies as well as for services and application testing under different network conditions, in a secure and confidential environment.
“This mobile network is part of the plan to upgrade our facilities in order to meet the new automotive industry development requirements, as well as the requirements of companies that need to develop and validate applications and connectivity systems in a controlled environment,” said Abel Carbonell, Head of Electronics at Applus+ IDIADA.
The Applus+ IDIADA technical center covers 370 hectares and has different tracks and laboratories that allow vehicle and component performance testing in different conditions. Applus+ IDIADA is currently expanding its tracks with specially designed circuits for autonomous and connected vehicle testing that recreate different driving scenarios, from urban to highway driving.
As a result, Applus+ IDIADA not only will be able to perform its own advanced track testing, but also make this available for the automotive industry in the field of IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity, autonomous cars and connected vehicles. “Applus+ IDIADA technical center 5G technology opens a tremendous opportunity for the automotive and mobility sector. This is a key moment of transformation for the latter and facilities like this are essential for competitiveness and international projection,” said Eduard Martín, CIO and Director of Smart Connectivity at MWCapital and CEO of 5G Barcelona. The Foundation, through the 5G Barcelona program, will promote usability testing, thus accelerating 5G autonomous and connected mobility..
The i2CAT Foundation will provide 5G technical know-how and expertise, services and applications as well as workshops, training, sessions with experts and pilots. It will contribute to laying down and developing the technical center’s roadmap and catalogue of services, as well as the technologies of the 5G Barcelona alliance. All this with the aim of identifying, developing and executing 5G use cases in a real environment. Communication and marketing actions will be coordinated by i2CAT in collaboration with IDIADA and MWCapital.
The project also counts with the participation of the i2CAT Foundation, which will provide technical knowledge and experience in 5G technologies, services and applications. Prof. Josep Paradells, director of the i2CAT Foundation states that “the incorporation of IDIADA to the 5G Barcelona ecosystem is very exciting. The Applus+ Idiada technical center will allow the validation of 5G technology applied to the field of mobility in a reliable test environment equipped with the connectivity required for this type of advanced experimental activities. The collaboration with Ericsson and Orange, providing the necessary communications equipment and access to the radio spectrum, makes this a 100% operational laboratory that complements very well the 5G laboratories that are already part of 5G Barcelona. The direct participation of i2CAT in this 5G digital hub, offering technology and innovation support services in this area of 5G and mobility, will allow to carry out proofs of concept in environments very close to real scenarios in order to become a true 5G lab open to the 5G Barcelona ecosystem”.
According to Víctor Vera’s opinion, Director of Territorial Companies in Catalonia at Orange, “for the automotive industry this project is a great opportunity as it allows us to test the capabilities offered by last-generation networks such as the 5G in a real, controlled environment, such as: the lowest latency, bandwidth and the great ability to connect multiple devices. A number of technical qualities that will certainly mark the future of their own innovation. The objective is clear, to help IDIADA Applus+ and, by extension, the sector identifies solutions for the challenges that may arise in mobile communications under real driving conditions.”
The initiative has the support of the Department of the Vice-Presidency and Digital Policies and Territory of the Generalitat de Catalunya and is aligned with Catalonia’s 5G Strategy. Following the Secretary of Digital Policies of the Generalitat de Catalunya, “this is a breakthrough project for boosting the digital transformation of Catalonia’s strategic automotive sector. At the same time, it will reinforce Catalonia’s position as a global digital hub generating new business ideas, digital services and companies linked to future technologies such as 5G”.
A customizable network with all radio technologies
Having all radio technologies in one place, in a controlled environment and with the option of advanced and replicable network customization is one of the project’s comparative advantages.
This allows for a larger number of scenarios and use cases for autonomous and connected cars. It also enables the early identification, immediate correction and testing of solutions for problems that may arise in mobile communications under real driving conditions (on-board services, vehicle monitoring and maintenance, remote functions, accident prevention, autonomy reliability, etc.).
These new capabilities will provide the automotive industry with a real and safe environment for connectivity services testing for the next-generation vehicles to be marketed in the coming years. From present basic connectivity, performance, telematics or infotainment to future autonomous cars testing, all will be possible in Santa Oliva.
About Mobile World Capital
Mobile World Capital Barcelona is an initiative that drives the digital development of society and helps improve people’s lives on a global scale.
With public and private support, MWCapital focuses its activity in four areas: accelerating innovation through digital entrepreneurship; transforming industry through digital technology; growing digital talent among new generations and professionals; and reflecting on the impact of technology on our society. Together, our programs are positively transforming the economy, education and society.
MWCapital hosts MWC in Barcelona and is the founder of 4 Years From Now (4YFN), the business platform for the startup community present at all MWC events worldwide.
About Applus+ IDIADA
Applus+ IDIADA is a global partner to the automotive industry with over 30 years’ experience supporting its clients in product development activities by providing design, engineering, testing and homologation services. IDIADA’s success in product development is built on a unique blend of highly experienced engineers, state-of-the-art test and development facilities and the constant drive towards innovation.
IDIADA is based in Tarragona and has more than 2.675 professionals and an international network of subsidiaries and branch offices in 22 countries, ensuring our clients receive customized added-value solutions.
About the i2CAT FoundationThe i2CAT Foundation is a non-profit research and innovation centre that promotes mission-driven knowledge to solve business challenges, co-create solutions with a transformative impact, empower citizens through open and participative digital social innovation with territorial capillarity, and promote pioneering and strategic initiatives. i2CAT wants to lead the challenge of designing the digital society of the future based on research and innovation in advanced digital technologies.
Through talent generation and cooperation with the stakeholders of the local and international digital research and innovation ecosystem, i2CAT, with the commitment of its members, envisions Catalonia as a creative, empowered, and innovative society, where knowledge and digital technology are at the service of people.
About the 5G Strategy of Catalonia
The implementation of 5G in Catalonia is a priority for the Generalitat de Catalunya, which supports the deployment of this technology and aims at making Catalonia into a 5G technology pole.
The 5G Strategy of Catalonia, driven by the Department of the Vice-Presidency and Digital Policies and Territory, deploys a program of actions to boost the 5G ecosystem and turn Catalonia into a global technology hub in 5G technology.
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