IKERLAN collaborates with Intel to improve the future of wireless communications in the industry

• This research will be beneficial for industrial sectors such as energy, transportation and factories, which need to work under real-time requirements.

IKERLAN Research Institute and the Intel Labs group of the multinational company based in California (USA) Intel, dedicated to advancing the design and manufacturing of semiconductors, have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly research future industrial wireless communication technologies. They will work together to develop advanced wireless communications techniques to enable ultra-low latency and high robustness in future generations of Wi-Fi connectivity targeting real-time industrial and other time-sensitive applications.

And, according to Iñaki Val, researcher in the area of Communication Systems at IKERLAN who will participate in the research, "there is a need for ultra-low latency communications with high reliability, this is a very important aspect in industrial processes that need real-time capabilities. The aim of the research is to build on the latest Wi-Fi capabilities and demonstrate new enhancements to achieve these strict performance parameters."

This research will be beneficial for different industrial sectors, including energy, transport -such as railways- or factories, since it would allow to extend the current industrial communication networks through wireless elements, maintaining the functionalities and requirements of the final application.

IKERLAN’s sound knowledge in the area of industrial communications, specifically Wireless SHARP -a novel communication architecture for real-time requirement applications- development, is what has aroused the multinational's interest in joining forces with the Research Institute based in Arrasate-Mondragón. "IKERLAN has been developing this technology for six years through numerous research projects, doctoral theses and top-level publications in prestigious journals, and is currently starting to transfer this solution to the international market", says Iñaki Val.

At its facilities, IKERLAN has cutting-edge laboratories in electronics, information and communication technologies, which allow it to successfully undertake this type of research and collaborations with important clients as the multinational.

This new agreement with Intel Labs confirms IKERLAN’s commitment to continue being the benchmark company in technology transfer to the industry, especially, in a field that opens a world of development opportunities for the industry such as digitalization.

About IKERLAN

IKERLAN, a member of BRTA, is a leading centre in technology transfer and in the contribution of competitive value to the company due, among other things, to the specialisation of its researchers. It offers comprehensive solutions that combine different technological fields into three large areas: Electronics, Information and Communication Technologies (EICT), Energy and Mechatronic. In 2017, IKERLAN obtained certification, via AENOR, for the integrated management system (UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 and UNE 166002:2014), which recognises the excellence of the centre in the field of R&D&I. It currently has a workforce of around 350 people.