Vodafone Romania unveils Innovation Hub within Bucharest’s Polytechnic University
Vodafone Romania recently inaugurated the first Center of Excellence within the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (UPB) dedicated to education and research activities, as well as support for startups.
The Vodafone Innovation Hub, as it is called, is also a research, development, and innovation incubator in areas of interest such as 5G/6G, IoT/IoE, AI, MPN, Open RAN, Edge Computing, and robotics.
"In the 25 years since Vodafone has been present in Romania, we have not ceased to invest in society and education through projects that we have supported, through innovation and technology, and through strong partnerships like this one. We live in a dynamic world, technology evolves at a rapid pace, and Vodafone's role is to invest in the generation of tomorrow. We honor this promise through the laboratory inaugurated today,” Achilleas Kanaris, CEO of Vodafone Romania, cited by B1TV.
“It is more than a strategic investment, it is a guarantee that the best specialists can offer continuous education and train new professionals. The Polytechnic University of Bucharest is one of the centers of excellence that helps Romania remain at the top of the rankings in IoT, AI, Open RAN, and future technologies, and Vodafone is one of the biggest promoters of Romania's digitalization," he added.
"The Polytechnic University of Bucharest is recognized as one of the most important trainers of highly specialized engineers in the region, a position that makes our graduates highly sought after by major employers. It is a privileged position that would not have been possible without dedicated partners to education, research, and digitalization, such as Vodafone Romania," said Mihnea Costoiu, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.
The Vodafone Innovation Hub provides students, master's and doctoral candidates at UPB with a range of innovative technologies so that they can conduct research at the highest level, both for their final theses and for weekly laboratories or any other projects, such as scientific sessions or international competitions.
The Hub provides access to a New Radio 5G network and NB-IoT, advanced sensors for medical applications or intelligent environmental monitoring, IoT and 5G development systems, and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms used in telecommunications and IoT applications. It also offers image and sound processing algorithms, drones, digital twin solutions based on augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR/XR), open Software Defined Radio (SDR) communication systems, robotics, nanosatellites, mobile network, and radio spectrum analysis devices, test mobile terminals, computers for processing large volumes of data, and 3D printing systems.
The Hub’s labs can also host students from other universities in the country who have partnerships or joint research projects with UPB.
The inauguration of the Vodafone Innovation Hub Center of Excellence is part of the Memorandum of Collaboration signed by Vodafone and UPB in 2022. The agreement aims to improve the quality of education and supports the accelerated transition to digital skills and capabilities and the use of advanced technology in the academic environment.
(Photo source: Vodafone Romania on Facebook)
