Less than a year has passed since the competence center WiTECH (Wireless Infrastructure Technology at Chalmers) had its kick-off in January, and on 14 November, the first Center Day was held. Nearly 150 participants gathered to listen to leading researchers from Chalmers and industry summarize the progress and impact of the research conducted over the year.
The WiTECH competence center is managed collaboratively by the Department of Electrical Engineering (E2) and the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2). The center is dedicated to being a key player in creating a sustainable future by pioneering the next generation of wireless technologies, including 6G telecommunications, while championing sustainable, energy-efficient semiconductor components and design processes.
The WiTECH Center day was held in the conference hall RunAn at Chalmers, and the participants were welcomed by the Chair of the board Maria Wargelius, representative of Ericsson. These are her thoughts about the day:
”I think it was a very successful first Center Day for WiTECH with interesting presentations - already now showing good results. Also, great engagement from PhD students, Research staff and Industry. WiTECH is an important Academic Research Community where Industry can engage and benefit from key research results and access talents & competencies for future hiring” says Maria.
The Director of the center Marianna Ivashina, Professor in Antenna Systems, and the co-Director Christian Fager, Professor in Microwave Electronics, continued by introducing the program, which included presentations of the seven projects conducted within the center as well as a keynote talk by Prof. Bart Smolders from Technical University of Eindhoven about the Dutch 6G program Future Network Services (FNS). During the day, there were also poster presentations and good opportunities for participants to meet and discuss common issues.
The following projects are conducted within the center:
- SWEET: Digital signal processing assisted wideband & efficient transceivers
- DigiArrays: Digital antenna arrays
- CRYTER: Cryogenic HEMT and terahertz diode sensors
- REMU: Reliable and multi antenna microwave and millimetre-wave integration
- DisCouRSe: Distributed communication and radar sensing convergence
- AutOTA: Autonomous Over-The-Air measurement methods and platforms
- HiComSense: Highly integrated wideband RX/TX at the D/G/H-band in SiGe technology
Marianna Ivashina summarizes her impression of the day:
“I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments achieved during the first year of the WiTECH Center’s operation. These milestones include the publication of initial research results, patent applications, and the successful demonstration of prototypes and testbeds by our dedicated PhD students, PostDocs, and Senior Researchers. I am also deeply grateful for their commitment and hard work.
What truly inspires me about today’s event is the remarkable spirit of collaboration. Seeing over 150 academic and industrial researchers from diverse disciplines — antennas, electronics, and signal processing — come together reminds me of the unique strength of uniting different perspectives. The energy in the room, whether during the oral presentations or the dynamic poster discussions, highlights the potential of the WiTECH Center as a hub for pioneering innovation.
The strong engagement of our industrial partner organizations, along with the unwavering support of Chalmers leadership, has been key to achieving these milestones and ensuring the center’s success. We are especially honored by the presence of Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President of Chalmers, and Magnus Frodigh, Head of Research at Ericsson, at today’s event, who visited the poster sessions, which exemplifies their commitment to fostering impactful industry-academia collaboration."
Christan Fager adds:
“As a co-director of WiTECH, I am very impressed and happy for all the strong engagement and positive spirit experienced during the Center Day. With a record number of attendees, including a great mix of participants ranging from undergraduate and graduate students, academic and industrial researchers from a variety of disciplines, and stakeholders from all parts of the value chain, we clearly observe the strength and diversity of the Swedish wireless community. The 2024 WiTECH Center Day marks the beginning for an exciting future for our center, with many more results and developments in the years to come!”
Collaboration with partners
WiTECH Center brings together experts from 18 partners, including industry giants and top academic scholars. Each partner contributes unique expertise and resources, forming a dynamic ecosystem for innovation.
Mikael Nilsson from Volvo Cars is one of these and a member of the industrial steering committee. He says:
”WiTECH is an important center to Volvo Cars, which gives us the possibility to explore if and how the 6G technology integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) can improve traffic safety. The WiTECH center day is an excellent day for networking with your peers in the 6G industry.”
Funding
WiTECH builds on the legacy of the previous centers in wireless technologies, GigaHertz and ChaseOn, which Chalmers hosted from 2007 to 2021. After that, there was a Bridge Center until 2023, after which WiTECH received funding from Vinnova for the period 2024-2028 with the possible extension for five more years.
Lars Gustafsson, the contact person at Vinnova for the WiTECH competence center, reflects on the start of the center:
"The commitment from research leaders, doctoral students and not least from the participating companies, has been outstanding. The activities are in full swing, and several projects have already resulted in scientific publications. It has been less than a year since the start, so it has been a flying start. With WiTECH, Chalmers is undoubtedly one of the most important centers globally in communication technology, such as for the upcoming 6G, high-frequency technology, systems for satellites and semiconductors. Additionally, Chalmers has incorporated a sustainability perspective into the center that sets the standard for the future.”
Marianna Ivashina concludes:
“The WiTECH Center is more than just a research initiative—it is a community with a legacy spanning nearly three decades, dedicated to advancing wireless communication and sensor systems, as well as critical hardware and digital technologies. Today’s event reaffirms that vision, and I look forward to seeing how we continue to build on this strong foundation in the years to come."
Follow WiTECH on LinkedIn for more updates and news.
Fotograf: Henrik Sandsjö
For more information, contact:
- Full Professor, Communication, Antennas and Optical Networks, Electrical Engineering
- Full Professor, Microwave Electronics, Microtechnology and Nanoscience