Nokia said that this new investment will be made at its Ulm and Nuremberg sites, in Germany
Finnish vendor Nokia announced plans to invest €360 million ($391.6 million) in software, hardware and chip design in Germany, with the aim of advancing Europe’s competitiveness in the field of microelectronics for technologies including future 6G systems and artificial intelligence (AI).
Nokia said that this new investment will be made at its Ulm and Nuremberg sites, as part of a European Commission Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) initiative. The investment will be funded by Nokia and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
The European vendor explained that the project will focus on the integrated development of software, hardware and high-performance systems-on-chips based on a digital twin. These will be used in radio and optical products in future mobile communications systems based on the 5G-Advanced and 6G standards, Nokia said.
Another focus area is on the energy efficiency of the systems to support European climate targets under the Green Deal. Nokia said that it is closely cooperating with research institutes and universities to achieve this, adding that this cooperation will be strengthened by the long-term IPCEI investment and funding.
Apart from strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and innovation in the field of microelectronics for future technologies such as 6G and artificial intelligence, the initiative will enable complex applications for the metaverse and advance digitalization, according to Nokia. The microelectronics systems developed as part of the project will help to make networks more energy-efficient and more powerful at the same time, the vendor said.
Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia, said: “This important funding will support our efforts to advance the telecommunications industry in Germany and in Europe, helping to drive innovation and strengthen competitiveness. In particular, it will help our research into microelectronics that will power future technologies such as 6G, artificial intelligence and the metaverse as well as develop networks that are more energy-efficient and powerful. Germany is an important market for Nokia, and we look forward to working with the government to produce cutting-edge technology that is ‘Made in Germany’.”
