With current 5G and next-generation 6G cellular networks, we will be able to connect most things — like people, appliances and AI. As mobile networks become both faster and more advanced, we can expect a range of new data-driven applications and enable increased productivity in many different areas and industries. A secure and robust digital infrastructure is also of great importance for both business and society at large. Vinnova now sees the need for continued efforts that strengthen cooperation both nationally and internationally in order to be able to standardize and develop in the field in Sweden. It has now been decided to support a pre-study project for the Test Center for Advanced Applications to Digital Infrastructures with actors from both Lund and Stockholm.

- It is important that the national test centre reaches out to industrial players throughout Sweden and that SMEs in particular have close proximity to digital infrastructure with testing opportunities and technical support, mainly because they do not have the same economic opportunities as the larger international companies, says Maria Kihl, director of Vinnova competence centre NEXTG2COM, who is part of the steering group for the project. Skåne is an important region for the national test centre, with its active innovation system closely linked to universities. The fact that Lund is part of the national test centre is therefore extremely important for both Lund and the whole region.

A main goal of the preliminary study is to create a roadmap for how to create a national test center that hopefully will be so advanced that it can establish Sweden as the strongest choice for testing advanced applications on digital infrastructure. This work would need to look at technical, financial and organisational requirements as well as analyses of ecosystems, legal aspects, key stakeholders, sustainable development and operations and other relevant aspects. This roadmap will then form the basis of a collaboration project with a national test centre, expected to start at the turn of the year. The project will also examine the prerequisites for developing an open test network for 5G/6G at Brunnshög.

An important purpose of the pre-study project is to find ways to systematically capture the major innovation activity that exists in connection with KTH in Stockholm and Lund University and then supplement and strengthen the activities to create continuous development. In this context, it is important to look at the balance between the current industrial needs, which are met by the technologies available today, and the future needs, which are driving the demands for next-generation technologies.

- We want to map the needs of the industry and create a plan for the establishment of an open test network as part of a national test center that makes Sweden a global leader for advanced applications to digital infrastructure, says project manager Anders Trana. Through all the knowledge built up in Lund, which started with the development of mobile telephony, we have unique resources that we can package together through the project. We also have Stockholm and KTH Being included in the preliminary study with their very strong position in research, development and connection with industry means that we have a very competitive common starting position and knowledge bank to build on.

The project is a Lund—Stockholm initiative for a Swedish test centre for advanced applications to current and future digital infrastructures.

- We at KTH are excited to participate in this preliminary study to specifically promote a test center for advanced research within 6G and beyond. We believe that cooperation with Lund is a perfect prerequisite for this, says James Gross, KTH.

In the project there are Ericsson, Lund University, KTH and Future by Lund as project partners in the steering group. A number of other actors are also involved in the project through a reference group: Robert Bosch AB, SAAB Combitech, u-blox, Volvo Cars, ABB AB, Sony, Tetra Pak, AFRY AB, Scania AB, Telenor, Alfa Laval, Sigma Connectivity, Sensative, Cognibotics, AVASSA Systems AB, BeammWave AB, Ovzon AB, Region Skåne, Lund Municipality and City of Stockholm. A range of academic players are also affiliated: SENTIO, TecOSA, SWEwin, ITRL, SMART 6GSAT and LU Innovation.

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Several operational and planned digital infrastructures are included in this pre-study project. It is:

1) Connectivity and Compute lab for edge computing (the 5G lab), operated by LU in collaboration with Ericsson AB, a standalone 5G test network with an edge cloud located on the LTH campus and a central research infrastructure in NEXTG2COM.

2) Open City Sensor Network, which is run by Future by Lund in cooperation with Lund Municipality and Sensative, and which is a public IoT network located in Lund.

3) TECOSA's indoor and outdoor 5G test beds, operated by KTH, feature a private 5G network operated by Telenor with an edge cloud located at KTH's campus and SDR-based 5G network equipment. A central research infrastructure in TecOSA.

4) Kista Innovation Park 5G Network (KIP), owned by Ericsson, is a private 5G network located in Kista with the participation of SweWin and ITRL.

5) Lund Over-The-Air (OTA) Test Network is a 5G+/6G network located at Brunnshög in Lund. Expansion planning is underway in an active collaboration between Ericsson, Kraftringen, Lund Municipality and Future by Lund.

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