The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, has published the final resolution of the call for the UNICO R+D 6G 2022 program, which will allocate half a million euros to a project of the University of Oviedo aimed at strengthening the research and development ecosystem around 6G in Asturias.
In the midst of modernization and digital transformation, accelerated by the Next Generation EU funds and the Recovery Plan, this aid boosts R&D&I in the deployment of 6G technology, with an investment of 48.8 million euros throughout Spain.
The Evaluation Committee of the UNICO R+D 6G 2022 call - made up of members of the State Secretariat of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, among others - has estimated 48 of the 53 projects presented.
Two subprogrammes of aid
With two different lines of public investment, the grants have been awarded to projects aimed at financing infrastructures and scientific-technical equipment of universities and research centers, and to promote the development of R&D projects of Spanish companies in an average degree of maturity.
In particular, 35.8 million euros have been granted to the projects of universities and research centers for the financing of research infrastructures of 5G+ and 6G technologies and acquisition of scientific-technical equipment and almost 13 million to the business initiatives of R+D in 5G+ technology.
The growth potential of global GDP linked to 5G and 6G networks and services, according to different studies, will reach 3 billion euros in 2030.
The commitment to R&D in the next generations of mobile technology continues this exercise. Currently, the second call for UNICO R+D 6G is in the process of evaluation, which closed the deadline for submission of applications recently
The list of adjudicators can consult in this link
About UNICO R+D
The Recovery Plan, which has among its objectives to favor the consolidation of Spain as one of the leading countries in the deployment of 5G and 6G by promoting R+D+I in this area, foresees a financing of 230 million until the year 2023 for the creation of a research and innovation ecosystem around this technology.
In 2021, with the resolution of the first UNICO R+D call, the Government approved the granting of grants of more than 90 million euros to 113 research and innovation projects in the deployment of advanced 5G and 6G technologies.
Among the requirements of this call, it was established that these centers subcontract 70% of their activity with Spanish companies, so that the public sector acts as a lever and guide on the private sector.
To complete the path initiated two years ago –focused on projects of low technological maturity (2-4)-, this second phase was launched that favors the creation of a research and innovation ecosystem, including aid for projects that are at more advanced levels of development (3-6), with a leading role of the private sector.