The Minister for Digital Policy and Public Administration, Jordi Puigneró, and the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, Erik Lithander, have signed a collaboration agreement to develop solutions based on 5G and advanced digital technologies. The agreement envisages the implementation of pilot projects in real-world environments with the use of advanced digital technologies (ADT), especially in the field of 5G.

Under the agreement, Catalonia (through the i2CAT research centre) and the University of Bristol will exchange technological knowledge in areas of common interest.

The partners have also agreed to work together to promote the presence of women in the ICT sector and their participation in the digital economy.

Puigneró signed the agreement as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the i2CAT Foundation and invited university leaders to find out about and collaborate in all the projects that the Catalan government has supported in the area of advanced digital technologies, including 5G strategies, blockchain and artificial intelligence.

Minister Puigneró said: “Today, Catalonia’s 5G strategy has started to take on an international dimension, and it’s done so hand-in-hand with the i2CAT centre, a pioneer in technology research in Catalonia, which is forming a partnership with the University of Bristol.”

“Catalonia wants to be the 5G capital of southern Europe. That’s why the government approved the 5G Strategy for Catalonia at the start of this year,” Puigneró explained.

“Over a bit more than a year, we’ve launched pilot projects in Barcelona and across Catalonia. Now we’re taking another step forward by joining forces with pioneering initiatives at the international level.”

Surrey and Bristol: leaders in 5G

Puigneró travelled to the UK after being invited to give a talk on the Catalan government’s digital strategy at the University of Surrey. He also discussed the government’s broader commitment to innovation and to Catalonia’s economic and social progress. During his visit, the minister visited the university’s 5G Innovation Centre.

The University of Surrey and the University of Bristol are both leaders in 5G deployment in the United Kingdom. They are two of three universities tasked by the British government with developing a pilot 5G network, which will be the foundation for the deployment of 5G across the UK.