ERICSSON TELECOMUNICAZIONI SPA

Their core work

Ericsson Telecomunicazioni is the Italian R&D arm of the Ericsson Group, focused on designing and deploying 5G network infrastructure, software-defined networking (SDN), and network function virtualization (NFV). In H2020, they contributed to building the core transport, orchestration, and slicing technologies that make 5G networks work for vertical industries like healthcare, tourism, and automotive. They also maintain a long-running involvement in the Graphene Flagship, exploring advanced materials for telecommunications components. Their work spans from low-level photonics and terahertz hardware to high-level network management and cybersecurity for virtualized telecom infrastructure.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

From 2015 to 2018, Ericsson TEI focused heavily on building the foundational 5G transport layer — fronthaul/backhaul integration, SDN/NFV programmability, testbeds, and federation across network domains (5G-Crosshaul, SoftFIRE, 5G-TRANSFORMER). From 2019 onward, their focus shifted upward to 5G vertical applications (tourism, e-health, automotive) and outward to adjacent hardware technologies like terahertz sensors, silicon photonics, and millimeter-wave systems. The cybersecurity thread also emerged strongly in the later period, with two coordinated projects on virtualized network security.

Ericsson TEI is moving from pure network software toward the physical layer (THz, photonics, advanced materials) and securing the 5G stack — expect future work at the intersection of hardware innovation and network security.

How they like to work

Ericsson TEI predominantly joins consortia as a participant (21 of 29 projects), bringing telecom infrastructure expertise to large multi-partner projects. They coordinated three projects, all in security and 5G validation, suggesting they take the lead when the topic aligns closely with their core platform capabilities. With 492 unique partners across 29 countries, they are a well-connected hub — a reliable large-industry partner that brings real operator-grade infrastructure to research consortia.

Exceptionally wide network with 492 unique consortium partners spanning 29 countries, reflecting their role as a major telecom vendor embedded in Europe-wide 5G research. Their collaborations are concentrated in the EU's core ICT research community but extend across transport, security, and materials science.

What sets them apart

Unlike universities or SMEs that contribute a single component, Ericsson TEI brings end-to-end telecom operator perspective — from physical-layer photonics up through network orchestration and cybersecurity. Their simultaneous involvement in the Graphene Flagship and 5G vertical trials is rare: they can connect advanced materials research with real network deployment needs. For consortium builders, they offer access to operator-grade testbeds, real-world 5G infrastructure, and the credibility of a global telecom brand in an Italian R&D setting.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5G-TOURS
  Their largest funded project (EUR 1.1M) and a coordinator role, demonstrating 5G applications across tourism, e-health, and media in real urban environments.
• ASTRID
  Coordinator role in cybersecurity for virtualized services — signals Ericsson TEI's strategic move into securing the 5G infrastructure they help build.
• Car2TERA
  Unusual cross-sector move into automotive terahertz sensors, connecting telecom hardware expertise with autonomous vehicle radar systems.