RUNDFUNK BERLIN-BRANDENBURG

Their core work

Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) is one of Germany's major public broadcasters, serving the Berlin-Brandenburg region. In EU research, they act as a real-world testbed and end-user for next-generation media technologies — from interactive multi-platform content and immersive 360° experiences to 5G-enabled media delivery and AI-driven TV analytics. Their contribution is not theoretical: they bring live broadcast infrastructure, real audiences, and operational media workflows that let technology partners validate their innovations under production conditions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

RBB's early H2020 participation (2015–2018) centered on interactive and immersive content formats — multi-platform toolkits, hybrid radio, 360° video, and accessible media. From 2019 onward, a clear pivot emerges toward infrastructure-level media innovation: 5G network applications for broadcasting and AI-powered TV analytics for content optimization. This shift mirrors the broader media industry's move from experimenting with new content formats toward operationalizing them through intelligent networks and data-driven workflows.

RBB is moving from content format experimentation toward 5G-enabled media infrastructure and AI-driven audience intelligence, positioning itself as a broadcast partner for next-generation network and analytics projects.

How they like to work

RBB participates exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — which is typical for broadcasters contributing real-world use cases and validation environments rather than driving technical development. With 70 unique partners across 17 countries and a strong lean toward Innovation Actions (5 of 7 projects), they consistently join large, deployment-oriented consortia where their role is to ground-truth new technologies in live broadcast settings. This makes them a reliable, low-friction partner who brings operational infrastructure without competing for technical leadership.

RBB has collaborated with 70 distinct partners across 17 countries, reflecting a broad pan-European network typical of large media innovation consortia. Their partnerships span technology providers, research institutes, and fellow broadcasters across Western and Southern Europe.

What sets them apart

RBB brings something most technology partners cannot: a live public broadcasting environment with real audiences in one of Europe's largest media markets. Unlike research institutes that simulate media workflows, RBB can deploy and test innovations in actual production — from 5G field trials to AI-driven scheduling on real TV channels. For consortium builders, this means credible validation and a direct path from prototype to broadcast deployment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5GMediaHUB
  Their most recent project, creating a 5G experimentation environment for third-party media services — signals their current strategic direction toward 5G media infrastructure.
• ReTV
  Highest-funded project (EUR 505,584) and their deepest dive into AI-driven TV analytics, audience profiling, and content recommendation — a unique combination of broadcast expertise and data science.
• Hyper360
  Largest single grant (EUR 523,625), combining 360° media with 3D storytelling and personalization — their most ambitious immersive content project.