Imagine if the bulky, expensive equipment on cell towers could be shrunk down into a single, smart circuit board. Instead of using hundreds of separate parts that eat up power, this tech combines everything into one slim layer. It's like replacing a giant rack of old servers with one powerful, tiny chip that does the same job using much less electricity.
Current 5G radio units are too complex and expensive, requiring up to 256 RF paths that drive up costs and energy use. This financial burden has kept EU 5G Standalone penetration below 2%.
An Active Antenna Catalyst (AAC) combining a 2D metamaterial printed antenna, a single-board architecture, and a Smart RFIC with embedded analog AI.
If you are a Mobile Network Operator dealing with high CAPEX and OPEX for 5G Standalone rollout — this project developed the Active Antenna Catalyst that lowers energy consumption by more than 25% and reduces the number of required modules.
If you are a Radio Unit Manufacturer dealing with complex architectures requiring 32–256 RF paths per unit — this project developed a single-board architecture with a Smart RFIC that replaces several discrete modules.
If you are an Industrial IoT Provider dealing with the need for compact, multi-radio operation in tight spaces — this project developed a 2D metamaterial printed antenna that enables wide-band operation in a compact form factor.
It replaces expensive discrete modules (where each RF path can cost around €200) with a single-board architecture and a Smart RFIC, significantly lowering CAPEX and OPEX.
The project is currently finalizing optimization, manufacturing, and validation of the RFIC to enable global scale-up.
Based on available project data, the coordinator has developed a robust IP strategy to protect the outcomes of the project.
The solution is designed as a modular active antenna catalyst that allows for a seamless transition from design to physical prototypes and validation with third-party partners.
The project period runs from 2024-12-01 to 2026-11-30.
The project is led by a single Greek SME (ARGO IMIAGOGOI ANONYMI ETAIREIA), meaning 100% of the industry ratio is concentrated in one agile company. This structure suggests a fast-track development cycle but relies heavily on the coordinator's internal capacity for the €2,486,874 EU contribution.
Contact ARGO IMIAGOGOI ANONYMI ETAIREIA in Greece
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for the Smart RFIC technology.
