Imagine your phone's data traffic growing a thousand times — the old equipment simply can't keep up. Flex5Gware built flexible, energy-efficient hardware chips and software that can be reconfigured on the fly, like Lego blocks for network equipment. Instead of replacing everything when demand changes, operators can just rearrange and update. The team proved it works with real demonstrations involving antennas that handle many signals at once and radios that can send and receive simultaneously.
Mobile networks face a projected 1000-fold increase in data traffic, but current hardware is rigid and power-hungry — you can't just add more of the same boxes. Network operators and equipment makers need flexible, energy-efficient platforms that can be reconfigured as demand patterns change, without costly full-scale equipment replacements every few years.
The project delivered 16 outputs including proof-of-concept hardware for massive MIMO antennas at mmWave frequencies, full duplex radio components capable of simultaneous send-and-receive on 5G waveforms, and reconfigurable software platforms with abstraction layers for managing mixed wireless equipment. A consortium-wide demonstration event showcased all working prototypes.
If you are a mobile network operator dealing with the massive cost of upgrading infrastructure for 5G — this project developed reconfigurable hardware and software platforms that support massive MIMO for mmWave and full duplex transmission. These building blocks let you scale capacity to handle the anticipated 1000-fold increase in data traffic without replacing your entire equipment stack each generation.
If you are a semiconductor company struggling to design analog components that work at millimeter-wave frequencies — this project built proof-of-concept hardware for massive MIMO at mmWave bands and full duplex 5G waveforms. The designs were validated by a consortium of 19 partners including Intel, giving you a tested reference architecture to accelerate your own product development.
If you are a manufacturer exploring private 5G networks for machine-to-machine communication on the factory floor — this project created software platforms with interface abstractions for flexible control across different wireless devices and access networks. This means you can mix equipment from different vendors and manage everything through one reconfigurable layer.
The project did not publish pricing or licensing terms. Since the consortium includes major industry players like Intel and infrastructure vendors, some results may be embedded in commercial 5G products already on the market. Contact SciTransfer for guidance on accessing specific components.
The project delivered proof-of-concept demonstrations, not full commercial-scale deployments. However, with 8 industry partners including infrastructure providers and a network operator in the consortium, the designs were built with commercial scalability in mind. The 1000-fold traffic increase target reflects real-world commercial requirements.
IP is distributed among the 19 consortium partners across 9 countries, following EU Horizon 2020 rules. Key industry partners — Intel (semiconductor), Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson (infrastructure), NEC, and Telecom Italia (operator) — likely hold rights to commercially relevant results. Licensing would need to be negotiated with individual partners.
The project ran from 2015 to 2017, during the early phase of 5G standardization. The technologies — massive MIMO, mmWave, full duplex — are now core parts of 5G NR standards. Results have likely influenced the commercial 5G products these consortium members now sell.
The project ended in 2017 with proof-of-concept demonstrations across 16 deliverables. Given that the consortium included Intel, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, and NEC, many of these research results have likely been absorbed into their commercial 5G product lines since then.
5G deployments require spectrum licenses from national regulators, which vary by country. The project addressed both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands. Based on available project data, specific regulatory compliance testing was not detailed in the deliverable descriptions provided.
This is a heavyweight consortium with serious commercial credibility. Intel Deutschland led 19 partners from 9 countries, with 8 industry players (42% of the consortium) including major infrastructure providers (Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NEC), a global semiconductor manufacturer (Intel), and a network operator (Telecom Italia). The 5 universities and 6 research institutions provided the R&D muscle, while 3 SMEs added specialized expertise. For a business looking at these results, the involvement of companies that actually build and operate 5G networks means the research was grounded in real commercial requirements, not just academic theory.
The coordinator is Intel Deutschland GmbH in Germany. SciTransfer can help identify the right contact within their research division.
Want to know which specific Flex5Gware components are available for licensing or which consortium partners are open to collaboration? Contact SciTransfer for a detailed technology brief and introduction.
