Imagine your Wi-Fi signal as a garden hose — current mobile networks give you a thin stream of water. Millimeter-wave technology is like switching to a fire hose, but it's harder to aim and gets blocked by walls. MINTS trained 15 researchers across 9 organizations to solve exactly those problems — how to keep the signal strong, point it in the right direction, and use it for everything from factory robots to self-driving cars. They built demos showing how these super-fast wireless signals can also sense the environment around them, like radar built into your phone connection.
Current wireless networks cannot deliver the extreme data rates and ultra-low latency that factories, autonomous vehicles, and augmented reality demand. Millimeter-wave frequencies can provide this bandwidth, but the signals are fragile — easily blocked by obstacles and hard to manage in crowded environments. Companies investing in Industry 4.0 or connected vehicles need reliable mmWave solutions that do not yet exist in commercial products.
MINTS produced 22 deliverables including 5 working demos covering dynamic multi-beamforming for robust mmWave links, environmental sensing using mmWave signals, interference control algorithms for dense networks, and application-specific solutions for Industry 4.0, V2X, and augmented reality. The project also produced peer-reviewed journal papers documenting these advances.
If you are a telecom equipment maker struggling to make millimeter-wave base stations work reliably in dense urban areas — this project developed dynamic multi-beamforming techniques that improve signal robustness. The consortium included NOKIA, Sony, and NEC as industry partners across 7 countries, producing 22 deliverables with multiple working demos.
If you are an automotive tech company building vehicle communication systems that need ultra-low latency and high data rates — MINTS developed application-specific solutions for V2X using mmWave frequencies. The project addressed interference control and secure networking algorithms essential for safety-critical vehicle communication, with 15 researchers dedicated to solving these challenges.
If you are a factory automation company needing wireless connections fast enough to replace cables on the production floor — MINTS created mmWave networking solutions specifically for Industry 4.0 applications. The project combined communication with environmental sensing, meaning one wireless system can both transmit data and detect objects, tested through 5 demo deliverables across the consortium.
MINTS was an MSCA training network, so its primary outputs are research results and trained talent rather than turnkey products. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with individual consortium members like KU Leuven or the industry partners (NOKIA, Sony, NEC). Costs would depend on which specific techniques or algorithms you want to use.
The project produced 5 demo deliverables showing working prototypes across different research areas (physical layer, sensing, networking, and applications). However, these are research demonstrations, not production-ready systems. Scaling to commercial deployment would require further engineering, likely in partnership with the industry consortium members.
IP from MSCA training networks typically belongs to the host institutions where each of the 15 researchers was based. With 9 partners across 7 countries, IP is distributed. The 3 industry partners (33% of the consortium) likely have preferential access to results generated at their sites.
Current commercial mmWave products handle basic beamforming. MINTS went further by developing combined communication-and-sensing capabilities and advanced interference control for dense networks. These are beyond-5G capabilities that address limitations in today's deployed systems.
The project ran from 2019 to 2024, and results are now available. However, as a training network, the path to market depends on industry partners like NOKIA, Sony, and NEC incorporating findings into their product roadmaps. Expect 3-5 years before these specific advances appear in commercial equipment.
Based on available project data, MINTS focused on the technical foundations for beyond-5G mmWave systems. Regulatory compliance for specific frequency bands would need to be addressed during commercialization, working with national regulators in each target market.
The MINTS consortium brings together 9 partners from 7 European countries, with a 33% industry ratio. Coordinated by KU Leuven in Belgium, it includes heavyweights like NOKIA, Sony, and NEC alongside 5 universities and 1 research organization. For a business looking to tap into these results, the presence of major telecom manufacturers means the research was shaped by real commercial needs. The multi-country spread (Belgium, Germany, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Sweden) gives the consortium broad European market knowledge. No SMEs participated, which means the technology transfer path runs through large corporates and universities rather than agile startups.
KU Leuven, Belgium — reach out to the Electrical Engineering or ESAT department for the MINTS project lead
Want an introduction to the MINTS research team or their industry partners? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and brief you on which specific results match your needs.
