Seizing 6G Business Opportunities: MOEA Visits Sweden to Strengthen Taiwan-EU 6G Collaboration

The Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has led the largest-ever 6G delegation from Taiwan to visit Sweden from June 6 to 9. The visit was to participate in the 2023 EuCNC & 6G Summit, the prestigious conference supported by the European Commission. The delegation is comprised of a total of 14 entities, including Chunghwa Telecom, Compal Electronics, Auden Techno, YTTEK Technology, Institute for Information Industry, universities, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). Showcased at the event were 19 technologies related to 6G, such as MR smart glasses that utilize digital twin technology, energy-efficient base stations, and LEO/MEO satellite communication equipment. To align Taiwan’s communication industry with the international development of 6G technology, the MOEA delegation has visited top EU scientific research institutions, such as EURECOM, TNO, Ericsson and the University of Oulu in Finland, exploring further opportunities for Taiwan-EU 6G R&D collaborations.

“Following the signing of the Taiwan-EU memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mr. Colin Wilcock, Chairman of 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA), who coordinates the planning of 6G projects in the EU with the European Commission, Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards (TAICS) has taken the lead to foster a series of collaborations between Taiwan and the EU industry,” said Chyou-Huey Chiou, Director General of DoIT. “Taiwan’s communication industry remains crucial to the EU, possessing the world’s top-tier communication products, such as smartphone chips, Wi-Fi devices, and set-top boxes. Furthermore, Taiwan has well-developed telecom infrastructure with high 5G coverage and internet penetration rate. On the other hand, the EU has established the global leadership in innovation and applications. Strengthening the partnership with the EU will empower the industry of Taiwan to seize 6G opportunities,” said Dr. Chiou.

General Director of the Information and Communications Research Laboratories at ITRI Pang-An Ting, who is also the champion of the national 6G Initiative, said that Taiwan’s 6G technology is still in its early stage of development, and thus participation and alignment with international endeavors is crucial for Taiwan. “The purpose of the trip is to explore opportunities to work with the industries, academia, and research institutions in the EU. In addition to strengthening cooperation with Fraunhofer HHI and Ericsson, both important partners in previous EU-Taiwan joint project, the delegation also seeks to establish partnerships with organizations such as TNO, EURECOM, and the University of Oulu,” said Dr. Ting.

At the 2023 EuCNC & 6G Summit, DoIT organized a special session titled “Advancing EU-Taiwan Joint Projects & Future Collaboration in 6G SNS”, and an exhibition booth was set up to showcase Taiwan’s 6G Open RAN ecosystem. Compal Electronics showcased 6G digital-twin MR smart glasses, a compact base station, and a DU acceleration card that achieve up to 50% energy efficiency. Auden Tech exhibited high-power millimeter-wave antenna RF modules and communication terminal equipment for medium-to-low orbit satellites. YTTEK presented a low-power 6G communication solution called Liquid Crystal Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (LC-RIS). Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories demonstrated a highly secured and customizable 5G edge computing intelligent solution. Auray Technology showcased O-RAN detection energy and testing services along with other technologies and solutions.

The delegate from Taiwan has drawn much attention from more than 300 experts from 20 countries through a special session at the conference and focused one-one-meetings with 12 European Research institutes and universities. An MoU was signed by ITRI and the leading French research institute EURECOM, a gesture that strengthened the EU-Taiwan collaboration on 6G technology developments. MOEA expects to bring more innovation and development opportunities to Taiwan’s communication field, such as the existing 5G and low-orbit satellite communication and the development of an energy-saving and sustainable 6G industrial ecosystem.

[Fact]

Supported by the DG Communication Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission, the EuCNC & 6G Summit is a significant annual gathering focusing on all aspects of telecommunications ranging from 5G deployment and mobile IoT to 6G exploration and future communications systems and networks. It brings together cutting-edge research and world-renowned industries and businesses, attracting more than 1,300 participants from 40 countries, to present and discuss the latest results, and an exhibition with more than 70 exhibitors, for demonstrating the technology developed in the area, namely within research projects from EU R&I programmes.

(News from the Department of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Economic Affairs)