Portuguese Tech Hub bets on the app development and satellites study

CEiiA - Centre of Engineering and Product Development is working on 5G in two lines, the development of applications for new technology and the study still in an early phase of the complementarity of the network with satellites.

"What is 5G really going to change in our lives, what are the applications, what are the technological solutions” that will allow them to emerge, both in mobility and in city contexts”, among others, explains the director of development, Tiago Rebelo.

In a second line, CEiiA works on "complementarity of terrestrial 5G networks with what 5G networks are via satellite”, in order to "maximize the coverage” of fifth generation mobile networks, "particularly in remote areas or in the Atlantic”.

Among the projects that CEiiA has underway, it highlights "a great national mobilizing program” - Link4S (‘Link for Sustainability’), aimed at sustainability -, which started in June last year and is also coordinated by NOS.

This is a project in which CEiiA "is a very relevant technological 'player', particularly in two aspects”: in the development of IoT solutions ('Internet of Everything' or Internet of Things), to connect objects ('transponders' that will be in cars, bicycles, among other objects), and platforms that manage these objects.

"It is probably one of the most important projects in Portugal. It has a set of challenges associated with connectivity and is focused on sustainability, because applications are very ‘in this wave’ of decarbonisation, sustainable mobility, very focused on the city, citizens and their quality of life”, he points out.

With regard to Space, "together with another group of partners in Portugal, in particular with the Portugal Space Agency”, CEiiA is carrying out "studies on satellite applications for non-conventional areas”, namely 5G networks from the satellite. For example, what kind of satellites may "be developed, produced and launched from Portugal”. CEiiA is also studying applications associated with terrestrial observation, using satellite technology.

Connected logistics is another application that "will be revolutionary”, he considers. Pointing out that "knowing where an order will be at all times during this logistic cycle” or aerial distribution with autonomous vehicles, in which Amazon is a pioneer.

"I believe that those applications that can only be assembled on the 5G will appear in the next nine, 12, 18 months and are closely linked to critical applications in which communication, in real time, cannot fail", he concludes.