Research

Verkotan team has been leading and participating in many innovative, challenging and interesting research projects during its years in the industry. Our special methods such as new RF wireless performance testing systems were developed thanks to our past R&D projects together with our customers. Here are brief introductions of a few of the projects.

Research
Towards Green Electronics: Biobased and sustainable applications of the microelectronics (2021-2023)

Verkotan is part of Towars green electronics -project!

Project aims to create new functional green materials, which will be suited for electronic and data communications including components (such as biosensors, electrodes, EMI’s and filters), which all are based on cellulose and other biobased materials. Project will be performed together with Fibre and Particle Engineering Research Unit and Microelectronic Research Unit and there are joined also various companies working in fields of bioeconomy and electronics.

Targets of the project:

• The project develops and forms a network and emerging of local bioeconomy knowhow and make new business opportunities possible.

• New products would enable emerging of smaller operators and will lead to totally new products in the electronic industry.

• The ERDF project improves digitalization and helps to achieve society of the carbon neutrality.

• Know-how and information about the suitability of novel less carbon containing materials for the production of commercial electronic applications are obtained.

• Based on these elements, new potential biobased and green electronics products are obtained (such as sensors, components and electromagnetic interference shieldings).

Read more! 

European Union - European Regional Development FundLeverage from the EU 2014 - 2020Pohjois-Pohjanmaan liiton logo värillisenä

Artificial Intelligence for Green Networks (AI4Green)

The emergence of new services and the expected explosion of the number of connected objects, i.e. Internet of Things (IoT), will cause the exponential growth of mobile network traffic.

Due to these factors effective monitoring, modeling, and overall control of network traffic will be difficult. Hence, there is a need for powerful methods to solve the challenges faced in network design, deployment, and management.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have been successfully applied to various domains such as medicine, finance, and astronomy, to name a few. Now a new research axis about the use of artificial intelligence for enhancing green and effective communication networks is becoming a real opportunity for controlling networks energy consumption, optimizing content delivery, and developing new services capitalizing on data collection and learning.

The main goal of the industry-driven European Celtic AI4Green project is to achieve an improvement of about 30-40% of the end-to-end energy efficiency compared to current networks. This target is very challenging but possible considering results obtained by IT industries for operating data centers and access networks. These network segments are the most energy-consuming parts of the IT infrastructure.

Read more about the project here! 

ai4green-logo

Reliable Industrial Communication Over the Air (ReICOvAir) 2016-2018, EU Eureka Celtic+

“A necessary rating system for wireless communication systems for Industrial Internet of Things was developed, standardized, and integrated into a single comprehensive software and hardware testbed solution in the ReICOvAir project.

The consortium consists of Fraunhofer IIS, Fraunhofer HHI, GHMT, Qosmotec, and ifak from Germany, Centre for Wireless Communications, Verkotan, Sapotech, and Kaltio Technologies from Finland, and Software Quality Systems S.A., Trimek S.A., HOP Ubiquitous S.L., Engine Power Components Group Europe from Spain. The project received a Celtic Plus label and TEKES approved financing for the Finnish partners.”

This multinational Celtic project contributed to modeling the radio channel for the industrial environment. Verkotan gained valuable knowledge of hardware test system design and validation.

WearMark - SME-1 (2015)

Verkotan performed a study to find business opportunities for a lab testing environment for wearables that can successfully replace and outperform field testing by simulating real-life field scenarios, e.g. multi-path environment, body, and arm movement and testing without cables. This project has received funding from the [European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program] [Euratom research and training program 2014-2018] under grant agreement No [717350].

Verkotan created a Business plan to define the best strategy for the commercialization of the method and technical feasibility assessment of the OTA test environment on Healthcare & Medical, Sports, and Industrial Smart Clothing wearables categories.

5G Test Network

“5G Test Network facilities located in northern Finland at the city of Oulu, offer unique possibilities for testing 5G technology, its’ components or new services in real-time. 5GTN is the world’s widest 5G Test Network with open access and it consists of several sites and is well-connected with national and worldwide test environments.”

To be part of the 5GTN community is a valuable asset for Verkotan and all the associates. With cooperation of the local technology leaders, we can learn from each other and together create joint added value for everyone in the community. For Verkotan operating in the wireless industry, this cooperation means more opportunities to help us to verify performance in a highly realistic radio environment. 

WERME- Wearable Cellular Extension

“Hilla ETR-project WERME was targeted to identify and solve fundamental problems relating to multi-radio product implementation. With the experiences and platform of WePe projects, there was a solid base for further research. The target was to create the best wearable device performance and quality in Oulu.”

Verkotan aims to become the leading test house in the world for wearable devices. We identified this as a business opportunity to expand into performance measurement services of future wearable products that utilize low energy, long-range real-time communications. This project succeeded in utilizing new radio systems on the next generation of wearables. In addition, WERME project continued expanding the WePe project on the area of GPS. 

CoMoXX- The Hilla Project Consortium (2017)

“The aim of the project was to build a best in class communication module for poor network conditions of vehicle manufacturers by 2017. The data must be stamped with precision position information, also in conditions where satellite positioning is not available. The consortium consists of Lewel Group, Antcore, Verkotan, and a team from the University of Oulu (CWC).

This novel and versatile Communication Module for poor network conditions was meant to enable the position stamping based on location sensors. Verkotan gained a lot of valuable information from this research.

DiCo- Digital Contacting for Boosted Customer Value (2016)

“DiCo project was started for digitalizing Verkotan’s marketing and creating better user experience as well as added value to our customers with digital customer service solutions. Verkotan wanted to represent a novel test laboratory in the yet conservative industry. During the DiCo project Verkotan intended to improve its digital tools and thus, improve its competitiveness. TEKES (now Business Finland) funded this project.”

Verkotan improved its internal and external communication during the DiCo project. As a concrete example, we added a digital marketing concept and an Online Chat to our websites for better and faster user experience and real virtual contact with our customers. Also by following data we could understand our website visitors better and now offer them the best value with our content. In addition, our marketing processes were automated and synchronized with effective digital tools. 

WePe- Wearables's Performance 2015-2016

“The WePe project was started for developing the Over-the-Air testing system for wearables. It supported wearable device wireless performance standardization work, system architecture development, and also managing pilot cases for novel end-to-end use cases in the laboratory. The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (TEKES) has granted financing for WePe R&D project.”

This project improved the quality and reliability of wireless performance in wearable devices. Also, standardised wireless performance testing in a laboratory environment gave competitiveness to companies in this market. As a result of this project, Verkotan got its first patent, granted on 14.12.2018.

ELY Project 2019-2021, Development of Active Antenna Test Service

ELY Centre (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides development grants for SME companies’ investments and development measures. These aids are granted for companies that are just starting a new business, that want to renew their operations and invest in growth especially on a global scale.”

For base stations’ active antenna testing, 5G testing is no longer done through traditional cable connection but through the over the air interface. Furthermore, within 5G the frequency range has expanded significantly. Due to these changes also the mobile device over-the-air performance testing requires new type testing services with updated testing equipment. Relating to these new testing services, Verkotan Oy will explore possibilities for further internationalization.

ELY Project 2018-2020, New Test Services for 4G and 5G IoT Devices

ELY Centre (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides development grants for SME companies’ investments and development measures. These aids are granted for companies that are just starting a new business, that want to renew their operations and invest in growth especially on a global scale.”

Verkotan applied for funding for a project called “Providing New Testing Services for 4G and 5G IoT Devices”. This consists of searching business opportunities for testing 4G and 5G IoT devices globally as well as investments on needed equipment for this type of testing. The goal is to learn about the market and enable new testing services for us. This project ended in September, 2019.

ELY Project 2016-2018, Providing Testing Services for Wearables Globally

ELY Centre (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides development grants for SME companies’ investments and development measures. These aids are granted for companies that are just starting a new business, that want to renew their operations and invest in growth especially on a global scale.”

Verkotan applied for a grant from ELY Centre and ERDF. The granted project was called “Providing Testing Services for Wearables Globally”. The project was started in 2016 and it ended in October 2018. During this time Verkotan searched for global business opportunities for testing services for wearables and the project also included equipment investments. Due to the funding, we were able to expand our testing services to wearables among other wireless devices.

ELY Project 2014, Launch and development of OTA- testing business

Verkotan Oy received an enterprise development grant for the launch and development of the OTA- testing business. Verkotan Oy provides mobile device testing services to device manufacturers and teleoperators. Verkotan is the only accredited operator in the Nordic countries that offers OTA testing.

Contact us

Teuvo Heikkinen

Manager of Collaboration R&D Projects and Business Development

+358 50 553 8378