France Brevets, IMT and EURECOM today announced a joint agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) to foster research into new technologies for future 5G standards. Under the terms of the agreement, Qualcomm will contribute funding and standards expertise to support wireless communications research by EURECOM and its partner organization Institut Mines-Telecom (IMT), while France Brevets will provide support in the area of intellectual property strategy.

"5G has the potential to be one of the greatest platforms for innovation and economic growth in technology history," said Alex Rogers, executive vice president and president, Qualcomm Technology Licensing. "This agreement with EURECOM and France Brevets to support fundamental 5G research in Europe aims to expand the potential for 5G technology in Europe and beyond."

"As a leading teaching and research institution, EURECOM has a proven track record of fundamental research in cutting-edge wireless technologies. We are particularly interested in focusing our research on key 5G areas like ultra-long-range channel coding, multi-antenna processing, and auto V2X signaling," said Professor David Gesbert, Head of Communications Systems, EURECOM. "Qualcomm'€™s support will greatly help develop the next generation of wireless technologies. Through the collaboration with Qualcomm and France Brevets, EURECOM will develop a standardization activity aiming to leverage its expertise in 5G system design through active contributions to the 3GPP," added Raymond Knopp, Professor at EURECOM and President of the OpenAirSofwareAlliance [OSA].

"€œInstitut Mines-Telecom will support part of IP activity generated by the research collaboration. IMT is deeply involved in 5G standards and technologies. It's a great opportunity for us to improve our positioning in the 5G ecosystem, and to develop a strong relationship with one of the most influential players on the market," said Christian Picory-Donne, Head of TechTransfer and Partnerships, IMT.

"France Brevets's mission is to support companies and individuals in the protection of their innovations," said Yann Dietrich, Senior Vice President, Licensing and IP Counsel at France Brevets. "We are delighted to have this opportunity to support European research into the next generation of wireless communication technologies, especially ahead of the 5G rollout. This agreement is ground-breaking as it will enable public research institutes and SMEs to take part in the 5G standardisation in France."

The agreement also includes the creation of an annual event for French researchers to learn about how to get involved in 3GPP and promote their technologies into upcoming 5G standards.