SMART 6GSAT

SMART 6GSAT is a multidisciplinary research centre funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, focusing on Sustainable, Mobile, Autonomous and Resilient 6G SatCom. The centre is a collaboration between universities, research institutes and a large number of specialised companies, together with several regions and public authorities.

6G technology, expected to be launched around 2030, will enable significantly higher network speeds and support the most advanced future technologies, such as real-time AI. With the help of satellites, these speeds and services can reach areas where traditional network infrastructure is not available.

The goal of the SMART 6GSAT centre (Sustainable Mobile Autonomous and Resilient 6G SatCom) is to integrate traditional terrestrial mobile communication with space-based satellite communication in 6G. This will allow mobile devices to seamlessly and transparently switch between terrestrial and space-based networks.

The centre, which started in January 2025, is a collaboration between KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Luleå University of Technology, RISE, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, and a large number of companies, together with several regions and public authorities. The centre is also supported by international universities and companies.

This extensive collaboration provides the centre with access to real-world data and creates strong opportunities for broad standardisation and multidisciplinary research.

“It is very gratifying that the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research entrusts Luleå University of Technology with the confidence and responsibility, together with the other partners, to shape the next generation of mobile standards,” says Jaap van de Beek, Professor of Signal Processing.

In addition to signal processing, research areas at Luleå University of Technology participating in the centre also include space systems at Kiruna Space Campus and cybersecurity.

“We look forward to strengthening our research in these areas in the coming years. The vision is that mobile communication services will be seamlessly available to everyone with a 6G device, anywhere and at any time,” says Professor Jaap van de Beek.

To achieve this vision, the research will focus on improving hardware for both 6G devices and space-based satellites, developing signal-processing methods that handle large signal losses and are robust to space-based interference, creating network technologies that integrate terrestrial and space systems, and developing new intelligent applications that combine communication, positioning and remote sensing.

Project period
January 2025 – December 2030

Main funder
The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research

Partners
KTH, RISE, Ericsson, SAAB, Ovzon, Beyond Gravity, Forsway, Satcube, Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), NorthernWave, PrimeKey, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, EISCAT, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, Region Norrbotten, Region Västerbotten, Region Stockholm

Project lead
KTH Royal Institute of Technology