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UK-CHINA SCIENCES BRIDGES:

R&D on (B)4G Wireless Mobile Communications

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[News Update] [Background] [Aims] [Collaboration Consortium] [Work Plans] [Contacts] [Achievements]

[Members Area] [Project Management Committee (PMC) Area] [Industrial Steering Group (ISG) Area]

19/Jan/2011	A one-day project workshop was held in London, with more than 20 attendees. This workshop focused on discussing testbed development issues.
11/Nov/2010	A PMC meeting was held to review and discuss the third round WP2 applications. Nine UK-China Visiting Fellowships were awarded to researchers from King's College London (UK), University College London (UK), University of Southampton (UK), University of Bedfordshire (UK), Southeast University (China), Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications (China), Shandong University (China), and Xidian University (China).
12-13/Sept./2010	A two-day WP3 international joint-workshop was held in Shanghai, with more than 35 attendees. The workshop was held in conjunction with a UK-China Communications Leadership Forum in Shanghai Expo 2010.
23-24/Aug/2010	A two-day WP3 international joint-workshop was held in BUPT, Beijing, with more than 30 attendees.
01/Aug/2010	WP4 officially started! This work package aims to develop a wireless testbed to validate advanced B4G technologies invented by the project partners. It will last for 21 months till 30 April 2012.
08/July/2010	A project progress workshop was held at UCL, London, with more than 30 attendees. Industrial representatives from BT, NEC, BBC, Huawei, and Shanghai Research Centre for Wireless Communications (WiCO) were invited to give presentations. Five recipients of the UK-China Visiting Fellowship Award gave presentations regarding their visiting research projects.
05/July/2010	A PMC meeting was held to review and discuss the second round WP2 applications. Six UK-China Visiting Fellowships were awarded to six researchers from Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications (China), Heriot-Watt University (UK), University of Bedfordshire (UK), University of Edinburgh (UK), and Xidian University (China).
Apr/2010	The second round application of the WP2 Staff Exchange programme is opened. The deadline for submitting the second round WP2 application is 31 May 2010.
31/Mar/2010	A PMC meeting was held to review and discuss the first round WP2 applications. Six UK-China Visiting Fellowships were awarded to six researchers from Heriot-Watt University (UK), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China), Southeast University (China), Tsinghua University (China), University College London (UK), and University of York (UK).
Feb/2010	Work Package 2 started, aiming to exchange 30 research staffs between the UK and China. The deadline of the first round call for proposal is 5 Mar 2010.
26/July/2009 — 08/Aug/2009	A delegation of twenty-two UK experts in the general area of wireless communications visited Chinese partners to learn about their activities and identify collaboration opportunities in research and development (R&D) of 4G and beyond 4G mobile communication systems.
1 Aug 2009	The UC4G project officially started!
29 June 2009	The first project management committee teleconference meeting held.
20 May 2009	Chinese academic partners applied leverage funding from MOST.
8 May 2009	Project kick-off meeting held at Heriot-Watt University.
5-26/Apr/2009	Dr Cheng-Xiang Wang (CXW) and Prof. Andy Walker (Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University) visited China at Heriot-Watt University budget and attended 2 receptions (Shanghai, 07/04; Beijing, 09/04) hosted by The First Minister of Scotland (Mr Alex Salmond) and The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Ms Fiona Hislop). The receptions and meetings are also attended by some Chinese partners (WiCo, Jushri, SJTU, SEU, BUPT, THU, CATR). CXW also took the opportunity to visit WiCo, SJTU, BUPT, HUST, and SDU.

Background

The UK-China Science Bridges: R&D on (B)4G Wireless Mobile Communications (UC4G) project (EPSRC Grant Reference: EP/G042713/1) was awarded by the Research Council UK (RCUK) on March 2009 as one of the prestigious Science Bridges projects. The Science Bridges projects are sponsored by the Research Councils UK to enhance linkages with China, USA, and India to

Accelerate the deployment of research knowledge;
Deepen and strengthen current research links;
Enable the acquisition of new skills and encourage wealth creation through improving the transfer of research and expertise from the research base to businesses and other users by building science and innovation bridges with world-class universities and high-tech businesses.

The funding for each country can be up to a total value of £4 million over three years. Science Bridge funding is not available to support additional fundamental research, although research necessary to develop knowledge from research into products or services can be included, e.g. exploring routes to scale-up. In 2008, four UK-China, three UK-India, and three UK-US collaborations were awarded funding. The four UK-China Science Bridge Projects are:

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Aims

The aim of the UC4G project is to promote systematic, long-term, and sustainable collaboration between the UK and China in the R&D of 4G and B4G wireless mobile communication systems. Specifically, the aims are

To become fully connected with top universities and telecom companies in (B)4G R&D in China.
To build on the existing substantive collaboration among key UK-China partners and further strengthen and broaden current research links.
To create, initially, a UK-China panel within Mobile VCE and, ultimately, a UK-China Joint R&D Centre for Future Wireless Communication Networks, enabling long-term sustainable collaboration between the UK and China by supporting collaborative research, mutual visits, exchange of researchers, and rapid technology transfer and commercialisation.

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Collaboration Consortium

A UK consortium and a China consortium have been created through the UC4G project to bring together the leading expertises in the UK and China in the area of (B)4G wireless mobile communications. In the UK consortium, there are 6 academic partners led by Heriot-Watt University, 4 associate academic members, and 15 industrial members represented by Mobile VCE. The China consortium consists of 7 academic partners and 6 industrial partners led by the Shanghai Research Centre for Wireless Communications (WiCO), which is recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in China as the international centre for wireless collaborative research. All our partners are key players of 4G R&D in the UK and China.

UK Consortium

Academic Partners

1)Heriot-Watt University (HWU), JRI-SIP, Dr Cheng-Xiang Wang.

2)University of Edinburgh (UoE), JRI-SIP, Prof. Peter Grant (FREng, FRSE, FIET, FIEEE, EURASIP Fellow) and Dr Harald Haas.

3)University of Bristol, CCR, Prof. Joe McGeehan (FREng, FIET) and Prof. Mark Beach.

4)University of Southampton, Commun. Group, Prof. Lajos Hanzo (FREng, FIET, FIEEE).

5)University of Bedfordshire, Centre for Wireless Network Design (CWiND), Prof. Jie Zhang.

6)University College London (UCL), Dept. of Electronic & Electrical Eng., Dr Kenneth Tong.

Associate Industrial Partner

1) Mobile VCE^*, Dr Walter Tuttlebee (Chief Executive).

Associate Academic Partners (in alphabetic order)

1) King’s College London, CTR, Prof. Hamid Aghvami (FREng, FIET, FIEEE).

2) University of Strathclyde, Dept. of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Prof. Ivan Andonovic and Dr Ian Glover.

3) University of Surrey, CCSR, Prof. Zhili Sun and Prof. Rahim Tafazolli.

4) University of York, Department of Electronics, Prof. Alister G. Burr.

*Mobile VCE, with 13 BigCO members: Alcatel-Lucent, BBC, BT, Fujitsu, Huawei Technologies, NEC, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Orange Labs, Samsung, Thales, Toshiba, Turner, Vodafone

China Consortium

Academic Partners

(in alphabetic order)

1) Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), Wireless Technology Innovation (WTI) Institute, Prof. Ping Zhang (Director) and Prof. Xiaofeng Tao (Vice Director).

2) Huazhong Univ. of Sci. & Techno. (HUST), Dept. of Elec. and Info. Eng., Prof. Xiaohu Ge.

3) Shandong University (SDU), Sch. of Information Sci. & Eng., Prof. Dongfeng Yuan (Dean).

4) Shanghai Jiaotong Univ. (SJTU), Institute of Wireless Commun. Technol., Prof. Youyun Xu.

5) Southeast University (SEU), Sch. of Information Sci. & Eng., Prof. Xiaohu You (Dean, Director of the China FuTURE project).

6) Tsinghua University (THU), Sch. of Information Sci. & Technology, Prof. Zhisheng Niu (Deputy Dean) and Prof. Zhigang Cao.

7) Xidian University (XDU), Sch. of Telecommunications, Prof. Jiandong Li (Director of State Key Laboratory of Integrated Service Networks) and Prof. Hailin Zhang (Dean).

Industrial Partners

1) Shanghai Research Centre for Wireless Communications (WiCO), Prof. Song-Lin Feng (Vice Chairman).

2) Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, Corporate Research Dept., Mr Jun Shu (Vice President);

3) ZTE, R&D Cooperation Department, Mr Tao Zhang (Director).

4) China Mobile Communications Co., Research Institute, Dr Chunfeng Cui (Project Manager).

5) Jushri Wireless Technologies, Inc., Shanghai, Prof. Zhiyong Bu (CEO).

6) China Academy of Telecommunication Research (CATR), China Telecommunication Technology Labs, Prof. Gui-Li He (Director) and Prof. De-Nian Shi (Chief Engineer).

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Work Plan

With a total duration of 3 years, the UC4G project is broken down into 6 work packages (WPs), having clear start- and end-points, milestones (Ms), and quantifiable deliverables (Ds).

Ø Work Packages (WPs)

· WP1: A delegation of 22 UK researchers visits Chinese partners and a technical workshop

· WP2: Exchange of 30 researchers between UK and Chinese academic consortium members

· WP3: Joint-organisation of two four-day international workshops

· WP4: Prototype development and test of (B)4G wireless mobile communication technologies

· WP5: Direct commercialisation of mature (B)4G technologies

· WP6: A delegation of 25 Chinese researchers visit UK partners and a final workshop

Ø Milestones (Ms):

· M0: The project starts.

· M1: UK and Chinese partners get to know each other and a collaboration agreement is in place.

· M2: Full interaction of UK and Chinese academic consortium members.

· M3: Raise wider awareness of UK-China collaboration activities and publicise the outcomes.

· M4: Prototype development and verification of (B)4G wireless technologies.

· M5: New products of (B)4G wireless communication technologies and creation of a UK-China R&D Centre in 4G wireless mobile communications.

Ø Deliverables (Ds):

· D1: 1.1) A project website for efficient dissemination and sharing of information.

1.2) Travel itinerary of the 16-day China trip, schedules and presentation slides of a workshop

1.3) A summary report addressing collaboration opportunities and areas among UK and Chinese partners, and experience and lessons of Beijing Olympics 2008 in choosing advanced wireless technologies.

1.4) A full collaboration agreement between all UK and Chinese partners.

· D2: 2.1) Formation of UK-China collaborating partnerships and placement opportunities for UK & Chinese researchers.

2.2) 30 reports detailing key (B)4G technologies to be possibly prototyped, tested, and commercialised.

2.3) Joint publications, posters, project applications, IPR applications, and (B)4G standard proposals.

2.4) Creation of a UK-China panel within Mobile VCE.

· D3: 3.1) Two workshops and proceedings.

3.2) Joint publications and posters in workshops.

· D4: 4.1) (B)4G wireless communication technology prototype.

4.2) IPR applications.

4.3) Reports and posters regarding the verification results of developed (B)4G technologies.

· D5: 5.1) New (B)4G wireless technology products.

· D6: 6.1) A final project report summarising the collaboration outcomes and identifying follow-up activities. 6.2) Establishment of a UK-China R&D Centre for Future Wireless Communication Networks.