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Eight Ericsson researchers nominated for European Inventor Award for pioneering innovations and leadership in 4G LTE technology
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Nomination acknowledges significance of LTE’s impact on society and the economy, and Ericsson’s leading role in innovation and development of the 4G standard
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Year-long process to finalize shortlist of top inventions from thousands of patents filed with the organization
Eight Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC, news, filings) researchers have been nominated for a prestigious European Inventor Award for LTE by the European Patent Office (EPO), recognizing the company as a leader in 4G innovation.
The team is one of three nominees in the Industry category, which recognizes ‘outstanding and successful technologies patented by large European companies’. The winner will be announced on June 17 at an awards ceremony in Berlin, Germany that will be opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The eight Ericsson nominees – Erik Dahlman, Stefan Parkvall, Muhammad Kazmi, Robert Baldemair, George Jöngren, Henning Wiemann, Johan Torsner and Magnus Stattin – have played a key role in the development of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network standard that is powering the rise of the mobile Internet economy.
Commonly referred to as ‘4G’, it brings major improvements in terms of coverage and capacity, offering download and upload speeds many times greater than those achievable with earlier technologies.
Ericsson is the leading manufacturer of LTE infrastructure, and it is estimated that 50% of all LTE smartphone traffic is handled by Ericsson. Thanks to the efforts of the nominees and their colleagues, Ericsson expects to hold 25% of all essential patents in LTE.
Sara Mazur, VP and Head of Ericsson Research, said: “This nomination is a great tribute to the remarkable work of our researchers and to Ericsson’s focus on research and innovation. With 25,000 research and development (R&D) engineers, an annual spend of USD 5 billion on R&D and 35,000 granted patents in our global portfolio, we see this as a great asset and a crucial part of our business.”
“Ericsson invests continuously in research and is now laying the groundwork for the next generation mobile network, 5G. All of the nominated researchers are involved in analysis and development for 5G, extending the capabilities of wireless communication beyond the current LTE standard,” Mazur added.
Ericsson’s ongoing investment in R&D has enabled interoperability and helped advance standards such as 2G, 3G, and now 4G (LTE), which have revolutionized how we communicate and connect.
The EPO undertook a year-long process to finalize the shortlist of 15 top inventions, based on thousands of patents filed with the organization. The judges stated that they were looking for ‘new ideas that not only drive technological progress and economic growth but also shape society and improve our daily lives’.
Launched by the EPO in 2006, the European Inventor Awards give inventors the recognition they deserve and encourage future innovation. It is one of the most prestigious competitions of its kind.
European Inventor Awards are presented in each of the following categories: Industry, SMEs, Research, Non-European Countries, and Lifetime Achievement. An additional category – the Popular Prize – will be decided by a public vote.
Further information on four of the nominees:
Dr. Erik Dahlman has been deeply involved in the standardization and ongoing development of LTE. His current focus is on the analysis and development of next-generation (5G) mobile access, extending the capabilities of wireless communication even beyond LTE.
Dr. Stefan Parkvall has been a key player in the development of HSPA, LTE and LTE Advanced mobile telecommunications standards, and is currently focusing on next-generation (5G) mobile access.
Dr. Muhammad Kazmi has actively participated in the development and standardization of LTE from its inception and continues to advance this technology.
Dr. Robert Baldemair has researched and developed radio access technologies since 2004 and is one of Ericsson’s key contributors in the LTE project. Robert also works with technologies for next-generation (5G) mobile access.
Government recognition: In 2009, the Swedish government recognized Parkvall and Dahlman with the Stora Teknikpriset award for their contribution to the technical and commercial success of the UMTS accelerator HSPA.
Seven of the eight nominees have, over the years, also been recognized as Ericsson ‘Inventors of the Year’, in recognition of substantial contributions to Ericsson’s patent portfolio.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Photos of nominees on Ericsson Flickr
LTE Media Kit
Video: LTE Explained
IPR & Licensing Media Kit
Videos: Ericsson IPR & Licensing
Video of Ericsson’s nomination available from May 2nd on the EPO website
Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press
Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society – a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, businesses and societies to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.
Our services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.
With more than 110,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions – and our customers – stay in front.
Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2013 were SEK 227.4 billion (USD 34.9 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.
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