In collaboration with Ericsson and Samsung, the multinational Vodafone has launched the 'Vodafone 5G Lab’ in Madrid. A lab that will enable developers from different companies to use the high-speed 5G network to develop new 5G use cases for both consumer and business environments. The new space is located at the British-based operator's headquarters in the Spanish capital. During the first year, more than 200 developers and software companies are expected to visit the Lab to create the 5G services and applications of the future in fields such as gaming, drones and self-driving cars, to name but a few. The aim here is to respond to society's challenges in sectors such as education, health, transport, energy, industry, smart cities, tourism, agriculture, security, defence, entertainment and the digital economy.

As explained by Marta de Pablos, 5G Marketing Manager at Vodafone Spain, this lab "aims to become a key co-creation space to develop a new generation of services and applications that our customers will be able to access in the near future. This is a very important step forward in our strategy to continue being pioneers and leaders in the deployment and use of 5G networks and services in Spain. Vodafone's partnership with Ericsson and Samsung will make it possible to create a strong 5G ecosystem, thus securing the entire project development chain. Daniel Molero, Director of Mobility Sales at Samsung Electronics Iberia, emphasises that the company is a strategic partner for developing 5G solutions, and that the result of this collaboration will be "the creation of value-added 5G services for the consumer". Iván Rejón, Ericsson's Head of Strategy and Marketing for Iberia, defines the collaboration as "a clear move towards fulfilling our commitment to continue opening up new paths for stimulating the development of business and society in general, thanks to 5G connectivity and the technologies it enables".  

The Lab will host an ongoing calendar of events, roadshows, workshops and competitions with the aim of helping the small companies and start-ups that come to the space, and some of these activities will be streamed online to reach the widest possible audience.

^{Photo: Vodafone}