11 Jul 2012

UCL Opens Aeroflex Wireless Communications Laboratory

Aeroflex and University College London, UCL have announced the official opening of the UCL-Aeroflex Wireless Communications Laboratory in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University.

The photo shows Dr Hayk Manukyan, Technical Product Manager and Systems Architect of Aeroflex (left) and Professor Steve Caddick, UCL Vice Provost of Enterprise (right) having just cut the ribbon to open the newly equipped laboratory.

The UCL Aeroflex laboratory has been set up to enable research into new elements of wireless and cellular telecommunications technology, looking forward to the issues that will need to be addressed into the future for 4G technologies and well beyond. With UCL being at the forefront of advanced communications technology, state of the art equipment is needed to allow the research to proceed. Working with industry, UCL is able to utilise the benefits like this that industry can provide while providing benefits of the latest research to industry.

The new laboratory is equipped with £1.5 million worth of test equipment donated by Aeroflex. This includes a variety of the latest cellular and wireless simulators and test units which will enable them to test RF signals as well as protocols and the overall operation of the various systems. The equipment in the new laboratory includes two of Aeroflex TM500 LTE Test Mobiles for emulating user equipment as well as three Digital Radio Test Sets for handset and terminal testing. Aeroflex had already established a relationship with UCL, having provided financial support and work placements for a postgraduate student who has subsequently been employed by Aeroflex at its Stevenage facility in the UK. In this way the relationship is continuing to build providing benefits for UCL, Aeroflex and the students at all levels.

“Aeroflex’s very generous donation will make a huge difference to the work of this Department, and this new equipment will accelerate our research into 3G, and 4G and beyond wireless technologies,” said Professor Izzat Darwazeh, the Head of the Communications and Information Systems Group in UCL’s Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. “Our relationship with Aeroflex, and the opportunities it provides for our students, helps to prepare them for their future careers as well as enhancing our worldwide academic reputation.”

“The inauguration of this new laboratory affirms Aeroflex’s commitment to supporting academic research, and continues our programme of assisting universities who are at the forefront of wireless technology in order to nurture the talented engineers that the industry needs to be competitive in the future,” said Dr. Hayk Manukyan, Technical Product Manager and Head of Collaborations with Universities at Aeroflex. “We are very pleased to support UCL in this way, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with them.”

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