i2CAT and the Indra Group join forces to drive innovation in satellite communications

• The technology company has joined the centre’s board of trustees to strengthen the public-private partnership model in strategic sectors.
• The agreement includes an investment of €280,000 for projects aimed at developing state-of-the-art space communication technologies

The i2CAT research centre and the Indra Group, a leading Spanish multinational and one of Europe’s foremost companies in the defence and advanced digitalisation sectors, have formalised a strategic alliance, culminating in Indra joining the Catalan centre’s board of directors. This collaboration aims to accelerate technology transfer and consolidate a public-private model that addresses the major digital challenges facing today’s society.

The agreement stems from shared interests in various technological fields and from collaboration on a new European research project under the Horizon Europe programme. Furthermore, the two organisations have jointly committed to a strategic project to design 5G NTN communication payloads for satellite constellations, a key technology for ensuring more secure and efficient global communications. With this step, the i2CAT research centre and the Indra Group aim to position Catalonia and Spain at the forefront of research into space communications and 5G/6G.

A step forward in technological sovereignty

The appointment of the Indra Group to the i2CAT Board of Trustees is not merely an institutional formality, but also a commitment to applied innovation. According to Sergi Figuerola, PhD, Director of i2CAT, “the inclusion of a global leader such as the Indra Group on our Board validates the collaborative research model we practise and enables us to take innovation from the laboratories directly to the market, generating a real impact on the economy and the region”.

For its part, the Indra Group highlights i2CAT’s ability to generate cutting-edge knowledge in fields such as cybersecurity and future networks. “The shared objective is to create an ecosystem in which research excellence serves to improve the competitiveness of businesses and, ultimately, people’s lives through more robust digital services,” says Anna Orti, Director of the Indra Group in Catalonia.

According to Albert Tort, Secretary for Telecommunications and Digital Transformation at the Government of Catalonia, “i2CAT strengthens the digital innovation ecosystem through these partnerships to help build, with a forward-looking approach, more robust and advanced digital communications, systems and infrastructure, whilst bolstering public-private collaboration to improve public services and the country as a whole”.

Impact on the local area and the public

Beyond this technological milestone, this collaboration reinforces i2CAT’s role as a driving force for innovation committed to the region. The development of advanced digital technologies will, in the near future, enhance Catalonia’s technological sovereignty and promote a more inclusive and global internet.

This new model of collaboration between the public sector, the research community and major technology companies is key to establishing an open, flexible and solution-oriented innovation model.