Background to Mobile VCE

Following the success of the LINK Programme, the UK Government's Technology Foresight Exercise brought together industry, the academic community and government to identify, amongst other things, where future academic research might be focused best to serve the needs of wealth creation. The Communications Panel highlighted the importance of long-term cutting edge academic research into mobile and personal communications. Thus a new University/Industry partnership was formed - the Virtual Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Personal Communications, now known as Mobile VCE.

What began as a UK initiative has today developed into something much broader, with global impact - Mobile VCE can no longer be viewed as a 'national programme'. In the June 2002 report of the Japanese Technology Council, Mobile VCE was cited alongside IST and WWRF as one of three significant European long term research activities that is shaping the future. Mobile VCE exploits to the full the very strong industrial eco-system in mobile communications that exists within the UK, but extends its reach and activity around the world, reflecting the global nature of the mobile communications marketplace and the countries of origin and the interests of our industrial members.

	To harness the research efforts of a selected group of UK universities into a cohesive world-class virtual (i.e. geographically distributed) research Centre of Excellence, focused on mobile radio and personal communications technologies and applications.
	To provide a framework for organisations including small to medium sized enterprises to fund research in UK higher education establishments
	To influence the direction of long-term research through a continuation of the Foresight process involving dialogue between industry and the academic community.
	To carry out programmes of research in a manner that makes best use of the academic creative talent existing in UK universities, with a particular emphasis on encouraging a cross-disciplinary approach and well managed programmes.
	To provide a mechanism for industry to work collectively with key universities to ensure it has the necessary flow of the most skilled experts in the new technologies.
	To project internationally the work and reputation of the Virtual Centre of Excellence in order to attract research funds and to sustain the world-wide reputation of UK universities for innovation.

Any organisation, including those outside the EU, may become a member by expressing support for the objectives of the Centre, agreeing to abide by its Rules, and paying an annual subscription. Whilst a European research presence makes it easier to exploit the benefits of membership, this is not a requirement and use of the internet enables many of our membersin the Far East to participate effectively.

	Access to strategic long-term R&D to set the direction of their own in-house R&D
	(or conversely, and unusually) Access to such R&D in place of in-house R&D
	Financial leverage - typically 40:1 or higher, secured by aggregating the company's subscription with those of many other industrial members, plus grant funding
	Access to software tools, spinning out from the research programme
	Access to IPR (royalty free) and to new technology ideas
	Recruitment - Access to potential new research staff
	Access to specialist sources of research and technology expertise
	Opportunity to commission company-specific research (Elective R&D)
	Opportunity to build relationships with university and industry players
	Opportunity to identify (and shape) future trends, threats & opportunities

Universities became full participating partners in the Centre, based on a demonstrable track record of relevant research excellence, by committing themselves to abide by the Rules of the Centre and by being selected by the industrial members of the Board to carry out work in the Core Research programme. The ongoing performance of each academic member is assessed, a quality control process which ensures that the Centre truly maintains its status as a Centre of Excellence.

The Research Programmes of Mobile VCE focus on an area of huge commercial potential and major social significance. Mobile and personal communications is one of the fastest growing and most significant markets in telecommunications.

The work was planned to comprise a number of separate strands determined in a flexible way according to funding as follows:

	The Centre will take forward a core programme of long-term research (the Core Programme) into the technologies that underpin mobile and personal communications.
	The participating universities will be encouraged to include relevant EPSRC funded research within the scope of the Centre's activity
	It is envisaged that the Centre will build on the results of the Core Programme to bid for European Union R&D programmes in its own right

The Centre would also be open for contract research funded by individual companies. The latter may be near market, as defined by the company in question.

The Centre would set up a comprehensive Intellectual Property Agreement for Core Research under which Industrial Members would benefit from royalty-free non-exclusive licences to use all results and intellectual property generated during the period of their membership.

The Centre is funded primarily by the industrial members in the form of an annual subscription; other funding is in the form of grants via the EPSRC. The Administrative Centre is located in Basingstoke, manned by the Executive Director and his assistant. The Executive Committee consists of representatives from industry and the universities, and is currently chaired by an industrial member.

The Board or Executive Committee, comprises the Chairman, the Executive Director, representatives of four other industrial member companies, and three academic members. Industrial and academic members have the same status. The Department of Trade & Industry and the EPSRC are ex-officio members of the Board but do not have voting rights.



Revised: 18th March 2003	MobileVCE Home	Copyright © 2010 Mobile VCE.