Ericsson commits support to Media Lab Europe, new R&D center in Ireland

Ericsson commits support to Media Lab Europe, new R&D center in Ireland Ericsson has announced it is to become a sponsor of Media Lab Europe, a new research and development center recently established in Dublin, Ireland. Ericsson will contribute Euros 2.5 million over five years to the center. The contribution will see Ericsson become a member of Media Lab Europe's new sponsor research consortium and will support five Ericsson research fellows over a five year period, to research and develop new insights into the potential uses of wireless communications for the future. Media Lab Europe is an independent, university level research and education center with the aim of creating a highly interdisciplinary, innovative institute that offers industry a new model of access to research activity and intellectual property. Ericsson has been a long standing sponsor of the Media Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston and the new relationship with Media Lab Europe builds on the successful and fruitful collaboration established there. "This commitment by a company of Ericsson's stature is solid evidence of how Media Lab Europe's innovative approach is appealing to major corporations," said Dr. Rudy Burger, Chief Executive Officer of Media Lab Europe. "I am delighted that Ericsson has committed to continuing its support of this unique research model with their generous sponsorship of Media Lab Europe." "We see the development of new applications for UMTS and other wireless networks as an essential part of Ericsson's strategy to continue to lead the development of the mobile Internet," stated Hakan Eriksson, Vice President Research at Ericsson. "From discussions with our customers we get the clear message that innovative mobile services will be a key contributor to the success of UMTS and future systems. The research to be conducted at Media Lab Europe will make a valuable contribution to our applications research and our future product development." Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of mobile Internet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world. Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT For Ericsson: James Borup, Press Relations, Division Mobile Systems Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 590 9261; E-mail: james.borup@lme.ericsson.se Dermot Kennedy, Communications Manager, Ericsson (Ireland) Phone: +353 1 207 2696; E-mail: dermot.kennedy@ericsson.com For Media Lab Europe: Barry Ahern, FCC Shandwick Tel: + 353 1 676 0168 or + 353 86 810 6238 E-mail: bahern@fcc.ie About Media Lab Europe: Media Lab Europe has been established as a result of a joint initiative between MIT and the Irish Government. It was established in 2000 and is based in the former Guinness Hopstore in Dublin. It is an independent, university level research and education centre with the aim of creating a highly interdisciplinary, innovative institute that offers industry a new model of access to research activity and intellectual property. Other sponsors of Media Lab Europe include Eircom and Irish entrepreneur, Denis O'Brien. Compaq and Hewlett Packard have made significant equipment donations. A number of other sponsors are expected to be announced shortly. For more information about MIT's Media Laboratory, visit: http://www.media.mit.edu/ For more information about Media Lab Europe, visit: http://www.media.mit.edu/