The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, has presented the resolution of the call for the program UNIQUE R&D 6G 2022.
€48.8 millionfrom European funds Next Generation EU of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Planwhich will be destined to 48 projectsof the 53 presented, which will strengthen the research ecosystem of the next generation of mobile technology.
With this new governmental commitment, the public-private collaborationwhile complementing the aid already provided by the Sánchez government in 2021, in which they were benefited until 113 projects. The complete list of successful bidders can be seen through the following linkalthough the last UNICO I+D 6G call is in the evaluation phase.
The more than 50 projects presented by universities and research centers are based on the premise of improve Spain’s R&D infrastructure, in order to promote the 5G + and 6G network. For this, the scientific-technical team will receive some €35.8 millionwhile the business initiatives that are committed to the experimental development of 5G+ will obtain almost 13 million euros in aid.
The rejected proposals they have been classified as such because they did not exceed the thresholds set by the Government. All provisional resolution proposals that have not undergone changes become final, based on article 30 of Order ETD/805/2022 and article 24.4 of Law 38/2023 of November 17. In the same way, applicants can access their file through the electronic office.
The two aid subprograms
The Government has created two lines of public investment; On the one hand, projects aimed at financing infrastructures and scientific-technical equipment for universities and research centersand on the other hand, to promote the development of R&D projects of Spanish companies in a process of advanced maturity.
The resolution of the first UNICO I+D call was approved by the Government in 2021, granting a total of more than 90 million euros to 113 research projectsinnovation and development focused on the deployment of 5G+ and 6G technologies.
On that occasion, the requirement was established that the centers must subcontract 70% of its activity with Spanish companies, with the public sector acting as a guide and as a support for the private sector. An efficient and agile method to consolidate the national financial ecosystem.
This first phase came to serve as support for projects of low technological maturity, for this reason these direct aid to projects that are at more advanced levels and that occupy a priority role in the private sector.
The UNICO I+D Recovery Plan seeks to consolidate Spain as one of the leading countries in the deployment of 5G and 6Gfor which reason it foresees a financing of 230 million euros until the end of 2023. Similarly, it is estimated that the growth of world GDP, linked to 5G and 6G networks and services, will reach in 2030 the 3,000 million euros.
The latest movements of the Government
Despite the call for early elections for next July 23, the First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calvinohas announced that it will send the bases of the addendum of the Recovery Plan to Brussels, since the deadline is 2026.
The Government has spent months holding meetings with the regional governments, parliamentary groups and social agents to mobilize an additional 7.7 billion euros in transfers and 84,000 million euros in loans which will be added to 70,000 million euros offered in the first phase. The goal is to concentrate all investments and reforms in the promotion of industrialization and strategic autonomy in the energy, agri-food, industrial, technological and digital sectors.
Similarly, the fourth installment of European fundsfor a value of 10,000 million euros, it is expected to arrive as soon as possible, the latter being assigned to the pension reform. This is the only way to promote the employment creation and the modernization of the country.
