What role does the 5G Data Hub play in advancing collaboration and innovation in the Nordic-Baltic region? We spoke to Nicola Wendt-Lucas, senior research fellow at Nordregio, about the importance of the monitoring tool, its potential to connect innovative 5G concepts with practical applications, and Nordregio’s ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and foster collaboration among stakeholders.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved with developing 5G Data Hub, the Nordic-Baltic 5G monitoring tool?
I’m a senior research fellow at Nordregio, a research center looking at different aspects of regional development and planning in the Nordic and Baltic countries. As of September, I’m the project manager for the successor project of the 5G monitoring tool. The original 5G monitoring tool project was completed in the spring of 2024, but now we have received support for a new follow-up project where we will work on improving the tool and explore the societal implications of improved connectivity in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The new project is called “N-B CONNECT: Nordic-Baltic Connectivity for Smarter and Inclusive Societies,” and it is, like its predecessor, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Can you explain what 5G Data Hub does and why it was created? Who can benefit from the tool’s use?
5G Data Hub was created to track the rollout of 5G and compare its current status in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The idea was to have one place where you can see and compare 5G rollout statuses, ideally at the municipal level, and understand which areas are still underserved in this regard and where the process is going well.
But it’s not just about the accessibility of 5G. The tool also includes 5G innovation hubs and different research project initiatives. It’s not a complete list yet, but we’ve included a number of projects from different countries and sectors. We wanted to create a possibility for the developers of these initiatives to become aware of each other’s work. In the context of the monitoring tool project, we organized regular matchmaking events where these stakeholders could meet, exchange best practices, share challenges, etc. We will continue with this effort to foster cross-border knowledge exchange also in the new project.
Who do you envision as the main user of this tool?
The Nordic Council of Ministers has the vision for the Nordic Region to become the world’s most sustainable and integrated region by 2030. The tool is designed to support the realization of that vision. We believe that both researchers and policymakers will benefit from it. This tool provides them with a comprehensive data dashboard that enables them to conduct evidence-based comparisons and analyses – and to connect and integrate their innovative work. Hence, the tool is also for people with an industry background – they can learn about the work on different initiatives they might not be aware of yet.
We’ve developed a survey for the 5G Data Hub users to learn more about them and how they benefit from the tool. This will help us identify possible improvements to make it more helpful and insightful. We invite everyone who tries the tool to fill out this survey so that we can use the feedback in our work.
CTA: Fill out the survey
You mentioned that during this phase of the project, we can expect different improvements. What kind of improvements or new features are already in the pipeline?
One thing that is definitely on our agenda is improving our data maintenance processes. The data obviously changes all the time, and currently, we manually update it, approaching the different authorities in the various countries. We want to streamline this process.
We also want to add new layers to the tool to give more insights into the societal effects that accessibility to 5G has had – some socio-economic indicators. Deciding which ones we’ll include and how that will look like will be the core part of the new project.
Do you have an estimated timeline for these updates?
The project runs until the autumn of 2026, so we’re just at the starting phase now. We are looking forward to sharing some updates during the following year. We also want to improve the tool’s interface, and we have some more ideas we want to work on. But we’ll share more details about those when they’re closer to implementation.
One of the key goals of 5G Techritory over the years has been to create collaboration between industries, policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders. How can the Nordic-Baltic 5G monitoring tool help with that?
We’ve been present at the previous 5G Techritory events, and in the past years, we’ve used the forum as a venue to network with the policymakers who are crucial for the development of the tool. The event helps us grow our network and user base, so to speak. And I’ll be happy to meet more people from the industry and add them to our network during this year’s event – come to our booth to meet in person on the 31st!
We engage this network at matchmaking events that we organize and there, we’ve generally had a 50/50 distribution of people from the public sector and industry. One of the great things about our tool is that it brings these two different areas together. In research, you often see fantastic theoretical ideas and ambitions regarding how people could use and benefit from new technology in an inclusive and sustainable way. But it can be tough to bring it to the industry side and implement it.
The monitoring tool sums up many of the key points of where the tech is being developed and how it’s used in different countries. It can be beneficial in bridging this gap between the ambitions not just of different sectors but also different countries and support its implementation
We also want to continue with the matchmaking events we’ve had. To develop this tech further, you need the right funding, and especially with cross-border initiatives, there are often many challenges, like regulatory concerns, communication, etc. I think it’s great that we can help enable this kind of cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration by fostering these interdisciplinary discussions.
Can you share a bit more about the matchmaking events you’ve organized? Have you seen some tangible results come out of them?
Yes, one of the most exciting outcomes came from a 5G matchmaking event we hosted on 5G and health in February 2023. During that event, we connected two teams from Latvia and Portugal working on 5G technology for cancer metaverse surgery. The Champalimaud Foundation in Portugal presented their project on breast cancer metaverse surgery, which sparked the interest of Rolands Lappuķe, an adviser on smart technology to the President of Latvia.
From there, collaboration quickly took off. The Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital from Latvia joined forces with the Champalimaud Foundation, and their work on creating an experimental metaverse surgery room has been advancing ever since. This partnership was even recognized during a presidential state visit to Portugal, where a memorandum of understanding was signed between both countries’ key medical and research institutions in the presence of the Latvian and Portuguese presidents.
That sounds amazing! Finally, would you like to say any words to 5G Techritory 2024 participants?
We’re excited to make new connections. On the 31st of October, we’d like everyone to stop by our booth at the forum in room “M,” where we’ll present 5G Data Hub. You can try out the tool for yourself, and we’d appreciate the feedback on improving it further. You’ll also be able to fill out the survey there on the spot.
