UCL receives donation of £1.5 million worth of wireless test equipment from Aeroflex

The Aeroflex laboratory will give UCL a major advantage in its research into technology for the next generation of wireless communication networks and user equipment, such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and future mobile devices.

Aeroflex already has an established relationship with UCL, having provided financial support and work placements for a postgraduate student who has subsequently been employed by Aeroflex at its Stevenage facility. Members of Aeroflex staff regularly contribute to the lecture programme, and the company continues to offer placements to UCL students.

Aeroflex also made a similar endowment worth almost £1 million in September 2011 to Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications.

“Aeroflex’s very generous donation will make a huge difference to the work of this Department, and this new equipment will accelerate our research into 3G, and 4G and beyond wireless technologies,” said Professor Izzat Darwazeh, the Head of the Communications and Information Systems Group in UCL’s Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. “Our relationship with Aeroflex, and the opportunities it provides for our students, helps to prepare them for their future careers as well as enhancing our worldwide academic reputation.”

The equipment in the new laboratory includes two of Aeroflex’s industry-leading TM500 LTE Test Mobiles for emulating user equipment as well as three Digital Radio Test Sets for handset and terminal testing.

“The inauguration of this new laboratory affirms Aeroflex’s commitment to supporting academic research, and continues our programme of assisting universities who are at the forefront of wireless technology in order to nurture the talented engineers that the industry needs to be competitive in the future,” said Dr. Hayk Manukyan, Technical Product Manager and Head of Collaborations with Universities at Aeroflex. “We are very pleased to support UCL in this way, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with them.”