Innovation

Communication networks have a fundamental impact on society, influencing citizens' lifestyles as well as the economy. The USD 65 billion investment by the current U.S. government to expand broadband access to its population highlights the vital importance of communication networks for a nation's prosperity. While 4G cellular network technology enabled mobile access to Internet services such as social networks and the new digital economy, the emerging 5G networks will enable a vast array of applications, not yet fully envisioned. There is no doubt that 6G networks will revolutionize society and the economy on a scale much greater than 5G.

Innovation opportunities will be abundant, both in commercial services and solutions for the well-being of society. According to the study presented by the Special Secretariat for Productivity and Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economy (Sepec/ME), the use of 5G solutions could provide a benefit of R$ 590 billion per year. Regarding the potential of software, the total accumulated value by 2031 is expected to reach R$ 101 billion, with R$ 10 billion allocated to network software. It is estimated that network virtualization, a native technology of 5G networks, will generate USD 167.03 billion in global revenue by 2030.

The development of IoT solutions involves a high degree of innovation, as the set of scientific and technological solutions to enable large-scale operational intelligent applications is still in its early stages. IoT encompasses a wide range of software, hardware, and communication components. Integrating various components and enabling end-to-end data flows to implement intelligent applications is a current research challenge. Consequently, providing solutions related to platforms that integrate multiple components has the potential to generate significant scientific, technological, and innovative results, with national and international repercussions.

The integration of IoT platform functions, such as large-scale data collection, transmission, storage, and its processing by artificial intelligence models, can generate significant contributions to advancing knowledge beyond the state-of-the-art and technology. It can also provide intelligent services with a major impact on well-being and the economy. Intelligent IoT applications often require the processing of sophisticated models locally at the network edge, close to devices, due to privacy, scalability, and quality of service provisioning requirements.

According to a recent report by the renowned international consulting and analysis firm Grand View Research, the global edge computing technology market is projected to reach USD 155.90 billion by 2030. The innovation potential and socio-economic and environmental impact brought by communication networks and intelligent IoT is extremely promising. AI has enormous potential for promoting well-being and reducing healthcare costs, as it is closely linked to individual health knowledge, achieved through continuous monitoring using new technologies, such as wearables, as recognized by UNICEF. On the other hand, the use of AI in environmental protection prompted the German government to allocate 27 million euros in 2019 for AI applications for species monitoring and environmental preservation, among other related actions.

Brazil faces serious problems in healthcare, city management, and environmental protection. Communication networks and intelligent IoT are enablers of innovative solutions to these serious national issues. The INCT research project is dedicated to challenging and original research questions, with ample opportunities for innovation that can boost the economy and promote the well-being of the Brazilian nation.