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Abstract:
Nokia and the University of Cambridge, UK, today announced an agreement to work together on an extensive and long term programme of joint research projects. Nokia Research Center (NRC) will establish a research facility at the University's West Cambridge site and will collaborate with several departments - initially the Nanoscience Centre and Electrical Division of the Engineering Department - on projects that, to begin with, will be centred on nanotechnology.

Nokia and University of Cambridge to partner on research

Espoo, Finland | Posted on March 6th, 2007

Commenting on the agreement, Professor Ian Leslie, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University, said: "This collaboration both recognises and enhances Cambridge's global reputation for excellence in science and technology research. One of the greatest advantages to the University is the opportunity to work closely with a recognised worldwide leader in technology products and applications on 'real world' challenges and initiatives."

Nokia will initially base around ten people at Cambridge: the agreement is intended to be long-term and the number of Nokia researchers at the University is set to rise over time. Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Bob Iannucci, Nokia Senior Vice President and Head of NRC, said: "This is the third partnership with a world-leading research institution NRC has announced in the last eighteen months . Such open collaboration is central to NRC's strategy, because it enables us to bring together some of the leading researchers in our fields of interest and to benefit from each other's different backgrounds and perspective. "

Cambridge is widely seen as a leader in nanotechnology research with successes across the University in nanoelectronics, novel materials and coatings, biologically inspired nanostructures and advanced characterization tools. "Cambridge and Nokia share a common belief in the ability of nanotechnology to deliver products and applications of tangible value to people," commented Professor Mark Welland, director of the IRC (Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration) in Nanotechnology at Cambridge. "The fact that we also share a common commitment to the responsible introduction of nanotechnology into the public arena adds a further unique dimension to this collaboration."

Dr. Tapani Ryhanen heads Nokia global research in the nanotechnology area, and will lead Nokia's collaboration with Cambridge. He added: "Nanotechnology long ago left science fiction movies for the laboratory and, more recently, we saw the first commercial applications. The techniques we are developing really bring us a toolkit for working with the processes of nature at a very basic level - the level of molecules - in a safe and controlled way."

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About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

About Nokia Research Center

Interacting closely with all Nokia business groups and Technology Platforms, Nokia Research Center is responsible for the strategic and long-term research in Nokia. Looking beyond current product development, the Research Center challenges current strategies and drives Nokia's renewal through long-term technology exploration. Nokia Research Center participates in the standardization work and various international R&D projects in cooperation with universities and research institutes. Nokia Research Center employs about 950 people and has activities in Finland, USA, Germany, Hungary, China and Japan. For more information on Nokia Research Center, see the website http://www.research.nokia.com

About the research agreement

The agreement was signed on 6 March 2007 and covers the collaboration between Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge based on joint research projects, with researchers from both two partners working closely together. The projects will be selected by a joint steering committee, which will meet twice yearly to review ongoing work and to select new topics. NRC Cambridge (UK) will be established within the university's West Cambridge site and both NRC and the University of Cambridge will make arrangements for shared use of facilities, equipment and networks, as appropriate.

About the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge will celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2009. It is one of the finest universities in the world, a superb British university with global reach. It is renowned for its 31 colleges and world class teaching departments, ground breaking research and breathtaking architecture. It attracts the very best and brightest students, regardless of background, and offers one of the UK's most generous bursary schemes.

Cambridge was recently ranked number two in the world and the number one University outside the US, in two separate surveys, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2006 survey, and in the Times Higher Education magazine's world rankings.

Cambridge people have been awarded more Nobel Prizes than those from any other UK university with more than 80 laureates.

West Cambridge is the University's growing new science and technology campus.

The site has long been home to the renowned Cavendish Laboratories, the Veterinary School and the Whittle Laboratories. Also long established at West Cambridge are British Antarctic Survey, Schlumberger Cambridge Research, Aveva Group plc (formerly CadCentre) and the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory.

A more recent arrival has been Microsoft Research, which has its European Headquarters here. This is a fitting match with the University's Computer Laboratory, which is housed in the adjacent William Gates Building, constructed in 2001.

Academic development is focused on the physical sciences and technology. More recent completions have been the Nanoscience Centre and Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (Electrical Engineering). The Nokia Research Centre will be located in a new building, the East Forum, just metres from these two.

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