Overview
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding organisation for research and innovation networks. The Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond and enable researchers and innovators to grow their ideas in any science and technology field by sharing them with their peers. COST Actions are bottom-up networks with a duration of four years that boost research, innovation and careers.
Objectives
The NEWFOCUS COST Action will propose truly radical solutions with the potential to impact the design of future wireless networks. The design of future wireless communication networks that cope with the ever-growing mobile data traffic as well as support varied and sophisticated services and applications in vertical sectors with a low environmental impact is recognized as a major technical challenge that European engineers face today. The 4-year project aims to establish optical wireless communications (OWC) as an efficient technology that can satisfy the demanding requirements of backhaul and access network levels in beyond 5G networks. This also includes the use of hybrid links that associate OWC with radiofrequency or wired/fiber-based technologies.
Global Networking
NEWFOCUS will serve as a global networking platform as the COST Actions have also been designed to maximise networking possibilities, via meetings, workshops, conferences and training schools. COST will contribute to the travel and subsistence costs of the invited participants, and to the organising costs.
Training Schools offer intensive training on an Action topic at the premises of one of the Action participants. Trainees are typically, but not exclusively, young researchers from across Europe. These training schools can also offer researchers from any career stage, lifelong learning opportunities.
In July 2023, the DSP Centre hosted a Training School to explore the latest advancements in short-to-long range optical wireless communication (OWC) systems. /news/2023-07-27-dsp-centre-hosts-training-school-for-international-phd-students-on-optical-wireless