Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs visits Commonwealth Cyber Initiative to boost cooperation between leading 6G technology research hubs

Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Mr Mika Lintilä, visited the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Campus in Arlington, Virginia yesterday. Virginia Tech focuses on the development of trusted 6G or Next G technologies.

Virginia and Finland have both emerged as leading centers of excellence in 6G technology. Virginia has made an unprecedented investment in research, workforce development, and innovation through the CCI while Finland launched the first large 6G research and development initiative in the world. This forms strong basis for cooperation.

“In the face of rapid technological development and increasing global competition, it pays to work together with international partners. What I saw at the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative today was very impressive and very much in line with what is being done at the Oulu 6G Flagship initiative”, said minister Lintilä. 

The cooperation prioritizes global 6G vision work and technology while recognizing cybersecurity as a core requirement for those networks. Wireless communications play an inseparable role in our societies and as these networks have become a core part of our critical infrastructure, requirements for mobile technologies have steadily increased. The sixth generation of wireless communications networks, usually referred to as 6G or Next G, is inevitably needed to meet the new requirements.

Minister Lintilä is visiting Washington DC to discuss digitalization, clean energy, and bioeconomy with U.S. partners. The Minister also met yesterday with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to discuss opportunities for cooperation, including in the sectors of technology, marine industry, smart ports, and offshore wind.

For more information, please contact:

Pasi Rajala, Embassy of Finland, tel. 202 468 0269

Nina Alatalo, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employement, nina.alatalo (at) gov.fi