Ericsson opens Budapest 6G Research Lab

Ericsson has opened a 6G Lab at its R&D centre in Budapest as part of its global programme for next-generation networks. The site expands on the work it has carried out in Hungary since 1991 and builds on its core network research, which began in 1996. The launch adds to ongoing activity around the evolution of the 5G Core and the operational models that will support future architectures.

The 6G Lab forms part of Ericsson’s wider plan to align research, standardisation efforts and technical trials across multiple regions. 

Antonio Passarella, Head of Central Europe and North Balkans at Ericsson, says: “The opening of our 6G Lab in Hungary reinforces our long-term commitment to research and innovation.

"As we move toward the 6G era, our goal is to evolve today’s 5G Core technology into an even more flexible, open and intelligent platform, paving the way for entirely new use cases, industries and societal benefits.” 

The site will explore network exposure, programmability, automation and cloud-native methods. It forms part of the frameworks that Ericsson sees as central to long-term network development.

The lab will examine how artificial intelligence and machine learning can operate inside next-generation core functions without relying on legacy approaches.

University partnerships shape Ericsson 6G programme

Ericsson has established partnerships with several institutions across Hungary to support engineering research linked to the 6G Lab. It includes the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Eötvös Loránd University, Óbuda University and the HUN-REN research network.

It plans to run joint experiments and technical trials with these partners. The projects will focus on methods that support future network design and operational models to replicate industrial and academic settings.

András Boráros, Head of R&D at Ericsson Hungary, says: “We established the Budapest 6G Lab to be both a site for scientific breakthroughs and a hub for practical innovation.

"Our work is not only about preparing for a post-5G world – we want to truly benefit society. We are striving to enable people to communicate and collaborate more effectively than ever in the future.” 

Ericsson plans to integrate the academic partnerships into its internal development cycles. It includes early-stage concept testing and structured evaluation of methods that may enter the standardisation process.

It views the institutions as part of a broader ecosystem that links research groups, operators and technology vendors.

The partnership structure aims to supply engineering talent and technical insight for long-term 6G planning and to support consistent testing environments across different projects.

The relationship with universities aims to support skills development in Hungary. Ericsson expects that the lab will allow researchers to work with industrial partners on the same platforms used in its global R&D programme.

It intends to align Hungarian research teams with internal groups working on the integration of core network functions, distributed compute and other areas that could form part of future 6G systems.

Core network evolution drives Ericsson 6G initiatives

Ericsson’s Budapest 6G Lab will focus on the transition from current 5G Core deployments to the structures that may define 6G networks.

The work includes testing interfaces that support open frameworks, examining how distributed systems can operate at scale and determining how exposure methods enable operators to use network functions through standard mechanisms.

Ericsson expects the exploration to guide the development of open interfaces that can support growth in device density, in industrial environments and across cross-domain communication setups.

Antonio notes that the lab reinforces Ericsson’s role in shaping these technologies through long-term investment and R&D presence in Hungary. It views the Budapest site as a channel for early research that could feed into international work on next-generation networks.

Ericsson will use the lab to coordinate trials with operators and technology partners to examine the performance of core functions under different operational conditions.

András states that the lab serves as a base for research examining communication patterns and collaborative tools. His view is that this type of work must go hand in hand with technical development to build systems that meet future communication requirements.

Ericsson aims to use findings from the lab to inform deployments across its global portfolio and to supply material for discussions with standards bodies.

The establishment of the Budapest 6G Lab positions Hungary within Ericsson’s network of research locations that shape the direction of future communication systems.

It aims to operate as a link between local academic research and international engineering programmes, supporting cross-border collaboration and the gradual evolution of core network technology.