An important aspect of the project is the commercialisation of the technology. Sofant has engaged with a number of key customers to ensure that the technology is well aligned with market needs. Based on input from the market Sofant concluded that there is a clear market need for our technology in 5G applications in the mmWave bands (i.e. around 30GHz).

The smart antenna system required to address this market opportunity consists of an antenna array and RF MEMS device and CMOS controller IC. The antenna and array development work approached maturity during period 1. Testing of the antenna designs was carried out in period 2 of the project. Sofant successfully transferred the fabrication process of the RF MEMS technology from a university facility to a commercial facility in period 2. This technology transfer will enable us to obtain samples for customers’ demonstration and is a necessary stepping stone before heading into fully integration solution and mass production.

Sofant is working to secure at least one major technology development partner who will help to develop a full set of specifications and eventually adopt our smart antenna system in a demonstration platform or product.
The project team held meetings every fortnight to provide updates on the project status highlight any possible delays and put corrective measures in place. The project risks were reviewed regularly and unforeseen risks were updated. Minutes were produced from project meetings and uploaded onto the SWARM project server which is accessible by all team members. The SWARM website – http://swarmproject.co.uk/ – was kept up to date with news which could be published.