6G Test Centre’s business clients develop products for the defense industry
The 5G/6G test network built on the University of Oulu’s Linnanmaa campus covers the entire campus area and, when needed, also parts of the technology village. The university operates the network as an independent operator, enabling a flexible and low-latency testing environment for various research and development needs. The test network is a modular system, allowing the creation of customized virtual laboratories for different testing purposes.
For example, it is possible to test the integration and cooperation of civilian and defense networks when aiming to strengthen the resilience of communication systems. The 6G Test Centre’s collaboration with companies in NATO’s DIANA program (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) is a prime example of the kind of research activity desired.
“The evaluation for the next DIANA Challenge program for 2026 is currently in its final stages, and new clients will be selected by December. This allows us to begin planning testing collaboration with them as early as January,” says Hannu Nikurautio, Research Director of the 6G Test Centre at the University of Oulu.
When asked about the significance of DIANA connections for the test center and companies, Nikurautio responds through four thematic areas:
- Strategic Importance: DIANA connections open a channel for the 6G Test Centre (6GTC) into NATO’s broad innovation and defense ecosystem, strengthening Finland’s and Oulu’s role as a key testing platform for international actors.
- Benefits for Companies: The ecosystem —companies and NATO DIANA clients— gain the opportunity to validate their solutions, increasing export potential and accelerating technology development and product refinement.
- Networks and Visibility: DIANA connections enhance the international visibility of the test center and companies, opening new partnerships with research institutions, startups, and large corporations.
- Dual-Use Technology: These connections strengthen expertise for both civilian and defense sector needs, enabling companies to expand their business into multiple markets.
What insights or results have researchers gained from the tests, what is the value of the collaboration from the test center’s perspective?
“We have demonstrated that our hybrid test network (multi domain network)—our own independently operated tactical and commercial network with its diverse technological capabilities—provides significant added value to both the NATO DIANA network and the ecosystem’s customers as a platform for developing and evaluating new solutions. In addition, our testing capabilities in extreme conditions, such as the Arctic climate, complement this ecosystem and offer a unique perspective on how solutions perform in real operational environments. We have also received feedback from companies and are now better able to scale our testing activities. Support from partners, such as equipment donations, naturally contributes to this. The tests have served as a catalyst for new research and development projects both domestically and internationally,” Nikurautio summarizes.
Tambest was introduced earlier, and here are brief presentations of the four DIANA test clients. We asked the companies for short introductions and inquired how the tests went and what their near-future plans are. Companies are presented in alphabetical order.
What does your company do (in short, dual-use main product or service)?
Microamp develops 5G mmWave private networks for dual-use applications in defence and industry. Our uplink-centric system enables real-time analytics and decision-making by connecting sensors, drones, AR/VR systems and soldiers through reliable, high-capacity links that ensure resilience, precision and protection against jamming in mission-critical operations.
What did you test with us and how did the tests go?
During our collaboration with the 6G Test Centre, we tested our 5G mmWave Vision Pack, focusing on validating system performance and reliability. The trials confirmed stable, low-latency and high-bandwidth connectivity supporting real-time video transmission, demonstrating readiness for integration into complex defence and industrial environments.
How will the cooperation and product development continue in the near future?
Following these tests, Microamp participated in NATO GLOW and SHINE 2025, where the system was successfully deployed in real tactical scenarios, delivering unjammable and undetectable connectivity. The cooperation will continue through further field deployments and product development with NATO innovation programmes and system integrators.
CEO of Microamp Dawid Kuchta answered the questions.
What does your company do (in short, dual-use main product or service)?
Scaleout Systems provides Scaleout Edge, our enterprise platform for federated AI. It enables organizations to collaboratively train AI models, like computer vision models, directly on edge devices without transferring raw, sensitive data. This dual-use technology is ideal for critical, low-connectivity environments, such as a tactical edge, as it dramatically reduces data transfer needs and increases network resilience, while keeping sensitive data private.
What did you test with us and how did the tests go?
In collaboration with the 6G Test Centre, we tested FEDn, the core open-source federated learning framework of our Scaleout Edge platform. The project validated FEDn's performance in realistic, harsh network environments, first in a controlled lab setup and then in outdoor tests. The tests successfully demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in training time, where our federated method was barely affected by the quality of connectivity, in contrast to conventional centralized training methods.
How will the cooperation and product development continue in the near future?
This cooperation is a crucial step in advancing our Scaleout Edge solution. In the near future, we will continue development with more robustness tests, and integrating additional features to increase the efficiency of our solution even further.
CEO of Scaleout Systems Andreas Hellander answered the questions.
What does your company do (in short, dual-use main product or service)?
Wayren is an Estonian dual-use startup developing resilient communication and situational-awareness solutions that support fast and informed decision-making in mission-critical environments.
When networks fail, missions fail. In both tactical operations and industrial settings, infrastructure breakdowns, difficult terrain, and disrupted communication flows demand a new kind of technology that tolerates high data loss and keeps information moving. We combine proprietary communication protocols, ruggedized hardware, and mission systems to ensure seamless data flow when nothing else can.
What did you test with us and how did the tests go?
During the NATO DIANA Accelerator, our objective was to refine and validate our technology in collaboration with world-class mentors and testing facilities. At the 6G Test Centre, we successfully tested how the Wayren solution extends military MANET radios with scalable 5G and Bluetooth mesh networks to enhance the situational awareness and command-and-control capabilities of NATO and its allies.
How will the cooperation and product development continue in the near future?
We plan to continue collaborating to verify our solution against industry standards and operational benchmarks. Moving forward, our focus is on conducting large-scale field tests and demonstrations to accelerate adoption across defense and dual-use sectors.
The questions were answered by Henry Härm, CEO and Co-Founder of Wayren and Oliver Tiit, CTO at Wayren.
What does your company do (in short, dual-use main product or service)?
Winse Power brings unmatched resilience in power and data transfer. Our optical power links—transmitting both power and data in optical form—are virtually undetectable and unjammable to adversaries.
What did you test with us and how did the tests go?
We conducted a high-altitude drone power-up test using our optical power links in a field environment, collaborating with leading experts in drone technology. The tests were successful, providing valuable validation and insights into this use case. This further strengthened our confidence in the technology’s performance under highly challenging conditions and applications. The practical execution and the facilities provided by the 6G Test Center were both excellent, allowing us to focus fully on the testing itself.
How will the cooperation and product development continue in the near future?
Further testing will be conducted under the NATO DIANA program in collaboration with the 6G Test Center, targeting even more demanding environments. These trials will allow us to push our technology even further and expand its capabilities.
The COO and Co-Founder of Winse Power Veikka Nikander answered the questions.
This article is part of the 6G Waves magazine, which will be published in mid-December.