University of Oulu to build 6G testing capability for defence

The University of Oulu’s 6G Test Centre will lead a new national programme to build a testing, evaluation, verification, and validation capability for next-generation wireless systems designed to operate reliably in Arctic conditions and demanding electromagnetic environments. The Arctic 6G Systems Testing and Development Programme is funded by the Ministry of Defence as part of the Programme for Northern Finland, the government’s wider policy programme for the region. The work supports the development of technology for military defence.

The Programme for Northern Finland was established in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government programme to strengthen Finland’s security of supply and self-sufficiency. It takes into account the changed security landscape, new geopolitics, and Finland’s westward orientation, and frames national resilience as part of Nordic, EU, and NATO cooperation. Ministers agreed at the government’s mid-term policy review in spring 2025 that the programme would include a project consortium bringing together the state, the University of Oulu, other research and development organisations, and companies. The Programme for Northern Finland spans several sectors, from transport connections to research, and the defence technology funded by the Ministry of Defence is one part of it.

The funding is directed to research that strengthens the industrial base and the research, development, and innovation capabilities required for military defence. The objective is to create research outcomes that can be used in the coming years and developed further through follow-on funding from international instruments. The programme’s objectives have been aligned with the needs of the Finnish defence sector to establish Finland as a leading centre of expertise in resilient 5G and 6G systems capable of operating in contested and demanding environments.

The programme is delivered by a consortium of the University of Oulu, VTT, Nokia Defense, and Telia. It builds on the infrastructure of the University of Oulu’s 6G Test Centre, a designated NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) test centre and part of Finland’s national 6G Flagship research programme.

"This programme enables us to take the work of our 6G Test Centre a decisive step further, from laboratory research towards validation in real Arctic and operational conditions," says Jukka Riekki, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Oulu. "It strengthens Oulu's role as a national hub for resilient wireless technologies and creates a long-term capability that will serve the defence sector, public authorities, research organisations, and companies for years to come."

From laboratory to Arctic field validation

The programme is organised around a three-pillar testing and validation chain.

The first pillar combines a controlled laboratory and spectrum-simulation environment with a carrier-grade, AI-enabled 5G and 6G campus test network. The environment supports the development, integration, and validation of resilient wireless systems, Open RAN architectures, edge AI capabilities, and hybrid terrestrial and satellite networks under controlled and simulated interference conditions.

The second pillar extends these capabilities into a realistic operational environment built around the OuluZone test area. It enables the integration and validation of hybrid terrestrial and satellite networks, deployable network capabilities, edge computing, and connected uncrewed systems (UxS) in realistic operational scenarios. The environment bridges controlled laboratory validation and Arctic field testing.

The third pillar moves the work outdoors, into Arctic conditions and contested spectrum, where demonstrations compatible with NATO Innovation Range activities take place.

A capability that outlasts the programme

The central aim is to create a lasting national capability rather than a one-off project. The infrastructure built during the programme is intended to serve the needs of the defence sector, public authorities, research organisations, and industry well beyond the programme’s own duration, strengthening Finland’s security of supply and technological self-sufficiency in wireless communications.

The programme also opens a testing and development pathway for small and medium-sized enterprises developing dual-use and defence technologies. Through the 6G Test Centre’s services and its national and international networks, companies can move their solutions from early concepts through to operational field validation and connect to international value chains in the defence and security sector.

Beyond the core consortium, the programme is connected to a wider ecosystem of research organisations, defence stakeholders, and international innovation networks. This ecosystem supports technology maturation, operational experimentation, and the integration of Finnish companies into international defence and security value chains.

The programme works closely with the Finnish Defence Forces, whose experts contribute to defining test scenarios, assessing results, and developing operational use cases. This cooperation involves in particular the Finnish Defence Forces’ Innovation Unit and its Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence. The programme also strengthens Finland’s participation in NATO innovation activities, including the NATO Innovation Range.

The ministry has set the consortium three tasks. The first is to secure the development of 5G and 6G expertise in Finland and the country’s standing as a leading nation in wireless technology. The second is to support the use of 5G and 6G technologies as part of comprehensive and military defence. The third is to support Finland’s participation in innovation work on future communication solutions within NATO and the European Union.

Why resilience matters for 6G

Designing a system to withstand deliberate interference from the outset is a different exercise from protecting a network already in service. How does a network keep working when parts of it are jammed, spoofed, or destroyed, and the people relying on it cannot wait for repairs?

The question has civilian value too. The same properties that matter to a defence force, graceful degradation, resistance to interference, and the ability to work without fixed infrastructure, also matter to emergency services, energy grids, and shipping. The dual-use character of the work is explicit in the 6G Test Centre’s remit.

The international 6G standard is expected to be complete at the end of 2028. Work funded now will feed into that process while the technical choices are still open.