PARIS, France /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) announced that its Bell Labs research organization has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI). This MOU provides a framework for the two parties to cooperate in R&D projects into critical technology areas of communications.
This planned joint research activity is expected to focus on:
- advanced optical communications and network applications;
- wireless technologies, networks and applications; and
- fundamental studies in the enabling sciences, including mathematical sciences, computer science, and physics.
The MOU was executed by Dr. Mun-Kee Choi, President of ETRI, and Dr. Jeong Kim, President of Bell Labs in a signing ceremony in Washington D.C. attended by Mr. Lee Youn Ho, Minister of Knowledge Economy and John J. Sullivan, Deputy Secretary of Commerce for the United States. Specific support terms and conditions will be further defined in future discussions.
"The Ministry of Knowledge Economy is a shining, innovative model of proactive government engagement in supporting the development of a national innovation culture -- one that will generate new technologies at the forefront of IT and communications," said Jeong Kim, President of Bell Labs. "We are proud to partner with the ministry's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute and see this as just the first step in a deep and longstanding engagement between Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs and the government of Korean and its scientists to generate fundamental innovations that will change the world around us."
"With this agreement we hope to combine Bell Labs unmatched fundamental research expertise with ETRI's proven capabilities in developing applications and technologies," said Mun-kee Choi, the President of ETRI. "The combination of these two powerful institutions should make it possible to innovate state-of-the-art IT and communications infrastructure and help Korea further its goal of world-class leadership in IT technologies."
About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprise and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 17.8 billion in 2007 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris.
About ETRI
ETRI is an innovative research and development organization in Information & Communication Technologies. It has been playing a key role in boosting Korean ICT technologies for more than 30 years. ETRI has successfully commercialized advanced and new technologies such as DRAM, CDMA, DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) and WiBro (Wireless Broadband).
ETRI has more than 1,900 researchers in its Daejeon campus. Over 96% of them have master's or doctor's degrees. ETRI is performing major government-funded projects from Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Commission and so on. ETRI has more than 1,000 international patents. Its royalty income falls on about 70% of the whole royalty income arising from all government supported research facilities in Korea. It has transferred its technologies to 385 companies and its accumulated royalty income exceeded USD 485 million in 2006. ETRI Journal is the 4th in the world to be registered in SCI (Science Citation Index) following AT&T, BT and IBM.
The vision of ETRI is to be one of the leading IT R&D institutes in the world. In order to achieve this vision, ETRI will keep on innovating, cultivating human resources, and developing hardware systems to pursue the most effective R&D process and the best intellectual asset management infrastructure. ETRI is the first government-supported R&D organization in Korea to be certified with ISO 9001:2000. This certification allowed ETRI to set up quality management process protocols to insure quality research and development production.
ETRI is concentrating its R&D capability in four larger sections, such as Convergence Components and Materials, Broadcasting and Telecommunications Convergence, Software and Content, and IT Convergence Technology on successful conclusion of u-IT 839 strategy. Up to date, ETRI has been focusing on the development of IT-BT-NT Convergence, New Component Materials, Optical/RF Materials, IT SoCs, Next Generation Mobile Communications, Broadcasting/Communications Converged Media, Global IT Protocol, RFID-Ubiquitous Sensor Networks, Broadband Convergence Networks, Convergence Software, Digital Content, Information Security, Ubiquitous Robot, and Postal Technology to attain the Nation's ICT aim and to position ETRI as globally competitive R&D institute. ETRI has been involved in joint R&D projects with renowned counterparts such as Fraunhofer, Motorola, Microsoft, Samsung, KT, and Saint Mary's Hospital and welcome opportunities to work with competent global partners from all around the world.