On February 20th Hitachi Europe inaugurates a laboratory dedicated to communications via mobile phones and satellites, while Volkswagen is settling 'm.futurlab', a research center for mobile phones.
An inauguration which is like an event, on Tuesday, 5.00 pm, at the CICA in Sophia Antipolis : the one of Hitachi Sophia Antipolis Laboratory (HSAL). Of course, this is not a massive settlement. This new research laboratory, which is operational since December 1st, is composed of five people for the moment. Still, that's a prestigious trade sign. Moreover it's a Japanese one and it's a sign that the research park is now looking at Asia. While Japanese researchers will come to reinforce a pole which has become more and more important in Sophia : the Internet and mobility pole.
This group temporarily restricted will be dedicated to the mobile communication (development of the new generation of communication systems for phones, computers and other mobile multicasting instruments) and to satellite communications (companies such as CommTime Cast and UDCast already work on the field of Internet by satellite). The HSAL is headed by Masato Hayash. The latter was already present on the research park since he led research activities at the Eurécom Institute which is also settled at the CICA. Hitachi is a partner of this Institute.
Another more recent arrival, at the CICA as well : m.futurlab, a research laboratory for mobiles of the Volkswagen group. The German company settled early February. This laboratory of the future is already composed three members and they should hire four or five people soon. That's a reinforcement of the mobile pole in Sophia Antipolis, a pole which is today particularly highlighted by the 3GSM World Congress.