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ATU welcomes European partners to Donegal for landmark 5G-SHARE consortium meeting
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) this week welcomes European partners to its Donegal campus for the first in-person meeting of the 5G-SHARE (5G Scalable Hubs for Accessible and Resilient Education) project consortium.
The two-day event, taking place on Tuesday 26 May and Wednesday 27 May, brings together university, telecommunications, and technology partners from Ireland, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Italy for a series of meetings and workshops focused on advancing planning, technical collaboration, governance, and project delivery for the ambitious European initiative.
ATU is the coordinating partner for the three-year project, which has secured €12.28 million in funding under the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) programme, with a total project value of more than €16.37 million.
The 5G-SHARE project will deploy and interconnect four advanced 5G Standalone Mobile Private Networks (MPNs), establishing a collaborative European platform for applied research, technological experimentation, and digital innovation. Through seven pioneering use cases, the consortium will investigate and validate the potential of advanced 5G-enabled environments across areas including Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), advanced cybersecurity, 3D content streaming, and Post-Quantum Cryptography, supporting the development of scalable real-world applications for education, research, and industry.
The meeting marks an important milestone in the project as partners meet to coordinate technical planning, governance structures, project delivery, and collaborative research activities for the years ahead.
A flagship element of the project will focus on Hybrid XR Learning, enabling universities across Europe to collaboratively develop immersive educational environments and shared digital learning content. The project aims to demonstrate how ultra-low latency and high-speed 5G connectivity can transform teaching, research, cybersecurity, and digital innovation.
Welcoming partners to ATU, President of Atlantic Technological University, Dr Orla Flynn, said:
We are delighted to welcome our European partners to ATU for the first in-person consortium meeting of the 5G-SHARE project. This meeting represents an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration, share expertise, and establish the foundations for a highly innovative and impactful European initiative.
“As coordinating partner, ATU is proud to lead this ambitious project which aligns strongly with our commitment to innovation, applied research, regional development, and international collaboration. The project will create exciting opportunities for our students, researchers, academic staff, and industry partners while contributing to Europe’s wider digital ambitions.”
Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing at ATU, Professor Graham Heaslip, added:
The 5G-SHARE project places ATU and our partners at the forefront of next-generation digital innovation for education and research. Bringing the consortium together in Donegal is an important step in building the collaborative relationships required to deliver large-scale, cross-border innovation.
“By combining expertise in 5G infrastructure, immersive technologies, cybersecurity, AI, and advanced digital applications, the consortium is creating a powerful platform for research, education, and real-world impact across Europe.”
The consortium partners in the 5G-SHARE project are:
- Atlantic Technological University (Ireland) – Coordinating Partner
- Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
- Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania)
- Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)
- Vodafone Ireland (Ireland)
- Vodafone Romania (Romania)
- Vodafone Czech Republic (Czech Republic)
- Fifth Ingenium (Italy)
- Adapta Studio (Italy)
The project runs from January 2026 to December 2028 and is expected to deliver significant impacts in digital education, research collaboration, cybersecurity resilience, and advanced communications infrastructure across Europe.
Further information on the project is available at www.atu.ie/5G-SHARE.
Photo caption: 5G-SHARE Consortium and ATU Senior Leadership
Front row (L- R):Emma Coyle (Head of Dept Civil Engineering & Construction, ATU), Christine McCabe (5G-SHARE Project Mgr., ATU), Andra Pastrav (Researcher, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca), Dr Orla Flynn (President, ATU) Prof. Graham Heaslip (Dean of Faculty Engineering & Computing, ATU), Thomas Dowling (Head of School of Computing, ATU), Romana Isacescu (Academic, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest), Chris Byrne (Network Innovation & Business Development Mgr., Vodafone Ire)
Second row (L – R): Ciprian Zamfirescu (Head of Innovation & Business Development, Vodafone Romania), Dr Rónan Doherty (Senior Lecturer, ATU), Karol Dempsey (5G-SHARE Acting Programme Mgr., ATU), Matteo Valoriani (CEO, FifthIngenium), Leonardo Locatelli (CEO/CTO, Adapta Studio), Pavel Mašek (Assoc. Prof., Brno University of Technology), Thomas Rosulek (Business & Growth Leader, Vodafone Czechia), Dr Trevor McSharry, (Head of School, The Built Environment, ATU)
For media enquiries, contact:
Aidan Haughey
Communications Manager
Tel: 086 086 6913
E: aidan.haughey@atu.ie
