Advanced 6G IT infrastructure
Solvinity, a Dutch IT company specialising in managing critical IT infrastructures, is playing an important role in the development of future-oriented network technologies such as 6G. During a recent interview with Vincent van Beek, head of software development at Solvinity, we learnt how the company contributes to the FNS program.
A strategic partnership
Solvinity was approached by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to participate in the FNS program. Vincent, himself a PhD student at TU-Delft, explained, "We want to understand what the world of 6G is going to look like, so that we can soon advise and serve our customers well with new services." This forward-looking vision is at the heart of Solvinity's commitment.
The FNS program focuses not only on radio technology, but also on the cloud and IT infrastructure needed to support 6G networks. This dovetails perfectly with Solvinity's expertise in developing secure cloud solutions for government agencies and enterprises.
Local and international markets
Although Solvinity operates mainly in the Netherlands, it also offers international support through major cloud providers such as Amazon and Microsoft. Nevertheless, knowledge of the local market remains crucial. "In government tenders, we see that foreign parties often struggle to be successful due to language barriers and local legislation," Vincent said.
Technical contributions to the FNS program
Within the FNS program, Solvinity is co-lead of Program Line 2, with a focus on IT automation and AI applications. Work includes developing a reference architecture for 6G and creating a 'Digital Twin'.
"With a Digital Twin, we can simulate and solve problems before they occur in the real environment," Vincent explains. Work is also underway on advanced DevOps tooling that will enable large numbers of IT clusters to be managed more efficiently.
In work package 2.3, the focus is on AI research. Here, it looks at how machine learning and AI can contribute to the automation of complex networks. The idea is to make systems increasingly autonomous so that they can function with minimal human intervention. "We want our tools to not only identify problems, but also come up with solutions independently," Vincent said. This is crucial given the growing shortage of IT specialists. "Managing IT systems is becoming increasingly complex. Technology is getting more complex, and we need to find ways to manage more systems with fewer people. What used to be one antenna now consists of hundreds of micro-segments that need to be controlled individually," Vincent explains.
Local deployments and infrastructure management
Another important aspect of Solvinity's contribution within the FNS program is the concept of 'local deployments'. By this is meant that 6G technology is not only deployed over large, centralised networks, but also through smaller, specialised IT environments that are deployed locally. "In the future, we expect companies such as factories, stadiums and distribution centers to run their own 6G networks," Vincent explains.
This requires sophisticated on-site IT infrastructure, including mini data centers with powerful computers supporting these networks. Solvinity's expertise in building and managing private cloud solutions aligns perfectly with this. "Managing such local deployments requires a combination of high availability, security and 24/7 support - exactly the areas we specialise in," Vincent says.
Cooperation within FNS
Vincent speaks confidently about the high probability of success of the FNS program. He emphasises that the strong collaboration between academic institutions and market players is a key success factor. "We have a big club with the right people," he says. He points to the mix of young researchers with fresh ideas and experienced professionals who know exactly how the industry works. "We have people who have already earned their stripes and know how to make complex projects successful."
He also stresses that not every research project will be successful, but that is inherent in innovation: "You do a lot of things in a project like this, and if a few really succeed, then you have already done well." According to Vincent, the strength of the program lies precisely in this broad approach, developing both fundamental research and market-oriented applications. This makes it very likely that valuable innovations will come out of it that are actually adopted by the market.
A promising future
With 25 years of experience in IT and a strong position in the Dutch IT landscape, Solvinity is well positioned to play a key role in the development of 6G technology. Thanks to cooperation with universities, companies and research institutes, the company hopes to not only contribute to technological advances, but also create new market opportunities. "If we do this well, we can not only serve our customers better, but also open new markets and create economic value," Vincent concludes.
