Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) opened its 5G/6G testbed on November 4, 2026, at the LIT Factory on the campus of Johannes Kepler University Linz. Companies of all sizes can develop and test new networking technologies there under real-world production conditions.
The testbed was unveiled as part of the ESBS Austria Conference 2026. The conference brings together the Austrian electronics, semiconductor, and software communities and focused this year on Physical AI—that is, the integration of artificial intelligence into machines, production facilities, and vehicles. Federal Minister Peter Hanke, Governor Thomas Stelzer, State Councilor for Economic Affairs and Research Markus Achleitner, and SAL Managing Director Isabel Tausendschön jointly inaugurated the new infrastructure.
Testing Where It Counts
SAL operates a private 5G standalone campus network across approximately 1,600 square meters of hall space. Industrial robots, autonomous mobile robot systems, high-resolution cameras, UWB positioning systems, and extensive measurement technology complement the infrastructure. This allows reliability, wireless coverage, and response times to be tested and optimized under real production conditions. Commercial and open network technologies run in parallel. This demonstrates which more cost-effective solutions also work for small and medium-sized enterprises.
“A testbed thrives on collaboration between companies that need new solutions and the research that makes them possible. Turning excellent research into concrete results for our industry partners is in Silicon Austria Labs’ DNA. Linz is the right place for this, because here, research and industry don’t just work side by side—they work together,” says Dr. Isabel Tausendschön, Commercial Managing Director of Silicon Austria Labs GmbH.
Millimeter Waves as a Building Block for 6G
The LIT Factory is home to Austria’s only industrial test bed where millimeter-wave technologies above 24 gigahertz are deployed under real production conditions. These frequency ranges are considered key to future 6G networks because they enable significantly higher data rates and minimal latency. SAL is already researching other building blocks for the next generation of mobile communications and is gradually integrating them. These include AI-supported radio models, intelligent network control, new security concepts, and the development of its own 6G radio chips.
Easy Entry for SMEs
For small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, the testbed lowers the barrier to entry for new networking technologies. Together with experts from SAL, companies develop new applications and bring them to market readiness. SAL co-financing of up to 50 percent, as well as grants through the European Digital Innovation Hubs Network and the Austrian Chips Competence Center (ATC3), facilitate access.
“The testbed strengthens the exchange between research and industry and thus boosts the innovative power of Upper Austria as a business location. It promotes collaboration between academia and businesses, accelerates the adoption of new technologies in companies, and makes the region even more attractive to international companies, research projects, and investments,” said Provincial Councilor Landesrat Markus Achleitner.
Industrial Policy You Can Touch
“What we’re seeing here today is industrial policy you can actually touch. Strategies are born on paper, but what matters is whether they make their way into businesses. With the 5G/6G testbed, our companies gain access to technologies before they hit the market,” said Innovation Minister Peter Hanke.
For the state of Upper Austria, the testbed represents the next step in its AI excellence strategy. “The factory of the future won’t just emerge at some point in the future—it’s already being developed today in Upper Austria. What is being researched and tested here in Linz can be put to use in our factories tomorrow,” said Governor Thomas Stelzer..
