Services

From transport and manufacturing to energy, health and defence — Lab of the North is helping unlock the next wave of digital transformation.

Real-world Impact

The Lab of the North will enhance research, innovation, and testing in communications for complex use cases while providing distinct national and international capabilities.

It brings together the Universities of York, Sheffield and Leeds, local industry and will also be supported by local government, including North Yorkshire Council, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. Port of Tyne will complement these organisations as a key test site.

The partners that form Lab of the North provide complementary experience and facilities, creating a virtual and distributed lab that can be used to pioneer and translate innovative wired and wireless 5G/6G technologies and systems from TRL3 - 9.

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Our Services

At Lab of the North, we bring together the region’s most advanced connectivity assets into a single collaborative platform — enabling organisations to experiment, test, and innovate faster.

We support partners across academia, industry, and the public sector with services designed to unlock value from 5G, 6G, IoT, edge computing, AI/ML, and more.

Specifically, it will provide:

  • A unique destination in the North of England.
  • Facilities with specialist service support.
  • Ecosystem of academic, industrial partners and local government, capable of bridging the gap between academic research and industrial innovation.
  • Support inward investment to the region.
  • Supporting ecosystem to help SME incubation.
  • Packaged offering for specialist 5G/6G and advanced communications research, innovation and testing.
  • Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN)
  • 5G/6G Expertise.
    Navigate the ‘valley of death’ (TRL3-TRL7).
  • Urban and rural test facilities.

1. Innovation Testbeds & Trials

We offer access to real-world and simulated environments for:

  • Advanced Communications – 5G/6G network trials
  • Private networks for industrial use cases
  • Smart mobility, rail and urban test environments
  • Federated platforms across partner locations
Benefit to user: Rapid prototyping, reduced cost of early experimentation, access to diverse settings (labs, cities, transport, manufacturing)

2. Collaborative Research & Development

We facilitate and manage collaborative R&D projects between partners, universities, and third-party funders (e.g. DSIT, MoD, Innovate UK).

  • Project scoping and consortium building
  • Proposal development and submission
  • Delivery coordination and reporting
  • Use of shared facilities and in-kind support
Benefit to user: Shared risk, pooled expertise, greater chance of funding success and innovation scale-up

3. Technical Services & Expertise

Lab of the North coordinates access to deep technical expertise across multiple domains:

  • RF engineering, network architecture, AI/ML integration
  • Spectrum and interoperability testing
  • Software-defined networking and digital twins
  • Systems integration, data analytics, cybersecurity
Benefit to user: Flexible access to specialised capabilities across the North, matched to your challenge

4. Facilities & Equipment Access

Use pooled specialist assets across the Lab of the North Partner network: RF engineering, network architecture, AI/ML integration

  • Labs, testbeds, cleanrooms, simulators, cloud platforms
  • Edge compute clusters, sensing platforms, connected infrastructure
  • Booking and coordination through a central team
Benefit to user: No need to build from scratch — leverage what already exists

5. Training & CPD

We provide access to bespoke training services:

  • Hands-on use of testbeds and equipment
  • Seminars and short courses on 5G/6G, IoT, and advanced networking
  • Skills development tailored to public, private, and academic sectors
Benefit to user: Upskill your team and increase your capacity to innovate

6. Advisory & Engagement Support

Our central resource team acts as a neutral broker to help you:

  • Define use cases and technical requirements
  • Connect with the right partners across sectors
  • Shape project proposals and scopes of work
  • Engage with national and international innovation agendas
Benefit to user: Navigate complexity with tailored guidance from a collaborative ecosystem