Professor Ari Pouttu has been appointed as the new Director of the University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship, succeeding Professor Matti Latva-aho who is moving to a vice-rector role. The leadership transition was announced alongside the release of the tenth issue of 6G Waves, which highlights the critical role of research infrastructures in advancing complex mobile network technologies. A central focus of the Flagship is the newly opened 6G Test Centre in Oulu, a dual-use facility supported by NATO’s DIANA programme that enables comprehensive testing in extreme Arctic conditions across four distinct sites. Pouttu brings extensive experience in wireless systems and defence-sector R&D to the role, where he will oversee the evolution of the test network from 5G to 6G to support industry standardization and future societal needs.
Keywords: 6G Test Centre, dual-use research, Arctic-condition trials, remote experimentation, industry standardization