| 2004 |
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YEAR BOOK |
University of Limerick
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UL has major role in TARGET – a new European Network of Excellence in RF Power Amplifier Research
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The University of Limerick, through Dr Máirtín Ó Droma, is heading one of TARGET's six Joint Research Programme strands that cover the progression from semi-conductor materials to wireless systems. This strand includes two workpackages; one on RF (Radio Frequency) microwave and millimetrewave power amplifier linearisation evaluation, and the other on non-linear power amplifier modelling. Dr Ó Droma is also a member of the nine-person TARGET Steering Committee that meets every two months and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the project. The initial Board Meeting, with all the NoE members attending, was held in Vienna on 19/20 February 2004, together with a number of workpackage kick-off meetings.
TARGET's core topics – amplifier and microwave research – are fundamental for the evolution of broadband wireless access to IT multimedia services. For future generations of wireless communications, researchers and the mobile industry are seeking innovative wireless transmit power stage circuits and design criteria to attain the highest performance, both in terms of amplifier energy efficiency and linearity, and covering bands up to 40GHz and higher. This is TARGET's focus. It aims to increase the impact of amplifier research in the EU by supporting research co-operation and co-ordination among the top amplifier research groups, and fostering strong links with the industrial community. It will establish a virtual centre of excellence with pooled resources – expertise, laboratories and software tools. In bringing together more than 160 renowned researchers and 60 doctoral students, who have published more than 1,000 papers in the past three years, TARGET has ambitions to become a world-class research centre.
TARGET participants include leading European universities such as the Technical University of Vienna (TUW), Austria, led by Prof. G. Magerl, the NoE's Scientific Coordinator; another Irish university, UCD, led by Prof. T. J. Brazil; CNRS, France; University of Wales, Cardiff; Chalmers University, Sweden; University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Italy; Technical University of Catalonia, Spain; and the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Also involved are major companies such as Lucent, Infineon, Ericsson, and Alenia Marconi Systems.
Further information may be found on the TARGET web site http://www.target-net.org
Contact: Dr Máirtín Ó Droma, ECE Department, University of Limerick;
Tel: 061 202364; Fax: 061 202364; E-mail: [email protected] ; Web: http://www.ul.ie/~odroma