CTTC

Name

CTTC

Legal name

CENTRE TECNOLÒGIC DE TELECOMUNICACIONS DE CATALUNYA (CTTC)

Website

https://cttc.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Research & Innovation Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Satellite Telecommunications (51741)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Emerging Tech (IoT, Blockchain, AR/VR, Edge) Consulting (BPAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Telecommunications research
• 5G 6G networks
• Non-terrestrial networks
• Network simulation software
• Geomatics monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Castelldefels

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Research Grants: CTTC operates as a non-profit research institution funded primarily through competitive public grants from EU Horizon Europe, national research programs, ESA, and the Government of Catalonia. These grants cover R&D project costs, salaries, and infrastructure.
2. Contract Research & Innovation Services: CTTC offers scientific, technological, and consultation services to industry partners through direct contracts, including joint ventures and technology transfer arrangements. Revenue generated through commissioned research, testing, and expert consulting.
3. Technology Licensing & Royalties: CTTC receives royalties from commercialized technologies, such as LTE/LTE-A conformance testing equipment developed with AT4wireless and commercialized by Keysight Technologies. Spin-offs like GeoKinesia and WaveMasters also generate licensing revenue.
4. Spin-off Equity: CTTC holds equity stakes in spin-off companies such as GeoKinesia (created in 2020) and WaveMasters (Shareholders' Agreement signed 2026), generating value through technology transfer and commercialization of research outcomes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CTTC is a non-profit public research institution conducting fundamental and applied research in telecommunications and geomatics. It sells research and innovation services (contract research, joint ventures, technology transfer) to industry, government, and satellite operators, and develops open-source software tools (5G-LENA, TeraFlowSDN, GNSS-SDR), experimental testbeds, and patented technologies (iPOLE, PSIG) licensed or transferred to spin-offs.

Product overview

CTTC (Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya) is a non-profit research institution conducting fundamental and applied research in communication networks, communication systems, communication technologies, and geomatics. The organization's technology portfolio includes software tools (5G-LENA network simulator, TeraFlowSDN SDN controller, GNSS-SDR receiver), specialized infrastructure (Plaza 6G+ experimentation hub, EMERGE6G/IMMERSE6G AI computing facilities, AINative testbeds), and commercial spin-offs (GeoKinesia for deformation monitoring). CTTC also develops proprietary technologies including the PSIG SAR processing software and iPOLE surveying equipment, and coordinates major EU research initiatives like the TRANTOR 5G NTN project. The center offers research and innovation services spanning from direct contracts to joint ventures, serving industrial partners and public institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hispasat Lab by CTTC: Joint laboratory with Hispasat for 5G non-terrestrial network development.
• Plaza 6G+
• 5G-LENA

Products and services

• 5G-LENA Network Simulator
• TeraFlowSDN Cloud-Native SDN Controller

Quantifiable outcome

• Spanish nationwide BDD map identifies 2,958 buildings vulnerable to damage due to differential settlements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability15 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Autoritat Catalana de Protecció de Dades (APDCAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026CTTC and APDCAT strengthened collaboration on privacy in 6G research, integrating Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments for AI (FRIA) with Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) into a unified framework. Discussions covered AI, ISAC, cloud/edge computing, and synthetic dataset generation.
• FLEX-SCALE Consortium (Nokia Bell Labs, EU Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026FLEX-SCALE consortium (represented by CTTC researcher Raül Muñoz) received the ETSI Research & Innovation Award. The project feeds research on next-generation optical x-haul networks into ETSI TeraFlowSDN, increasing maturity and industrial relevance.
• Hexa-X-II ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026CTTC is a partner in Hexa-X-II, co-awarded the ETSI Research & Innovation Award. Hexa-X-II contributes to pre-6G system design and sustainability-driven standardization within ETSI TC Environmental Engineering.
• WaveMastersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026CTTC signed a Shareholders' Agreement with spin-off WaveMasters at MWC Barcelona 2026 to accelerate commercialization of advanced GNSS and RF technologies. CTTC holds equity in WaveMasters as part of technology transfer.
• Boldyn NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Boldyn Networks delivered cutting-edge private 5G connectivity to CTTC's R&D facilities in Barcelona. The collaboration aims to drive digitalisation and industry cooperation through advanced network infrastructure.
• GeoKinesiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020GeoKinesia is a CTTC spin-off created in 2020 through the Collider programme of Barcelona Mobile World Capital Foundation. CTTC transferred three technologies: PSIG software, Active Reflectors, and the iPOLE patented surveying pole. GeoKinesia focuses on commercial exploitation of deformation monitoring services.
• HispasatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHispasat is a partner in the Horizon Europe TRANTOR project and has launched 'Hispasat Lab by CTTC' to jointly advance 5G for non-terrestrial networks. The collaboration combines CTTC's research capabilities with Hispasat's satellite infrastructure.
• TRANTOR Consortium Partners (CNR, Fraunhofer IIS, Indra, Inster, Quadsat, Software Radio Systems, Starion, University of Luxembourg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe TRANTOR project consortium bringing together leading European research organisations, satellite operators, technology providers, and industrial partners to study, develop, and experimentally validate 5G+ satellite communication systems based on 5G NTN principles.
• Keysight TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTTC developed the physical layer of LTE/LTE-A TDD standard (Releases 8 and 9) for device conformance testing equipment, commercialized by Keysight Technologies. CTTC received royalties. AT4wireless was a Spanish joint development partner later acquired by Keysight.
• Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTTC and KTL signed a Memorandum of Understanding at MWC22 to foster collaboration in 5G/5G+/6G mobile communication technologies.
• 6G-IA (Smart Networks and Services Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTTC was re-elected as Governing Board Member of the 6G Industry Association (6G-IA), actively shaping the European 6G research and standardization roadmap.
• SNS JU (Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Carles Antón-Haro (CTTC) was appointed member of the SNS JU Governing Board. CTTC participates in multiple SNS JU-funded projects including IMMERGE6G, EMERGE6G, UNITY-6G, and SUCCESS-6G.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CEA-Leti: French public research institute working on micro/nanoelectronics, 5G/6G communications, and AI hardware with comparable non-profit applied-research model, public funding base, and industry-partner engagement.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied-research organization with comparable non-profit status, similar headcount scale, and active participation in European 6G and telecom research consortia alongside CTTC.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS): German applied-research institute conducting telecommunications, satellite, and positioning R&D with similar European public-grant funding model and consortium participation (including TRANTOR with CTTC). Highly comparable mission, scale, and customer mix.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: State-owned Finnish applied-research organization conducting 5G/6G, AI, and connectivity research with a similar non-profit, grant-funded operating model and consortium leadership in EU programmes.

Broad incumbents

• Keysight Technologies: Commercializes test and measurement equipment based on CTTC-developed LTE conformance technology via the former AT4wireless acquisition; overlapping in telecom testing, though operating as a large for-profit vendor rather than research lab.
• InterDigital: US-listed R&D and licensing company in wireless video and 6G fundamentals; comparable as a research-led telecom IP and standards contributor, though commercial (for-profit) versus CTTC's non-profit model.
• Nokia Bell Labs: Industrial telecom research lab participating alongside CTTC in FLEX-SCALE and other 6G consortia; far larger but operates in the same pre-6G/AI-native research and ETSI/3GPP standards space.

Emerging players

• Cohere Technologies: Wireless-focused research and IP company working on novel air-interface and AI-native radio techniques; comparable in mission (advanced telecom R&D and standards contributions) though smaller and US-based rather than EU-grant funded.

Others

• European Space Agency (ESA): Funds and co-develops CTTC satellite communications research (e.g., SATNEX, ATRIA, SANSA) and acts as a customer/partner rather than a competing lab; included as an ecosystem peer because of its direct programmatic overlap.
• Hispasat: Spanish satellite operator and direct CTTC partner in the Hispasat Lab by CTTC joint initiative for 5G NTN; comparable as a satellite communications counterpart in the same European NTN ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CttcTech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CttcTech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cttc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cttc_tech
• Facebookfacebook.com/CttcTech

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CTTC