Deutsche Telekom is setting up the Telekom Open IoT Labs to develop and test Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and get them market ready.

Fraunhofer-Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, based in Dortmund, is the founding partner of Deutsche Telekom.

The objective of Telekom Open IoT Labs, which is an integral part of the 5G strategy of Deutsche Telekom, is to optimize processes in the manufacturing, logistics and aviation sectors.

Deutsche Telekom said the Labs will be open to other companies interested in collaborating with Deutsche Telekom and Fraunhofer to develop application-specific IoT prototypes.

Telekom Open IoT Labs will add an industrial IoT component to Deutsche Telekom’s existing network of R&D facilities.

Up to six scientists from Fraunhofer IML and three IoT experts from Deutsche Telekom will work together at the new facility.

The two partners will work with interested companies to identify requirements for IoT solutions and to define these applications and will create them by developing and producing hardware, software and connectivity prototypes.

“At Telekom Open IoT Labs, we will not be pursuing basic research. Instead, we will offer companies specific benefits by solving their problems using IoT solutions,” said Anette Bronder, head of Digital- and Security Department of Deutsche Telekom.

Initially, Deutsche Telekom / Fraunhofer will focus on solutions based on NB-IoT technology.

Deutsche Telekom is already offering NB-IoT solutions commercially in Germany and the Netherlands. Deutsche Telekom said its NB-IoT network will be expanded in other European markets such as Austria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.