Prof. Antonio Capone, from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano, leads the scientific efforts behind 5G-CRESCA (5G Connected REplicable Services for Connected cAmpus), a ground-breaking project set to revolutionize digital services in academic environments through the transformative power of 5G technology.

This initiative, in collaboration with Vodafone Italia, the University of Milan, MADE Competence Centre, the IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation, and the Violin Museum in Cremona, envisions the establishment of a private 5G hybrid mobile network spanning the campuses of the Politecnico di Milano, the Policlinico di Milano, MADE, and the Violin Museum. Leveraging high-speed, low-latency 5G connectivity and cutting-edge edge computing, the project aims to reshape education and training methodologies, foster partnerships with industry, and drive job creation, economic growth, and social advancement. While rooted in academia, 5G-CRESCA aspires to extend these benefits to the wider community by enhancing connectivity and ensuring secure data management.

Supported by funding from the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility program, which promotes growth and competitiveness through strategic infrastructure investments, 5G-CRESCA will implement eight innovative use cases across the education, healthcare, industrial, and advanced services sectors, capitalizing on the capabilities unlocked by 5G technology.

The project's use cases are categorized into two key areas of development.

Enhanced Campus Education: This pillar focuses on transforming education through cutting-edge technologies. Initiatives include augmented reality-based learning platforms, advanced mixed-reality surgical simulations, and remote music lessons designed to deliver immersive and interactive experiences for students and educators alike.

Enhanced Campus Services: This area aims to optimize campus operations and services. It features high-performance networking solutions for efficient space management, advanced video analytics to enhance physical security, on-demand 5G connectivity, 360° event streaming, and innovative services catering to sports and wellness