AGC Glass Europe has inaugurated two anechoic chambers at its Technovation Centre at Gosselies, Charleroi, Belgium.
The new €10 million facility will be used for developing and testing AGC technology for windows with built-in antennae, in response to the growing demand for connectivity.
The walls of the chambers are covered by material that absorbs electromagnetic radiation and prevents it from bouncing back off the walls (hence "anechoic").
The chambers hold the necessary equipment used to measure the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves, for communication between vehicles, between vehicles and their surroundings, and through the windows of buildings.
This will become necessary in the future with the emergence of 5G and self-driving vehicles.
The investment, with support from the Walloon government, will also serve as a technology platform for players involved in the challenge of connectivity in Wallonia, including the public authorities and industries such as transport, construction and telecommunication.
The new facility will create around 20 jobs.
The inauguration took place on Friday (March 15) by the Minister-President of Wallonia, Willy Borsus in a ceremony attended by numerous personalities from the worlds of politics and industry together with representatives of the press.
