With a strong tailwind, the University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship sets a new course as Vice-Director Ari Pouttu steps up to the wheel. He succeeds Professor Matti Latva-aho, who has led the programme since its inception in 2018. Latva-aho has been elected Vice Rector for Research at the University of Oulu and begins his five-year term this July.

At the EuCNC & 6G Summit in Poznań—Europe’s foremost event in the field this year—the University of Oulu unveiled both its new 6G leadership and the tenth issue of 6G Waves. This edition of the magazine highlights research infrastructures and their essential role in international collaboration.

This technology lowers the technical barrier through a “human–robot collaboration” model—eliminating reliance on expensive vision systems and enabling farmers to operate it with minimal training. The modular design of the robotic arm allows for flexible replacement of joint motors, further enhancing maintainability. Tests confirm the system excels in complex terrains and small-scale orchards, adapting well to challenges like foliage occlusion and uneven lighting.

Research team used ProteinMPNN to expand the sequence space of synthetic binding proteins (SBPs), improving their solubility and stability, and showed ProteinMPNN-designed proteins outperform classical methods.

A review on machine learning-based prediction methods for drug side effects sorts out methods for predicting side effects caused by single drugs and DDIs, highlights the prediction of side effect frequency and severity, and discusses current challenges and future directions.

Often, physics can be used to make sense of the natural world. Increasingly though, scientists are looking at biological systems to spark new insights in physics. By studying squid skin, researchers have identified the first biological instance of a physical phenomenon called ‘hyperdisorder’, bringing new understanding into how growth can affect physics.

Published in PRX, an interdisciplinary team from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) studied the effect of growth on pattern development within squid skin cells. By combining experimental imaging methods with theoretical modeling, they found new insights into the unusual arrangement of these cells, and created a general model of hyperdisorder applicable to a wide variety of growing systems.