5G Knowledge Map - European Science-Media Hub

The deployment of 5G technology in Europe is a topic, which is gaining more and more traction, often raising questions and concerns. With more and more devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G is set to pave the way forward for emerging technologies and provide the necessary technical infrastructure to support growing data flows. This resource of the European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) brings together a vast catalogue of information on the subject, addressing it in a new interdisciplinary and simultaneously interactive way. The huge content in the map - equivalent to a publication of over 80 pages - is presented in a visual and non-linear way that permits the users to discover any kind of information, at their own pace, whilst browsing through. 

The map offers an innovative and fun way to explore the complexities around the topic of 5G technology, and it aims to look at this emerging technologies by taking it from different angles: from the technology itself and the politics surrounding it, to business, health concerns, cybersecurity and impacts on society. The idea here is to present all these aspects and the links between them as objectively as possible, whilst taking into account the wider context. 

At first glance, learners can access an overview of the map and its areas of focus - such as the technology itself, the impact on society, the regulation, economic issues and health concerns. From there, readers can zoom and find in-depth information on a chosen topic, through more than 80 different explanatory ‘bubbles’, which highlight scientific findings in a transparent and evidence-based way. Experts from both the European Science-Media Hub and the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) worked together to implement the map, ensuring the information it carries is trustworthy. The map was produced in cooperation with Kontextlab, a pioneer in innovative approaches to digital knowledge content maps. 

Methodology

The methodology behind the map is based on common digital knowledge theoretical frameworks, an extensive literature review of multiple sources from all around Europe, and an assessment of defining moments in European 5G history, and their implications on a national and European level.