Short for ‘Cluster for Application and Technology Research in Europe on NanoElectronics’, the CATRENE program encourages the development of new technologies that solve real societal challenges. The organization’s overarching goal: boosting the European economic ecosystem and keeping the region’s tech industry on the cutting edge. In April 2013, Barco joined a group of innovative corporate and academic collaborators to take HDTV to the next level – taking home the 2016 CATRENE Innovation Award for “Most Innovative Project” in the process. The ceremony was held during the European Nanoelectronics Forum on 23 November 2016 in Rome.

When collaboration leads to international recognition
Nearly four years ago, Barco teamed up with a group of complementary technology companies aiming to make highly-immersive Ultra HDTV a reality. The collaborators investigated ways of acquiring, distributing, and displaying data for HDTV with innovative features ranging from higher frame rate, better color resolution, high dynamic range and enhanced connectivity. The project, supported by “Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship” (Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen) in Belgium, allowed Barco to scope and demonstrate the projects-findings’ applicability for professional use. Specifically, Barco contributed to the display-related research by enabling High Frame Rate on its 4K digital cinema projectors and by providing its 4K UHD super-resolution projector (3-DLP).

Bringing 4K UHD home
Contributing to the innovation areas of communication, digital lifestyle and design technology, the team - consisting of 15 companies from Belgium, France, Spain and Turkey – set out into uncharted tech territory across the value chain. In doing so, the group designed technologies able to display 4K commercial-grade audiovisual content for both a home setting and for professional applications. This involved new developments in video coding, high-resolution display, connectivity, audiovisual interfacing and interoperability. The impact? A super-realistic and immersive audiovisual experience that has only been previously found in the most advanced cinemas.

Barco highlighted as a key player in AV tech
The project was led by Issa Rakhodai of Arris in France, and its final review took place in May 2016 in Strasbourg at the ARTE premises, where the partners demonstrated their complete UHD, end-to-end solution destined for consumer and professional applications. Winning the 2016 CATRENE Innovation Award highlights Barco’s position among the industry leaders at the core of Europe’s most advanced audiovisual technology.