Call 3 Stream B 

Project Mission

FLECON-6G gathers key participants from Phase-1 and Phase-2 SNS JU projects, aiming to make the “Intelligent 6G Network of Networks” vision a reality, with Trustworthiness and Generalisability of Native AI and Network Digital Twins (NDT) assisted approaches. It aims to deliver key technological assets in the form of collaborative and distributed frameworks offering scalability and support for multi-domain, multi-stakeholder infrastructures, jointly with network infrastructure programmability that supports the offloading of network application logic.

FLECON-6G provides groundbreaking research to drive the next phase of 6G Native AI research, addressing Trustworthiness and Generalizability via novel intent-driven frameworks and robust Foundation Models, that not only deliver zero-touch orchestration but also performance guarantees and robustness in multi-stakeholder infrastructures. A multi-layer, multi-vendor NDT framework will also assist online decisions and resolve conflicts among multiple closed control loops operating in reactive, proactive or predictive mode for zero-touch self-optimisation. At the business layer, a Smart Marketplace will facilitate the creation of a wide, sustainable ecosystem of highly diversified stakeholders, through which, MNOs, digital service providers, verticals and software developers of AI or DT software applications will jointly collaborate to build more integrated and intent-driven service offers, composing a plethora of modular assets for their effective monetisation.

In line with EU’s policies, FLECON-6G will design, develop and validate through relevant PoCs, several secure, trustworthy, resilient and reliable solutions across 4 heterogeneous verticals that require 6G performance capabilities. FLECON-6G will strongly impact standardisation, with significant contributions to 3GPP, ITU, ETSI, GSMA and O-RAN and open-source communities.

Participants

Project Mission

UNITY-6G aims to create a highly sustainable and scalable integrated AI-native architecture that can support the diverse requirements of 6G networks by relying on advanced technologies, such as distributed ledger technology, semantic communications, digital network twinning to enhance the performance, cost-efficiency and trustworthiness of integrated 6G network services and applications. The focus is on scalability and sustainability for
integrated networks (Non-Terrestrial and Terrestrial Networks, xHaul, Open RAN, Non-Public Networks, Edge, Core and Cloud).

Furthermore, UNITY-6G aims to evolve to real-time distributed and network state-aware Open RAN that can leverage the integration of distributed applications in the integrated architecture. This will enable fine-grained data-driven management and control via incorporating dApps, distributed applications that complement existing xApps/rApps and use cases with stricter timing requirements in an integrated network. Common interfaces and protocols will be defined so that different heterogenous domains can communicate seamlessly. To better guide the design, UNITY-6G will use the principles of service-based architecture for integrated networks and leverage digital twins for network evaluation.

UNITY-6G considers four use cases targeting: i) Sustainable networks for disaster handling, (ii) Immersive Experience with Real-time XR/holographic communications, (iii) Digital Twin for Integrated 6G Network Evaluation, (iv) Multi-RAT O-RAN enabled NPN for supporting time sensitive applications for Industry 4.0.

Participants

Project Mission

6G-LEADER aims at evolving the PHY and RAN aspects of 6G communication networks by relying on the following pillars:

1. ML-empowered PHY algorithms with predictive capabilities towards fully autonomous operation;
2. Full-duplex transceivers employing novel sparse antenna arrays and advanced digital self-interference cancellation;
3. Non-orthogonal and random multiple access schemes to accommodate mass connectivity demands of users and machines;
4. Goal-oriented semantic communications; and
5. An open and disaggregated RAN implementation with xApps integrating the advancements, achieved during the project’s lifetime.

Participants

Project Mission

The MultiX project aims to revolutionize the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) design and operation by developing a pioneering MultiX fusion Perceptive 6G-RAN system (MP6R) that will support an integrated multisensor, multi-static, multi-band, and multi-technology paradigm to enable multi-sensorial perception for future 6G sensing applications.

The MP6R builds on top of three innovation pillars:
i) MultiX Perception System (MPS) that introduces 3 levels of sensing functions into the RAN stack to support multi-sensor, multi-band, multi-static, and multi-technology Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), following a streamlined functional split architecture to enable a fully flexible ISAC deployment in 6G-RAN and to facilitate vendors to extend their RAN stack to support sensing in a plug & play manner;
ii) MP6R controller (MP6RC) that extends the RAN control plane functionalities to coordinate and control multi-technology integration (including 3GPP, non-3GPP, and other sensor technologies such as Radar, LiDAR, camera, etc.), while considering new connectivity approaches as well as mobility challenges for sensing and localization services; and
iii) Data Access and Security Hub (DASH) designed as a novel RAN data plane entity that aggregates multi-sensor data of diverse technologies, providing secure data access, processing, storage, and exposure, ensuring data privacy and trustworthiness, and that can be fully distributed throughout the data plane wherever needed in the 6G-RAN.

The proposed MP6R RAN design, and a set of other selected innovations, will be validated and demonstrated in two specific Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs) targeting TRL 4-5: PoC#1) Multi-layer Network Digital Twin for Industrial Manufacturing and PoC#2) Contact-free eHealth Monitoring at Home Environment. In addition, MultiX also aims to shape 6G standardization for achieving maximum sustainability and impact by contributing to relevant SDOs, including 3GPP, IEEE, ETSI & ISAC.

Participants

Project Mission

Participants

Project Mission

The vision of NexaSphere is to create a system capable of facilitating a 3D network of networks. This framework seamlessly integrates multi-path transmission to enhance multi-connectivity in an energy-saving manner, bringing together spaceborne and airborne platforms with terrestrial infrastructure. The main goal is to deliver societal benefits to the future European landscape, with a particular focus on mobile transportation (including air mobility, railway, and automotive sectors), smart cities, and communities beyond the year 2030.

NexaSphere’s primary objective is to conceptualize and develop advanced hardware prototypes and software algorithms for a sustainable multi-connected 3D network. This network will integrate radio and wireless-optical technologies, and enabling network orchestration through AI-driven programmability.

Additionally, NexaSphere aims to extend the edge-cloud continuum into space, creating a Radio & Wireless-Optical Connectivity Continuum from short-range to long-range. By integrating scalable simulation models in a hardware-in-the-loop approach and conducting in-lab and relevant environment validation, NexaSphere seeks to demonstrate proof-of-concept for this TN/NTN unified network architecture, targeting a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4-5. These demonstrations will showcase the benefits of the proposed architecture, particularly within the mobile transportation sector, covering aeronautics, railway, and automotive industries.

Participants

Project Mission

Participants

Project Mission

The project aims to establish a robust security framework for 6G ecosystems, underpinned by the zero-trust principle and emphasizing core tenets like resilience, privacy, and dependability. Dynamic access control via a context-aware risk-based policy engine, leveraging rich cyber-threat intelligence and behavioral insights gathered from the 6G infrastructure, is at the core of the proposed approach. Micro-segmentation of vulnerable virtualized functions from critical O-RAN assets is a primary goal to prevent attackers’ lateral movement capabilities and minimize damage.

Proactive security measures, will be deployed alongside sophisticated AI tools to optimize attack surface reduction and enhance intrusion detection capabilities. An intelligent extended detection and response solution will be developed, covering all layers of a 6G network; this entails the integration of collaborative intrusion detection networks and graph-based threat models, facilitating real-time and optimal responses to sophisticated multi-stage attacks targeting the 6G ecosystem.

Automation will be pivotal in various aspects, including threat modeling, and response orchestration, aided by blockchain to secure integration and lifecycle management of 6G applications. Moreover, the project will prioritize supply chain security by implementing automated vulnerability scanning and introducing O-RAN application certification. Quantum-safe technologies (QKD and PQC) and AI-driven solutions will be employed to safeguard against physical layer attacks, ensuring uninterrupted and secure data transmission in 6G networks.

Additionally, privacy-preserving and trusted AI/ML schemes will be developed upholding principles like fairness, explainability, and sustainability to ensure high energy efficiency and minimal environmental footprint of the proposed solutions. These efforts aim to ensure that critical 6G communications infrastructure achieves high security and resilience of against evolving cyber-threats.

Participants

Project Mission

6G-Machine Intelligence based Radio Access Infrastructure (6G-MIRAI) aims at developing reliable and robust AI-native wireless communication systems that enable the practical exploitation of the full potential of the latest physical layer technological advances, especially cell-free massive MIMO, and of next-generation virtualized and potentially disaggregated radio access networks (RANs). To achieve this goal, 6G-MIRAI will rely on extensive know-how from established industry players and academic partners from both the EU and Japan.

The overall goal of 6G-MIRAI is deconstructed into four main objectives:
(O1) Reliable and robust AI-ML techniques for future wireless communications;
(O2) Practical AI-native design of next-generation radio access networks;
(O3) Common EU-JP platform for data, benchmarking, and validation; and
(O4) Aligned EU-JP strategy on future standardization efforts.

These objectives align with the EU HORIZON-JU-SNS-2024-STREAM-B-01-05 call requirements, focusing on the evolution of Radio Access Networks (RAN) for 6G to pave the way for future advancements towards AI-native radio access networks. All four objectives will contribute to aligning views on the radio interface and RAN concepts between the EU and Japan, and between main industry and academic institutions in the EU.

6G-MIRAI objectives will be achieved through five interconnected research and technology items:
(RTI1) Realistic channel and hardware models to enable the AI-native air interface;
(RTI2) Practical AI-based physical layer designs;
(RTI3) Scalable AI-based network coordination;
(RTI4) Evolved AI-ready architecture designs; and
(RTI5) AI-oriented data management, testing, and proof-of-concept.

These RTIs will enrich the technological portfolio of all involved partners and the 6G ecosystem, since they will have a direct impact on standardization, IP generation, and scientific publications.

Participants

Project Mission

This SNS international project fosters collaboration between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Korea (ROK). AI-native radio access networks and integrated device-network approaches represent a paradigm shift in the field of wireless communication, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation and optimization. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at the heart of radio access networks (RAN) and integrating devices seamlessly into network architectures, we can unlock new levels of efficiency, flexibility, and performance. Traditional approaches to wireless communication are often limited by static configurations and manual interventions, leading to suboptimal resource utilization and scalability challenges. In contrast, AI-native RAN and integrated device-network approaches empower networks to adapt dynamically to changing conditions, optimize resource allocation in real-time, and autonomously respond to diverse user demands and environmental factors. This transformative approach not only enhances the user experience by delivering higher throughput, lower latency, and improved reliability but also lays the foundation for realizing a diverse range of innovative services, including spatio-temporal, critical, compute-AI, omnipresent IoT, immersive communications, and global broadband services.

Moreover, by fostering interoperability and collaboration between devices and networks, these approaches pave the way for seamless connectivity across heterogeneous environments, driving innovation and fostering new business models in the era of 6G and beyond. The project builds on the foundations of established EU-Korea research collaboration including 5G-CHAMPION project that demonstrated 5G technology in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChan, PriMO-5G project that demonstrated end-to-end 5G system providing immersive video services for moving objects and 5G-ALLSTAR project that showcased smooth 5G terrestrial and satellite integration.

Participants

Project Mission

SUSTAIN-6G will develop a holistic sustainability framework in the context of 6G, addressing all three sustainability areas (environmental, societal, economic), and factors impacting sustainable 6G technology and 6G technology for improving verticals’ sustainability. The framework will be applied to key vertical sectors, in an end-to-end manner, considering the full lifecycle of assets.

SUSTAIN-6G will identify the cross-points between what sustainability needs are, which challenges 6G and verticals need to consider, what 6G should do to address these challenges, and how society and economy benefit from responsible innovation. To achieve this, the project will provide a driving force for multiple activities and a hub, to integrate  research and innovation from previous and ongoing projects, develop innovative concepts and solutions, and address gaps and trade-offs in technology, processes and methodologies.

The concepts and solutions will be validated and evaluated by proof-of-concepts on their sustainability impact and performance. The insights from these PoCs, and the proven processes and methodologies will be consolidated into guidelines, best practices and roadmaps to drive the full integration of sustainability aspects into future communication and vertical systems, in close collaboration with stakeholders and other SNS projects, and for use across the EU and beyond.

The outputs and impact of SUSTAIN-6G will provide the foundation for industry-wide standardisation that will enhance existing ecosystems, help to shape a sustainable future that develops and thrives within planetary boundaries, and strives to protect and restore the environment, while respecting EU values and rules. Recognising the complexity and multifaceted characteristics of sustainability, SUSTAIN-6G will achieve these objectives through its multidisciplinary consortium, composed of 6G and vertical technology, social science, and economic experts, and with relevant external stakeholders.

Participants

Project Mission

One of the key enablers of 6G is undoubtedly the Native support of AI/ML at all the system levels, components, and mechanisms, from the orchestration and management levels to the low-level optimization of the infrastructure resources, including Cloud, Edge, RAN, Core Network, as well as a transport network.

Despite the opportunities, there are several gaps that hinder the adoption of AI/ML in 6G, such as the lack of extensive and high-quality datasets that are required to train the models. On the other hand, AI model testing and performance evaluation in a representative staging environment (by emulation or real deployment) is also challenging without access to an end-to-end 6G testbed or representative Digital Twin environment. To this end, 6G-DALI aims to deliver an end-to-end AI framework for 6G, structured in two interdependent pillars:
(1) AI experimentation as a service via MLOps and
(2) Data and analytics collection and storage via DataOps.

The 6G-DALI DataOps pillar provides the mechanisms for preparing clean and processed data that are stored within a 6G Dataspace and are made available for training and validating machine learning models as a service, a part of the MLOps Pillar. The end-to-end framework also delivers continuous monitoring, drift detection and retraining of models.

Finally, 6G-DALI will deliver open datasets, a 6G Dataspace for dataset storage and secure sharing, and a Digital Twin testbed for data generation on demand.

Participants