SNS JU

SNS CO-OP 4th Webinar on National Initiatives: The French National Initiative on 6G - A unique set of facilities for the future generation of mobile communication: testing for new paradigms and applications
2025-06-30 10:30 - 12:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online event
Introduction:
The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is at the forefront of driving innovation in next-generation communication technologies and services across Europe. At the same time, various national initiatives in Europe are actively advancing 6G technologies and smart services. The SNS JU plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration between these national initiatives and SNS projects by facilitating the exchange of best practices, research findings, and results.
As highlighted in the recently published SNS R&I Work Programme 2025 (SNS WP 2025), the SNS JU actively encourages the integration of results and experimental platforms from national initiatives into its calls. This approach ensures that Europe remains competitive in the global technology race by effectively pooling expertise and resources across national and EU levels. Furthermore, it supports the EU’s strategic goals of digital sovereignty and technological independence by fostering a cohesive and collaborative research and innovation ecosystem.
In alignment with these goals, and as part of the SNS CSA CO-OP project, 6G-IA is organising a series of webinars where various national initiatives will showcase their key achievements and share information about their experimental platforms.
The fourth webinar in this series is scheduled to take place on Monday, 30th June 2025, from 10:30 to 12:00 CEST, featuring an in-depth presentation of the French 6G R&I activities as a part of their national program.

French National Initiative:
France 2030 represents an ambitious national strategy aimed at strengthening the country’s technological and industrial sovereignty by supporting innovation across its most critical sectors. With a forward-looking investment plan, France is positioning itself at the forefront of global transformation in areas such as telecommunications, electronics, cybersecurity, cloud and edge computing, artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, and quantum technologies.
This strategy targets both national resilience and economic competitiveness, addressing major societal challenges such as energy transition, food security, healthcare, sustainable mobility, and digital trust. France 2030 supports the full innovation chain—from fundamental research to industrial deployment—through a range of instruments including the Future Investment Program (PIA), targeted calls for collaborative R&D projects, and the Priority Research and Equipment Programs (PEPRs). A national acceleration strategy dedicated to future network technologies was launched in 2021 and has allowed the funding of R&D 6G projects and the development of R&D programs lead by French universities.
A key component of this strategy involves the creation of open experimental platforms, pilot industrial sites, and testbeds that enable researchers, startups, and industry players to co-develop and validate cutting-edge technologies.
This webinar will provide an overview of France’s strategic vision for innovation in telecoms, with a focus on some of the major experimental initiatives that are helping to shape the technological landscape of tomorrow.

Agenda & Slides:
Monday 30 June 2025, from 10:30 to 12:00 CEST
10:30 – 10:40 Welcome & Introduction
Colin Willcock (Chairman, 6G-IA)
10:40 – 11:00 RF_Net: Radiofrequency test facility network; State-of-the-art testing for advanced hardware devices – Slides
Philippe Besnier (Research Director, CNRS)
11:00 – 11:20 SLICES-Fr: The French node of SLICES-RI; access to experimental services in the fields of network protocols, radio technologies and distributed computing
Raymond Knopp (Professor, Eurecom)
11:20 – 11:40 NGC-AIoT: Specific test-beds for embedded AI and edge-computing within SLICES-Fr
Philippe Martins (Research Director, IMT) – Slides
11:40 – 12:00 Q&A with the audience

Recording:

SNS CO-OP webinar series on National Initiatives: Resilience in 6G - the Finnish view
2025-09-04 13:00 - 14:30
Introduction:
The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is at the forefront of driving innovation in next-generation communication technologies and services across Europe. At the same time, various European member states are actively advancing 6G technologies and smart services. The SNS JU plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration between these national initiatives and SNS projects by facilitating the exchange of best practices, research findings, and results.
The SNS CSA CO-OP project is organising a series of webinars where various national initiatives have the opportunity to address topics of vital importance for them and for the advancement of 6G technology within Europe. These topics of common interest among various national initiatives include topics where emphasis must be placed to achieve our technology goals for 6G.

About the webinar:
‘Resilience in 6G: the Finnish view’ webinar highlights Finland’s significant advancements and strategic initiatives in the realm of 6G technology, particularly focusing on resilience. The relevance of this topic lies in the critical role that 6G technology is expected to play in the future of global communications, ensuring robust and resilient networks that can withstand various challenges and disruptions.
The audience can expect to hear from leading experts in the field, including representatives from the 6G Flagship, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and Nokia Bell Labs. The webinar will cover lessons learned from the 6G Flagship, insights into Finnish digital resilience, and updates on the European 6G Flagship Hexa-X-II project.

Agenda: (Thursday 4 September at 13:00-14:30 CET)
Welcome address & introduction to 6G in Finland - 6G Flagship, 6G Finland, 6G Bridge
Pekka Rantala, Head of 6G Bridge Program, Business Finland (~5min)
6G Flagship – Lessons Learned and Next Challenges
Ari Pouttu, Professor, Dependable Wireless, Vice-Director of 6G Flagship, Vice-Director 6G-ESS Program, University of Oulu (~20min)
Finnish Digital Resilience
Mika Rantakokko, Connectivity Lead, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (~20min)
6G Bridge Program Portfolio Overview & Collaboration Opportunities
Pekka Rantala, Head of 6G Bridge Program, Business Finland (~5min)
Final results update from European 6G Flagship Hexa-X-II and specific focus on resilience
Mikko Uusitalo, Head of the Research Department, Radio Systems Research Finland, Nokia Bell Labs (~15min + Q&A)
Questions & Answers
All (~5min)

Recording:
