SNS JU Februrary 2026 Newsflash

SNS JU and transversal News

SNS JU @ MWC 2026

SNS JU returns to Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona with a high-level conference session titled “6G, Cloud, Edge, AI: The New Power Stack for Industrial Leadership, A European Vision for Future Connectivity.” The session takes place on Monday 2 March 2026, 09:00 to 10:15 CET (doors open 08:30), at the Marconi Stage, Hall 6 at Fira Barcelona. It will bring together CxO technology leaders and EU policymakers to discuss how AI, cloud, edge computing and non-terrestrial networks are shaping 6G, with a focus on AI for Networks and Networks for AI, experimental networks and pilots, and cross-industry impact. Seating is limited to 250 attendees, so registration and early arrival are strongly recommended.

Shaping Europe’s Next Sovereign Digital Infrastructure: the EURO-3C Initiative

On 2 March 2026 from 17:30 to 18:00, Telefónica will host a strategic session at MWC Barcelona dedicated to Europe’s digital sovereignty agenda, centred on the EURO-3C initiative.

Europe is accelerating efforts to build a sovereign digital infrastructure capable of supporting critical services enabled by Telco–Edge–Cloud convergence. Strategic sectors such as automotive, transport, energy, and public safety still face structural constraints in performance, interoperability, scalability, and technological autonomy.

The session will examine how EURO-3C aims to deliver a federated, open, and secure pan-European model, built through collaboration between operators, industry, and the broader technology ecosystem. The objective is clear: strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness and strategic digital capacity.

Speakers

• Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President, European Commission
• Marc Murtra, Chairman & CEO, Telefónica
• Sebas Muriel, Chief Digital Officer, Telefónica

In a concise executive format, the discussion positions EURO-3C as a concrete step toward a coordinated, sovereign European digital infrastructure at scale.

Global 6G Industry Alliance Executive Dialogue at MWC 2026

The Global 6G Industry Alliance Executive Dialogue is an invitation-only session taking place at MWC Barcelona on Tuesday 3 March (16:00–17:00 CET), with doors opening at 15:45, at the GSMA Insights Hub Stage (CC2), Hall 2.

Framed as “Launching Global Engagement Toward a Coordinated 6G Ecosystem”, the dialogue will bring together leading global 6G industry bodies, governments, operators, and ecosystem leaders to align early on key topics such as technology priorities, standards pathways, spectrum visions, and future commercial models, before positions solidify.

Dr. Colin Willcock, Chairman of the 6G-IA, will be among the speakers, contributing the European 6G-IA perspective and helping set the foundations for a deeper Global 6G Industry Alliance Roundtable/Summit planned for H2 2026.

SNS Projects @ MWC 2026

The SNS community will have a strong and highly visible presence at MWC 2026, bringing concrete project results to the show floor through demos, videos, posters, roll-ups, brochures and flyers across Halls 2, 5, 6, 7 and Congress Square.

Where to find the projects (key touchpoints):

• 6G-SANDBOX, IMAGINEB5G, CENTRIC, 6G-VERSUS, UNITY-6G (project demo highly likely + materials and potential open-call result videos) at Keysight Technologies | Hall 5, Booth 5F41
• 6G-VERSUS + 6G-PATH joint booth | Hall 6, Stand 6G24: pilot videos, poster and flyers, plus additional visibility on the Keysight area (Hall 6)
• UNITY-6G demos (e2e orchestration, DLT trust, agentic AI) + intro video and brochures; 6G-EWOC demo focused on sensing/FSO and data fusion; 6G-REFERENCE antenna hardware exhibit at Catalonia Pavilion (Congress Square) + roll-up/flyers at the CTTC stand
• INSTINCT (project video content) at French Pavilion | Hall 5, Stand 5B19
• MultiX (demo of collaborative cellular and Wi-Fi sensing) at InterDigital | Hall 5, Stand 5C51

Additional presence:

• ETHER: Hall 2 Stand 206, Hall 6 Stand 6B40, and i2CAT in the Catalunya area (Congress Square)
• Partner-hosted materials: 5G-STARDUST, 6G-TWIN, FirstTo6G (flyers and visibility via partner stands)

Workshop: Agentic AI – Applications and Network Impact @ MWC2026

NetworldEurope and CCSA are organising a hybrid workshop on 4 March 2026 (morning) at MWC26 in Barcelona, focused on Agentic AI and its impact on Autonomous Networks. The format combines online (Zoom) and onsite participation, with very limited seats in Barcelona.

The programme features two panels covering technology evolution and use cases, plus standardisation and next industry steps, with speakers from industry and academia. Registration is open; final agenda and access details will be shared closer to the event.

2025 edition of the European SME Expertise in 5G & Beyond brochure is now available online

Developed by the NetworldEurope SME Working Group in collaboration with the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) and the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA) this 10th edition provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the SMEs driving European innovation in 5G and future communication technologies.

The 2025 brochure includes:

• Profiles of over 80 SMEs showcasing expertise in 5G, advanced networking, and emerging communication domains
• Insights into SME contributions, technical strengths, and roles within Europe’s research and innovation landscape
• A curated selection of success stories from major European and international projects
• An updated online SME catalogue to support efficient partner search and collaboration opportunities

You can access the full brochure and updated catalogue here

This resource is designed to support industry, research organisations, and policymakers in identifying strong SME partners for upcoming initiatives across Europe’s digital and connectivity ecosystem.

SNS JU Funding Alert: Sixth Call for Proposals now open

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has launched its sixth Call for Proposals, allocating €22 million in grants to accelerate 6G research and development under the SNS JU R&I Work Programme 2026.

The call targets five strategic priorities, including 6G devices, foundational AI integration, and advanced testbeds and experimental infrastructures, alongside stronger global positioning on standardisation and international partnerships, with a particular focus on cooperation with India. It also includes Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) aimed at consolidating and scaling SNS JU results across the portfolio.

Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 29 April.

To support consortium building, SNS JU hosted an online Infoday and Brokerage Session on 2 February (recordings are available here)

New SNS JU White Paper: Towards 6G-enabled eHealth White Paper is out

The SNS JU Reliable Software Networks Working Group has released a new white paper, “Towards 6G-enabled eHealth”, consolidating evidence from major European SNS projects on how AI, edge computing, next-gen network architectures, and advanced security can transform healthcare delivery. It highlights a shift in 2024–2025 from concepts to validated real-world implementations, with 15 deployed eHealth use cases across multiple clinical specialties and regions.

Featured projects include TrialsNet, AMAZING-6G, MultiX, 6G-PATH, SUSTAIN-6G, and IMAGINE-B5G, presented as proof that 6G-era capabilities can enable healthcare services that are more accessible, equitable, sustainable, and economically viable than current models.

6G-IA Governing Board election

The 6G-IA Governing Board election will take place during the General Assembly meeting on 16 March 2026, from 13:30 to 17:30 CET. This is an opportunity for members to take an active role in shaping the Association’s strategy across its key areas of activity.

SNS JU at Future Connectivity Summit Europe in Brussels

On 19 February 2026 at 11:10, SNS JU Executive Director Erzsébet Fitori joined a high-level panel in Brussels on Defining the Next Era of Connectivity: Future Spectrum Roadmaps, Standardisation, and the Road to 6G. Her intervention focused on how better coordination between spectrum planning and standardisation can strengthen Europe’s position in the global 6G landscape.

The discussion covered emerging frequency bands for 6G, lessons learned from 5G to accelerate rollout, the role of international collaboration in shaping global standards, and how policymakers, industry and researchers can jointly drive innovation and sustainability in Europe’s 6G ecosystem.

ECS Brokerage Event 2026 – Chips JU, SNS JU and 6G-IA participation

The ECS Brokerage Event 2026 took place on 4–5 February 2026 in Brussels (The EGG), bringing together the European Components & Systems community to prepare proposals for the Chips JU Calls 2026. The event consolidated the brokerage activities of AENEAS, EPoSS and INSIDE into a single matchmaking platform dedicated to consortium building and project development.

A central highlight was the Chips JU Calls 2026 information session, led by Jari Kinaret, Executive Director of Chips Joint Undertaking, and Anton Chichkov, Head of Programmes. This session provided direct guidance on priorities and expectations for the upcoming calls, positioning the Chips JU Office at the core of the brokerage discussions.

The programme also featured a dedicated 6G side meeting organised with the 6G-IA and the European Commission, creating a bridge between the ECS community and Europe’s 6G strategic agenda. This linkage is particularly relevant for the broader ecosystem around SNS JU, where advanced components, systems integration and next-generation connectivity technologies converge.

Hexa-X-II publishes Wiley book on sustainable 6G

The Hexa-X-II, a flagship project under the SNS JU, has announced the publication of the Wiley book 6G to Build a Sustainable Future. The book consolidates Hexa-X-II outcomes into an end-to-end view of sustainable 6G as a multi-functional platform delivering services beyond communications, covering topics such as 6G design principles and requirements, AI-native architecture, transceiver and radio design, and end-to-end security.

The publication also reflects contributions from other SNS JU projects, including 6G-DISAC, 6G-MUSICAL, 6G-NTN, 6G-SHINE, DETERMINISTIC6G, RIGOROUS, ROBUST-6G, TERRAMETA, and TERA6G. The lead editors are Mikko A. Uusitalo, Patrik Rugeland, Mauro Renato Boldi, and Ahmad Nimr.

6G-IA publishes new white paper on emerging 5G and beyond business models

The 6G-IA has published a new white paper, “Emerging 5G and Beyond Ecosystem Business Models,” produced by its Business Validation, Models, and Ecosystems sub-working group. Available on Zenodo, it proposes a five-step business modelling framework to help stakeholders explore business opportunities in 5G/B5G ecosystems and assess how changes in ecosystem roles and configurations affect operations, costs, and techno-economic sustainability, with clear implications for future 6G ecosystems as networks become more distributed and disaggregated.

The publication also reflects contributions from Valerio Frascolla, bringing insights from the MultiX project to reinforce the link between technical innovation and how value is created and captured as the industry moves toward 6G.

SNS projects at 5G-6G events

SNS projects @ OFC 2026: optical networking and photonics for the 6G era

OFC 2026 will take place on 15-19 March in Los Angeles, USA. The event is positioned as a flagship global event for optical communications and networking, combining a high-level plenary programme, a large-scale exhibition, and a technical conference. It brings together the full optical ecosystem, from components and systems to software and test equipment, and spotlights fast-moving domains such as AI-driven networking, quantum networking, space optics, and data centre connectivity, with increasing emphasis on energy efficiency and new approaches like next-generation pluggable and co-packaged optics.

SNS projects have already announced their participation. 6G-MUSICAL will be on-site throughout the event to present key results and discuss how photonics and advanced communication technologies can enable future 6G networks. 6G-EWOC has also confirmed it will be present with demos on autonomous capacity scaling in optical metro access networks.

PT-Sustain-ICT 2026: Photonics for Sustainable ICT

The Workshop on Photonic Technologies for a Sustainable ICT (PT-Sustain-ICT 2026) will be held in Marbella from 6–8 March 2026, alongside the PHOTOPTICS 2026 conference. Co-chaired by Dominique Chiaroni, Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe and Olivier Bouchet, it gathers academia and industry to discuss how photonic technologies can reduce ICT’s energy footprint, from access networks to data centres, with a focus on methods, KPIs and concrete technology options.

The workshop also features contributions linked to the SUSTAIN-6G Project and the GreenCOM project (DTU – Technical University of Denmark), highlighting how optical innovation can make sustainability a core asset of future 6G systems.

6G-PATH public workshop: Advancing 6G innovations in Farming, Health, and Smart Cities

6G-PATH is hosting a public workshop to share progress on its transversal integration and experimentation platform, designed to lower technical barriers and accelerate 6G adoption across key verticals, including Farming, Health, Education, and Smart Cities.

The workshop will take place on 19 March 2026, 13:30–16:00 CET, at Technopark Winterthur in Winterthur. The agenda includes a project overview, plus concrete use-case updates on viticulture intelligence, water-saving precision agriculture, next-generation healthcare using 3D hydrogel patches, and smart city multimedia and traffic management, followed by Q&A and closing remarks.

Registration: Email to evgeny@terraview.gmbh

Call for Papers: AI-driven control and optimization for 6G at CoDIT 2026

6G-TWIN invites original research contributions to Special Session 6 at CoDIT 2026, taking place in Bari, Italy (13–16 July 2026). The session, titled “Data-Driven and AI-Based Methods for Control and Optimization in 6G Systems,” focuses on AI and data-driven methods for modelling, control, and optimization of future 6G networks, including learning-based control, resource optimization and slicing, autonomous network management, and the robustness, safety, and security of AI-driven networking across edge, cloud, IoT, vehicular, and cyber-physical platforms.

The paper submission deadline is 8 March 2026 (extended), with acceptance notifications on 30 April 2026 and final papers due on 20 May 2026. Submissions are handled via the CoDIT 2026 PaperCept portal.

FIDAL Project webinar: KPI Reporting Methodology and Results

On 24 February 2026, the FIDAL Project and the SNS JU TMV Working Group hosted an online webinar dedicated to KPI reporting methodology and results across the SNS ecosystem. The session shared key outcomes from the TMV Working Group’s ongoing activities and provided practical insights on how projects design, implement, and report KPI frameworks in the context of next-generation networks.

The agenda featured project contributions from 6G-BRICKS, 6G-SANDBOX, ENVELOPE, IMAGINE-B5G, iSEE-6G and FIDAL, offering concrete feedback from trials and beyond-5G research activities. The webinar brought together researchers, innovators and stakeholders for an exchange on how KPI reporting can strengthen comparability, transparency and evidence-based decision-making for 6G development.

Hexa-X-II publishes Wiley book on sustainable 6G

ETSI SNS4SNS 2026 took place 2–5 February 2026 at ETSI headquarters in Sophia Antipolis, France, bringing together standards, open-source communities, industry and research to accelerate open, interoperable, software-driven 6G systems. The event combined technical sessions, tutorials, hackathon outcomes and around 40 live demos and posters, highlighting how collaboration can turn research into deployable, standards-aligned software.

The opening discussions, chaired by Ricard Vilalta, reflected strong alignment between SNS JU and ETSI on openness, interoperability, economic scalability and “networks as platforms”, with contributions from Miguel Gonzalez-Sancho Gonzalez, Alexandros Kaloxylos and Javier Albares.

SNS project participation was especially visible on open APIs and network exposure, with CAPIF and OpenCAPIF highlighted through hands-on sessions and project adoption across 6G-PATH, FIDAL, Imagine-B5G, SAFE-6G, 6G-SANDBOX, SUNRISE-6G, 6G-VERSUS and ENVELOPE, demonstrating practical workflows for onboarding invokers/providers and publishing, discovering and integrating APIs in an interoperable ecosystem.

Beyond APIs, projects showcased progress on autonomy, orchestration and security. 6G-Cloud presented work linking network digital twins to “networks of networks” for higher autonomy, 6G-TWIN contributed multiple partner presentations, ADROIT6G showcased two live demos on zero-touch orchestration and federated intelligence, and 6G-DALI demonstrated an AI service exposure layer for cross-domain AI orchestration. ACROSS contributed a live demo on the co-existence of legacy and P4-offloaded 5G UPFs. ORIGAMI was represented with a poster on a service mesh–enabled core network. Natwork participated through the hackathon. ECO-eNET was showcased in the Demos & Posters session. FLECON-6G contributed to Session 5 on developer-friendly telco APIs. SUSTAIN-6G was also represented with a poster on embedding Responsible AI into 6G networks.

SNS JU at ETSI AI and Data Conference 2026

The ETSI AI and Data Conference 2026 took place 9–11 February 2026 at Sophia Antipolis, reflecting a broadened scope that now explicitly combines AI and data management alongside AI standardisation priorities. SNS JU participated through a session chaired by Pavlos Fournogerakis which highlighted recent R&I progress on AI for Networks and Networks for AI, including visibility on the 2026 Call for Proposals related to AI datasets for connectivity and the broader ecosystem of demos and posters around AI and data for networks and digital systems. R2M Solution France presented 6G-TWIN during the session.

A notable project contribution showcased at the conference was the EUROCOMPLY demo, presented by Mazene Ameur from EURECOM, which demonstrated how agentic AI can automate compliance validation for telecom AI/ML systems and datasets against EU regulations, including the AI Act. This work was highlighted as being supported by SUNRISE-6G and 6G-DALI, illustrating the growing emphasis on trustworthy, regulation-aware AI tooling within the SNS ecosystem.

6G-REFERENCE and Firtsto6G joint-webinar recap: Complementary Microelectronics Hardware Concept

On 29 January 2026, 6G-REFERENCE and FirstTo6G held their first co-organised webinar,  focused on complementary microelectronics hardware concepts for 6G. The 90-minute session gathered 61 participants and closed with an interactive panel discussion.

Speakers presented early project results and discussed key enabling topics for future 6G systems, including distributed MIMO wireless radio units, time-modulated transmit and receive arrays, and 6G-enabling data converters. The webinar concluded by mapping synergies between the two SNS JU projects and identifying opportunities for broader collaboration within the SNS JU ecosystem.

SNS projects at Integrated Systems Europe 2026

From 3–6 February 2026, several SNS JU projects took part in Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Barcelona, a major global event for professional audiovisual technologies, systems integration and emerging digital innovations, hosted at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. The presence of multiple SNS projects underlined how 6G research is increasingly engaging with AV, immersive media, smart environments and digital infrastructure stakeholders beyond the traditional telecom ecosystem.

Project participation highlights

• 6G-INTENSE presented its contribution to AI-native, intent-driven and sustainable 6G networks, positioning advanced architectures and automation as enablers for high-performance and reliable future applications.
• SUNRISE-6G used the event to showcase its work toward intelligent, flexible and sustainable 6G connectivity to the broader ISE community.
• ADROIT6G engaged with industry players on how ultra-reliable, low-latency and intelligent 6G can support connected environments and immersive digital experiences.
• XTRUST-6G showcased a security-by-design 6G vision, highlighting an O-RAN testbed, zero-trust architecture, AI-driven risk management and quantum-safe mechanisms, with strong interest from smart building and enterprise audiences.
• FLECON-6G demonstrated immersive media innovation through a live demo on Seamless Immersive Reality, relying on AI-native orchestration and edge capabilities to meet demanding XR requirements.

Webinar recap: Digital Twins and AI for intelligent 6G networks

On 24 February 2026 (10:00–11:30 CET), 6G-TWIN and 6G-CLOUD jointly delivered Session #3 of the 6G-TWIN webinar series, focused on how Network Digital Twins and AI/ML frameworks can enable more autonomous, efficient and resilient 6G networks.

The session covered the 6G-TWIN architecture, an example of AI-driven multi-objective route optimisation using Dueling DQN, and the 6G-CLOUD cloud-native architecture and AI/ML framework integrating digital twins for scalable, closed-loop network management, followed by a joint round-table on synergies and challenges.

IMAGINE-B5G final webinar highlights: from experimentation to impact in 5G and beyond

On 26 February 2026 (10:00–11:30 CET), IMAGINE-B5G held its final webinar, bringing together four European experimentation facilities from Portugal, France, Norway and Spain to showcase key results and infrastructure progress. The session highlighted how IMAGINE-B5G’s Open Call projects tested, validated and strengthened these platforms, demonstrating the maturity and value of a European 5G and 6G experimentation ecosystem.

Presentations featured project coordinator David Gomez-Barquero and facility experts Min Xie, Arturo Torrealba, Fatma Marzouk and Karim BOUTIBA, covering technical and experimental outcomes, how each facility evolved during the project, and the concrete value created for researchers, SMEs and industry partners.

5G-GOVSATCOM webinar recap: TN–NTN convergence for government services

On 11 February 2026 (15:30–19:15 CET), 5G-GOVSATCOM hosted an online webinar on the potential of 5G terrestrial (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) to support European governmental users and services, as part of the integration of 5G-NTN into the EU GOVSATCOM framework. The discussions highlighted progress on X-band radio access, TN–NTN handover, and platforms enabling mission-critical services, and previewed upcoming demonstration trials including maritime telemedicine and crisis-management scenarios.

The event also provided a forward-looking NTN perspective through contributions from 5G-STARDUST and 6G-NTN. Alessandro Guidotti contributed insights on challenges and innovation paths toward 6G NTN, with a dedicated talk in Session 1 (“Benefits of Satellite-Enabled 5G for GOVSATCOM Users”) titled “Exploring the Future of Non-Terrestrial Networks: Challenges and Innovations for 6G NTN” at 15:45 CET, reflecting the ecosystem’s momentum from today’s 5G-NTN capabilities toward next-generation non-terrestrial connectivity.

FLEX-SCALE and PROTEUS-6G bring key optical innovations to ITU-T SG15

A key step toward standardisation has been reached for the SNS JU projects FLEX-SCALE and PROTEUS-6G, following a presentation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ITU-T Study Group 15 “Intelligent Optical Networks” community in Pisa.

The contributions highlighted two technology tracks with clear commercialisation potential: a Multi-Granular Multi-Degree ROADM (MGON) featuring a novel WaveBand Selective Switch (WBSS) to support evolving SDM/UWB optical networks, and an Analogue Optical Signal Processing (AOSP) transceiver concept targeting 1.6 Tbps and 3.2 Tbps optical interconnects, integrating oDACs, all-optical equalisation, and all-optical polarisation demultiplexing based on programmable integrated photonics. Beyond the ongoing path within ITU-T, further standardisation efforts are also envisaged through bodies such as ETSI and pre-standardisation initiatives like the IOWN Association.

IEEE ComSoc Podcast #23: “3D Networks” and the rise of Non-Terrestrial Networks in 6G

On 7 February 2026, episode #23 of the IEEE ComSoc Technology News Podcast spotlighted how the 6G roadmap is expanding connectivity beyond the ground into what is increasingly described as “3D networks.” The discussion focused on Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) and their role in extending coverage by integrating satellites, high-altitude platforms (HAPS), and drones with terrestrial infrastructure, enabling more ubiquitous service, greater resiliency, and new capabilities such as integrated sensing.

The panel featured Aryan Kaushik (CIO at RakFort), Gunes Karabulut Kurt from Polytechnique Montréal, Carla Amatetti from University of Bologna (6G-NTN and UNITY-6G partner), and Ayat Zaki Hindi from Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). The episode also highlighted strong SNS ecosystem involvement, notably through 6G-TWIN (via Ayat Zaki Hindi), both pointing to the relevance of NTN research for eliminating coverage “dead zones” and strengthening Europe’s future 6G capabilities.

SCoDIHNet news

(to come)