SNS JU November 2025 Newsflash

SNS JU and transversal News

SNS JU unveils its 2025 Top-10 Key Achievements: Leading Europe’s 6G Innovation. Have a look at the repository and attend the dedicated online webinar on December 3, 14:00-15:30 CET.

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has revealed its 2025 Top–10 Key Achievements, highlighting the most significant results from ongoing projects across technology development, experimentation, vertical solutions, trials, standards contributions, and sustainability initiatives.

Launched in 2025, this initiative showcases European projects making tangible progress toward 6G networks, from energy-efficient hardware and AI-driven IoT systems to holographic communications, cross-border experimentation platforms, and zero-energy devices.

SNS JU leaders emphasised that these achievements demonstrate the real-world impact of EU-funded research and Europe’s commitment to sustainable, advanced, and market-ready 6G technologies.

A comprehensive repository of the Top-10 Key Achievements is now available. This online tool is designed to enhance the visibility, transparency, and accessibility of project results.

The SNS JU also hosts a dedicated webinar “From Research to Impact: Exploring the Top-10 Key Achievements of SNS JU Projects” showcasing the 2025 Top-10 Key Achievements, a curated selection of the most significant, innovative, and impactful outcomes generated by projects funded under Calls 1 and 2. The webinar is scheduled online on 3 December 2025 (14:00 – 15:30 CET).

The webinar will include a presentation of the repository, and participants will gain insight into the methodology used for evaluating and selecting the achievements, providing a clearer understanding of how the Top-10 were identified from a broad range of high-quality, competitive results.

The Webinar will feature insights from prominent speakers, including Thibaut Kleiner, Director for Future Networks at the European Commission’s DG Connect and Chair of the SNS Governing Board; Erzsébet Fitori, Executive Director of SNS JU; Kostas Trichias, SNS JU Technology Board chairman; Audrey Bievenu, Project Communication Manager at Eurescom GmbH; and representatives from selected projects (6G-REFERENCE; 6G-SANDBOX; 6G-XR; HEXA-X-II; IMAGINE-B5G; SEASON; SUNRISE-6G; SUPERIOT; TrialsNet).

SNS JU TB published its White Paper 6G for Media & Entertainment

The recently published SNS JU Technical Board white paper “6G for Media & Entertainment” provides an extensive analysis of the current status of the M&E sector and the promising technologies and features of 6G that will accelerate M&E services into the 2030s. In fact 6G offers major opportunities to transform M&E through hybrid digital-physical events, immersive broadcasting, holographic telepresence, and cloud-native collaborative production.

The paper is available here.

56 projects selected for up to €389 million under 4th CEF-Digital calls

As the Commission selects 56 projects to be supported under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital initiative, the deployment of state-of-the-art digital infrastructure throughout the EU is expected to increase.

The selected projects have been awarded up to €389 million to deploy cutting-edge digital infrastructure. This includes the rollout of safe and resilient high-performance digital backbone networks (typically submarine cables), 5G large-scale pilots for transport corridors and Smart Communities, as well as secure quantum communication infrastructure (EuroQCI).

The projects selected will deliver:

• Digital Global Gateways‘ backbone connectivity including both terrestrial and submarine cables within the EU and with third countries (including those in the outermost regions and overseas countries and territories).
• Large-scale 5G pilots: This will result in the setting up of standalone 5G networks on motorways and railways along the cross-border sections of the TEN-T transport corridors (5G coverage along transport corridors). Additionally, projects will use edge cloud infrastructure in sectors like manufacturing (5G and Edge for Smart Communities), healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism, and port and airport logistics.
• European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI): satellite ground stations connecting the terrestrial section of the EuroQCI to the pan-European space constellation (IRIS2) and/or cross-border fibre cables connecting the national quantum communication networks of Member States.

The 56 projects involve 220 partners from 28 countries, demonstrating the EU’s capacity to foster digital sovereignty in critical infrastructures.

To know more about the selected projects, the background and the next steps, visit the official European Commission and HaDEA websites.

ACROSS, NANCY, RIGOROUS and 6G-PATH host a Joint Webinar on security & trust in multi-domain 6G networks

On 2 December 2025, 12:00–14:00 CET, the ACROSS, NANCY, RIGOUROUS, and 6G-PATH projects will host a joint online webinar.

The session will cover key innovations for secure and interoperable 6G architectures, including:

• ACROSS: Device/container attestation and secure migration
• NANCY: Advanced security via Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Self-sovereign identity (SSI), and secure Inter-operator Service Exchange
• RIGOUROUS: Dynamic Security Orchestration and security management
• 6G-PATH: Towards Multi-Domain Intelligent & Secure Resource Orchestration

Platform: Joint Webinar: Security & Trust in Multi-Domain 6G Networks | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/K0HhUD1pr5

Webinar: Architecting Trust in 6G: Technical Insights from SNS JU Projects

Building on the EuCNC & 6G Summit 2025 workshop “6G Trustworthiness: Requirements, Challenges, and Considerations”, this webinar scheduled on 5 December 2025 (10:00 – 13:00 CET) will present concrete technical enablers developed by leading SNS JU projects to support secure-by-design and trustworthy 6G architectures.

Participants will gain insights into the latest advances in: security orchestration, trust evaluation, privacy-preserving architectures, cyber threat intelligence, ML-driven threat prediction, security planes, digital twins, and confidential computing. Each project will showcase tangible technical results and prototypes.

Programme Highlights

• RIGOUROUS – Operational 6G security management
• iTrust6G – Dynamic trust modelling for Zero-Trust systems
• PRIVATEER 6G – Privacy-aware slicing, decentralised analytics, searchable encryption
• HORSE – ML-based threat prediction & security digital twins
• MARE – Open and programmable 6G Security Plane
• CONFIDENTIAL6G – Confidential computing for privacy-preserving AI
• SAFE-6G – AI-driven intent-based trust coordination
• Natwork – Cybersecurity and resilience from PHY-layer to AI intrusion detection
  Chairs: Dr Mir Ghoraishi & Dr Rhys Miller (Gigasys Solutions)

Registration is available here, more information and agenda are available here.

Call for Papers – Third International Workshop on Holistic 6G Radio Design (WCNC 2026)

The Third International Workshop on Holistic 6G Radio Design will be held in conjunction with IEEE WCNC 2026 on 13 April 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The workshop provides a platform to discuss sustainable, inclusive, and trustworthy 6G system design, integrating communication, sensing, computing, and intelligence.

Important Dates

• Paper Submission Deadline: 15 December 2025
• Acceptance Notification: 5 February 2026
• Camera-Ready Due: 22 February 2026

Submission
Papers must be submitted via EDAS:
https://edas.info/newPaper.php?c=34608

Full CfP
https://sites.google.com/view/holistic6g
https://wcnc2026.ieee-wcnc.org/call-workshop-papers-0

Organizers
Gilberto Berardinelli (Aalborg University, Denmark) / Hamed Farhadi (Ericsson, Sweden) / Ahmad Nimr (TU Dresden, Germany) / Nurul Huda Mahmood (University of Oulu, Finland) / Seongah Jeong (University of Seoul, South Korea) / Arthur S. de Sena (University of Oulu, Finland)

SUSTAIN-6G Workshop at IEEE ICC 2026 – Call for Papers

A workshop organised by partners of the SUSTAIN-6G project has been accepted for IEEE ICC 2026, which will take place in Glasgow from 24 to 28 May 2026.

The workshop, “International Workshop on Sustainable and Sustainability-Enabling 6G,” will examine how 6G can both support sustainability across sectors and become a sustainable technology by design. It adopts a broad view of sustainability, covering environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

Call for Papers

The workshop invites contributions on topics such as:

• Sustainable 6G architectures and metrics
• Climate-resilient and energy-efficient networks
• Digital inclusion, ethical AI, privacy and trust
• Circular economy models and sustainable business approaches
• 6G-enabled applications in areas like agriculture, energy, mobility, and smart cities

Full details are available on the SUSTAIN-6G website:
https://sustain-6g.eu/event/call-for-papers-international-workshop-on-sustainable-and-sustainability-enabling-6g/

Call for Papers – 6G AI-RAN 2026 Workshop at IEEE INFOCOM

The First Workshop on AI-Native Distributed Intelligence for 6G Networks (6G AI-RAN 2026), held in conjunction with IEEE INFOCOM 2026, will take place on 18 May 2026. The workshop invites contributions on AI-native RAN, Open RAN, distributed and federated learning, intelligent air interfaces and AI-driven network control for 6G.

Important Dates

• Paper Submission Deadline: 29 December 2025
• Acceptance Notification: 2 February 2026
• Camera-Ready Due: 16 February 2026

Submission
Papers (max. 6 pages, IEEE INFOCOM format) must be submitted via EDAS:
https://edas.info/N34634

Full CfP
Complete details are available at:
https://infocom2026.ieee-infocom.org/first-workshop-ai-native-distributed-intelligence-6g-networks-6g-ai-ran-2026-call-papers

Organizers
General Chair: Akihiro Nakao (The University of Tokyo)
General Co-Chairs: Matti Latva-aho (University of Oulu), Tommaso Melodia (Northeastern University)

Release of the 6G-IA Security WG White Paper on 6G Security and Trust

The 6G-IA Security Working Group has released its new white paper, “6G Security and Trust: Insights from European SNS JU Projects,” now available on the 6G-IA website.

The document provides a concise overview of security and trust advancements emerging from leading SNS JU projects such as HORSE, RIGOUROUS, ELASTIC, ROBUST-6G, iTrust6G, 6GCLOUD, NATWORK and SUNSET-6G. It outlines the transition toward proactive, adaptable and sustainable security architectures for future 6G networks.

Key innovations highlighted include zero-touch security management, moving target defence, explainable AI, privacy-by-design approaches, federated learning, confidential computing techniques such as secure enclaves and Wasm at the edge, as well as new metrics for sustainable security.

The document is available here.

Visions for Future Communication Summit 2025

Networld Europe organised the 2025 Vision of Future Communications Summit (VFCS) on 25-26 November in Lisbon. The event was supported by 6G-IA, SNS CO-OP, the European Commission and IEEE, marked a key step in preparing the next Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for FP10. The event focused on identifying research priorities for the 2030 horizon, at a time when 6G is expected to reach the market.

Experts from academia, industry and European institutions discussed future technologies and the societal needs that next-generation networks must support after 2030. Sessions combined keynotes, panels and community contributions to define the most promising and challenging research directions.

Insights from the Summit will feed into a white paper guiding mid-term research priorities and informing European and international bodies. Networld Europe also invited short visionary contributions ahead of the event, with selected ideas discussed under Chatham House rules.

More information is available here.

Why join the NetworldEurope SME Working Group – insights from the 2024 survey

The NetworldEurope SME Working Group (NWE SME WG) is currently running a campaign to encourage more SMEs to join its community and engage in its activities. Drawing on insights from its 2024 survey, the campaign highlights five areas where the Working Group provides clear value for participating SMEs: timely access to funding opportunities, smoother entry into collaborations and consortia, increased visibility across relevant channels, stronger networking within the ecosystem, and support & practical guidance for navigating European research activities. These elements show how the NWE SME WG supports SMEs to benefit from a more connected, informed, and accessible innovation landscape.

More information is available here.

Future of Telecommunications Networks

The CSF Infrastructures numériques organized an event in Paris on 5 November 2025 to discuss research, standardization, and innovation for 6G, highlighting opportunities offered by the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU).

Key topics included:

• 5G Standalone and Future Networks: PEPR Réseaux and FramexG project;
• SNS JU: European funding for connectivity R&D;
• Launch of the France 6G project.

The event gathered industry and public stakeholders to explore the development of next-generation networks and collaborative initiatives for smart, connected territories.

More information is available here.

SNS projects at 5G-6G events

IEEE NFV-SDN 2025: A Key Forum for Programmable and AI-Driven Networks

From 10 to 12 November in Athens, IEEE NFV-SDN 2025 gathered researchers and industry leaders to discuss the latest advances in virtualization, softwarized infrastructures and AI-native networking. The event confirmed its role as an essential platform driving the evolution toward programmable, cloud-native and intelligent 6G systems.

Strong and Coordinated Participation from SNS Projects

SNS JU projects played a major role throughout the conference, presenting papers, demonstrations and first results on distributed AI, open programmability, experimentation frameworks and next-generation 6G architectures.

ADROIT6G organised a special session focused on distributed AI and open 6G programmability. 6G-BRICKS and SUNRISE-6G co-organised two special sessions and presented demonstrations covering compute-continuum robotics, in-network computing and the SUNRISE-6G experimentation portal. Other SNS projects such as 6G-DALI, FLECON-6G, ENVELOPE, UNITY-6G, 6G-INTENSE and 6G-VERSUS shared early results on topics including AI-driven automation, accelerated edge computing and innovative 6G core functions.

ATHENA Workshop: Accelerating Research Infrastructures and Adaptive 6G Architectures

The second ATHENA Workshop was one of the highlights of the conference. It focused on advanced research infrastructures, AI-driven adaptability and the architectural evolution required for 6G. Several SNS projects participated and presented proofs-of-concept that support AI-native, low-latency and highly programmable network designs.

Hackathon: Hands-On Innovation and Testbed Integration

The NFV-SDN Hackathon brought together testbed owners, developers and SMEs to explore emerging 5G and 6G network capabilities. With strong involvement from the SUNRISE-6G initiative, the event enabled the integration of new testbeds and the validation of applications on federated experimentation platforms. The Natwork team achieved a noteworthy third place.

5th NTN Workshop Towards a Unified TN-NTN System

The 5th NTN Workshop Towards a Unified TN-NTN System, held on 6 November in Berlin and hosted by Fraunhofer FOKUS with ESA and Eurescom, brought together satellite operators, mobile network providers, technology firms and research organisations to discuss how future 6G networks will achieve seamless integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial infrastructures. With 3GPP 6G standardisation now underway, the workshop served as an important forum for exchanges on architectures, testbeds and the next steps toward fully unified TN-NTN communication systems.

The SNS JU was strongly represented through four projects, across the exhibition floor and the technical programme, the projects presented complementary innovations:

• ETHER with Timo Kellermann and Oriol Fusté from I2CAT presented how flexible payloads and semantics-aware NB-IoT communication can enable reliable IoT connectivity over sparse LEO satellite constellations — supporting real-world applications in agriculture, environmental monitoring, energy infrastructure, logistics, and more.
• 5G STARDUST contributed a showcase demo and expert presentations from DLR and CNIT focusing on AI driven NTN evolution, experimentation platforms and long-term research challenges.
• 6G NTN highlighted advances toward future 6G NTN architectures and unified testing environments within the workshop agenda and exhibition space.
• Nexasphere presented its vision for accelerating TN-NTN convergence in 6G through the talk titled “NexaSphere: The Ultimate 6G Runway for NTN Takeoff”.

Taken together, these contributions provided a coherent overview of the technologies, experimentation capabilities and architectural advances that will shape unified TN-NTN systems in the 6G era.

SNS JU projects drive key contributions at IEEE FNWF 2025

The IEEE Future Networks World Forum (FNWF) 2025, held from 10 to 12 November in Bangalore, India, gathered global experts, researchers, industry leaders and policymakers to explore how next-generation networks will shape a sustainable and intelligent digital future. Under the theme “Beyond Connectivity: 6G for a Sustainable and Intelligent Future,” the forum examined how AI-enhanced 6G architectures, new network paradigms and advanced connectivity technologies will support seamless, resilient and environmentally responsible communication systems worldwide.

The SNS JU was prominently represented through three projects:

• 6G-NTN contributed to the Symposium on 6G Challenges through a presentation by Project Coordinator Alessandro Vanelli-Coralli from the University of Bologna. His talk highlighted integration opportunities and challenges for Non-Terrestrial Networks within 6G, emphasising the synergy between terrestrial and satellite systems, the importance of standardisation and the need for continued innovation.
• SUPERIOT was represented by its Coordinator Marcos Katz, who presented three papers covering different aspects of the project’s research, giving broad visibility to its latest results among a large international audience of experts.
• 6G-PATH presented its vision for European 6G pilots through a talk by Technical Manager Luís Cordeiro, who outlined the project’s large-scale use cases, first trial outcomes and AI-driven capabilities. The session drew strong interest and the project received an award in recognition of its contribution (full presentation).

SNS Projects 6G-TWIN and 6G-Cloud showcase next-generation connectivity at Smart City Expo World Congress 2025

On 17 November 2025, the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona brought together global leaders in urban innovation to explore sustainable, efficient, and human-centered cities. The event is the world’s largest platform for exchanging ideas, technology, and strategies shaping the urban landscape.

The SNS projects 6G-TWIN and 6G-CLOUD were prominently represented by partner UBIWHERE. 6G-TWIN, presented by Ana Pereira, highlighted how digital twin technologies can enhance climate-resilient urban planning and support more sustainable mobile networks. The showcase included multi-modal sensing platforms, smart parking solutions, CCAM operations centres, and edge offloading capabilities, demonstrating the transformative role of digital twins in smarter cities.

6G-CLOUD presented its vision for an AI-native, cloud-native 6G network architecture, emphasizing next-generation infrastructure across the cloud continuum, from edge to core, and exploring how smart cities can benefit from service-oriented, intelligent, and sustainable connectivity.

Together, these SNS projects illustrated Europe’s commitment to advancing next-generation networks and urban innovation, bridging cutting-edge technology with practical applications for smarter, more resilient cities.

The event gathered industry and public stakeholders to explore the development of next-generation networks and collaborative initiatives for smart, connected territories.

More information is available here.

SNS projects showcase 6G security innovations at DefCamp 2025

DefCamp 2025, held in Bucharest, brought together leading cybersecurity experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from across Central and Eastern Europe. As the region’s premier cybersecurity conference, the event provided a platform to explore emerging challenges in trust, privacy, and resilience for next-generation networks.

The SNS projects RIGOUROUS, 6G-Cloud, and AMAZING6G participated in the workshop “Securing the 6G Frontier: Trust, Privacy, and Resilience in the Computing Continuum.” The session highlighted collaborative approaches to embedding security, zero-trust principles, AI-powered threat detection, and blockchain-based attestation into 6G infrastructures.

Experts discussed how these projects are developing secure, privacy-preserving, and resilient architectures for distributed and cloud-native systems, demonstrating the crucial role of cross-project cooperation in shaping a trustworthy 6G ecosystem. DefCamp offered an ideal setting to connect the research community with cybersecurity professionals and ethical hackers, driving innovation toward safe and reliable next-generation connectivity.

SNS Projects EXIGENCE, 6G-PATH, and 6G-LEADER Highlight 6G Innovation at ENLIT Europe 2025

From 18 to 20 November 2025, ENLIT Europe in Bilbao showcased the latest advances in energy efficiency and sustainable technologies. The event gathered industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to explore the digital and decarbonised transformation of Europe’s energy sector.

The SNS projects EXIGENCE, 6G-PATH, and 6G-LEADER were prominently featured at the EU Projects Zone (Stand 5.F30-S08), presented by F6S Innovation. Across dedicated sessions, the projects demonstrated how 6G technologies are enabling smarter, greener, and more connected energy systems, from AI-driven network infrastructures to advanced solutions supporting sustainability, flexibility, and efficiency in energy-intensive industries and smart cities.

By participating in ENLIT Europe, these projects reinforced the role of next-generation connectivity in powering Europe’s energy transition and fostering collaboration across research, industry, and public stakeholders.

SNS projects showcase 6G innovations at JITEL 2025

JITEL 2025, the Spanish national conference on Telematics and Computer Networks, was hosted on 12-14 November by Universidad de Extremadura in Cáceres, expertly organized by Jaime Galán-Jiménez, Javier Carmona Murillo, and their team.

Researchers from i2CAT Research Centre and Universitat de València presented the latest results from SNS JU projects including 6G-XR and Imagine-B5G, alongside PhD research. Key highlights included integrating sensing capabilities into O-RAN architectures to advance perception-aware networks, in collaboration with IHP through the 6G-SENSES project.

The conference fostered rich interactions with the national telematics community, inspiring discussions on next-generation networks and sustainable 6G technologies.

6G-XCEL and Eco-eNet Spotlighted at FYUZ 2025

FYUZ 2025, the flagship global connectivity event presented by the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), took place from 3–5 November at Trinity College Dublin, marking CONNECT’s 10th anniversary. The event gathered industry, academic, and government leaders to explore AI-driven, sustainable, and cognitive network innovations shaping next-generation connectivity.

SNS JU projects 6G-XCEL and Eco-eNet were prominently featured, showcasing research on AI-native, multi-network frameworks and advanced cognitive network control. Sessions included Advanced Cognitive Networks: The Future of Connectivity, highlighting AI-powered orchestration, optical and wireless sensing, and cross-domain innovations for 6G networks.

Participants also engaged with demos and discussions on technology enablers, real-world use cases, and trends driving smarter, adaptive networks, underscoring the transformative potential of these European research initiatives.

IMAGINE-B5G and UPV achieve a key milestone with Europe’s first 6G pilot in the upper 6 GHz band

A major step toward Europe’s 6G networks has been achieved in Valencia. Within the SNS project IMAGINE-B5G, the Universitat Politècnica de València, Telefónica and Nokia have completed one of Europe’s first pilots using the upper 6 GHz band, just as the Radio Spectrum Policy Group publishes its recommendation for this critical spectrum range.

The pilot took place in UPV’s 5G Holographic Laboratory and confirmed that the upper 6 GHz band can offer coverage and performance similar to the 3.5 GHz band. This was possible thanks to advanced massive MIMO active antennas developed by Nokia. The results show that this band can deliver the capacity, speed and efficiency required for future 6G services, including immersive communications and AI-based applications.

The trial demonstrates that 6G can be deployed using existing sites while supporting high traffic density. This achievement reinforces the collaboration between industry and academia and highlights the strategic role of IMAGINE-B5G in shaping Europe’s 6G development.

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SCoDIHNet news

1. Launch of the New Smart Connectivity Survey

The Digital Transformation Accelerator Smart Connectivity Thematic Working Group (SCTTWG) launched its new survey on 5 November. Responses are expected by the end of the month.

The results will support a joint analysis of member expectations and help shape an updated service offering co-developed by the  SCTWG and SCoDIHNet.
The survey is available here.

2. Update of the SNS JU Vertical Engagement Tracker

The SNS JU Vertical Engagement Tracker (VET) has been updated to include replicable use cases developed by projects. These use cases are now explicitly tagged and visible in the main cartography view.

A new filtering option allows users to display only replicable use cases. In addition, the online Replicability Assessment Tool enables projects to determine the replicability level of each use case, which is also displayed directly in the individual use case form.

3. Summary of the SCoDIHNet Bi-Monthly Meeting (4 November)

The most recent SCoDIHNet bi-monthly meeting addressed the following points:

• Vertical Engagement Tracker update: Integration of the replicability dimension into all use case descriptions, supported by filtering capabilities and the Replicability Assessment Tool.
• Collaboration with the DTA Smart Connectivity TWG: Discussions reaffirmed the complementarity between the two groups and their common mission to support Smart Connectivity stakeholders—including EDIHs, technology providers and test/experimental facilities—in accelerating innovation adoption.
• New survey for DIH expectations: As part of the cooperation with the SCTWG, a survey has been launched to refine stakeholder expectations and adapt the service offering accordingly.
• Engagement with Networld Europe SME WG: SCoDIHNet presented its Replicability initiative, complementing the existing cooperation with the Enterprise Europe Network, with the objective of fostering SME–DIH collaboration at local level to accelerate innovation adoption.

The next SCoDIHNet meeting will take place in early January. A new series of Outlook invitations for 2026 will be issued before year-end. As previously announced, SCoDIHNet members will also be invited to join SCTWG meetings throughout 2026.