SNS JU October 2025 Newsflash

Security & Defense

NANCY publishes quantum-secure 6G simulation framework and presented AI and cybersecurity at the core of B5G innovation in Murcia

The NANCY project has published a paper introducing a high-fidelity simulator for Coherent-One-Way (COW) Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in 6G networks. Aligned with ETSI standards, the framework bridges theory and practice, enabling accurate physical-layer modelling, key rate prediction, and network performance evaluation for quantum-secure communications.

The work is a collaboration between TECNALIA Research & Innovation (Spain), InnoCube P.C. (Greece), University of Western Macedonia (Greece), University of Thessaly (Greece), and Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

Access the paper

On 1–2 October 2025, the University of Murcia (UMU) which is part of the NANCY project consortium hosted a workshop during the Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Summit (AICS), focusing on advanced AI techniques for orchestrating B5G networks and enhancing their cybersecurity.

The event gathered 30 industry experts for technical discussions on how AI-driven solutions can strengthen the resilience and efficiency of next-generation networks.

Read More

SUNRISE-6G #1 Hackathon at IEEE NFV-SDN 2025

The SUNRISE-6G project invites testbed owners, researchers, developers, and SMEs to its first hackathon for hands-on challenges and to join Europe’s federated 6G experimentation ecosystem.

The event will take place in Athens on 12 November 2025. Participation is free but registration is required here.

Participants will compete for prizes, receive mentorship from industry and academic leaders, gain experience with real tools and datasets, and network with telcos, research labs, and startups. The Hackathon offers a unique opportunity to showcase testbeds, explore collaborations, and contribute to the European 6G ecosystem.

NTN

5G-STARDUST showcased at Datacom industry association’s inaugural event

On 29 September 2025, 5G-STARDUST was featured at the first Datacom Industry Association (DIA) event in Munich, titled “Addressing Grand Challenges Through Communication Systems.” Project Coordinator Tomaso de Cola from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) presented “SatCom and NTN: from Data Communication to Data Infrastructure,” highlighting 5G-STARDUST’s innovations in satellite communications and non-terrestrial networks, and their potential to connect underserved regions and support critical applications.

The DIA, launched earlier in 2025, aims to unify Europe’s data communications ecosystem, bridging research and industry, and promoting secure, resilient, and efficient digital communication systems. The event gathered 80 participants, fostering discussion on Europe’s leadership in next-generation connectivity.

Read More

PSCE Fall Webinar reviews power outages and public safety

On 7 October 2025, PSCE held a webinar on the impact of power outages on public safety. Speakers Frédéric Jorand (Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection) and Eduardo Bernabeu Piñana (ISDEFE, Spain), moderated by Marie-Christine Bonnamour, shared case studies, discussed effects on critical communication systems, and highlighted lessons learned.

Read more here.

Augmented / virtual reality

SNS JU @ NEM Summit

SNS JU projects showcased Europe’s 6G advances at the 16th NEM Summit on 21–22 October 2025.

Networked Media Session (16:45–18:30, 21 October)
Chaired by Pierre‑Yves Danet (6G‑IA), this session presented SNS JU use cases and technologies for media and entertainment. The SNS JU White Paper “6G for Media & Entertainment” was introduced, featuring:

• 6G-BRICKS, 6G-XR, SUNRISE-6G: Metaverse-like virtual TV shows and collaborative immersive applications (Mario Montagud, i2CAT)

European Initiatives Session (14:15–16:00, 22 October)
Pierre‑Yves Danet also participated in this session exploring collaboration potential, alongside stakeholders such as Virtual Worlds Partnership, ADRA, Fraunhofer, and XR4Europe, highlighting cross-sector synergies in 6G development.

More information is available here.

DESIRE6G demonstrators showcase 6G innovations in AR and robotics

DESIRE6G has entered its final phase with two large-scale demonstrators now fully operational. Demo 1, in Pisa, Italy, presents cooperative surveillance combining drones and AR interfaces for immersive mission control with AI-powered edge processing. Demo 2, in Madrid, Spain, highlights a real-time Digital Twin system for robotic control across multi-domain infrastructures. Both demos validate key 6G innovations, including AI-native orchestration, ultra-low latency networking, and programmable, federated infrastructure, illustrating 6G’s potential for public safety, industry, and robotics.

Read More

Societal impact & Sustainability

6G4Society workshop in Amsterdam highlights societal dimensions of 6G

The 6G4Society workshop, held on 30 September at the historic Waag Society in Amsterdam, emphasized the societal impact of 6G. Experts discussed how 6G can serve as public infrastructure, integrating AI and enabling networks that reflect democratic, sustainable, and human-centered values. Key Value Indicators (KVIs) were highlighted as tools to embed these values into future networks.

Read More

6G4Society releases 2024–2025 survey report on 6G societal dimensions

On 10 October, 6G4Society has published its SNS Survey Report 2024–2025, capturing insights from 63 SNS JU projects on how Key Value Indicators (KVIs) and social acceptance are being integrated into early 6G research.

The findings highlight growing efforts to address adoption barriers while calling for greater focus on values such as fairness, trust, and legitimacy. The report also notes ongoing challenges in defining and measuring KVIs where societal objectives meet technical and economic constraints. These results will guide 6G4Society’s next steps in developing tools and frameworks to embed societal priorities in future 6G innovation.

Read more here.

Access the report.

ACROSS advances IoT connectivity with mobile self-adaptive data rate

The ACROSS project partner K3Y has published a paper in the International Journal of Communication Systems introducing M-SADR, a Mobile Self-Adaptive Data Rate algorithm for LoRa-enabled IoT devices. Designed to improve reliability and energy efficiency, M-SADR autonomously adjusts transmission parameters for mobile devices, outperforming existing approaches with up to 2.4% higher packet delivery and 5.7% lower energy consumption. The algorithm has been validated in both simulations and real-world testbeds, offering a practical solution for mobile IoT connectivity challenges.

Read More

Co-creating a greener digital future: highlights from the “Towards Sustainable 6G – Part II” workshop

On 9 October 2025 in Milan, EU-funded projects came together for the workshop “Towards Sustainable 6G – Part II” at the Sustainable Places Conference 2025. Co-organised by 6G-TWIN, 6G4Society, CENTRIC, 6Green, COALESCE, IN2CCAM, SUSTAIN-6G and 6G-VERSUS the session highlighted progress in energy-efficient 6G architectures, renewable energy integration, sustainable hardware, and life cycle assessment.

SNS JU and Horizon projects shared early insights, fostering collaboration across Europe’s research community. Discussions emphasized that 6G innovation must be sustainable, inclusive, and human-centered, ensuring the next-generation networks serve both society and the planet.

SUSTAIN-6G webinar spotlights path to sustainable 6G networks

On 17 October 2025, SUSTAIN-6G hosted its webinar “Sustainability in 6G: Needs, Methodologies, and Vertical Integrationv” bringing together experts from academia, industry, and telecom to discuss how 6G can advance environmental and societal goals.

The session outlined the European Sustainability Lighthouse Project’s vision for embedding sustainability into future network design and operations, covering eco-design, circular economy principles, AI trustworthiness, and sustainability-driven KPIs.

Speakers from Eurescom, University of Oulu, Orange, Nokia Bell Labs, Siemens, and WINGS ICT Solutions shared perspectives on how 6G technologies can reduce environmental impact while enabling greener solutions across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and energy.

AI

Smart data and trusted AI take center stage in 6G-TWIN webinar

On 23 October 2025, 6G-TWIN hosted its second webinar session, “Smart Data, Trusted AI: Leveraging telemetry and federated intelligence in telecom networks.”

Experts explored how AI, telemetry, and federated learning are reshaping network management, enabling secure, privacy-preserving, and scalable intelligence. The session featured real-world examples, best practices, and a live demo showcasing how trusted AI can enhance the resilience and autonomy of next-generation telecom networks.

Read More

6G-BRICKS Open Call 1 Workshop showcases results and innovation

The 6G-BRICKS project held its Open Call 1 Results Workshop online on 9 October 2025, bringing together experimenters, consortium members, and the 6G community.

The event gathered 41 participants who discovered the key achievements and innovations from the first open call projects, demonstrating the flexibility, scalability, and performance of 6G-BRICKS testbeds.

More information is available here.
Demonstration videos will soon be available on the 6G-BRICKS YouTube channel.

IMAGINE-B5G, 6G-PATH, and 6G-VERSUS showcase Europe’s 6G innovation at Aveiro Tech Week 2025

During Aveiro Tech Week 2025 (6–12 October), European 6G projects highlighted cutting-edge connectivity solutions and societal applications. IMAGINE-B5G demonstrated the N-TourXP-5G use case supported by Instituto de Telecomunicações’ 5G infrastructure, while Capgemini presented project outcomes and Open Call solutions. The 6G-PATH workshop brought together experts to explore 6G applications in smart cities, agriculture, and immersive communications, featuring live demos and fostering collaboration across national and EU-funded projects.

Adding to this, 6G-VERSUS co-organised the workshop “On the way to 6G and examples in society” alongside OneSource, Consultoria Informática Lda, and Instituto Pedro Nunes. Sérgio Figueiredo presented the 6G-VERSUS project and the Portuguese pilot, calling for the active involvement of national ports, environmental organizations, service providers, logistics companies, smart infrastructure operators, and local communities. OneSource and Luís Cordeiro showcased the Mobitrust platform, demonstrating practical applications in Portuguese pilot trials. The workshop emphasized cross-sector collaboration to ensure 6G technologies deliver tangible societal benefits.

Together, these sessions illustrated the vibrant European 6G ecosystem, fostering knowledge exchange and strengthening cooperation across SNS JU projects and other initiatives.

Breakthrough optical networking at ECOC 2025

At ECOC 2025, the ECO-eNET team delivered an Invited Talk on the Evolution of Optical Networking for 6G and another on the 420 Gb/s Plasmonic Optical DAC (#oDAC). This work, based on the first parallel-oDAC PIC, surpasses conventional eDAC-Tx and legacy serial-oDAC transmitters and was recognized as a highly scored contribution.

These results originate from collaborative research within the FLEX-SCALE and PROTEUS-6G projects, demonstrating progress in high-speed optical transmitters and integration for future 6G networks.

Key contributors include David Moor, Samuel Hess, Daniel Rieben, Konstantinos Moschopoulos, Marcel Destraz, Wolfgang Heni, Moshe Nazarathy, Ioannis Tomkos, and Juerg Leuthold.

6G-SANDBOX advances global 6G experimentation with FR3, deterministic networking trials, and Toolkit deployment in Taiwan

6G-SANDBOX  continues to expand the frontiers of next-generation network research. Combining digital and physical nodes across its four European platforms in Athens, Berlin, Malaga, and Oulu, the project provides modular, end-to-end facilities for technology validation and experimentation.

• FR3 large-scale experimentation
  In the first half of 2026, 6G-SANDBOX will coordinate large-scale FR3 trials to evaluate coverage, capacity, and throughput in diverse environments, from dense urban areas to rural regions. The trials will integrate contributions from infrastructure vendors and researchers, using FR3 gNBs, UEs, and channel sounding systems, and benchmark results against FR1 and FR2 performance. The initiative is open to all stakeholders, with coordination and infrastructure provided by 6G-SANDBOX to ensure meaningful end-to-end experiments.
• Deterministic networking trials
  Concurrently, the project will host Deterministic Networking trials, testing technologies such as TSN over 5G, tactile Internet applications, low-latency network configurations, and AI/ML-driven network optimization. Structured as plugfest-style experiments, these trials aim to foster collaboration among research centers and industry while promoting real-world validation of deterministic networking solutions.
• ITRI deploys 6G-SANDBOX Toolkit in Taiwan
  Expanding beyond Europe, ITRI in Taiwan has successfully deployed the 6G-SANDBOX Toolkit, enabling modular, automated, and interoperable experimentation across radio access, core networks, and applications. This deployment marks the first outside the consortium and establishes Taiwan as a strategic hub for international 6G validation. The toolkit allows local partners to participate in global experiments, contribute to standardization, and accelerate commercialization without large infrastructure investments.