As the world moves from the 5G towards the 6G era, the mobile communications fabric needs to be architected differently to accommodate the emerging stringent requirements of innovative extreme future-looking applications that cannot be served by existing 5G mobile networks. Heading towards the next decade, when 6G is expected to be widely deployed, 5G application types will be redefined by morphing the classical service classes of URLLC, eMBB, and mMTC and introducing new services. ADROIT6G is an SNS JU project supporting the EC’s 6G policy by implementing the first phase of the 6G SNS roadmap towards the evolution of a 6G architecture. ADROIT6G proposes disruptive innovations in the architecture of emerging 6G mobile networks that will make fundamental changes to the way networks are designed, implemented, operated, and maintained. Such innovations include: (i) AI/ML-powered optimizations across the entire network, for high performance and automation; (ii) Transforming to a fully cloud-native network software, which can be implemented across a variety of edge-cloud platforms, including Non-Terrestrial Networks, with security built integrally into the network user plane; (iii) Software driven, zero-touch operations and ultimately automation of every aspect of the network and the services it delivers. ADROIT6G innovations, functionalities and performance will be validated through 3 representative extreme 6G use cases (i.e., holographic telepresence, Industrial IoT, collaborative robots/drones) in corresponding PoCs over five well-established 5G testbeds, which will be upgraded to support ADROIT6G innovations and architectural elements. Our 13-partner consortium is driven by industry heavyweights from EU telecom and ICT industries and renowned research organisations, with a vast expertise and experience in 5G and beyond technologies. Most of ADROIT6G’s consortium partners have participated in 44 previously funded 5G-PPP projects and in several 5G-PPP Working Groups.

Quickly developing, upgrading and deploying applications is the core function of the software and IT industry, often achieved through running software on shared hardware (e.g., on data centers) in order to reduce costs and improve profitability. At this point however, the software world appears stuck with inherently insecure and not-so-efficient lightweight virtualization (e.g., containers), because virtual machines are deemed too expensive to use in many scenarios. Unikernels, extremely lightweight VMs, seem like a step towards a solution, but their overwhelming development time and costs hinder their use in real-world settings. Unicore will challenge this status quo by enabling software developers to easily build and quickly deploy lightweight, secure and verifiable images (which we call unikernels) starting from existing applications. Unicore will create a common code base from which to build unikernels, and develop tools that will make the creation of such unikernels as easy as compiling an app for an existing OS, which will enable EU players to lead the next generation of cloud computing services and technology. Such tools will also allow for the creation of lean, efficient operating systems that would be perfectly suitable for resource-constrained devices settings such as IoT. Through its industry-led consortium and its top-notch academic partners, Unicore will ensure exploitation of its technical results through the implementation and operational deployment of multiple use cases. Unicore addresses the work programme’s goals by (1) providing a common code base and tools for code reusability, (2) by developing tools for verification and validation of the generated software, (3) through transparently handling of cross-platform dependencies and by (4) accelerating the full software lifecycle by fully automating several of its stages.

AMAZING-6G proposes a novel set of 14 use cases in the domains of Healthcare, Public Safety, Energy and Transport (including Rail) which will be showcased in large-scale trials and pilots across Europe. Innovative technology enablers are planned to be developed and tested in the areas of Communications, Compute-as-a-Service, Applications and AI, IoT and localization. Security aspects will be taken into consideration in the development of solutions. Framed in this context, the significance of large-scale trials in B5G/6G networks lies not only in their ability to validate the technical capabilities of the technology but also in their capacity to unveil new use cases and applications that were previously inconceivable. As we move towards a world where the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality, and artificial intelligence play central roles in our daily lives, these trials provide a unique opportunity to explore the potential of B5G/6G in fostering innovative solutions across various sectors, from healthcare and transportation to utilities and public/environment safety. Through large-scale trials, stakeholders can gain valuable insights into the transformative power of B5G/6G networks and strategically position themselves to harness the full spectrum of opportunities that this cutting-edge technology offers.

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.

5G solutions for verticals is a well-defined European objective. This requires developing 5G infrastructures to address a wide range of applications adopting flexible architectures, offering converged services across heterogeneous technology domains with unified software control. However, vertical industries today can only verify use cases in small scales in commercial environments, before investing in large scale deployments. Through ICT-17 projects 5G infrastructures become available to verticals to test their applications, however large-scale trials are still not possible. 5G-VICTORI will conduct large scale trials for advanced vertical use case verification focusing on Transportation, Energy, Media and Factories of the Future and cross-vertical use cases. It leverages 5G network technologies developed in 5G-PPP Phase-1 and Phase-2 projects 5G-XHaul and 5G-PICTURE and exploits extensively existing facilities interconnecting main sites of all ICT-17 infrastructures i.e. 5G-VINNI, 5GENESIS and 5G-EVE and the 5G UK test-bed in a Pan-European Infrastructure. The project will provide enhancements of existing infrastructures towards integration of a large variety of vertical and cross-vertical use cases. 5G-VICTORI’s platform aims to transform current closed, purposely developed and dedicated infrastructures into open environments where resources and functions are exposed to ICT and vertical industries through common vertical and non-vertical specific repositories. These functions can be accessed shared on demand and deployed to compose very diverse set of services in a large variety of ecosystems. 5G-VICTORI’s uniquely strong consortium brings together major players form ICT including operators, equipment vendors academic and research organisation and SMEs as well as main players from vertical industries including nationwide rail and electricity operators, rail technology vendors, media content delivery players and a number of SMEs focusing on advanced vertical services.