Despite a number of software frameworks and reference architectures have made available for 5G enabling technologies, there is a clear gap to bridge towards 5G seamless application with a number of “vertical” sectors. Energy vertical represents undoubtedly one of the most significant “test cases” for 5G enabling technologies, due to the need of addressing a huge range of very diverse requirements to deal with across a variety of applications (stringent capacity for smart metering/AMI versus latency for supervisory control and fault localization).However, to effectively support energy utilities along their transition towards more decentralized renewable-oriented systems, several open issues still remain as to 5G networks management automation, security, resilience, scalability and portability. To face these issues, NRG-5 will research and develop a novel 5G PPP-compliant software framework specifically tailored to the energy domain, which combines i) trusted, scalable and lock-in free plug ‘n’ play support for a variety of constrained devices; ii) 5G devices’ abstractions to demonstrate mMTC, uMTC and xMBB communications coupled with partially distributed, trusted, end-to-end security and MCM to enable secure, scalable and energy efficient communications; iii) extended Mobile Edge Computing (xMEC) micro-clouds to reduce backhaul load, increase the overall network capacity and reduce delays, while facilitating the deployment of generic MTC-related NFVs and utility-centric VNFs; iv) an extended 5G ETSI-MANO predictive analytics framework to support automated, dynamic, elastic VNF reconfiguration. Extensive lab based validation will be complemented with real life demonstrations in two pilot sites (Italy, France) where proof-of-concept implementations for 5G-enabled electricity and gas distribution network optimized management will be offered, while offering support to 5G PPP phase III projects via demonstrating high replication potential towards other verticals.

CRETE VALLEY aims to create a Renewable Energy Valley 'Living Lab' (REV-Lab) in Crete. It is envisioned as a decentralised renewable energy system that combines leading-edge ICT technologies, interoperable and open digital solutions (including data sovereignty), social innovation processes, and sound business models that are easy to adopt. CRETE VALLEY will demonstrate a digitalised, distributed, renewable, low carbon landscape that is affordable for all and fully covers the local energy needs on an annual basis, utilizing multiple renewable energy carriers and leveraging energy storage technologies. The REV-Lab will integrate four Community Energy Labs (CELs) located in distinct sites across CRETE VALLEY, conceived as Innovation Hubs. An integrated social, technological & business approach will be deployed, providing: A Social Science Framework for REV-Labs & CELs, innovative multi-level governance models & social-driven mechanisms for involving citizens in the co-design, implementation and exploitation of RES; AI-based market segmentation algorithms, MCDA methods and consensus analysis for REV configuration; Interactive tools for REV planning (REV Readiness Assessment & computation, Augmented Reality applications, decision support tool); Energy Data Space compliant digital backbone for consumer and REV-level data-driven ‘activation’; P2P DLT/Blockchain digital marketplace for tokenised energy and non-energy assets valuation and reciprocal compensation; Data-driven operational analysis, advanced AI/ML tools and flexibility modelling services for optimal operation & resilience of the local energy grid; System-of-system Dig. Twin for multiple carrier grid management & operation; Data-driven services and apps for energy efficiency and activation performance management towards energy autonomy; Enabling RES technologies to increase the power production; REV Business Sandbox and blueprints for REV-Lab setup, upscaling and replication (including 4 Follower Communities).

Traditional silo approaches, where stakeholders manage their own data, could be replaced by digital and smart buildings, merging heterogeneous data sources, and placing the stakeholders as the core of these buildings. DigiBUILD will catalyse this much-needed transformation by making use of high-quality data and next generation digital building services, supporting the deployment of EU-wide Framework for a Digital Building Logbook. An inclusive environment for multi-stakeholder knowledge exchange (based on European Bauhaus initiative) will be applied to co-design end-user-oriented services. DigiBUILD will provide an open, interoperable and cloud-based toolbox to transform current ‘silo’ buildings into digital, interoperable and smarter ones, based on consistent and reliable data, supporting better-informed decision-making for performance monitoring & assessment, planning of building infrastructure, policy making and de-risking investments. It will be built on top of existing platforms and common EU initiatives, towards an Energy Efficient Building Data Space, based on standard cloud-data platform frameworks (FIWARE) and Data Space initiatives (GAIA-X and IDSA). On top of this advanced data governance framework, we will create AI-based data analytics and Digital Building Twins based on high-quality data, aiming to facilitate transparency, trust, informed decision-making and information sharing within the built environment and construction sector, which will be deployed across 10 real-world conditions (TRL 8). DigiBUILD will contribute to the uptake of digital technologies in the building sector to better align the EU Member States’ long-term renovation strategies with the EPBD requirements on decarbonisation, and on a path towards a climate-neutral building stock by 2050.

The rising decentralization of the energy system is unveiling an enormous opportunity for energy stakeholders to leverage on big data & AI technologies to improve decision making. There are however some barriers hampering the exploitation of this potential, such as the lack of standardized big data architectures for smart grids and regulatory frameworks not enabling data sharing. In that respect BD4NRG will i) deliver a reference architecture for Smart Energy, which aligns BDVA SRIA, IDSA and FIWARE architectures, SAREF standard and extend COSMAG specification to enable B2B multi-party data exchange, while providing full interoperability of leading-edge big data technologies with smart grid standards and operational frameworks ii) evolve and upscale a number of TRL 5-6 technology enablers, such as scalable sovereignty-preserving hybrid DLT/off-chain data governance, big data elastic pipeline orchestration, IoT/edge AI-based federated learning and multi-resource sharing tokenized marketplace, loosely integrate and deploy them within the TRL 7-8 BD4NRG framework iii) deliver a TRL8 open modular big data analytic toolbox as front-end for one-stop-shop analytics services development by orchestrating legacy and/or third party assets (data, computing resources, models, algorithms) iv) validate such framework through the delivery of predictive and prescriptive edge AI-based big data analytics on 13 large scale pilots, deployed by different energy stakeholders (TSOs and DSOs power network operators, aggregators, storage/renewable assets operators, local energy communities, ESCOs, power market operators, municipalities, financial institutions and ENTSO-E), fully covering the energy value chain v) setup a vibrant data-driven ecosystem through the SGBDAA Alliance, which will federate new energy data providers, attract SMEs for novel energy services provisioning through cascading funding and validate a hybrid energy/industry value chain supporting B2B joint digital platforms.

NEMO aims to establish itself as the game changer of AIoT-Edge-Cloud Continuum by introducing an open source, flexible, adaptable, cybersecure and multi-technology meta-Operating System, sustainable during and after the end of the project, via the Eclipse foundation (NEMO consortium member). To achieve technology maturity and massive adoption, NEMO will not “reinvent the wheel”, but leverage and interface existing systems, technologies and Open Standards, and introduce novel concepts, tools, testing facilities/Living Labs and engagement campaigns to go beyond today’s state of the art, make breakthrough research and create sustainable innovation, already within the project lifetime. NEMO will introduce innovations at different layers of the protocol stack, enabling on-device Cybersecure Federated ML/DRL, deliver time-triggered (TSN) multipath ad-hoc/hybrid self-organized and zero-delay failback/self-healing multi-cloud clusters, multi-technology Secure Execution Environment and on-Service Level Objectives meta-Orchestrator, Plugin and Apps Lifecycle Management and Intent Based programming tools. Moreover, NEMO will be “by design” and “by innovation” cybersecure and trusted adopting state of the art mechanisms such as Mutual TLS and Digital Identity Attestation. NEMO will be validated in 5 most prominent industrial sectors (i.e. Farming, Energy, Mobility/City, Industry 4.0 and Media/XR) and 8 use cases in 5 +1 Living Labs, utilizing more than 30 heterogenous IoT devices and real 5G infrastructure. The impact will not only safeguard EU position in data economy and applications verticals, but lower energy efficiency, reduce pesticides and CO2 footprint. Beyond Eclipse adoption, NEMO sustainability, wide acceptance and SMEs engagement will be achieved via open source ecosystems, standardization initiatives and 2 Open Calls that will provide financial support of 1,8M€ and access to NEMO Living Labs to SMEs and enlarge NEMO by at least 16 new entities.