The 6G-LEADER project has officially launched with a successful kick-off meeting at the University of Cyprus. The event marked the beginning of an ambitious journey towards advancing 6G technology through collaborative innovation, AI-driven wireless communications, and sustainable solutions.
The two-day KoM brought together nearly 40 participants representing 18 consortium partners, including leading European universities, research institutes, innovative SMEs, mobile operators, and global technology companies such as Nokia UK, Samsung Electronics UK, Telefónica, and Atos.
Ana Luísa Alves, 6G-LEADER Project Coordinator from F6S, welcomed participants, emphasising the project’s commitment to achieving breakthroughs in wireless communication technology, aiming at significantly reducing energy consumption, enhancing spectral efficiency, and ensuring technological sovereignty for Europe.
"6G-LEADER is set to drive Europe’s leadership in the global race for 6G by creating innovative solutions that are not only technically superior but also environmentally and economically sustainable."
The European Commission, under the SNS-JU (Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking), funds the project as part of the Horizon Europe Programme, highlighting its strategic significance for Europe’s digital sovereignty and its role in shaping future telecommunications standards.
The project aims to develop AI/ML-driven, sustainable, and energy-efficient 6G networks over the next 36 months (January 2025 – December 2027). With a global budget of EUR 8.48 million, 6G-LEADER will focus on enhancing spectrum efficiency, automation, and semantic networking to meet future connectivity demands, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of 6G technology development.
The project will advance AI-powered Radio Access Networks (RAN), Open RAN architectures, and conflict-free network optimisation, driving the evolution of 6G technologies. Key focus areas include AI/ML-enhanced 6G RAN for automation and adaptive resource allocation, advanced antennas for energy efficiency, semantic communication for intelligent data transmission, and Open RAN innovation for interoperability and real-time network control. The 6G-LEADER project will also focus on sustainability by incorporating energy-efficient solutions and reducing electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in future 6G networks. The project’s approach includes developing reconfigurable radio technologies and optimising spectrum usage in the FR1 and FR3 frequency bands to enhance connectivity and capacity without requiring extensive infrastructure overhauls. Additionally, the project will introduce conflict management solutions within Open RAN environments, ensuring that AI-driven network optimisation operates smoothly without interference between multiple control mechanisms.
During the two-day Kick-Off Meeting, partners aligned on technical goals, collaborative strategies, and a roadmap for implementation. Key takeaways included the development of a technical framework for AI-driven PHY and RAN automation, a standardisation roadmap for contributions to 3GPP and O-RAN Alliance, and plans for Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs) deployments to validate key technologies in real-world scenarios. During the kick off meeting, discussions covered the integration of AI/ML-driven decision-making into real-time network control through distributed applications (dApps), aiming to achieve sub-10ms latency for critical communications. The meeting also established a structured approach to the project’s dissemination and exploitation activities, ensuring that research findings are translated into industry adoption and standardisation contributions.
