Weiterentwicklung innovativer Technologiekomponenten und Systeme für Kommunikationsnetze der 6. Generation

Initial Situation

Mobile communication systems are undeniably the backbone of a digitized and increasingly mobile society. Smartphones have become indispensable personal companions through which people access services for communication, navigation, payments and bookings, social media, leisure and health, education, and, increasingly, government agencies. In addition to smartphones, mobile-based IoT applications have also become established in logistics, agriculture, and industry. This requires secure, ubiquitous, and high-performance mobile networks. With 6G, this trend will intensify, as critical infrastructures—such as energy supply and healthcare—will increasingly rely on mobile networks. Thanks to the significant growth in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and the information made available in real time by 6G, we will see rapid growth in intelligent services. Based on digital twins, among other things, these will help us live and work safely and sustainably.

In collaboration with the other transfer hubs and the 6G industry projects, Open6GHub+ aims to make significant contributions to the development and testing of 6G. The technological and application-oriented innovative strength of German and European companies is to be supported with input, recommendations, and knowledge transfer opportunities from the scientific community. The goal is to ensure that citizens, the business community, and the government can fully participate in shaping and utilizing 6G.

Objective

Open6GHub+ builds on the successful work of Open6GHub and takes it into a new phase of 6G development. Building on the research results achieved, the focus is now increasingly on transfer, implementation, and sustainable utilization. As a national 6G transfer hub, Open6GHub+ specifically translates excellent research into industrial applications, standards, and markets.

In doing so, the project bridges the gap between 6G basic research and its economic and societal impact. The work of Open6GHub+ centers on secure and resilient communication systems, the use of artificial intelligence for 6G, and the support of AI-based services through 6G. Other key areas include digital twins, new 3D network architectures incorporating satellite-based systems, and the targeted strengthening of Germany’s and Europe’s technological sovereignty. In open experimental fields and OpenLabs, these technologies are tested, validated, and further developed in collaboration with industry, startups, SMEs, and public stakeholders.

Open6GHub+ is a central component of the German 6G strategy and creates the conditions for Germany and Europe to not only use 6G but also actively shape its development.

Research Contribution of the University of Bremen

The objective of this subproject is to further develop innovative technological components and systems for sixth-generation communication networks, building on the groundwork laid by the Open6GHub during the previous funding period. In particular, the subproject focuses on the “Unified 3D Networks” mission, but also supports the “6G Smart Radio Modem” and “Resilience of Critical Infrastructures” missions and will contribute to the “6G for All” initiative. In the Open6GHub+, promising technologies are further developed for specific applications and verified and tested in a practical setting in the “3D Networks” OpenLab in collaboration with industry partners. The work encompasses various technologies for 3D networks, consisting of network components ranging from classic terrestrial devices to communication drones and HAPs, all the way to communication satellites. Technology building blocks such as efficient receiver implementations, beamforming, interference management, and link adaptation, as well as training data and model management for AI-supported methods, are being iteratively developed. These technology building blocks are continuously verified and adapted using Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and space-qualified hardware platforms to prepare, in cooperation with industry partners, practical methods for transfer to industry and standardization.

Further Information

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