ENABLE-6G concludes with key innovations in AI, Privacy, and Network Efficiency opening up 6G capabilities

Led by IMDEA Networks and supported by NextGeneration EU, the project delivers 20 technological breakthroughs that place Spain at the forefront of Europe’s race toward smarter, safer, and more sustainable mobile networks

21 May 2025

The NextGeneration EU-backed partnership ENABLE- 6G, dedicated to unlocking the potential of next-generation mobile networks, has officially concluded, marking a significant milestone in Europe’s journey towards 6G. Launched with the ambition of exploring and advancing technologies for future mobile connectivity, ENABLE- 6G brought together leading institutions and experts to develop critical capabilities in low-power communication, sensing, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and privacy-preserving machine learning.

Led by IMDEA Networks Institute with partners Telefónica, NEC Europe, BluSpecs and PI Lighting, the: MAP-6G (Machine Learning-based Privacy Preserving Analytics for 6G Mobile Networks) and RISC-6G (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces and Low-power Technologies for Communication and Sensing in 6G Mobile Networks), sub-projects delivered 20 innovative assets, each contributing to critical advancements in areas such as network intelligence, energy efficiency, localisation and privacy-preserving analytics. MAP- 6G was coordinated by Dr. Giustiniano Domenico, while RISC-6G was coordinated by Dr. Joerg Widmer

The research set out to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing next-generation networks, including network capacity limitations, energy efficiency demands, and the imperative for robust data privacy. ENABLE- 6G has firmly positioned Spain at the forefront of international efforts to develop private, secure and resilient network infrastructures. The insights and technologies developed through ENABLE- 6G will continue to support the digital transformation of society, ensuring future networks are more intelligent, efficient, and secure.

From high-resolution localisation techniques to AI-driven network optimisation, the project generated a broad range of outputs that included a real-world testing platform designed to improve localisation accuracy in 5G networks, and wireless sensing algorithms capable of enabling real-time monitoring in applications such as precision agriculture. Additionally, the project developed optimised federated learning (FL) methods for 6G, supporting privacy-preserving and distributed machine learning at the network edge. It also explored advancements in radio antennas and MIMO technologies, which have the potential to significantly enhance spectral efficiency and network scalability.  Furthermore, the project integrated wireless energy harvesting mechanisms through wireless signals. These innovations collectively demonstrate ENABLE- 6G’s broad technical impact.

ENABLE- 6G has played a critical role in positioning Spain as a leading contributor to European 6G development by aligning its efforts with the strategic priorities of the EU’s Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), specifically, its emphasis on ethical AI, energy efficiency, and explainable systems supports not only technological advancement but also responsible innovation. The final outputs of ENABLE- 6G provide a foundation for continued exploration and deployment of advanced 6G use cases, reinforcing Europe’s competitiveness in the global race for next-generation digital infrastructure.

One of the highlights of the MAP-6G activities includes the proposal of the Det-RAN framework, a data-driven, cross-layer, real-time attack detection platform for 5G Open RAN. Det-RAN addresses the issue of vulnerabilities to security threats in cellular networks, mainly due to the lack of integrity protection in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. To tackle this problem, a real-time anomaly detection framework was proposed, leveraging the concept of distributed applications in 5G Open RAN networks. Features from the Physical Layer (PHY) were identified that can generate a reliable fingerprint to infer, in a novel way, the arrival time of uplink packets without integrity protection and to handle cross-layer characteristics. By identifying legitimate message sources and detecting suspicious activity through an AI-based design, the team demonstrated that Open RAN-based applications running at the edge can be designed to provide enhanced network security.

Additionally, a key highlight from the RISC-6G activities includes a proposal of AIChronoLens framework, a novel explainable AI (xAI) tool designed to enhance the interpretability of machine learning models used in time-series forecasting for mobile networks. With AI/ML models increasingly integrated into network resource management, AIChronoLens helps to bridge the trust gap by making these models more transparent and understandable. AIChronoLens can distinguish between design flaws and data-driven prediction errors, enabling developers to improve model accuracy and reliability at superior performance when benchmarked against the current state-of-the-art models.

As the project concludes, ENABLE- 6G leaves behind a strong legacy of scientific advancement and collaborative innovation. Its contributions not only strengthen Spain’s leadership in European R&D for 6G but also provides essential tools and methodologies to inform the next phase of wireless infrastructure development.

The insights and technologies developed through ENABLE- 6G will continue to support the digital transformation of society, ensuring future networks are more intelligent, efficient, and secure.