The IMDEA Networks Foundation, in addition to activities related to its own research lines, is participating in the ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure) initiative called SLICES (Scientific Large-scale Infrastructure for Computing/Communication Experimental Studies). SLICES will provide a cutting-edge experimental platform for research and experimentation in key areas such as 5G/6G, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, and cloud computing.

The development of the ESFRI SLICES node in Madrid aims to deploy an advanced 5G and 6G experimentation infrastructure, offering a catalog of resources and services available to the research community not only at the national level but also internationally. The ESFRI SLICES network is expected to consist of 20 to 30 nodes, located in different European countries (two of them in Spain—in addition to the node in the Community of Madrid, a second node is being deployed in the Basque Country). These nodes will be interconnected, forming a pan-European platform for experimentation and research in advanced networks.

The planned actions for 2026 in the SLICES-Madrid laboratory include five key initiatives: (i) maintenance and extension of the services provided by SLICES-Madrid through the hiring of qualified personnel, expansion of the Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) service through the acquisition of additional equipment, (iii) maintenance and expansion of the data storage system and server connectivity required for access to and management of the infrastructure, (iv) co-funding of Spain’s membership fee for SLICES ERIC, and (v) adaptation and initial work to prepare for the use of premises in the future Leganés Open Technology Hub.

Funded by the Regional Government of Madrid under Order 1941/2026.