The 79 Projects Shaping Europe’s 6G Vision with KPIs and KVIs

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), established under the Horizon Europe framework, is driving Europe’s research, innovation, experimental platforms, and large-scale trials to shape the future of connectivity in line with European values. Its mission is twofold: to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty in 6G by supporting the research ecosystem needed to influence standardisation and early market adoption, and to accelerate 5G deployment to enable digital lead markets and advance the twin digital and green transitions. These goals align closely with EU priorities on cybersecurity, industrial competitiveness, and sustainability, forming a cornerstone of the EU’s Digital Decade Policy Programme.

The SNS Journal 2025 offers a panoramic view of the European 6G research landscape, highlighting all 79 projects currently active under the SNS JU. These span technology development, trials, and cross-sector collaboration, including flagship initiatives such as Hexa-X-II and lighthouse projects focused on sustainability and microelectronics. Collectively, the projects address AI-native networking, Non-Terrestrial Networks, optical communications, security, and next-generation components, serving more than 11 vertical sectors. The journal also records key milestones such as the launch of Call 3 in 2025, the start of 6G standardisation studies, strong SME participation, and deepening global cooperation.

The 6G KPIs – Definitions and Target Values white paper brings a technical focus, consolidating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from SNS JU projects. Aligned with ITU-R IMT-2030 categories, the KPIs are grouped into families such as data rate and capacity, latency, reliability, mobility, compute, sensing, AI capabilities, electromagnetic field aspects, positioning, energy efficiency, and coverage. The paper defines these metrics, sets target values, and links them to specific use cases ranging from extended reality to real-time digital twins and joint communication-sensing. It also outlines the need for harmonised measurement tools, cross-domain evaluation, AI-assisted testing, and sustainability metrics to ensure consistency with emerging global standards.

Alongside KPIs, the SNS JU is advancing work on Key Value Indicators (KVIs), which assess the societal, environmental, and economic impacts of 6G. The 6G KVIs – SNS Projects Initial Survey Results 2025 white paper identifies 12 key value categories, from environmental sustainability and societal inclusion to personal health, trust, and cultural connection. Based on survey input from projects, it details how KVIs can be defined, measured, and validated, while also highlighting challenges such as harmonising definitions, establishing quantitative benchmarks, and linking KVIs with technical KPIs. This early work is helping to build a common methodology for assessing the real-world benefits of 6G.

Together, the SNS Journal 2025, the KPIs white paper, and the KVIs white paper present a complete picture of Europe’s approach to 6G development. The journal showcases the breadth of R&D activity, the KPI work defines the technical performance expectations, and the KVI work ensures that societal and environmental values remain integral to the 6G vision. As the programme advances, combining these two dimensions will be essential for building networks that are not only technologically advanced but also sustainable, inclusive, and aligned with European priorities.

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