SUSTAIN-6G

SUSTAIN-6G Plenary Meeting #3 organised by WINGS ICT Solutions in Athens
2025-10-07 - 2025-10-09
The third SUSTAIN-6G Plenary Meeting took place from 7th to 9th October 2025, bringing the project’s consortium together in person in Athens. Organised by WINGS ICT Solutions and hosted at the Athens Titania Hotel, this three-day event marked a new milestone in the project’s journey toward sustainable, efficient, and future-proof 6G networks.
The event focused on assessing progress across all work packages (WPs), refining methodologies, and reinforcing the shared commitment to integrating sustainability principles into the next generation of communication networks.
Day 1: Setting the Momentum and Aligning Visions
The plenary began with a general introduction session, outlining logistics, key discussion themes, and objectives for the meeting.
The first set of sessions focused on sustainability requirements and evaluation frameworks, where partners examined the evolving methodologies for assessing 6G sustainability across use cases. These discussions paved the way for the development of a robust reference scenario framework to guide future evaluations.
Later in the morning, sessions dedicated to research and innovation topics explored technical enablers and their contributions to the project’s sustainability objectives. Partners shared updates on ongoing investigations, highlighting innovative approaches to achieving energy efficiency, resilience, and social impact through 6G technologies.
The afternoon featured planning sessions on Proof-of-Concept (PoC) implementation, where teams coordinated the integration of technological enablers from multiple work packages. In parallel, the General Assembly reviewed project management, dissemination strategies, and upcoming milestones, including the next plenary meeting and the first project review.
The day concluded with discussions on communication, dissemination, standardisation, and exploitation, aligning plans for 2026 events and publications to enhance the visibility and impact of the SUSTAIN-6G initiative.

Day 2: Deep Collaboration Across Use Cases and Methodologies
The second day fostered strong interaction between technical and use-case-focused teams, promoting a holistic approach to sustainable 6G innovation.
The morning sessions combined work from WP2, WP3, and WP4, focusing on three core verticals: Smart Grid, Agriculture, and eHealth. Dedicated breakout groups analysed technological gaps, methodological approaches, and cross-domain synergies, ensuring that sustainability considerations are embedded in every use case.
In the afternoon, the spotlight turned to WP6, addressing the integration of results and interworking among technical and sustainability-oriented tasks. The session concluded with an alignment of deliverables, responsibilities, and timelines to ensure consistency across work packages.
The day ended on a high note with a social dinner in central Athens, where partners exchanged ideas in an informal setting, strengthening collaboration and team spirit under the city’s vibrant evening atmosphere.

Day 3: From Planning to Action – Defining the Road Ahead
The final day of the plenary centred on consolidating outcomes and shaping the next phase of project activities.
Morning sessions brought together multiple work packages to summarise results, define next steps for PoC integration, and prepare for upcoming deliverables. Parallel discussions focused on standardisation efforts, ensuring SUSTAIN-6G’s contributions are aligned with international frameworks such as 3GPP, ITU, and CEN-CENELEC.
The closing session recapped the achievements of the three-day meeting, highlighting key decisions, progress across work packages, and immediate actions for the months ahead.
The afternoon offers an open working space for continued collaboration, addressing topics such as deliverable editing, interworking follow-ups, and the role of security and privacy in achieving sustainable 6G development.
Conclusion
As the project moves forward, the momentum built in Athens will continue to drive progress toward innovative, sustainability-driven 6G technologies — setting the stage for the upcoming fourth plenary meeting in Ghent in February and beyond future meetings.

Sustainability in 6G: Needs, Methodologies, and Vertical Integration
2025-10-17 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
This webinar explored how 6G technologies can be aligned with sustainability goals, both by minimising their environmental first-order effects and by enabling positive impacts across key sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and energy. It presented a consolidated view of current research and industry efforts, highlighting the metrics, methodologies, and use cases that define sustainability in the 6G context. By integrating perspectives from technology providers, telecom operators, and end users, the session laid the groundwork for a shared framework for sustainability evaluation and offers strategic insights to guide future development.
Details:

Date: Friday 17 October 2025
Time: 15:00 – 16:30 CEST
Duration: 90 minutes
Recording is available online on our YouTube Channel!

Scope of this webinar:
The SUSTAIN-6G webinar presented the European Sustainability Lighthouse Project’s vision of embedding sustainability into the design, deployment, and operation of future 6G networks.
Organised by a consortium of 24 partners across 10 European countries—including leading universities, major telecom operators, industrial leaders, and innovative SMEs—the event aimed to share the project’s initial findings and set the stage for ongoing research. The webinar agenda spanned perspectives from academia, industry, telecom operators, and end-users, highlighting both the terminology and requirements for sustainability in 6G, as well as practical implications from technical, telco, and customer standpoints.
At its core, the webinar showcased the baseline framework for “Sustainable 6G” and “6G for Sustainability.” Participants gained insights into how sustainability must be built into 6G from the ground up—guided by environmental, societal, and economic pillars.
Key topics included eco-design strategies, life cycle assessment, AI trustworthiness, circular economy principles, and the integration of sustainability-driven Key Performance and Value Indicators (KPIs/KVIs). Concrete use cases in telemedicine, agriculture, and smart grids illustrated the transformative potential of 6G when sustainability is embedded by design. Attending this webinar offered stakeholders across academia, industry, and policy the opportunity to understand the scope, methodology, and ambitions of SUSTAIN-6G, and to engage in shaping a holistic, future-proof framework for responsible digital transformation.
A triple perspective was offered from a telco, tech, and customer point of view.

Our speakers:

Agenda:

Time (CEST)

Presentation Title

Speaker & Slides

15:00–15:05
Prologue – Introduction
Anastasius Gavras, Project Manager at Eurescom

15:05–15:15
Sustainability terminology and needs
Marja Matinmikko-Blue, Research Director of Infotech Oulu at the University of Oulu

15:15–15:30
A Telco Perspective
Berna Sayrac, Senior Research Engineer at Orange

15:30–15:45
A Tech Perspective
Dominique Chiaroni, Expert in Optical Networking at Nokia Bell Labs

15:45–16:05
A Customer Perspective
Daniel Hauer, Research Professional at Siemens

16:05–16:10
Epilogue – Summary & Recommendations
Sokratis Barmpounakis, Senior Solutions Architect & Project Manager at WINGS ICT Solutions

16:10–16:30
Q&A
All

Recording:

SUSTAIN-6G 4th Plenary Meeting Strengthens Integration and Delivery
2026-02-17 - 2026-02-19
From 17th -19th Feb, the 4th Plenary Meeting of SUSTAIN-6G, was hosted at KU Leuven’s Ghent Campus. It brought technology experts, researchers, and academic partners to advance collaboration and strategic alignment across the consortium. Over three intensive days, discussions demonstrated the project’s progression from conceptual groundwork toward coordinated implementation.
Day 1 – Strengthening Alignment and Methodological Progress
The plenary opened with strong momentum, focusing on aligning research activities and reinforcing collaboration across work packages.
Key highlights included:

Internal reporting on developments across 78 Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking projects, with particular focus on sustainability directions.

Valuable feedback from the project’s External Advisory Group, guiding methodological approaches and pathways to strengthen impact.

Enhanced cooperation across methodology, applications, and evaluation, ensuring stronger links between analytical frameworks and implementation activities.

A joint session across WP2, WP4, and WP6, reinforcing cross–work package integration.

Progress updates on deliverables, dedicated use case sessions, presenting early results, insights, and reflections from partners.

Day 2 – From Strategy to Action
The second day focused on translating vision into execution. The day kicked off with the WP7 Joint Exploitation Workshop, organised in a World Café format that brought together representatives from across the consortium. The interactive session helped align partners on exploitation pathways and strengthen the route from research outcomes to real-world impact. A concluding plenary discussion ensured shared ownership of the results.
Parallel technical discussions advanced several key areas:

Continued development of the Sustainability Management Plane (SMP)—a critical building block for embedding sustainability intelligence directly into 6G system architecture.

Coordination of technical contributions to Proofs of Concept (PoCs) led by WP5 in collaboration with other work packages.

Strategic dissemination planning for upcoming events, including EuCNC & 6G Summit, focusing on coordinated presence, demonstrations, and storytelling around project outcomes.

These discussions reinforced how sustainability, exploitation, and visibility are converging into a structured pathway toward measurable impact.
Day 3 – From Collaboration to Integrated Delivery
The final day marked an important transition for the project—Partners aligned on clear responsibilities, timelines, and interdependencies, ensuring coordinated progress across work packages. This alignment strengthens the connection between technical innovation and sustainability integration, which lies at the heart of the project’s mission.
The plenary concluded with a strong sense of shared direction across the consortium. With the discussions completed, the project now moves forward with a clear focus on execution, validation, and delivering impactful results in the coming phase.

Workshop on Photonic Technologies for a Sustainable ICT - PT-Sustain-ICT 2026
2026-03-03 - 2026-03-06 | Marbella Spain, Marbella, Spain
In conjunction with the 14th International Conference on Photonics, Optics and Laser Technology – PHOTOPTICS 2026

Submission & All details on the official page
SCOPE
A combined effect of the predictable linear evolution of the production of electricity and an exponential growth of the ICT electricity demand push industrials to rethink the design of future products for ICT and verticals. A “sustainable by design” approach adopting quantitative/qualitative indicators of key values (environmental, societal and economic) on top of the key performance indicators is required. Based on the expertise of key ongoing projects: EU SNS Sustain-6G and the Danish GreenCOM project proposing 19 new optical technologies, this workshop, after a recall a methodology for a sustainable design targeting long-term impacts, will highlight how optical technologies will play a fundamental role from the access point up to the core of the network including data centers.
Topic of Interest

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Methods for a sustainable ICT (KPIs and KVIs)
Low energy consumption transceivers
Optical Wireless Communications (OWC)
PON and POL
Optical add/Drop multiplexers for different network segments
Optical networks for fixed and mobile convergence
Photonic continuity through the adoption of optical wired and wireless technologies
All optical networks
WDM transmission systems at low energy consumption
Optical Sensing
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)

Paper Submission

Prospective authors are invited to submit papers on any of the topics listed above.
Instructions for preparing the manuscript (in Word and LaTeX formats) are available at: Paper Templates
Please also check the Guidelines.
Papers must be submitted electronically via the web-based submission system using the appropriate button on this page.
Important Dates

Paper Submission: January 5, 2026 (extended deadline) December 17, 2025
Authors’ Notification: January 14, 2026
Camera Ready and Registration: January 22, 2026

Co-Chairs

Dominique Chiaroni, Nokia Bell Labs, France
Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Olivier Bouchet, Orange France

Workshop Program Committee

Philippe Chanclou, Orange, France
Patricia Layec, Nokia Bell Labs, France
Catherine Lepers, Institut Polytechnique de Paris/Telecom SudParis
Michael Stübert Berger, DTU Electro
Line Maria Pyndt Larsen, TDC, Denmark

Secretariat Contacts

PHOTOPTICS Workshops – PT-Sustain-ICT 2026
e-mail: photoptics.secretariat@insticc.org

Call for papers International workshop on Sustainable and Sustainability-Enabling 6G
2026-05-24 - 2026-05-28
6G versus sustainability: does it risk to be mostly contributing to the problem? Or can it be a driver for solutions?
As a fact 6G should be both a potential enabler of sustainability in other sectors (6G for Sustainability), and a sustainable technology itself (Sustainable 6G). To achieve this objective, sustainability must be integrated from the very beginning of the design phase and across the full life cycle.
This workshop advocates for a broad approach to sustainability that goes beyond energy efficiency, considering other aspects related to environmental sustainability, and addressing the other two sustainability pillars, namely social and economic sustainability. The scope of the workshop encompasses both foundational research and applied innovations across diverse verticals such as smart agriculture, energy systems, healthcare, mobility, logistics, and many others. It invites contributions that demonstrate how 6G can be leveraged to reduce environmental footprint (i.e., negative first-order effects), enhance digital inclusion, and foster resilient infrastructures, but also show innovations that can make 6G a sustainable technology by design. Special emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary collaborations that integrate technological advancements with ethical, regulatory, and socio-economic aspects. As next-generation networks evolve, it is imperative to embed sustainability at the core of their design, deployment, and application. This workshop will serve as a platform to discuss innovative approaches, share best practices, and co-create actionable strategies that align with broader visions of sustainability, across the three pillars and from different world region perspectives.

Sustainability pillars and their integration into 6G

Environmental sustainability
Carbon emissions reduction strategies in 6G deployment
Sustainable ICT metrics and indicators for 6G networks
Climate-resilient network design
Environmental impact of computing

Social sustainability

Digital inclusion and accessibility in 6G
Ethical AI and data governance in 6G
Human-centric design, social value creation and acceptability
Privacy, security, trust, and transparency

Economic sustainability

Business models for sustainable 6G innovation
Cost-benefit analysis of 6G technologies

6G technologies & sustainability alignment

Sustainable architecture and design principles for 6G networks
Life cycle assessment and circular economy models for 6G infrastructure
Sustainability indicators, metrics, evaluation
Strategic roadmaps and policies
Responsible AI in communications
Sustainable computing: design and usage

Application use cases with sustainability impact

Smart agriculture powered by 6G: precision farming, water management
Sustainable energy systems and smart grids
Leverage secure and ubiquitous services through 6G
Smart cities and mobility: 6G for autonomous, low-emission and resilient systems
Interconnection between 6G and verticals

Papers submission deadline: 18 January 2026
Paper Acceptance Notification: 8 March 2026
Camera Ready: 15 March 2026

Instructions for paper submission and important deadlines can be found at: https://icc2026.ieee-icc.org/

Albert Banchs, University Carlos III of Madrid
Liesbet Van Der Perre, KU Leuven
Mattia Merluzzi, CEA-Leti
Ali Balador, Ericsson Research
Anastasius Gravas, Eurescom
Bahare M. Khorsandi, Nokia Germany
Olivier Bouchet, Orange Labs
Christoph Schmelz, Nokia Germany

EuCNC & 6G Summit 2026 - Malaga, Spain
2026-06-02 - 2026-06-05
The 2026 EuCNC & 6G Summit builds on two successful conferences in the area of telecommunications: EuCNC, in its 35th edition of a series, supported by the European Commission, and the 6G Summit, in its 8th edition, originated from the 6G Flagship programme in Finland, one of the very first in its area.
The conference is sponsored by the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), the European Association for Signal Processing (EURASIP) and the European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EurAAP) and supported by the European Commission.
The conference addresses various aspects of Beyond 5G/6G communications systems and networks. It brings together cutting-edge research and world-renown industries and businesses, globally attracting in the last years close to 1000 delegates from more than 40 countries all over the world, to present and discuss the latest results, and an exhibition with more than 50 exhibitors, for demonstrating the technology developed in the area, namely within research projects from EU R&I programmes.
The conference program will include:

Keynotes
Panels
Regular sessions (papers from open call, to be submitted for uploading to IEEE Xplore)
Special and Convened sessions, with papers on specific topics
Workshops, with papers and presentations on specific topics
Poster sessions
Tutorials
Demos and exhibitions, with pitches
Awards in several categories (paper, poster, booth, demo, startup, thesis)

KEY DATES

23 Jan. 2026 – Deadline for submission of Papers for Regular Oral Sessions
23 Jan. 2026 – Deadline for submission of proposals for Workshops, Special Sessions and Tutorials
06 Mar. 2026 – Deadline for submission of Extended Abstracts for Posters
09 Mar. 2026 – Notification of acceptance of Workshops, Special Sessions and Tutorials
27 Mar. 2026 – Deadline for submission of proposals for Exhibitions, Demos and Booths
27 Mar. 2026 – Deadline for submission of applications for Ph.D. Theses and Startups
30 Mar. 2026 – Notification of acceptance of Papers and Extended Abstracts
10 Apr. 2026 – Deadline for final Papers for all sessions and Workshops
13 Apr. 2026 – Notification of acceptance of proposals for Exhibitions, Demos and Booths
17 Apr. 2026 – Deadline for Authors registration
27 Apr. 2026 – Draft Programme available

Steering Committee Chairs
Luis M. Correia, IST – U. Lisbon, PT (Chair)
Pavlos Fournogerakis, SNS JU, BE (Vice-Chair)
Matti Latva-aho, U. Oulu – 6G Flagship, FI (Vice-Chair)
Technical Programme Co-Chairs
Pedro Merino-Gómez, U. Malaga, ES
Ivan Seskar, Rutgers U., US
Ari Pouttu, U. Oulu – 6G Flagship, FI
Track Co-Chairs
PHY – Physical Layer and Fundamentals
Mikko Uusitalo, NOKIA, FI
Mari Carmen Aguayo-Torres, U. Malaga, ES
Aggelos Bletsas, Rutgers U., US
WOS – Wireless, Optical and Satellite Networks
David Larrabeiti, UC3M, ES
Alessandro Vanelli, U. Bologna, IT
Chia-Pang Yen, ITRI, TW
NET – Network Softwarisation
Anna Brunstrom, Karlstad U., SE
Johann Marquez-Barja, imec-UAntwerp, BE
Paul Ruth, U. North Carolina, US
AIU – Applications, IoT, Use cases
Marc Emmelmann, Fraunhofer FOKUS, DE
Almudena Díaz, U. Malaga, ES
Tingjun Chen, Duke U., US
OPE – Operational & Experimental Insights
Spyros Denazis, U. Patras, GR
David Gomez-Barquero, U.P. Valencia, ES
Aloizio Da Silva, Virginia Tech, US
AI4C – AI/ML Solutions for Communications
Daniel Kilper, Trinity College Dublin, IE
Valerio Frascolla, Intel Deutschland GmbH, DE,
Jongwon Kim, GIST, KR
SAQ – Security Aspects and Quantum Communications
John Preuß Mattsson, Ericsson, SE
Javier Lopez, U. Malaga, ES
Vuk Marojevic, Mass. State U., US
NVS – Next-Generation Visions & Sustainability
Marja Matinmikko-Blue, U. Oulu – 6G Flagship, FI
Christoph Schmelz, NOKIA, DE
Carlos E. Caicedo Bastidas – Syracuse U., US
CMA – Components, Microelectronics, Photonics & Antennas
Luís Manuel Pessoa, U. Porto – INESC TEC, PT
Nuutti Tervo, U. Oulu – 6G Flagship, FI
Ashutosh Dutta, U. Johns Hopkins, US
Panels Co-Chairs
Håkon Lønsethagen, Telenor, NO
Özgü Alay, U. Oslo, NO
Special Sessions Co-Chairs
Čedomir Stefanović, AAU, DK
Nurul Huda Mahmood, U. Oulu – 6G Flagship, FI
Filipe Cardoso, Polytech. Inst. Setubal, PT
Workshops Co-Chairs
Diego López, Telefonica, ES
Germán Madueño, Keysight Technologies, ES
Beatriz Lorenzo, U. Mass. Amherst, US
Tutorials Co-Chairs
Paweł Sroka, PUT, PL
Mir Ghoraishi, Gigasys Solutions, UK
George Sklivanitis, Florida Atlantic U., US
Exhibitions Co-Chairs
David Artuñedo, Telefonica, ES
Michael Dieudonne, Keysight Technologies, BE
Pablo Herrera, U. Malaga, ES
IEEE ComSoc Liaison
Stefano Bregni, POLIMI, IT
COST Liaison
Ralph Stübner, COST, BE
URSI Liaison
Sana Salous, Durham U., UK
EurAAP Liaison
Jose Molina Garcia Pardo, U. Cartagena, ES
EURASIP Liaison
Eva Lagunas, U. Luxembourg, LU
