RIGOUROUS project aspires to identify and address the major cybersecurity, trust and privacy risks threatening the network, devices, computing infrastructure, and next generation of services. RIGOUROUS will address these challenges by introducing a new holistic and smart service framework leveraging new machine learning (ML) and AI mechanisms, which can react dynamically to the ever-changing threat surface on all orchestration layers and network functions. RIGOUROUS new smart service framework is capable of ensuring a secure, trusted and privacy-preserving environment for supporting the next generation of trustworthy continuum computing 6G services along the full device-edge-cloud-continuum on heterogenous multi-domain networks. This includes establishing compliance with the design of software (SW), protocols and procedures, as well as AI-governed mechanisms to cope with the security-related requirements in the full DevOps lifecycle, from the service onboarding up to the day-2 operations. Further the DevOps lifecycle spans from the prevention and detection of anomalies and/or intrusions at different levels (physical or cyber) based on violation of policies or rules, up to their mitigation and policy enforcement. It also comprises the incorporation of the human factor starting from the design until the human-in-the-loop concept in the whole orchestration. Additionally extensive research devoted to realizing advanced security enablers is carried out to bring automation and intelligence to the smart, but also secure, orchestration concept. In brief, RIGOUROUS targets the following key objectives: • Holistic Smart Service framework for securing the IoT-Edge-Cloud continuum lifecycle management • Human-Centric DevSecOps • Model-based and AI-driven Automated Security Orchestration, Trust Management and deployment • Advanced AI-driven Anomaly Detection, decision and Mitigation Strategies • Demonstration of a Set of Industrially Relevant Use Cases in Operational Envi

Quickly developing, upgrading and deploying applications is the core function of the software and IT industry, often achieved through running software on shared hardware (e.g., on data centers) in order to reduce costs and improve profitability. At this point however, the software world appears stuck with inherently insecure and not-so-efficient lightweight virtualization (e.g., containers), because virtual machines are deemed too expensive to use in many scenarios. Unikernels, extremely lightweight VMs, seem like a step towards a solution, but their overwhelming development time and costs hinder their use in real-world settings. Unicore will challenge this status quo by enabling software developers to easily build and quickly deploy lightweight, secure and verifiable images (which we call unikernels) starting from existing applications. Unicore will create a common code base from which to build unikernels, and develop tools that will make the creation of such unikernels as easy as compiling an app for an existing OS, which will enable EU players to lead the next generation of cloud computing services and technology. Such tools will also allow for the creation of lean, efficient operating systems that would be perfectly suitable for resource-constrained devices settings such as IoT. Through its industry-led consortium and its top-notch academic partners, Unicore will ensure exploitation of its technical results through the implementation and operational deployment of multiple use cases. Unicore addresses the work programme’s goals by (1) providing a common code base and tools for code reusability, (2) by developing tools for verification and validation of the generated software, (3) through transparently handling of cross-platform dependencies and by (4) accelerating the full software lifecycle by fully automating several of its stages.

As 5G approaches a very high maturity level, the testing and validation of the innovations achieved in 5G by integrators and verticals service providers has become of utmost importance. Verticals have very different needs, such as the case of the Automotive industry and Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR). This will therefore require different levels of support in taking their applications and services from concepts, to prototypes and finally to products. However, it is also more and more frequent that services in different verticals need to exchange data, particularly mobility services such as those found in connected automobiles and PPDR. 5GASP aims at shortening the idea-to-market process through the creation of a European testbed for SMEs that is fully automated and self-service, in order to foster rapid development and testing of new and innovative NetApps built using the 5G NFV based reference architecture. Building on top of existing physical infrastructures, 5GASP intends to focus on innovations related to the operation of experiments and tests across several domains, providing software support tools for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) of VNFs in a secure & trusted environment for European SMEs capitalizing in the 5G market. 5GASP targets the creation of an Open Source Software (OSS) repository and of a VNF marketplace targeting SMEs with OSS examples and building blocks, as well as the incubation of a community of NetApp developers assisted with tools and services that can enable an early validation and/or certification of products and services for 5G. We focus on inter-domain use-cases, development of operational tools and procedures (supporting day-to-day testing and validation activities) and security/trust of 3rd party IPR running in our testbeds.

As the world moves from the 5G towards the 6G era, the mobile communications fabric needs to be architected differently to accommodate the emerging stringent requirements of innovative extreme future-looking applications that cannot be served by existing 5G mobile networks. Heading towards the next decade, when 6G is expected to be widely deployed, 5G application types will be redefined by morphing the classical service classes of URLLC, eMBB, and mMTC and introducing new services. ADROIT6G is an SNS JU project supporting the EC’s 6G policy by implementing the first phase of the 6G SNS roadmap towards the evolution of a 6G architecture. ADROIT6G proposes disruptive innovations in the architecture of emerging 6G mobile networks that will make fundamental changes to the way networks are designed, implemented, operated, and maintained. Such innovations include: (i) AI/ML-powered optimizations across the entire network, for high performance and automation; (ii) Transforming to a fully cloud-native network software, which can be implemented across a variety of edge-cloud platforms, including Non-Terrestrial Networks, with security built integrally into the network user plane; (iii) Software driven, zero-touch operations and ultimately automation of every aspect of the network and the services it delivers. ADROIT6G innovations, functionalities and performance will be validated through 3 representative extreme 6G use cases (i.e., holographic telepresence, Industrial IoT, collaborative robots/drones) in corresponding PoCs over five well-established 5G testbeds, which will be upgraded to support ADROIT6G innovations and architectural elements. Our 13-partner consortium is driven by industry heavyweights from EU telecom and ICT industries and renowned research organisations, with a vast expertise and experience in 5G and beyond technologies. Most of ADROIT6G’s consortium partners have participated in 44 previously funded 5G-PPP projects and in several 5G-PPP Working Groups.

The 6Green project aims to conceive, design, and realize an innovative service-based and holistic ecosystem, able to extend “the communication infrastructure into a sustainable, interconnected, greener end-to-end intercompute system” and promote energy efficiency across the whole 5/6G value-chain. The ultimate objective is to enable and to foster 5/6G networks and vertical applications reducing their carbon footprint by a factor of 10 or more. To achieve this objective, the project will exploit and extend state-of-the-art cloud-native technologies and the B5G Service-Based Architecture with new cross-domain enablers to: 1) boost the global ecosystem flexibility, scalability and sustainability, and 2) enable all the 5/6G stakeholders (from the ones acting at the infrastructure and network platform to vertical industries) reducing their carbon footprint by becoming integral parts of a win-win green-economy business, and meeting a Decarbonization Service Agreement. The 6Green intent-based cross-domain interactions among stakeholders will allow achieving a tight proportionality between the time-varying and geographically distributed mobile workload produced by vertical applications and network slices, and the energy/carbon footprint induced to the 5/6G network and computing infrastructure continuum. 6Green will provide stakeholders with flexible and green Artificial Intelligence mechanisms that will allow propagating the environment impact to any players acting on virtual domains, and triggering zero-touch operations according to customizable energy- and carbon-aware policies, allowing to optimally use renewable energy sources. The project will also deliver three future-proof use-case applications that will provide a diverse awareness of the green capabilities of the 6Green platform, and that will demonstrate the potential 5/6G impact in enabling other vertical industry sectors to reach the carbon neutrality targeted by the European Green Deal.