IMDEA Networks wins funding for four EU 6G projects

IMDEA Networks, a research institute based in Getafe, Madrid, has secured funding for four new projects under the European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU). Mobile World Live reported the award in June 2026. The institute said its success rate in this year's proposals was 50%, and that it was present in 20% of the projects selected in the latest call.

The four funded projects focus on technical areas for future 6G mobile communications. PRIME-6G targets resilient industrial manufacturing and uses AI-based network optimisation and digital twins to improve efficiency and security in real factory environments. IoT-ZERO aims to develop Internet of Things devices with near-zero energy consumption by combining energy harvesting and ultra-low-power communications. PROSPERO is working on a unified and simplified 6G architecture to reduce costs and technology dependencies, with native AI automation and sustainability by design. PAISES-6G focuses on secure and scalable infrastructure using quantum-ready cryptography and AI for automated network management. The projects are led by principal investigators Marco Fiore and Joerg Widmer.

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking is a European public-private partnership focused on 5G and 6G networks. It has €630 million in public investment under the Horizon Europe programme and aims to define Europe's digital innovation roadmap through 2030. The report also noted broader 6G activity in Spain: the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya launched the 34-kilometre 6G LabNet linking Barcelona and Castelldefels, and i2CAT opened facilities at Pier01 in Barcelona with a €10 million investment and 15 laboratories focused on AI, cybersecurity and 6G.