With the launch of Open6GHub+, Germany will establish a national 6G transfer hub on January 1, 2026. Building on the excellent research results of the successfully completed Open6GHub, the new hub will systematically translate findings into industrial applications, standards, and markets—with a clear focus on technology transfer, implementation, and exploitation. Open6GHub+ thus closes the gap between fundamental 6G research and tangible economic and societal impact.
Open6GHub+ is funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and is part of Germany’s 6G program. In doing so, the BMFTR is implementing a key building block of its 6G strategy, which aims to position Germany as both a lead market and a lead provider for the next generation of mobile communications. The program also addresses the growing need for technological sovereignty, resilient critical infrastructures, and trusted digital systems. Close collaboration with industry, startups, SMEs, public authorities, and other public-sector stakeholders is a central element. The initiative is accompanied and complemented by 6G-SENSORIA, funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, which incorporates regional specifications and partners.
AI and 3D Networks: 6G Focus Areas
A core focus of Open6GHub+ is the integration of artificial intelligence into 6G. The consortium is developing AI-based network functions and leveraging generative and hybrid AI to design, implement, and specify future mobile technologies more rapidly. Complementing this, AI-powered digital twins of networks and applications will enable new services to be tested and optimized before they are deployed in real-world environments.
In addition, Open6GHub+ will interconnect terrestrial networks with drones and non-terrestrial platforms to create so-called 3D networks. The result is ubiquitous, resilient connectivity that continues to function reliably even when traditional cellular networks reach their limits—for example, in agriculture, logistics, or critical infrastructure.
Further priorities include laying the groundwork for intelligent 6G modems “Made in Europe” for both end devices and NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks), as well as for autonomous 6G sub-networks. These will meet exceptionally high requirements for resilience, security, and trustworthiness, depending on the application.
From Research to Industry
“Open6GHub+ marks the transition from foundational 6G research to broad-based technology transfer. Together with industry, we aim to develop and test solutions at an early stage that will prove themselves in real networks—from AI-enabled 6G networks to novel 3D network architectures. In doing so, we are laying the foundation for Germany and Europe not only to use 6G, but to actively shape it,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Schotten, project coordinator, professor at Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), and Scientific Director at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).
Work in Open6GHub+ is organized around missions and accompanied by industry sponsors to ensure a strong focus on outcomes and transfer. Key results will be tested in open experimental testbeds and OpenLabs and made available to industry at an early stage.
At Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg (FAU), research efforts led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Norman Franchi (Head of LITES) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Vossiek (Head of LHFT) focus on the design and optimization of security and resilience mechanisms, as well as innovations in 6G radio modems. FAU therefore leads the missions on trustworthiness and security of 6G networks and on the “Made in Europe” 6G Smart Radio Modem. FAU emphasizes strong integration of autonomous networks and modern communication protocols to ensure network reliability and efficiency even in crisis situations. To validate the developed technologies and their feasibility, the two chairs operate OpenLabs at FAU’s South Campus in Erlangen. They also work closely with international standards bodies to actively help shape future communication standards.
“Our goal at FAU is to make a decisive contribution to bringing 6G technology into real-world use. This is not just about boosting speed and ensuring stable connectivity—it’s about developing networks that are secure, resilient, and trustworthy. We also aim to channel our existing expertise into developing a European modem to advance independence in communications technology. Through practice-oriented research and close collaboration with partners from academia and industry, we are making a pivotal contribution within Open6GHub+ to the application-driven implementation of 6G,” explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Norman Franchi, the project’s coordinator at FAU.
With the launch of Open6GHub+, a central instrument of the 6G research roadmap published by the BMFTR at the end of 2025 is being implemented. The roadmap envisions building 6G transfer hubs as a bridge between excellent research, industrial application, standardization, and workforce development. Open6GHub+ assumes this role by further developing existing research infrastructures, establishing transfer-oriented ecosystems, and purposefully supporting the transition from research to economic and societal impact.
A Strong Consortium for 6G Excellence
The Open6GHub+ consortium brings together leading research institutions in communications engineering, artificial intelligence, and system integration: the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg (FAU), the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt), Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), the University of Bremen, and the University of Stuttgart.
With its clear focus on technology transfer and its close ties to industry, standardization, and national 6G structures, Open6GHub+ makes an important contribution to strengthening the national and European 6G ecosystem.